Message no. 1

From:	DJ Wipeout <wipeout@***.COM>
Subject:	Shadowrun SEGA (+ VS. SNES) review
Date:	Mon, 11 Apr 1994 22:07:45 +0100

I picked up the Genesis version of Shadowrun on Friday, and I have to say
that I'm quite pleased with it. I would definitely say it's truer to the
rules as defined than the SNES version. None of this running around
talking to people to get keywords. And shock of shocks, you actually have
*limited* ammo in this version! The general walk-around interface is
bird's-eye view, like the arcade game Gauntlet. Attacking with weapons is
pretty easy, you use one button to target an enemy, and another to fire,
and you'll automagically turn and fire directly at them. However, delays
are incurred while shooting, so if you target an opponent farther away
and shoot, someone close may get up to you and smack you around.

You can choose from 3 different archetypes: Samurai, Decker, and Shaman.
The basic plot is your brother has been killed while on a run. You have
come to Seattle (surprise) to avenge his death. You take on runs to earn
money and build yourself up with karma earned along the way as well. Your
skills matter a *lot* more than you might think! There a certain types of
runs that you cannot complete without certain skills. Also note that you
hire other 'runners, and you *will* deck at some point.

I started out with a Samurai, then tried to convert him into a Decker,
but building up Karma took forever, and was really not worth the effort,
so I restarted as a Decker. Deckers are very cool. It's a lot easier to
make money with Deckers than Samurai (and I would assume Shamans, though
I haven't played one yet). I don't know how good the magic setup is, but
it seems straightforward.

Once you can start hacking small systems with impunity, start scamming
data as *much* as possible. This leads to quick cash.

In any case, the Sega version is much more well thought out than the SNES
version in my opinion and does the RPG justice. A DEFINITE rental, and a
recommended purchase. I don't buy many carts, and I bought this one.

wipeout@***.com: Co-Maintainer, The DataHaven Project.