Over its lifetime, Super Play reviewed more Super Nintendo games than any other magazine in the United Kingdom - 596 to be precise - so picking a sixth of them, let alone the order of merit, would never be an easy task. For the uninitiated, here at Postcards of Pop Culture we're breaking down all 100 titles from Super Play’s ranking from bottom to top. And while Super Play’s word was regarded among the most reliable around, it wasn’t the only publication with an opinion.
As always, the Super Play overview provided in the entry post for The Lost Vikings was from the top 100 itself. The verdict from issue #8 reads:-
This verdict is pretty much spot on. What it lacks in immediate appeal on a console forever famous for its platformers, JRPG’s and Tetris-influenced puzzlers, The Lost Vikings delivers a strategic, continuous brain teaser that remains a nice change of pace.
But what about the view of other mags at the time? Given its release in the earlier months of the console, The Lost Vikings was covered by most of the video game mags of the time. Let’s strap in and start with the flagship Nintendo Magazine System.
Similar scoring, yet it’s a verdict more maligned to the frustrating experience Julian Rignall had at the time of review. In truth, I found that revisiting The Lost Vikings as someone older and a little more reserved was a much better experience than in my teens. I’m not ashamed to admit that the only reason I dabbled back in the day was its strong advertising campaign.
Total! Magazine’s coverage was promoted on the cover of issue #17, as the mag teamed up with Interplay to offer the chance to win a copy of The Lost Vikings as well as reviewing it in the same issue. Their verdict was along the same lines, with more puns than even the late Richard Whiteley could deliver.
So that’s the core SNES publications out of the way, but wait! There’s more. Three other publications were around to cover The Lost Vikings, so it would be rude not to give them mention too, to help preserve their legacy if nothing else. We’ll start with Super Pro, and they loved it.
More concerning for me was the inclusion, within the review itself, of codes for access to many of the levels in the game. Helpful, but unnecessary. Frustration once again was addressed, but the team here thought it didn’t hinder the experience, instead reinforcing the challenge factor.
Next up is Super Action magazine. Come to the stage, front and centre.
The review comes across as higher than its score suggests, given being labelled a “certain addition”, but 89% is just 11% off of perfection, which for me represents issues with scoring out of 100 in the first place. Pretty much anything 80% (8/10) and over should be considered essential anyway, right? Is there really any real difference between 84% and 89%, other than for score ranking?
And finally, it’s the turn of the team at SNES Force magazine. The publication would last just ten issues, reviewing thirty-four SNES titles in that time. Their review template was arguably the most intricate by design, yet more inclusive than most of potentially differing views from the mag’s review team ahead of its official score and verdict. Part of that intricacy was the inclusion of first impressions, displaying the thoughts of the team after a short term experience of the game.
It’s different, but I like it. This was the view after six levels of The Lost Vikings. It’s an auspicious start. From there, two other members of the team offer their separate verdict and scoring, often differing, but that is not the case here. Both alternative review actually scored higher than the mag’s final verdict. Speaking of which…..
The Force Factor is string with this one. With Lemmings, Tetris and Krusty’s Super Funhouse all available at this point, anointing The Lost Vikings as the SNES’s best puzzle title is not to be ignored. But wait, there’s more.
The above shows the same folks who gave their impressions after level six revise their opinion after level 20. I like this format. We’ve all enjoyed a video game that maybe takes a while to grab the attention, or is weaker at the end, or brilliant throughout. And for those who find any written review too long to read, this format offers an excellent alternative. Rest in peace, SNES Force.
In terms of review scoring overall, The Lost Vikings walks away with an average review score of 87.2%, with Super Play scoring the lowest of the lot. Speaking of, had Super Play used its review scores to determine ranking within the top 100, The Lost Vikings would sit at least eight places higher. But if we’re maintaining that thought, the top ten wouldn’t be what it is either. The point is, views change, even if the scores do not.
Come back next time for the review fallout of the next Super Play top 100 entry!