Asterix review - Sega Master System

Asterix is yet another example of an excellent Master System platform game, just like Mickey Mouse, Sonic and Donald Duck. In fact, it's perhaps just a little too much like these games for my liking. There's the usual bottom bounce manoeuvre used to dispose of the meanies, and chucking your bombs/menhirs/potions about is just like throwing a rock in Mickey Mouse. Even some of the ideas behind the levels are taxed directly from the Disney classics. However, originality gripes apart I found Asterix a particularly entertaining piece of software. The character switching for each level is quite good and I like the way that each stage is subtly altered for each character to complete it. There is also plenty of variety between each level, making it a very compulsive game. What I don't really like about the game is the infinite amount of continues available. I reckon that experienced platform gamers could probably finish the game in one sitting. If it's a fab platform game you want, I'd recommend Donald Duck over this, but if you've got that, take a peek at this.

First impressions of Asterix are most favourable. The graphics are top-notch and the sprites closely resemble their comic counterparts. The game is also very playable to start with. The action is fast and there's a lot of secret rooms and bonuses to discover. Some of the puzzles found even in the early levels are pretty taxing, but can be solved with a bit of thought and trial-and-error. The only real flaw with Asterix is that there are too many places where one single mistake results in the loss of a life with no second chance to save yourself, such as one level which constantly scrolls; get caught against the side of the screen and it's curtains! Don't get me wrong, Asterix is a great game, but be warned - it can be very frustrating at times.