Most enemies do fire projectiles, but rapid spraying with the GooShooter™ is certain to pick them off before they can become a real threat. ![]() Mick and Mack just jump from platform to platform firing their six-directional GooShooters™, guns which spray a small blob of goop which flies a short distance and falls. With plenty of checkpoints, health, 1-Ups, and timer bonuses in each stage, there is very little here to challenge the player. With four unique levels, each with three alternate stages, the game just feels short… and it is. It’s a definite sign of the game’s quality that it leaves the player wanting more. It’s a real shame that there isn’t more, but given the quality of the samples and song length, I’m sure space must be an issue given the small cartridge memory, From the clear shouts of “You did it!” and “Awesome” to the Do-Re-Mi pickup tones for the Golden Arches scattered about the levels, Tallarico shows he is a master of the Genesis sound chip. The game may skimp on the music, but the vocal and sound effects are plentiful and sound terrific. The brief introduction cinema is just various samples of the game’s sound and vocal effects. Each of the four levels has its own theme along with the bonus round, boss, and ending themes. Yes, that’s no mistake – the game is pretty sparse on the soundtrack. Unfortunately, the other four songs aren’t nearly as good or inspired. “Dance Tune” highlights the crystal clear vocal samples used in the game, splicing them into a very catchy techno song for the game’s bonus round. “McRock” is a lengthy synth rock track powered by a driving drum beat, electric rhythm guitar, and dual keyboard leads. There are only a handful of songs, but a couple of them (“McRock” and “Dance Tune”) are incredible. The enemies move just as smoothly, and though the game lacks special effects such as transparencies or reflections, the game looks good and has aged well.Ĭomplimenting the excellent graphics is a very good soundtrack by Tommy Tallarico. Hold right on the D-pad and they will pick up speed and go into a full run stop and they will skid Sonic-style, digging their heels into the grounds to brake. As with every post- Sonic the Hedgehog game, Mick and Mack have a number of gratuitous idle animations including twirling their GooShooter™ or playing with their gum. Everything is so fluid, with water sparkling, sludge burping, and invisible discs shimmering when stepped upon. Global Gladiators itself boasts having 1,250 frames of animation, then unheard of for a game, especially one weighing in at a paltry four megabits. Perry’s 16-bit games were famous for pushing the systems to the limits, featuring great level design and incredible animation. For this we can thank David Perry, that legendary Genesis programmer who would go on to create another brand-turned-video game with Cool Spot along with creating Earthworm Jim and a slew of other Genesis hits. Where the NES Global Gladiators reeks of the typical quick cash-in attempt, the Genesis game is a surprisingly well designed, good looking, and enjoyable run-and-gun platformer. In fact, in Andy Eddy’s Video Games & Computer Entertainment review, he gave the game a perfect score, stating that it could give Sonic the Hedgehog 2 a run for its money come 1992 Christmas season. Unfortunately, some may view the McDonald’s tie-in as a strike against the game and blind them from the odd truth - Global Gladiators is a good game. Though a fast food vendor is an odd source of “inspiration” for a game, let alone an environmentally themed one, it’s ultimately no different than the myriad of movie and toy tie-ins video games have seen over the years. Companies using video games to promote their brands is hardly new – after all, Chase the Chuck Wagon was showing kids that Chuck Wagon dog food has the gravy taste dogs couldn’t wait to finish way back on the Atari 2600. Mick & Mack as the Global Gladiators is one such game, which is odd given its fast food ties - Mick and Mack are plays on the McDonald’s name, and Global Gladiators is a McDonald’s game. ![]() ![]() Captain Planet, Awesome Possum, Toejam & Earl: Panic on Funkatron, and other Genesis games carried with them environmental friendly messages to varying degrees of finger wagging. Genre: Platformer Developer: Virgin Games Publisher: Virgin Games Players: 1 Released: 1993Īt some point in the early ’90s, video game developers decided kids cared about the environment.
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