Dynamite Headdy

"A fantastic challange awaits you in a game you never knew existed!"

Looking for a good blast from the past? How about a great, not-so-well-known game titled "Dynamite Headdy." Upon looking at the awful and kiddy-like box art, this game is anything but that. So, dig your Genesis out and get ready to fire up eBay...

[GAMEPLAY] 8/10: This is a platformer, and a true one at that. If you've ever played Super Mario or Sonic before, this should be easier for you. Plus, Headdy here has a new technique (that we probably will never see in Super Mario): the ability to toss his head around. Not just to destroy enemies, but also to reach certain heights inaccessible by jumping. But there's more: Headdy can also pick up a variety of different heads that serve a different function: picking up the metal head increases your attack power, picking up the tiny head shrinks Headdy down to access small and concealed areas. There's even a sleeping head, which although puts you to sleep for a couple seconds, also restores all your health in the process.

[STORY] 8/10: Although not extremely in-depth as some of today's games, this game basic story in a nutshell is this: 'Headdy (and the rest of his world) are all puppets in a show. The Dark Demon, and his puppet servant, Trouble Bruin, try to stop Headdy from being the star of the show. Headdy sets out on an adventure to destroy the Dark Demon after his home town is attacked by evil puppets.'

That being said, let's look at the level layout: There are four stages in each act. You'll face a mini-boss at the end of almost every stage (that's right... STAGE... as there are many enemies to face in this game) and fight a boss puppet brought down by the Dark Demon. The characters in this game are the most memorable you will ever meet ranging from a bizarre looking brown bear puppet that will stop at nothing to destroy you to Headdy himself.

[GRAPHICS] 10/10: This is one of strong points in the game. For a game created in 1994 for the Sega Genesis, this game is probably the most colorful, clear, and bright in 16-bit history. This game also features an excellent 3D, isometric boss fight, which I won't give away, but will surely take your breath away at the outstanding work done on this game.

[SOUND] 10/10: Another strong point. This game really does show off some outstanding music and sound. The sound effects are nice and fit the mood. Some of the main characters even have some short sound clips, including the Dark Demon's infamous line "I cannot believe it!" The music in the game is also out of this world. The music is just so fantastic, you'll want the sound track right away. Normally, I don't really care for game music, but THIS get you. Trouble Bruin's "rapping theme" also has some digitized voices which add to the fun.

[REPLAY] 9/10: Now, before I say anything about replay value, let me explain something: this game is hard. VERY, VERY HARD... well, maybe not that hard, but it does offer a big challenge. The earlier levels aren't difficult at all, but as you progress, so does your frustration. Needless to say, after you've mastered the game, you'll still want to turn back and go right back into it... I know I did!

So, in all, if you're looking for a graphically stunning, beautify composed, and perfectly unified game... this is it. Since this is a pretty old game, eBay would be your best bet here in finding it. So, happy hunting!

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 09/01/05