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With a title like Wiz 'n' Liz: The Frantic Wabbit Wescue you have to wonder what kind of game you’re about to play, right? You probably would think it’s a game you may have to skip, right? Well, don’t! Wiz ‘n’ Liz is a addicting, funny, and cute platformer for the Genesis/MD that really took my by surprise. In the game you play the role of Wiz or Liz as they must save wabbits (rabbits), collect spells (letters that appear as you pick up wabbits and enough fruits and stars to make it to the exit and face a level boss. The game has eight different worlds for you to play through and it allows you to choose which world you want to enter. There is a time limit for you to collect items but floating clocks do appear in the last few seconds of the level for you to extend the time you can play. When a level is finished, all the collected fruit are mixed up in a cauldron which then gives you different results depending on what’s in the cauldron. You may end up playing a minigame, get bonus points, or even get wacky messages. While all of this may not sound like much, the game truly is addicting and it is one of those games you need to play to “get.” Wiz ‘n’ Liz has nice and colourful graphics, though they are not spectacular in any way. They do work well for the game, however. Music is excellent and sound effects work well. There are four difficulty settings to keep things interesting. This is really an excellent title that I highly recommend.

Alakazam! Mickey and Donald are on stage practising for their magical act but Donald feels like they need something more flashy to finish their show. Mickey tries a trick with his hat but Donald is looking around backstage where he finds an unusual wooden box. Donald is all excited to find this magic box, which he thinks will be the perfect way to close their show, but Mickey is concerned. Donald, who just thinks Mickey is afraid, walks into the box and, POOF!, he’s gone. Mickey steps in to find Donald and, POOF!, he’s gone too. They both fall into an evil magician’s trap and find themselves in a magical world that they must now escape. World of Illusion is a follow up to Castle of Illusion for the Genesis/MD. The game is a platformer where the player can select to play as Mickey or Donald or two players can work together by playing either character. There are five different worlds that must be travelled for Mickey and Donald to get back home. These worlds include an Enchanted Forest, a world Among the Clouds, an Underwater Adventure, a Library, and The Magic Box. Each of these worlds offers different challenges and there are even different areas to explore if two players play simultaneously where cooperation is mandatory to complete a level. At the end of each level there is a boss that must be defeated in order to learn a new spell needed to handle the next level. World of Illusion is a really fun game and it has beautiful graphics, great colour, and a whimsical score that is very Disney in nature. The game is not difficult to finish but it is quite enjoyable.

Released in 1993, ZAMN is an overhead shooter where one or two players control the characters of Zeke and Julie as they walk around their town trying to save their neighbours from all sorts of horror monsters that have been released by a mad scientist called Dr. Tongue. Zeke and Julie, having witnessed the attacks, have decided to take matters into their hands and have armed themselves with whatever they can find to defeat the monsters. The characters travel in malls, neighbourhoods, haunted castles, and other locales as they search and destroy monsters that include vampires, werewolves, evil dolls, aliens, and zombies, among others. It is important to try to save people before the monsters reach them for the simple touch of any monster will kill them. You also must have saved at least one neighbour if you want to advance to the next level. Should all the neighbours be killed, the game comes to an end. ZAMN is a fun game with nice visuals and much humour added. You can pick up all sorts of items to use as weapons, including bazookas, water guns, lawnmowers, dishes, crucifixes, fire extinguishers and others. Having these items as weapons is part of what makes the game fun. Another interesting aspect is that these items have different effects on different enemies, so having the right item makes a difference when facing the monsters. Having the ability to play simultaneously with a friend also adds to the fun. This is definitely a game to enjoy with friends on Halloween night! Now, go kill some monsters!

With so many great platformers on the Mega Drive/Genesis is there a place for another? Zool isn't just another platformer though, Zool has you playing as a Ninja from the Nth Dimension, replacing the blue spiky hedgehogs speed with stealth and some super cool ninja moves. Also in a bold move for the time it is sponsored by Chupa Chup lollies and has sweets to collect throughout the colourful levels. Now we've given Zool a place, how does the Ninja from the Nth dimension fare on the Mega Drive? For starters he is super cool, dressed as you'd expect an alien Ninja to be, and moving in a similarly expected manner across the jelly landscapes and gathering up the sweets and treats he needs to open the exit. This Ninja jumps using his agility to take him from platform to platform and scaling vertical walls. But all isn’t fun and jumps as many creatures try to thwart our heroic warrior in his quest. Thankfully, he can fire energy balls at them or jump on their heads (provided they aren't spiky). Zool plays extremely well, although that's not all that makes it worth playing, as the visuals are beautifully rendered in a cartoon style with loads of colour but still move around on screen quickly and fluidly. It really does make full use of the Mega Drive’s power to throw around the backgrounds and keep them looking fine. Sounds are also excellent, with background tunes to keep you in the fighting mood, and suitably squelchy noises when you kill a jelly beastie or shoot a bee in the face. Extras come in the form of power ups, extra lives, and energy along the way. So, yes, there is a place for Zool on the Mega Drive as the game is fun and challenging and it shows what the Mega Drive can do.