3RRSG Cool Spot

I must admit…Spot is definitely one cool spot…

Have you ever noticed that back in the golden age of gaming, there
were craploads of developers, some of which no one's ever heard of?
They were either good or mediocre. No way around it. It was either fly
or flop. But once in a great while, a developer came around that really
grabbed your attention: one that doesn't concentrate on quantity, but
on quality. In steps Virgin. How many have heard of them? Not a whole
lot of people. But they've produced some great classics such as
Aladdin, Chuck Rock, Cyber-Cop, and this particular one, Cool Spot.
Let's get started, shall we?

Cool Spot features the bizarre adventures of the red dot on the 7Up
bottle. You know you're in for a treat when you see him jump off of the
bottle and start surfing on the 7Up bottle while the cool music plays.
The overall feel of Cool Spot is well…cool! Spot struts around with his
shades, snapping his fingers when he gets bored. What you need to do
is capture the other spots that have been locked up inside cages at
random points throughout the level. The upbeat music really adds to
the coolness factor, and keeps the game fresh and alive.

The graphics are well done for a Genesis game. Spot animates fluidly,
as do his opponents. The backgrounds and stages you progress
through are very imaginative, sporting such locations as a sunny
beach, a boating dock, a bathtub, and a toy room. While the stages
tend to repeat themselves later on in the game, it has a fun
atmosphere that will keep you interested. Accompanying the stages is
upbeat music that really sets the mood for the stage you're in. For
example, at the sunny beach you hear reggae and surf rock music
playing in the background.

So, the whole gist of the game is that you hop around shooting your
enemies with pop? Yes, this game is completely over-the-top and wildly
original, featuring exotic locales such as a sandy beach, a bathtub, a
dock, a toy room, and much more. All of the backgrounds are pleasing
to look at and are fun to play-basically. While the game is good fun, it
does tire after a while due to some leaps of faith that keep recurring
within the game. This can lead to many deaths and frustration for
some gamers. Although it does bring the score down, it's still a fun
experience for everyone.

This game didn't really get too much attention, but it's still a pleasant
surprise in a funky, fun, and very attractive package. Remember, be
cool.

Grades

Gameplay: 80%

Creative, albeit a little frustrating. Easy to pick up and play, and quite
fun if you can get used to the leaps of faith required to progress
throughout the game.

Graphics: 80%

Not the best, but definitely a solid effort. Animations are good, and the
backgrounds look great.

Sound: 85%

Fantastic, catchy, upbeat tunes that loop throughout each level. Can
get repetitive, but you have to admit that they add a lot of flavor to an
already creative game.

Presentation: 90%

Loads of personality, a very cool character. This game is clever and
over-the-top, brimming with ideas.

Replay Value: 75%

Like I said, good to pick up and play once and a while, but if you don't
get into it you might want to stop. A good time, but tires after a while.
But if you can get the hang of it, it's quite a fun game.

Overall: 80%

*The Overall rating is not an average of the preceding scores.

Review by: IronKnux