Since "The Wheel" is one of the features that hasn't made it back to the site yet, I thought that we could play a little game to help us find those random, hidden gems amongst the catalog while we wait for its return. Here's how it'll work:

1. I'm going to seed the list with three games. You go and play one of the games from this thread for at least enough time to get a general impression of it. If possible, be sure to pick a game you've never played before.

2. Come back here and reply with which game you played, along with one thing you liked about it, and one thing you disliked. Feel free to include what score from 0-10 you'd give the game as well.

3. In the same post, include one game that you've picked at random from somewhere in the catalog. Be sure to refer to LittlestCthulu's post on creating links to the games with their images so that your pick is nice and visible.

4. Look at what other people have suggested and continue playing!

Don't worry about playing and reviewing the same game that someone else has played. The idea here is to try and make sure that by coming to this thread and reading the latest entries, those of us who lived by the wheel in the past can continue to get that random game fix when we need it. Getting mini-reviews on the random selections is just a way to get people playing and participating.

Let's begin!


Outpost Kaloki


Alien Stars


Magical Drop 3

Fun idea! Thanks, Xero. I'm gonna give Outpost Kaloki a shot since its the only one I haven't played.

Alien Stars is likely the most boring shooter I've ever played in my life. The only thing I liked about it was that I didn't play money for it.

In return, I post:



Five Card Delux

I need to voice support for Outpost Kaloki. I've been almost caught many-a-time playing it in class >_<.

The good: Simple, crazy addicting, management game that doesn't bog you down in details

The bad: Simple (it's a double edged sword) so there isn't much depth

Rating: 8

I'll post

I forgot to reply after playing some Outpost Kaloki, it was charming.

Dark Matter

Pros: Astroids plus. Gets pretty fast and furious.

Cons: Really slow start. I'd like to see what Kenta Cho would do with something like this. If you want a fast and furious arcade shooter, don't make the first minute of every round slow as crap.

I respond with: Elements of Destruction

Elements of Destruction

A quirky, fun game in which you control the forces of nature to destroy a myriad of structures, vehicles and landscaping.

Pros: In addition to its unique style of gameplay, it satisfies that carnal urge to destroy. I just love chasing airplanes and striking them down with a devastating bolt of lightning or unleashing a tremendous earthquake in the middle of a neighborhood.

Cons: Controls are difficult and slow to respond, making some parts of the game frustratingly difficult (e.g. K.R.I.S.S. )


My random pick is: Alex Kidd:The Lost Stars (SEGA Master System)

Alex Kidd:The Lost Stars (SEGA Master System)

I've played Alex Kidd on the Genesis before, but hadn't ever gotten around to playing this Master System outing.

Pros: There's some pretty decent old-school platforming here. It's very reminiscent of the old Wonder Boy games, what with the depleting health meter doing double-duty as the timer. The controls actually seemed a bit tighter than I remember the other Alex Kidd games being, which is a definite plus. And what's not to love about that horrible-but-awesome 8-bit digitized speech before each level. "FIND THE MIRACLE BALL!"

Cons: Some levels have a bit too much going on in the background, making it difficult to keep the pace you need to finish the level in the time allowed. The second level in particular was a horrible offender in this, making it difficult in places to distinguish the various platforms from the background pieces.

I'd probably give this one a 6 / 10. Pretty good overall, but could've used some polish and more subdued backgrounds.

Next up:


Castlevania Bloodlines