Cool Spot

"A decent platformer"

Having never played the Genesis version of this game I can't really make comparisons, but from screenshots I gather that Cool Spot is a faithful port of the Genesis version. You play as 7-Up mascot spot out to defeat baddies and rescue your imprisoned friends through eight stages of fun.

This is your basic platformer. Spot runs around and jumps and his main method of attack is flicking balls of 7-Up at his enemies, which can be launched in eight different directions. That's basically the extent of the gameplay. The first stage involves navigating a beach, allowing you to get used to the controls. In each stage you'll need to collect a certain amount of Cool Points that will enable you to free your caged buddies that are hidden in the stage. Later levels, such as Pier Pressure, have you wandering around a maze-like structure, not unlike some of the later levels of Wario Land II. In addition, between stages, if you have enough Cool Points, you'll go to a bonus stages, where you can bounce around on bubbles and attempt to collect points and a letter, your goal being to eventually collect the letters spelling U-N-C-O-L-A.

Graphics: 7/10 Pretty good for Game Gear. Everything is easily distinguishable and the colors are bright and expressive. The motion blur doesn't hamper the motion much. The only gripe I have with the graphics is that the resolution of the screen is small, making many areas seem too cramped and making it a bit difficult to figure out where to go.

Sound: 6/10 Nothing special here, your traditional upbeat melodies and sound effects. It would have been nice to hear Spot speak, but then again he never did in the commercials (I don't think) and this is a Game Gear Game.

Gameplay: 6/10 Decent enough. Like I said the only real activities are running jumping, climbing, and shooting. No weapon powerups or anything nor are there different types of stages other than platforming. Still, it's fun for platforming fans.

Lasting Appeal/Replayability: 6/10 You'll definitely want to play it once through, but a second time is a maybe. The main problem is that the game takes awhile to complete and with no password or save feature, you're stuck sitting there for at least an hour. Still, one of the better platformers for Game Gear, though it can't compare to Sonic.

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 11/01/99, Updated 11/01/99