Novastorm

The Good
Novastorm shined in two departments: a solid, pre-rendered atmosphere heightened by an excellent electronic soundtrack. The game came out during the infancy of "high speed" CD-ROM drives and the proliferation of full-motion video driven adventures. As a shooter it held up well: exciting, unpredictable fly-throughs and interesting level bosses. The first level threw the player into a lava-laden planet surface and later took him/her into icy terrains as well as space. Novastorm's weapons were the standard pea-shooter as well as a smart bomb or two. It was basic, but the variance in levels kept things fresh and challenging.

The Bad
Because the entire backdrop was pre-rendered full motion video, I never quite knew what zones would damage the craft. As such, certain segments became a case of trial and error.

The Bottom Line
Novastorm was a computer-fair showcase alongside the latest PCs of the time. Although most computers won't run it now, Novastorm will be remembered as a creative shooter that fans should not have missed. Arguably one of the best soundtracks in a shoot 'em up.

The Good
Most of it - it's very addictive and quite challenging as well. What I particularly liked was the soundtrack - varied, flowing and fits the game like a glove. The graphics are quite good as well.

The Bad
The cutscenes are really dumb and the bosses are usually easier than the preceeding stage. Also, you can't quit the game, which is really annoying. The controls are a bit difficult as well (you'll need a good joystick to play this the way it was intended to be played).

The Bottom Line
A really good 3rd person shoot-'em-up. Get it and play it - you won't regret it (for a while, at least).

The Good
Novastorm is a solid example of what an arcade shooter in front of a motion video backdrop should be. The gameplay is challenging without being frustrating, the graphics are good, the powerups are balanced, and the end-level bosses are creative in appearance (as opposed to simply being huge things you pound on at the end of a level). Of particular note is the music soundtrack, which consists of several high-energy, light techno tunes that match the urgency of the gameplay well.

Another nice touch is a small radar screen in the upper corner that shows you where the end-level boss you're currently fighting is vulnerable, and how much stamina he has left.

It's also apparent that a lot of time went into creating the pre-rendered 3D graphics and sequences.

The Bad
The music was apparently sampled at 11Khz to conserve space and processor time. The music is so good that you lament you can't hear it at a higher quality.

The Bottom Line
A good arcade shooter with good music and some creative end-level bosses.