Joe & Mac

"Mario's ancestors sure had a lot of success with gals"

Joe and Mac puts you in the body of a prehistoric being who has nothing better to do than walk around, smash enemies, take bonuses and items, fight against weird monsters and be kissed by beautiful girls. Now, doesn't that have an air of deja-vu ? To put things clearer, he has a friend by the name of Mac who is just like him with the same tastes and lack of leisures…Welcome to our prehistoric Mario and Luigi.

Actually, even though Joe and Mac is nothing more than a copy of the great Mario series, it is a pretty good game and you'll actually enjoy making your way through all the levels and bonus stages that make up this short but fun game. The plot is, of course, very linear except that there's a neat bunch of girls this time and they do look sexy 16 bits-like, not just an old princess whom you're constantly trying to save but never actually succeeding.

The bonuses are pretty plain too with food items, weapons and the usual life-ups…The baddies this time are your evil counterparts, dinosaurs, velociraptors, the fearsome T-Rex, and a devil who seems to have lost his way on a journey. Although the game is set to take place some one million years ago, there are even aliens but you'll have to squint hard to know them and hey, cars and planes were not just a dream at that time !

The best feature which makes this platformer demark from the rest of the Mario copies is certainly the bonus stages and the fact that you need keys to access them. To enable this, the programmers have put a lot of traps and in certain events, you need to think well before continuing on or you may miss these important keys.

The programmers sure got a brilliant idea and trying to get all the locked bonus stages greatly increases the game lifespan and enhances the gameplay. The weapons system is different too as instead of replacing your older weapon with a new one, you can carry up to a maximum of four and toggle between them whenever you want.

Moreover, this game is really funny. I really like how the enemies and the bigger bosses react when they're hit by Joe or Mac. You'll really laugh when you see those big eyes stare at you with such veins and how they seems to be crying. And Joe's and Mac's expressions when the girls come to kiss them is a really treat. Considering that this game came out in 1991, I'm pleasantly surprised with these details and those funny ideas which make the game even more fun.

GRAPHICS : 8

Joe and Mac boasts cute graphics and everything's been well-drawn. There are some points which will make you ask yourself questions but these do not spoil the fun and you'll forget about these soon enough. The backgrounds are also good and the colours are all lively with good resolutions. Some enemies are a real treat to watch, like the T-Rex and wow, even the gals look great.

There is nothing to complain about the animation which is smooth at all times and the vertically-scrolling levels are worth playing over and over again. Joe and Mac both look really funny too with their eternally-puzzled looks and their mimics.

SOUND : 6

Maybe it could have been a bit better here. The sound effects are kinda cool and little complaint can be given to them. The enemies are cry out realistically and the thuds and other noises have been well done. Very cool sound effects !

What I didn't like was the music, I was deceived after a couple of hours. The game would certainly be better with some good themes and a more lively music. Moreover, it becomes really monotonous after a while and a few more themes wouldn't have been a bad idea.

CONTROL : 9

Controls in this game are very easy to grasp and younger children will dig this game out. Only 2 buttons are used, one as jump and the other one is your weapon. You use SELECT to toggle between the different weapons available as you progress through the game and tackle bigger enemies. The control response is smooth and accurate at all times so nothing much to complain about here.

PLOT : 5

Actually, it's just a copy of Mario but you're in for a nice surprise towards the end. The game is just your usual platformer but has some good ideas thrown in and its humour places it well above all the other Mario-likes.

GAMEPLAY : 8

OK, we reach the more important part. There are about a dozen stages and trying to beat the game completely is bound to take a lot of time and HARD in this game actually means 'very, very hard' - don't say I didn't warn you. The enemies and bosses are impossible to deal with in the last stages and you'll throw the pad away in exasperation more than once.

Trying to get all the keys and understanding the pattern to access a bonus will take a lot of time and the funfactor in this good platformer is awesome provided you take the time to play through at least a couple of levels first. You won't regret buying this game.

OVERALL : 7

Don't let its looks fool you, Joe and Mac seems like a kids game but it is fun and anybody can play it ! The graphics are cute and although things coulc have been much better concerning the music, the gameplay and the control save everything. Well worth your time !

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 07/04/01, Updated 11/09/02