Video Game Review #526: Cool Spot

Cool Spot

Sega Genesis

Nostalgia Factor:

I know what you're thinking. Dan, you already reviewed Cool Spot back in 2015. Why are you reviewing it again?

Let me explain.

I grew up with the Genesis version of Cool Spot. It was one of the best 2D platformers in my collection. I ended up selling off this game, along with all my other Genesis games, at some point in the mid 90s to make way for the Saturn and PlayStation. I wouldn't play the game again until I picked up the SNES version and reviewed it back in 2015.

Something bugged me about my experience with the game, though. I remember thinking the game was awesome when I was a kid. When I played it in 2015, I did not have a great time with the game and gave it the grade of a C. Mediocre. Usually when I like a game as a kid, I enjoy it as an adult, too. I chalked it up to an anomaly and moved on with my life.

But since then, I've stumbled upon a few online reviews that compare the two versions of the game. Every single review says the Genesis game is better, and that the SNES version is weak. That got me thinking. What if the game wasn't really that bad after all? What if the game was as good as my memories from when I was a kid?

Took me a while, but last night was the night I decided to return to the Genesis version of the game, nearly 25 years after I played it last. Would it be better than the Super Nintendo version?

You bet your booty. Keep reading for my full impressions.

Story:

This game does not really have a story, at least it does not have one that is actually explained in the game. It is your goal to fight through eleven stages. At the end of each stage is a Spot locked up in a cage. Who has been locking them up is never explained. Once you rescue all eleven Spots, the game ends.

Gameplay:

Right off the bat I started having fun with this game. It was like coming back to an old friend. I quickly figured out why I didn't like the Super Nintendo version - the screen is cropped and much of the action is completely cut off. In that version, you often could not see where you were going or jumping, requiring you to take blind leaps of faith. It made the precision platforming stages (like the one above the bath tub or the one on the train) a MAJOR pain in the butt that sucked all the fun and enjoyment out of the game for me. This version has no such issues. I had a very fun time playing it, from beginning to end.

This is not a linear platformer where the goal is to simply make it from the beginning of the stage to the end. These stages are big and require a lot of exploring. The goal is to look for red discs to collect. Once you collect 60, there is a cage somewhere towards the end of the level that unlocks. Free the Spot from the cage and you clear the stage. Again, it is crucial to collect enough red discs along the way. It is very easy to make it to the cage, but then not have enough discs collected to unlock it. Then you have to turn around and backtrack and look for ones you missed.

If you can collect 85 red discs, you unlock a bonus stage. The stage takes place inside a can of 7-Up. The goal is to bounce around on bubbles, looking for a hidden letter within the stage. There are six bonus stages in total, with one hidden letter in each of them. The letters spell "uncola" which is what people called 7-Up back in the day. Some people, anyway. The saying never really stuck.

This is a fairly difficult game, with lots of enemies cheap-shotting you left and right. Health items are pretty rare to find, as they only randomly appear when you kill an enemy. The nice thing about the game is that once you kill an enemy, they are gone forever. This allows you to methodically explore each stage and collect the items you need to advance the game. Another reason the SNES version sucked is because these enemies respawn, artificially inflating the game's difficulty level along with its cropped screen issues.

The whole thing can be beaten in about 90 minutes or so. The game is only eleven stages long, but these stages take a while to beat because of all the exploring you have to do. As a kid, I found this game had a ton of replay value. As an adult, I do not know if I will be replaying this anytime soon. But I have to admit, all of the exploring and collectibles makes it feel like a more rewarding experience than a simple "get from point A to point B" 2D platformer.

Graphics:

This game looks better than I had remembered. It is very colorful. The world of the game feels rich and alive. The characters are well animated. I like the variety in the stages. It almost has a Toy Story feel to it. I guess my only complaint is that a few stage backgrounds, like the dock and the toy room, are reused a couple times.

Sound:

This game has a better soundtrack than you would think. The stage music is upbeat and toe-tapping. You'll find yourself vibing along as you play. I really enjoyed it. The sound effects are good, too. And the little noises your character makes from time to time. I have zero complaints.

 

Overall:

I am very, very glad I returned to this game, and I didn't just abandon it forever after playing the mediocre SNES version. It's so freaking good. I still can't get over how much better it is.

If you have the means to play this game, I would advise checking it out. It is very fun. In fact, and I hope this is not blasphemous to say, it may be one of the better platformers on the Sega Genesis. 

Don't let the fact that this is a product placement game with a soda mascot as the main character distract you from giving Cool Spot a chance. This is not heartless or soulless at all. Quite the opposite actually. It is just bursting with fun and personality. Play this if you can.

THE GRADE:

B+

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