Dynamite Duke review - Sega Megadrive

A similar style of play to the Master System version, but the Megadrive game is a bit tougher, giving more of a challenge. The graphics are almost coin-op perfect, and there are some really nice audio touches. However, overall, Dynamite Duke fails to really enthrall because it becomes very reptitive after a couple of days, and pretty darn difficult if you're not used to playing games like this. Fans of the original arcade machine will certainly enjoy this, but even then, not for long.

The Megadrive version of Dynamite Duke shows just how good the Sega version is. When you compare the two, the difficulties between them are purely cosmetic. As you'd expect, the graphics are as close to the arcade game as you're ever likely to get and sound is pretty much spot-on. But when it comes to gameplay, the Megadrive version is almost indentical to the Sega in the fact that it's very addictive at first, but lacks lasting appeal. There are extra difficulty levels, but really they don't make the game that much harder. Dynamite Duke will definitely appeal to shoot 'em up fans, but anyone else should try before they buy.

Being a Megadrive owner in the early 90's felt like a real privilege. If you happened to play an arcade machine you really liked, there was a pretty good chance that it would be winging its way to Sega's console in the near future. Dynamite Duke is a good example of this. I popped a few pence into the arcade machine and instantly fell in love. Fast-forward a few months, and the game is released on the Megadrive! Although it looks like an Operation Wolf clone, Dynamite Duke brings quite a few new ideas to the table. Firstly, your character is on-screen, and can dodge oncoming bullets (it always annoyed me in Operation Wolf that you had no ability to do this). You can also dish out hand-to-hand punishment - although this is reserved for the bosses only, which is a shame. Finally, Duke has a special 'Dynamite' attack, which when charged up clears the screen of bad guys. Although the game has its faults - it's too easy, the graphics occasionally dip below average and the audio experience is less than impressive - it remains a firm favourite of mine.