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Regulating Lawyer Advertising When It Is Not Misleading

Posted in: Law Practice

The Association of Professional Responsibility Lawyers (APRL, pronounced “April”) is an association of lawyers who represent other lawyers in disciplinary proceedings, and who advise law firms on ethics and professional responsibility, risk management, legal malpractice, and the law governing the practice of law. APRL, created in 1990, now numbers more than 500 lawyers, including corporate counsel, risk management lawyers, government lawyers, law professors, and judges, worldwide. Last June, it issued a comprehensive report on laws regulating advertising by lawyers. (Full disclosure: I am a member of APRL and was a member of the committee drafting this report.)

The American Bar Association (ABA), for over a century, has drafted model rules governing the practice of law. It has been very successful in encouraging courts to adopt these rules as positive law; virtually every state court has adopted these rules (either verbatim or with non-uniform amendments) or the substance of these rules. California, for example, uses a different format, but the influence of the ABA is clear.

The title of the latest version, called the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct, has several provisions, often detailed and complex, dealing with lawyer advertising. These Rules include a general provision, ABA Model Rule 7.1 (“Communications Concerning a Lawyer’s Services”), yet another provision, Rule 7.2 (“Advertising”), one dealing with specialties, Rule 7.4 (“Communications of Fields of Practice and Specialization”), and finally one dealing with law firm stationery and business card, Rule 7.5 (“Firm Names and Letterheads”). It takes nearly six pages to reprint them all. In addition, the ABA has a general rule, Rule 8.4(c) prohibiting lawyers from “dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation.”

The purpose of these advertising rules is to protect clients. In the past, the advertising restrictions were even more complex and lengthy, and their purpose was to protect lawyers from competition from other lawyers. In 1908, the ABA adopted a “Canons of Professional Ethics,” which prohibited almost all advertising. Later, when the advertising rules were less strict, they still prohibited undignified ads along with other restrictions. For example, one old rule said, “It is unprofessional to solicit professional employment by circulars, advertisements, through touters or by personal communications or interviews not warranted by personal relations.” In other words, you could tell your relative that you could represent him in writing a will, but you could not place a newspaper ad that said, “I write wills.”

In 1977, the U.S. Supreme Court finally ruled that many restrictions on lawyer advertising violated free speech, in Bates v. State Bar of Arizona. Two Arizona lawyers, John R. Bates and Van O’Steen, opened a law office to offer “legal services at modest fees to persons of moderate income who did not qualify for governmental legal aid.” They placed a local newspaper advertisement offering “legal services at very reasonable fees” and listing fees for certain routine legal services (e.g., a name change). The state bar found that the advertisement violated Arizona’s Code of Professional Responsibility, and the Arizona Supreme Court censured the lawyers.

The U.S. Supreme Court reversed, holding that there is a free speech right to advertise truthfully. The Court rejected the various rationales that state bar offered. For example, the bar argued that advertising would stir up litigation and increase the overhead of lawyers who would have to advertise because other lawyers were advertising. The Court said the state’s ban on all lawyer advertising “serves to inhibit the free flow of commercial information and to keep the public in ignorance.” That is impermissible under First Amendment. However, the state does have the power to prevent misleading advertising. The purpose of advertising restrictions should be to assure consumers of legal services that they receive factually accurate, non-misleading information about available services.

The state bars were slow to react to Bates, and more litigation followed. The present version of the Model Rules is the ABA’s attempt to comply with Bates and its progeny, while still imposing extensive restrictions not necessary to prevent misleading speech. These restrictions and the experience of the discipline authorities of the last few decades raise various questions that we should answer.

One question is whether the state bars need so many rules dealing with advertising a lawyer’s services when they already have a rule prohibiting the one thing that should most concern those who rely on lawyers’ advertisements: misrepresentation. Is it enough to prohibit just misleading advertising, which is what Rule 8.4(c) already does? Who tends to bring complaints to the bar discipline authority (the organization in each state that disciplines lawyer for violating these rules)? Because the purpose of these rules is to protect clients, one would think that clients are the ones complaining. It turns out that is not true.

APRL engaged in an extensive empirical study to answer these questions. Its committee on this issue received valuable input from committee liaisons from the ABA Center for Professional Responsibility and the National Organization of Bar Counsel (“NOBC”), which is the organization of legal professionals who enforce ethics rules regulating the professional conduct of lawyers in the United States, Canada, and Australia. These lawyers typically prosecute lawyers before the bar discipline authorities, who have the power to reprimand, suspend, or disbar lawyers who violate the rules.

This APRL Committee on the Regulation of Lawyer Advertising questioned bar regulators regarding the enforcement of current advertising rules by state disciplinary authorities. The committee’s survey had an extensive sampling—34 of the 51 jurisdictions (the 50 states plus Washington, D.C.). The APRL Committee also examined consumer surveys, state bar reports, and other materials containing consumers’ attitudes toward lawyer advertising, and the effects of advertising regulations on the public’s understanding about legal services.

The committee gave particular attention to the impact of evolving technology and innovations in marketing legal services. The technology is moving so fast and is creating issues that the complex Model Rules have not considered. Consider, for example, the issue of “key word advertising.” Many lawyers have no idea what it means; others use it all the time; and North Carolina (by an ethics opinion, not by a rule) bans it entirely! Professor Eric Goldman and Angel Reyes III have published an important study of this issue.

Many lawyers advertise on the World Wide Web, and many prospective clients use it to find lawyers. A prospective client who types “mesothelioma” in the search engine will have two types of responses. Google, Bing, etc., determine their “organic search results“ by how they program their search engine to finds the web pages that are most closely relevant the user’s search query (“mesothelioma”). In paid search results, an advertiser can choose a term (e.g., “mesothelioma”) and bid to have a link to their page displayed in the ad sections of a search results page. In this example, “mesothelioma” is a “key word.”

Professor Eric Goldman and Angel Reyes show that “for many years, one of the highest priced keywords for advertising has been ‘mesothelioma,’ bid up in search engine ad auctions by lawyers who can bring lucrative lawsuits for mesothelioma victims. For ads triggered by keyword searches including the phrase ‘mesothelioma,’ advertisers have sometimes paid over $100 for each consumer’s click on their ads.” Competitive keyword advertising by lawyers benefits consumers who are searching for law firms that focus on that type of work.

Goldman and Reyes explain, if you are thinking of buying a Mercedes, you may search using that word. If so, you may see an advertisement—clearly marked as such—that touts Volvo and includes the car dealer’s address and contact information. You may decide to buy the Volvo. Similarly, if you want to find out about Billy Bob, the auto accident lawyer, you search for him on the Internet. You may discover a paid advertisement (clearly marked as such) telling you that Mary Ann’s law firm also represents auto accident victims. You check out both and decide to hire Mary Ann instead of Billy Bob.

Key word advertising is akin to a divorce lawyer paying for TV ads that air when “Divorce Court” is on television. Or, it is the cyber equivalent of opening up a McDonald’s next to a thriving Subway, because you want to benefit from the foot traffic that Subway creates. The ABA Models Rules, extensive as they are, do not ban key word advertising, but neither do the Rules specifically authorize the practice. This advertising is not deceptive.

However, some lawyers in North Carolina do not like key word advertising, so they wrote an ethics opinion, in 2012, that bans it. Relying on platitudes, the opinion said, “The intentional purchase of the recognition associated with one lawyer’s name to direct consumers to a competing lawyer’s website is neither fair nor straightforward.” A year later, the Grievance Committee of the North Carolina State Bar publicly censured a lawyer who employed the practice.

Who complains about lawyer advertising? First, the extensive study of the APRL Advertising Committee found that “Complaints about lawyer advertising are rare.” Second, the people complaining are not clients complaining about misleading ads, or bait and switch tactics. No: “Most complaints about lawyer advertising are made by other lawyers.” Only three percent of the people complaining about lawyer advertising were consumers, and the bar discipline authorities could take care of these cases simply by using the rule regarding fraudulent and misleading advertising. If the purpose of advertising restrictions is to protect prospective clients—rather than to protect lawyers from competition from other lawyers—the APRL proposal makes eminent sense.

The APRL Advertising Committee concluded, “the practical and constitutional problems with current state regulation of lawyer advertising far exceed any perceived benefits associated with protecting the public or maintaining the integrity of the legal profession, and that a practical solution to these problems is best achieved by having a single rule that prohibits false and misleading communications about a lawyer or the lawyer’s services.”


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Michael C. Dorf

Michael C. Dorf

Michael C. Dorf is the Robert S. Stevens Professor of Law at Cornell University Law School. He has written hundreds of popular essays, dozens of scholarly articles, and six books on constitutional law and related subjects. Professor Dorf blogs at Dorf on Law.

Columns by Michael C. Dorf

The Supreme Court Will Review a Michigan Affirmative Action Case Next Term, but May Address the Key Issues in It This Term

Justia columnist and Cornell law professor Michael Dorf comments on a set of key affirmative action issues that the Supreme Court may address this term and/or the next. The programs at issue include affirmative action in state public higher education, employment, and contracting. As Dorf notes, the Michigan affirmative action case that the Court will address is more complicated than it may at first seem, in part because Court precedents establish limits on how a state or local government may go about eliminating or preventing laws that benefit racial minorities. Dorf also notes that an issue that is important here also crops up in the Prop 8 case currently before the Court: the issue of the import of giving and then taking away rights.

Justice Scalia’s Long Campaign Against “Racial Entitlements” Takes an Unexpected Turn

Justia columnist and Cornell law professor Michael Dorf comments on Justice Scalia’s arguments regarding what Scalia calls “racial entitlements,” and the Voting Rights Act. As Dorf notes, these issues came up during the oral argument in the case of Shelby County v. Holder. Moreover, Dorf notes, Scalia had earlier raised these arguments both when he was a law professor, and repeatedly in his opinions on the Court. But, Dorf points out, Scalia’s references in the past appeared in affirmative action cases, whereas this reference appeared in his discussion of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, which is not an affirmative action provision; rather it deals with election rules in jurisdiction with a history of discriminatory voting rules. Dorf questions whether Scalia’s extension of his own “racial entitlements” logic is valid in this context.

Is Obama’s Policy of Targeted Killings Really Worse than Bush’s Torture Policy?

Justia columnist and Cornell law professor Michael Dorf contrasts Obama’s policy of targeted killings of persons believed to be leaders of al Q’aeda, with George W. Bush’s prior policy of authorization of the use of torture. The issue is timely in the wake of the release of an Obama Administration white paper on the targeted-killing issue. Dorf notes that the Administration is drawing criticism from both the right and the left on that issue. Dorf argues that the Administration is right to seek to craft a policy that complies with both the U.S. Constitution and the international law of war. He also examines the views of controversial conservative law professor John Yoo on which is worse: the Obama Administration’s targeted killing policy, or the Bush Administration’s torture policy. Dorf also looks at such questions from the point of view of not just law, but also morality.

Congressional Republicans Offer Three Bad Arguments for Upholding the Defense of Marriage Act

Justia columnist and Cornell law professor Michael Dorf takes strong issue with the three arguments that Congressional Republicans have put forward in support of Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which defines marriage as opposite-sex marriage alone for purposes of federal law. Next month, the Supreme Court will hear oral argument in the case. Dorf characterizes the three arguments put forward in favor of Section 3 by Congressional Republicans as very weak, and indeed, shockingly unpersuasive, analyzing each in turn.

Marking the Fortieth Anniversary of Roe v. Wade Part Two: Why the Court Did Not Go Too Far Too Fast

Justia columnist and Cornell law professor Michael Dorf continues his two-part series of columns on Roe v. Wade on its 40th anniversary. Here, in Part Two of Dorf’s two-part series, he addresses a common criticism that has been voiced by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, prior to her joining the Court, and by others as well: the criticism that Roe went too far, too fast and that having more of a dialogue beforehand might have led to less controversy surrounding the decision. Dorf disagrees with this criticism of Roe and its timing, contending (1) that the criticism may well have been mistaken from the very beginning, and (2) that the passage of forty years since Roe was handed down has surely and clearly refuted the too far, too fast critique of Roe. (Part One of Dorf's series on Roe appeared on January 17 here on Justia’s Verdict.)

Marking the Fortieth Anniversary of Roe v. Wade Part One: Where Three Common Criticisms Go Wrong

In the first in a two-part series on Roe v. Wade on its 40th anniversary, Justia columnist and Cornell law professor Michael Dorf explains where three common criticisms of the controversial Supreme Court precedent each go wrong. The criticisms run as follows: (1) that the constitutional text nowhere mentions abortion; (2) that the original meaning of the Fourteenth Amendment did not encompass a right to abortion; and (3) that the courts ought to stay out of socially divisive issues. If these objections are carefully considered, Dorf concludes, none of them holds water. Still, Dorf notes, Roe was nonetheless a hard case. (Dorf will continue his commentary on Roe’s 40th in his Wednesday, January 23 column.)

What Can The President Do When Congress Gives Him a “Trilemma” of Unconstitutional Choices? Understanding Why the President Must Exceed the Debt Ceiling

Justia columnist and Cornell law professor Michael Dorf and Justia columnist, George Washington law professor, and economist Neil Buchanan argue that, faced with a trilemma of unconstitutional choices, President Obama effectively has no choice but to exceed the debt ceiling, and they explain exactly why that is. Buchanan and Dorf describe why, to honor the Constitution, a President must choose to issue debt in excess of the statutory limit, if the budget otherwise requires him to do so. They also argue that even Republicans in Congress should want the President to issue more debt, if Congress itself is unable to find a way to do its duty and increase the debt ceiling as needed. In their analysis, Buchanan and Dorf also invoke the idea that some choices are more unconstitutional than others; constitutionality, in other words, isn’t just either/or.

What Gun Regulations Will the Supreme Court Allow? Part Two: Originalism and the Second Amendment

In the second in this two-part series of columns on constitutional gun regulation, Cornell law professor Michael Dorf comments on the ways in which the Supreme Court may interpret the Second Amendment, after the Newtown, Connecticut massacre. In particular, Dorf notes subtleties of interpretation that may matter greatly in this area of constitutional law. In particular, Dorf comments on the difference between living constitutionalism and originalism, and the difference between old originalism and new originalism. Dorf also takes Justice Scalia to task for not fully practicing what he preaches, harkening back to Scalia’s recent comment that the Constitution is “dead, dead, dead.”

What Gun Regulations Will the Supreme Court Allow? Part One: Restricting Firearms Outside of the Home

In Part One of a two-part series of columns on the Second Amendment and gun regulation, Justia columnist and Cornell law professor Michael Dorf considers the question of which firearm regulations the Supreme Court will allow, and which the Court will consider to be Second Amendment violations—a timely question in light of the Newtown Massacre and the many gun-control ideas and suggestions to which that tragedy has led. While some of these suggestions are clearly constitutional, as Dorf explains, others may or may not be. Dorf focuses especially on the possibility of a ban on possession of firearms in public places, and its possible constitutionality or lack thereof, noting that two prior Second Amendment cases that the Court handed down, in 2008 and 2010, do not resolve that issue.

Is the Supreme Court Ducking the Same-Sex Marriage Question, and If So, Is That Wrong?

Justia columnist and Cornell law professor Michael Dorf comments on two questions involving same-sex marriage that the Supreme Court may or may not duck: First, there is the question whether Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)—which defines marriage under federal law as opposite-sex marriage, even when state law recognizes same-sex marriage—is constitutionally valid. And, second, there is the question whether California violated the Constitution when it enacted Proposition 8, which prospectively eliminated the possibility of same-sex marriage, and thereby nullified an earlier California Supreme Court ruling that had found a state-constitutional right to same-sex marriage. Dorf considers why the Justices might—or might not—see the cases that raise these questions to be appropriate vehicles for Supreme Court review, and notes what might happen next if the Court does not take up a DOMA case.

In Search of an Agenda for Obama’s Second Term

Justia columnist and Cornell law professor Michael Dorf comments on the interesting question of what President Obama’s agenda should be, now that he has been re-elected. Past presidents have often faced scandals in their second terms, Dorf notes, but assuming that Obama avoids that fate, what should his top priority be? Dorf argues that it should not be a grand bargain addressing the federal deficit by lowering spending and increasing taxes, as the options currently on offer in that vein could actually be harmful in the short run, and inadequate in the long run. Instead, Dorf says, Obama’s key agenda item should be cost internalization when it comes to health care. That would mean that we would move toward a health-care system in which the people who profit from health-care measures (doctors and patients) also bear the cost of those measures. Although we may already be headed in this direction, Dorf notes, there is much more to be done along these lines.

Brinksmanship or Statesmanship: The Looming Fight at the Edge of the “Fiscal Cliff”

Justia columnist and Cornell law professor Michael Dorf comments on the fiscal cliff—the combination of higher taxes and across-the-board spending cuts that America faces if Congress and President Obama fail to reach agreement in the next few months. Dorf explains exactly what the cliff is, how we came to its edge, and why there is no guarantee that our elected leaders will avoid taking us over the cliff. In so doing, Dorf addresses both aspects of the cliff—higher taxes and spending cuts—and the deadlines that pertain to each. Dorf also addresses the question whether compromise is possible on these issues, and explains why the outcome, if there is no compromise, may have stark consequences, as everyone involved knows—and yet still might occur.

A Federal Appeals Court Invalidates a Military Commission Conviction: Paying the Price for Circumventing the Civilian Justice System

Justia columnist and Cornell law professor Michael Dorf comments on a recent decision by a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, throwing out the conviction of Salim Ahmed Hamdan, a Yemeni who was captured in Afghanistan in 2001. Dorf chronicles Hamdan’s long legal journey, and the repercussions that it has had for U.S. law. Dorf also explains that while the most recent decision regarding Hamdan is narrow, it nevertheless carries symbolic significance, casting doubt on the Bush Administration’s and the Obama Administration’s respective, and similar, detainee policies.

The Recent Supreme Court Affirmative Action Oral Argument Zeroes in on the Concept of “Critical Mass”

Justia columnist and Cornell law professor Michael Dorf explains the origin and meaning of the concept of having a “critical mass” of minority students in the affirmative action context, and the role that this concept played in a recent Supreme Court oral argument relating to affirmative action at the University of Texas. Without a critical mass of minority students, it has been argued, such students will feel isolated in class and on campus, and there may be little diversity within the group of minority students itself. For these reasons, the University of Texas gives such students a special “plus factor” in admissions. Dorf explains how both conservatives and liberals on the Court have come to place what he argues is excessive weight on the “critical mass” concept, when it comes to affirmative action in education. He also summarizes the conservative Justices’ critique of the concept, but contends that that critique is itself flawed.

A Supreme Court Admiralty Case Sheds Light on a Longstanding Debate

Justia columnist and Cornell law professor Michael Dorf comments on an admiralty case in which the Supreme Court will hear oral argument next week, on the first day of its new Term. As Dorf explains, the case raises a narrow question at first glance: whether a houseboat counts as a “vessel” under federal maritime law. But Dorf also notes that, upon closer inspection, the case has a much wider meaning, illuminating the relevance of longstanding jurisprudential debates to real-world litigation. In particular, Dorf relates the case to a famous debate between two major thinkers on jurisprudence, H.L.A. Hart and Lon Fuller. Hart was a positivist; Fuller hewed to a “natural law” view; and Dorf explains how each of these stances relates to the case before the Court. Dorf also parallels the Hart/Fuller disagreement with one between Justice Scalia and Richard Posner.

A Federal Appeals Court Upholds Louboutin’s Trademark for Red-Soled Shoes: Has the Law Granted Too Much Protection for Intellectual Property?

Justia columnist and Cornell law professor Michael Dorf comments on a very interesting court case regarding intellectual property rights. As Dorf explains, the case concerned Christian Louboutin’s famous red-soled high-heeled shoes, and pitted Louboutin against Yves Saint Laurent. Dorf discusses the reasons a New York-based federal district court ruled against Louboutin, and the reasons a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit reversed and remanded the case. Dorf questions the Second Circuit decision; questions more generally whether the law overprotects intellectual property; and urges that our legal regime must keep in mind the very real risk that the law in this area, rather than protecting creativity, will become a barrier to it. Dorf also briefly discusses the somewhat similar Apple/Samsung dispute.

How Todd Akin’s Statements About Rape and Pregnancy Undercut the Pro-Life Movement’s Efforts to Sell Itself as Pro-Woman

Congressman and Senate candidate Todd Akin’s comments about “legitimate rape,” in which he claimed that a woman who is raped is especially unlikely to get pregnant, are now notorious for being both offensive and factually wrong. In this column, Justia columnist and Cornell law professor Michael Dorf contends that—in addition to being highly inaccurate and offending many—Akin’s comments have also harmed the pro-life movement’s ability to present itself as pro-woman. Dorf notes that Akin’s “legitimate rape” phrase harkens back to old stereotypes claiming that women often made false rape claims, when we now know that is untrue. Ultimately, Dorf suggests, Akin’s comments may well have the greatest significance for the abortion debate, and Dorf explains why—examining the pro-life claim that women experience “abortion regret syndrome,” and considering whether the pro-life movement can, or should, be deemed pro-women, given certain facts about the movement.

Can the Government Require Doctors to Provide Misleading Information to Patients Seeking Abortions? A Federal Appeals Court Says No, but Means Yes

Justia columnist and Cornell law professor Michael Dorf comments on a recent decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. As Dorf explains, the decision upheld a provision of a South Dakota law mandating that women seeking an abortion be informed that, with the abortion procedure, comes “an increased risk of suicidal ideation and suicide.” Although the medical literature shows only a correlation, and not a causal relationship, between abortion and suicide, and although that correlation likely stems entirely from some of the underlying factors that lead women to seek abortions in the first place, the Eighth Circuit still upheld the law at issue. Although the Eighth Circuit’s decision was quite plainly the wrong one, Dorf notes, he also predicts that it’s very unlikely that the U.S. Supreme Court will take the case. He then explains why the Court is likely to decline review and why, if it does grant review, it might uphold the law, even though it ought to be struck down.

Why the Chick-fil-A Controversy Raises Tough Questions About Government Power to Regulate Business Based on Owners’ Political Spending

Justia columnist and Cornell law professor Michael Dorf confronts an interesting question arising from a controversy relating to the Chick-fil-A restaurant chain. The chain’s president has made anti-same-sex-marriage statements. Under the First Amendment, Dorf notes, no government—federal, state, or local—can punish him for those statements alone. But Dorf also notes that the speech of businesses and their representatives can sometimes be a legitimate concern of government. And he cites two central reasons: First, speech manifesting bias may hint at illegal conduct manifesting the same bias, thus arguably justifying special scrutiny for the speaker. And second, in many circumstances, private speech may also implicate the government itself—for instance, when there is a restaurant on a military base. Citing a mix of hypotheticals and real-life examples, Dorf illustrates the difficult constitutional issues that are at play here.

How a Recent Supreme Court Case About Labor Unions Foreshadowed the Obamacare Ruling

Justia columnist and Cornell law professor Michael Dorf comments on an interesting end-of-Term Supreme Court ruling, Knox v. Service Employees International Union, Local 1000. Although the Knox opinion was, like all the other end-of-Term opinions, overshadowed by the blockbuster Obamacare opinion that the Court handed down, Dorf points out that the Knox opinion—which was issued before the Obamacare opinion—if carefully read, had actually foreshadowed the result in the Obamacare opinion. In addition to further exploring the relationship between the Knox and Obamacare opinions, Dorf also reads the Knox opinion to potentially spell bad news for labor unions, in the future. Yet the nature of that bad news may be ironic, for Dorf notes that if the conservative Justices do strike a blow to labor unions, they will need to betray their own conservative principles in order to do so.

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See The World’s most expensive chicken that costs N900,000

The jet-black Ayam Cemani chicken is a unique breed that originated from the island of Java, Indonesia.
Florida-based breeder Paul Bradshaw started selling them for $2,500 (£1,700) each in 2013.

The all-black chickens, nicknamed the ‘Lamborghini of Poultry’, were his “most requested bird ever”. The chicken is named after a village (Cemani) in central Java.

Their beak and tongue, black comb and wattles; even their meat, bones and organs appear black. The blood of the Ayam Cemani, however, is normally coloured.

The birds’ black colour occurs as a result of excess pigmentation of the tissues, caused by a genetic condition known as fibromelanosis and is also characteristic of Chinese Silkies, a black chicken treasured across China.

Collectors covet this bird because it’s beautiful, exotic and hard-to-get. The roosters weigh 2–2.5 kg and the hens from 1.5–2 kg. The hens lay cream-coloured eggs with a slight pink tint.

In the past individual birds in the United States of America have been priced at $2500.

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Laura Rojas is appointed as Vibewire’s new Executive Director

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Announcement: Vibewire’s commitment to young women in leadership, Laura Rojas is appointed as Vibewire’s new Executive Director.

Youth-led and youth run not-for-profit, Vibewire has announced, the next-gen leader, Laura Rojas as Executive Director on International Women’s Day.

As an organization, Vibewire acts as platform to support and advocate young people to think differently. Vibewire backs young people as the change makers of tomorrow through skills workshops, open-forum talks, social impact hackathons, and a long standing creative and tech coworking space for under 30s.

With Laura’s background in technology and business, and a keen interest and understanding of the startup ecosystem in Sydney, she is well placed to build on Vibewire’s almost 20 year history as a youth-oriented social and creative innovator.

Laura explains, “I’ve known about Vibewire for a while and have seen it shift and change into a community that is adamant on making a difference to young people. It provides a sandbox approach that encourages play and a safe way to try new ways of doing things. I feel that spaces like Vibewire are imperative to the development of tomorrow’s world.”

Hitting the ground running, Laura and the board are busy in planning mode to deliver another rich year of social and creative impact innovation. Vibewire’s second social impact hackathon of the year will be held in May, 2018 – with a focus on “financial inclusion”.

“It feels apt that on International Women’s Day Vibewire appoints a young woman in a leadership role – one who will help create a new future for women and young people across New South Wales. We look forward to working with and supporting Laura and the team in the years ahead”, says Vibewire President, Gavin Heaton.

About Vibewire

At Vibewire, we’re not your average co-working space, incubator or accelerator.

We are a skills gym that makes young people ‘enterprise’ fit. Whether you’re an artist, freelancer, working in a startup or a corporate – you’ve noticed the world is changing rapidly around us.

We’re backing young people as the future makers driving this change. We know to get things right, you usually need to get it wrong first. In the results driven world of business and study, you’re often marked against your abilities. There’s not always a space and community where you can experiment and learn, fail safe and push boundaries.

That’s what we’re all about – exercising your brain through an intensive program with real project briefs, expert coaches and our inspiring members. We do through through 4 workout sessions – Soapbox Club, Dollar Dollar Bill, Hack-A-Thing and Start Up Sundays – as a part of our Skills Gym.

#Hack4DV Interview with Start Some Good

By | Hack4DV, Hackathing, Social Impact, The Feed | No Comments

We are now into day 2 of our social impact hackathon targeting Family and Domestic Violence #Hack4DV [8-10 Dec 2017]

In the lead up to #Hack4DV we caught up with the kind folks at for an interview around our inspiration and motivations behind the project.

Check some of the answers below [full interview here]:

Where did you get the original inspiration for your project?

#Hack4DV is our second social impact Hackathon, following on from our successful first offering #Hack4homelessness in early this year in September.

Vibewire President, Gavin Heaton, has extensive experience in the Hackathon circuit. Hackathons are a great way of making significant change in a very short period of time! Many different corporates and community organisations can come together to share their knowledge and data for a common purpose.

What was the hardest aspect of starting a project?

The hardest aspect of starting a project like this is getting the word out! Attracting as many participants as possible and enough funding to make the event a reality.

What kind of support do you think that changemakers in your community need?

Mentorship and financial support e.g. grants, co-working space etc. It takes a lot of work to get ideas off the ground and young people need to be connected to the right people who share their common goal and believe in their project.

What would be your one piece of advice for people who want to make a positive impact?

Be persistent, keep drilling away and try to connect with the right people at Hackathon’s like #Hack4DV as well as through meetup groups like

Stayed tuned for results from the #Hack4DV !!

Meet Jon Westenberg from Speedlancer

By | Hack4DV, Hackathing, Social Impact, The Feed | No Comments

Introducing Jon Westenberg who will be attending this weekends #Hack4DV (8-10 December) in a mentorship capacity.

Jon is the Chief Marketing Officer at Speedlancer Inc. and has shared his own personal childhood DV experience with us in the video interview below.

Limited spots are left to help us on our mission to solve for Domestic Violence at #Hack4DV but not too late to register and bring your ideas to the Hack starting tonight!

Register here now and let’s confront this challenging issue together!

Register to participate at the Hackathon here

Support our crowdfunding campaign here

See you tonight!

Meet Sybil Williams from Atomic Tangerine

By | Hack4DV, Hackathing, Social Impact, The Feed | No Comments

Introducing Sybil Williams who will be attending this weekends #Hack4DV (8-10 December) in a mentorship capacity.

Sybil is the Founder of Strategic Marketing Consultancy Atomic Tangerine and has shared her own childhood experience with us in the video interview below.

Limited spots are left to help us on our mission to solve for Domestic Violence at #Hack4DV but not too late to register and bring your ideas to the Hack starting tomorrow night.

Register here now and let’s confront this challenging issue together!

Register to participate at the Hackathon here

Support our crowdfunding campaign here

See you this weekend!

Meet Simi Bajaj from WSU

By | Hack4DV, Hackathing, Social Impact, The Feed | No Comments

Simi Bajaj will be on the #Hack4DV judging panel this weekend (8-10 December). Simi is the Academic Course Advisor (Information Systems program) in the School of Computing, Engineering and Mathematics at Western Sydney university. Simi has been working in the area of DV actively from last 5 years supporting women primarily facing the challenges of DV. She is the DV coordinator for a charity organisation called Harman Foundation.

Simi has specialised in SDLC, Project Management, Test Strategy, Test Planning, Test Design, Test Execution, Defect Management, Test Management, Process Management and Implementation since 2004 and has a wealth of experience in all areas of the project and product life cycle and testing working with numerous industry sectors.

Simi has been doing research in the areas of Software Development, Software Testing, Information systems, Cybercrime, Phishing and Information Security. She has also acted as session chair in conference and published papers in local and mostly in International conferences. She has been reviewing papers for conferences and journals since 2004.

Learn more about Simi in the video interview below!

Register to participate at the Hackathon here

Support our crowdfunding campaign here

See you this weekend!

Note from Executive Director, Susan Shi on 2017 Results

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2017 – What a year! It’s been non-stop planning, passionate people, late nights, crazy ideas we’ve scrapped and crazy ideas that we’ve made a reality! Below is a celebration of the highlights and an announcement that I will be taking on a new opportunity in the United States.

I’ve built a new team from the ground up with a culture centring around integrity, bias for action and purpose. Our mission was to realign the organisation back to its roots – Vibewire as platform to help young Australians enterprise. Today’s demands are ever changing and we wanted to ensure that young people weren’t just responding to changes in their careers and businesses, but they have the mindset and tools to instigate and lead that change. To prepare them, we built the Skills Gym.

Here’s a snapshot of the results from the last 14 months:

  • Launched our new strategy – the Skills Gym with 3 workouts – Soapbox Club, Start-Up Sundays and Hack-A-Thing with over 800 young Australians passing through. We’ve finalised the design of the last workout, Dollar Dollar Bill and this will commence in 2018
  • Designed and piloted a new sprint model with one of world’s largest media companies – GroupM, where we closed the gap between clients, agencies and startups
  • Built out our wider community to 10,000+ young Australians change makers/entrepreneurs!
  • Doubled our Vibewire startup memberships!
  • Ran Hack4Homelessness where we’re now supporting the winners create sustainable change. Full report is available here. This Dec 8-10 we’ll be running Hack4Domestic Violence – register now, details are here.
  • Collaborated with our wider tech/ creative arts community by running Geek Girl Dinners on how to negotiate change and our Vivid 2017 Program – Pitch The Future where we had 4 national finalists pitch their businesses on how to make technology more human.

Thank you to all our Community; Partners; the Board – Gavin Heaton, Leya Reid, Anne-Marie Elias; my wonderful Team – Shannon Bourke, Rowan Devereux and Sophie Saville; and my partner SOAPBOX Coach – Neil Gomez. Without your energy and hard work, ideas just stay ideas. We’ve given young people a platform to fail fast and risk free, challenge their ability to enterprise and help solve for some of the most difficult social issues in Australia. I’m really proud of everything we’ve achieved together.

Now that Vibewire is thriving – I’ve decided to take on a new opportunity in the United States to scale a new business venture and will be relocating to the west coast. My last day at Vibewire will be 1 December 2017. The Board will update on the new leadership team early 2018.

Though I’m sad to leave, I’m looking forward to see what’s in store for Vibewire and the Australian change maker community in 2018.

It’s an exciting time to be alive so remember to be brave, try new things and make sure your choices reflect your hopes and not your fears!

Keep in touch

Hope to see you at our Christmas Party on 14 Dec!
Happy holidays!

Susan Shi
Executive Director, Vibewire

Catch up with #Hack4homelessness Winners ‘CareConnect’

By | Hack4DV, Hack4Homelessness, Hackathing, Social Impact, The Feed | No Comments

In the lead up to our 2nd social change hackathon – tackling Domestic and Family Violence – #Hack4DV [8-10 Dec] we caught up with our previous #Hack4homelessness winners CareConnect to let you know what you can expect!

Q: Kim, Linda and John – Congrats for winning Hack4Homelessness! Were you first time or seasoned hack goers? Can you share what your experience was like over the hack weekend?
John: It was my first time at a hackathon and it’s incredible just thinking back to it. The weekend was really exciting and I definitely had too little sleep.  Having access to mentors and representatives from the industry was extremely valuable because their insights helped us to continually iterate. From the very beginning, you can instantly tell that VibeWire put a lot of effort into organising the entire event. I am super excited to have all the hard work pay off especially since we are still making our idea a reality!
Linda: I had previously attended a 1 day hackathon with Gavin at UNSW at the end of last year, which was really my only exposure to hackathons prior to the hack4homelessness. I knew i needed to go to another one, but hadn’t been looking out for any for a while. The Weekend Hack was quite different, to the one day event, there were many more subject matter experts and mentors floating around the space, workshops and we even got to speak with a few homeless people to really understand their pain points too. Overall, the experience was amazing, and I learnt a lot about the sector as well as starting a business over just 1 weekend.
Kim: This was my first hackathon and there aren’t quite enough words to describe the intensity, excitement and diligence in the room that continued from the minute it started. Working with people I’ve never worked with before, learning from people I’d just met, and thinking about the people and sector we’d come together to try and help was shared value practice at its best. I’m blown away by everyone’s commitment and passion for making a difference and I’m proud to be part of the experience. There were some self-reflective moments too that pushed me outside my comfort zone amongst the frantic but focused thinking and designing. And I thrive on that! I’d encourage everyone to participate, or even just observe, the magic of a well organised hackathon in an area you’re passionate about.
Q: What’s the best tweet length description of your idea – CareConnect?
Team: CareConnect is an online platform for orgs. working in the #homelessness sector to streamline sharing & booking services. It makes current processes more efficient & effective, supporting the strength of existing partnerships & creating new opportunities.
Q: What’s the scope of the problem you’re solving and where have you tested the idea so far?
Team: Our scope is to support the people working in the homelessness sector (and possibly beyond!) by providing a more efficient process for booking client services with other organisations. For example, an organisation provides accommodation but needs to work with another organisation to access medical services for their client. Our platform will streamline the current process to find, book and share information between organisations. It will also help raise awareness of the full scope of services available at each organisation. There is the potential to extend this platform to all services provided to those in need in other sectors. The first version of our platform will be designed for organisational use only but it could extend to use by individuals to access opportunities, where possible and appropriate.
Q: Outside of the hack, how have you continued to build on the idea?
Team: Four of our original team of six have committed to continue working on our idea as a passion project with the support of Vibewire, NCOSS, Jewish House, Exodus Foundation and many of the organisations involved in the hackathon. We’ve been meeting with NCOSS and agencies that provide services to homelessness as we continue to research the needs of those using our platform, sought funding, and presented our pitch at NCOSS Investing For Good conference and Jewish House AGM. We have regular team meetings and are committed to progressing our idea beyond concept if we are certain we can build a viable product that’s truly valuable to the sector.
Q: On a more personal front, what has been your biggest learning from this hack experience?

Team: We have learnt so much about so many things over the last two months, but the biggest impact on us has been understanding the people experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness. We’ve spoken with and heard from people who have been or who are homeless. They’ve shared what it’s like to sleep rough, the many challenges they battle daily and what they’ve been able to overcome. We now know how quickly a situation can change and that it can happen to anyone at any time. And we continue to learn about ourselves and what we can achieve together.

#Hack4DV will take place Friday 8 Dec – Sunday 10 Dec

at MnM Institute

39 Liverpool Street, Sydney

Eventbrite registration

If you are interested in mentoring the Hackathon teams let us know here!

Hope to see you there!


text:
system Index M-Z
Grade: D-
Publisher: Sega (1994)
Reviewed: 2001/6/17

screenshotSome games do not age well. Yes, the 32X was powerful enough to have its own 3D polygon "mech" game, but just barely! Metalhead is divided into missions, and most involve running around a city destroying every robot and vehicle you find. There are also a few indoor levels that involve running around a maze of rooms. The best thing I can say about this game is that it is playable. The buildings look okay, but the draw-in is a bit excessive - you can only see about a block away. The framerate is smooth, unless you use the "dash" button, which I pretty much held down the whole time (in order to speed up the action). There's also a strafe button, but the configuration of the six-button controller makes it awkward to use. A radar screen makes it easy to locate your enemies, but it usually breaks down about half way through your mission. Then you have to wander aimlessly until you snuff out the last few stragglers. The game sometimes puts up a "picture-in-picture" screen, which looks cool, but the only purpose it seems to serve is to block part of your view. And who in the world did this God-awful voice acting? The programmers? It's downright embarrassing! The metallic background music sounds pretty good however. Metalhead was a good demonstration of the 32X abilities in 1994, but this game doesn't have much to offer today. © Copyright 2001 The Video Game Critic.

1 player

If you like this game, try: Iron Soldier (Jaguar),
Zaxxon Motherbase 2000 (Sega 32X), Battle Arena Toshinden (Playstation),
Iron Soldier 2 (CD) (Jaguar), Ocean City Defender (Atari 2600)

Mortal Kombat II
Grade: A
Publisher: Acclaim (1994)
Reviewed: 2012/10/7
Rating: Mature (realistic blood, gore, violence)

screenshotThe Mortal Kombat franchise didn't just introduce graphic violence to video games; it celebrated it with gratuitous blood and brutal finishing moves. Compared to the Genesis version of Mortal Kombat II, this 32X edition is slightly better in every way. It has a better introduction that displays several of the digitized stills seen in the arcade game. In two-player mode "match-up screens" are shown before the fight, and they look slick. Subtle details have been added to the stage backgrounds (floating monks, flying dragons), but frankly you'd be hard-pressed to tell the difference between this and the Genesis edition. The audio is probably the most notable improvement. The narrator's voice has more of a booming quality, and hits are now punctuated with digitized grunts and screams. Some of the "yelp" sounds are unintentionally comical. I couldn't discern any differences with the controls or gameplay, and there are no additional options. This cartridge feels like a touch-up of the Genesis version, but that might just make this the best home version of Mortal Kombat II available. © Copyright 2012 The Video Game Critic.

Our high score: 6 wins
1 or 2 players

If you like this game, try: Mortal Kombat (Super Nintendo),
Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 (Super Nintendo), Mortal Kombat (Genesis),
Ultimate Mortal Kombat (Nintendo DS), Berzerk Voice Enhanced (Atari 2600)

Motocross Championship
Grade: F
Publisher: Sega (1994)
Reviewed: 2008/3/26

screenshotAs sloppy as it is unplayable, Motorcross Championship could be the poster child for 32X futility. I've seen it, played it, and wept openly. How in God's name does this motorcycle racer even qualify as 32 bit?! And no, the fact that my cyclist is made of 32 pixels does not count! You get hilly tracks and the ability to attack opponents, but comparisons to Road Rash are way out of line. You're up against 11 colorful bikers who are also pixelated beyond recognition. The first few moments of each race are a complete fiasco as bikers knock into each while attempting to gain position, causing a muddled mess. Even touching another biker brings you both to a grinding halt! So instead of a smooth, exhilarating racing experience, you get this irritating stop-and-go bull-[expletive]. There are opportunities for big air, but no stunts to perform. The frame-rate is remarkably choppy, especially around turns. The bland backgrounds feature pixelated stadiums and dull mountains. If you catch enough air, you can even see where the sky ends - always a treat! The steering controls are fair, but you tend to be at the mercy of other racers who constantly bump into you. The punch and kick controls lag so far behind that they're practically useless. Since misery loves company, a split-screen mode lets two players languish on two tiny screens. I'm quite sure Motorcross Championship would have been technically feasible on the Genesis, where it could have offended an even wider audience. I can't say I'm amazed that someone at Sega had the audacity to give this the green light, but I have no idea how he managed to keep a straight face. © Copyright 2008 The Video Game Critic.

1 or 2 players

If you like this game, try: Road Rash 2 (Genesis),
BC Racers (Sega 32X), Excitebike 64 (Nintendo 64),
Sega Rally Championship (Saturn), Sega Touring Car Championship (Saturn)

NBA Jam Tournament Edition
Grade: A-
Publisher: Acclaim (1995)
Reviewed: 2001/6/17

screenshotTo be honest, I wasn't too enthused about reviewing this game. I've played so many versions of NBA Jam, and they've all been pretty much the same. But this 32X version really stands out, despite the fact that control is awkward using the Genesis control pad. For the benefit of those who haven't played it, NBA Jam is basically a two-on-two slam-fest. The offense completely dominates. Although it's possible to steal the ball and block shots, almost every shot goes through the hoop. Flashy graphics, fast action, and spectacular gravity-defying slams are the signature of this game. With over 120 NBA players, you can even substitute players between quarters. This is great arcade action for one to four players. The 32X version features larger, more detailed players than previous versions. You can almost make out their faces, thanks to their overly large heads. In the background, there are cheerleaders, a scorer's table, and a well-animated crowd. The nets look great when the ball passes through. The gameplay has been drastically improved by the fact that your turbo energy drains faster, so you'll need to conserve it. The sound is a huge improvement over the Genesis version, but not quite as crystal clear as the SNES. There's some new background music during the game, but it's pretty lame. The cartridge automatically saves user stats and records - how about that? Two nice option menus let you adjust the gameplay and access some wild modes. My only complaint is with the Genesis controller. The B button is your turbo button, which you'll often need to hold down while pressing the A or C buttons. It's awkward, and it will take a while to get used to. Otherwise, this is the ultimate NBA Jam. © Copyright 2001 The Video Game Critic.

1 to 4 players

If you like this game, try: NBA Live 96 (Super Nintendo),
NBA Jam Tournament Edition (Jaguar), NBA Jam (Super Nintendo),
Slam and Jam (Saturn), Barkley Shut Up and Jam (Genesis)

NFL Quarterback Club
Grade: C+
Publisher: Acclaim (1995)
Reviewed: 2000/8/27

screenshotThis game isn't as bad as I expected. It may not have Madden-quality gameplay, but at least it's a nice-looking, polished football game. The graphics are not a huge step up from the Genesis, but the difference shows. The players are realistic-looking and smoothly animated. The field looks great and features a colorful crowd. Even the play-calling screen is attractive. The crowd noise and sound effects are good, and the referee clearly announces all first downs and penalties. Quarterback Club has plenty of advanced features including smooth instant replays, first-down measurements, tipped balls, blocked passes, no-huddle offenses, and MANY celebration dances. In addition to the standard exhibition and season modes, there's a simulation mode that puts you in crucial points in dramatic NFL games of the past. There are a few problems. The computer AI is lousy. You'll want to play a real person if you want any kind of challenge. The game is too offense-oriented - it's too easy to score. The spin and speed-burst running controls are just too effective. On the play-calling screen, you can't tell which plays are running and which are passing. Still, I like this game because of the nice graphics, variety of options, and fast gameplay. And don't forget to stick around after the end of the game to see the winning team dance in the middle of the field - it's hilarious! © Copyright 2000 The Video Game Critic.

1 to 5 players

If you like this game, try: Madden NFL '94 (Super Nintendo),
Madden '93 (Genesis), ESPN NFL Football (Playstation 2),
NFL Instant Replay (Philips CD-i), NFL Quarterback Club (Game Gear)

Night Trap (CD)
Grade: A-
Publisher: Digital Pictures (1994)
Reviewed: 2012/10/7
Rating: Mature (realistic violence)

screenshotIt's been derided by many critics, but Night Trap holds a significant place in video game history. In 1993 this game along with Mortal Kombat caused enough of a stir to merit a congressional hearing on video game violence. That eventually resulted in the industry instituting its own rating system. As one of the first "interactive movie" titles, Night Trap starred Dana Plato of Diff'rent Strokes sitcom fame - the first well-known actor to appear in a video game. I like Night Trap on the Sega CD, but it's clearly a better fit for the 32X. The 32X has a much large color palette, lending itself to higher quality video that looks warmer and more inviting. The video area now takes up most of the screen. It's still a little grainy, but you'll notice details you wouldn't see on the Sega CD. The rest of the screen has more detail as well - a far cry from the sparse Sega CD version. Your goal is capture intruders infiltrating a house full of scantily clad teenage girls. Cameras are installed in eight rooms, and you can switch between them like a security guard. When you notice hunched "augers" dressed in black, you can dispose of them by springing a trap at the right moment. You also need to occasionally change the trap color code, which is revealed in the dialog at specific times (5:37 in entry, 8:50 in living room, etc). It's an unnecessary element they should have left out. Flipping through the different cameras is interesting, particularly since things are happening in more than one room at a time. It's an ingenious concept and the campy acting just adds to the fun. Few games make good use of full-motion video technology, but I think Night Trap does it right. © Copyright 2012 The Video Game Critic.

Our high score: 26
1 player

If you like this game, try: Night Trap (Sega CD),
Night Trap (3DO), Double Switch (Sega CD),
Mortal Kombat (Sega CD), Dragon's Lair (Sega CD)

Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure
Grade: D-
Publisher: Activision (1995)
Reviewed: 2018/7/8

screenshotFor classic gamers the word Pitfall is held in high regard, but Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure failed to endear the franchise to a new generation. This time Harry can climb vines, scale waterfalls, and crawl through booby-trapped tombs. The dense jungle scenery is alluring but Harry can't seem to touch a freaking tree without losing his balance and falling flat on his face. He carries a supply of rocks to fling at wild animals but the controls are clumsy. Invisible walls tend to block your progress and monkeys blending into the scenery chip away at your health. The stage designs can be infuriating. The game will lure you to a shiny golden bar only to send you plunging through an unseen hole, dumping you back into an earlier part of the stage. You'd expect the 32X version to be an substantial upgrade over the Genesis, but it's a step down. Despite claims on the packaging, the graphics are not upgraded, and the choppy framerate makes the game hard to watch. You'll languish with unresponsive controls and erratic collision detection. Three new levels bring the total to 13, but few will have the intestinal fortitude to reach them. Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure isn't so much an adventure as it is an ordeal. © Copyright 2018 The Video Game Critic.

Our high score: 35,828
1 player

If you like this game, try: Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure (Super Nintendo),
Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure (Genesis), Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure (Sega CD),
Super Pitfall (NES), Tarzan (Colecovision)

Primal Rage
Grade: C
Publisher: Sega (1994)
Reviewed: 2013/8/30

screenshotAs a child I always had a fascination with dinosaurs, and that was rekindled by Jurassic Park in 1993. Then I could barely contain myself when I discovered a one-on-one arcade fighter with dinosaurs (and apes) rendered with stop-motion animation. Primal Rage is a special effects extravaganza, but its formulaic gameplay fails to live up to its glorious visuals. This 32X version is a modest improvement over its Genesis cousin, but you really need to place both side-by-side to notice the difference. The option menus are identical and the instruction booklet is practically word-for-word the same. The expanded color palette of the 32X does produce more detailed and lifelike creatures. Their skin and fur has that nice sheen you like to see on a healthy monster. The scenery is slightly enhanced, so in the glacier stage I could clearly see Blizzard the ape's face etched into the side of the mountain. The continue screen features a digitized girl begging you to continue, just like the arcade. The sound effects are clearer than the Genesis, but also louder and occasionally grating. Still, I love those understated "cricket chirps" that play as the last few seconds count down. The battles are fast and furious, and the button mashing springs into high gear as the action becomes more frantic. For best results, use a six-button controller. As if the moves needed some spicing up, the apes can unleash flatulence and vomit attacks. Not to mention the highly controversial "golden shower" fatality. Stay classy, Primal Rage! So, is this 32X edition worth the upgrade? Only if you're a hardcore Primal Rage fan who wants to experience the game in all of its forms. © Copyright 2013 The Video Game Critic.

Our high score: 55,315
1 or 2 players.

If you like this game, try: Primal Rage (Genesis),
Primal Rage (CD) (Jaguar), World Series Baseball (Sega 32X),
Primal Rage (Super Nintendo), Bill Walsh College Football (Sega CD)

new RBI Baseball '95
Grade: B
Publisher: Time Warner (1995)
Reviewed: 2018/8/20

screenshotIt's easy to get the impression RBI Baseball '95 is undercooked when the title screen can only muster enough voice synthesis to utter "RBI". It may be raw, but RBI Baseball is extremely playable, adopting some the best features from other 16-bit era baseball titles. You get large, digitized batters like World Series Baseball 95 (Genesis, 1995) along the robotic Larry King commentator voice of SportsTalk Baseball (Genesis, 1992). The pacing is brisk, with controls so intuitive you won't even need to consult the manual. The default auto-fielding gives you a head-start on fly balls, but you can turn it off if you prefer more offense. The pitching gives you total control of the ball in flight, and as a batter you can check your swing. The players look fairly realistic in the field despite some jittery animation. Pleasant, understated music plays throughout the action - a relic of a bygone era. The main problem with RBI 95 are the little glitches and oversights, some of which border on comical. The commentator will exclaim "down the left field line!" as the ball bounces off the right field dugout. The faceless pitches appear to have sacks over their heads, and some have the complexion of pea soup! Pressing upward during a pitch makes the ball take off like a rocket! The picture-in-picture cut-scenes look bizarre, with actors apparently filmed against a black screen. The AI is erratic, with routine ground balls turning into infield singles when CPU fielders fail to charge the ball. The games end abruptly without even showing a box score. The graphics are realistic but the colors are oversaturated. There's a slew of modes to choose from including a full season mode, home run derby, gamebreaker challenges, and even a "stadium tour". Perusing the various ballparks sounds like fun until you discover just how blocky and inaccurate they are. RBI Baseball '95 has that rushed, let's-get-this-out-before-the-32X-flops vibe, but if you're looking for some lightweight baseball fun this is surprisingly enjoyable. © Copyright 2018 The Video Game Critic.

Save mechanism: password
1 or 2 players

If you like this game, try: Realsports Baseball (Atari 5200),
RBI Baseball 94 (Game Gear), RBI Baseball (NES),
SportsTalk Baseball (Genesis), RBI Baseball 2016 (Playstation 4)

Shadow Squadron
Grade: B+
Publisher: Sega (1994)
Reviewed: 2007/3/13

screenshotHere's one of the few 32X titles that truly showcases the 3D-rendering capabilities of the system. An impressive first-person space shooter, Shadow Squadron lets you freely maneuver your ship around large areas in space while single-handedly taking out invading armadas. When I first purchased this game in 1994, it was absolutely amazing. Just being able to buzz around massive vessels was a treat, and some are so immense that you can even fly around inside of them! Your firepower is so potent that a single hit will cause fighter ships to veer off and explode. The larger ships must be destroyed polygon-by-polygon, although it's possible to launch a well-placed "ultra shot" to set off a chain reaction. The satisfying explosions are punctuated with flames and thunderous explosions. You can control one of two ships, and each has its own unique, vertigo-inducing launch sequence. The second ship (Feather 2) offers an "auto-pilot" option which provides an entirely different style of gameplay, as you simply aim crosshairs and shoot while your ship moves in a pre-determined path. It's a bit shallow but has a nice arcade flavor. Shadow Squadron's controls are smooth and responsive, and red indicators make it easy to locate targets in the distance. Unfortunately, the control scheme is not clearly explained in the manual, and the heads-up displays (unique to each ship) are equally confusing. The battles are a bit slow and not particularly intense, but they're still enjoyable and satisfying to win. An instant replay mode allows you to view a completed mission from various angles. Considering its solid gameplay and cutting-edge graphics, it's surprising that Shadow Squadron always managed to remain under the radar of most gamers. © Copyright 2007 The Video Game Critic.

1 or 2 players

If you like this game, try: Colony Wars (Playstation),
Space Attack (Atari 2600), Rescue on Fractalus (Atari 5200),
Star Fox (Super Nintendo), Sharp Shot (Intellivision)

Slam City With Scotty Pippen (CD)
Grade: D
Publisher: Sega (1995)
Reviewed: 2003/7/2
Rating: Teen

screenshotLike most full motion video (FMV) games, Slam City looks terrific but plays poorly. You play Ace, a Woody Harrelson look-alike playing one-on-one against five "street" players, and if you're worthy, you'll face Scott Pippen himself. Viewing the action from just behind your man, you really feel like you're "in the game". When you start moving around, you feel like you're in control, but you're really not, and that's the first thing you'll need to learn in order to beat the game. Although you can move side-to-side, your only opportunities to score happen when you opponent lunges a certain way. React properly and a video kicks in of you taking the ball hard to the hoop. If you don't see an opening, you'll want to settle for a jump shot before the 10 second clock runs out. Playing defense is tougher, because steal opportunities are few and far between. The first player to score seven points wins, and you score one point per basket. The CPU is tough and exceedingly cheap. There's plenty of trash talking throughout the game, but most of it is really dumb. The graphics are terrific, with good definition and no lag time. Watching the same video clips over and over does wear thin after a while though, and although you're supposed to playing on a city basketball court, it's clearly just an indoor sound stage. Likewise the "streetwise" players look more like a bunch of perpetrators, and the white actors look terribly out of place. I have to admit that the shorthaired blonde with the tight white dress is incredibly hot though. The action is spread over four CDs, which seems like a good thing at first, but changing disks is a real pain in the ass. I will admit that Slam City did keep me occupied for a little while, but the game should probably be called Scotty Pippen's Airball. © Copyright 2003 The Video Game Critic.

1 player

If you like this game, try: Ultimate Basketball (NES),
Double Dribble (NES), Soccer Slam (GameCube),
Street Hoop (CD) (Neo Geo), One-On-One Basketball (Atari 7800)

Space Harrier
Grade: C+
Publisher: Sega (1994)
Reviewed: 2011/12/27
Rating: Kids to Adults

screenshotSega probably should not have released Space Harrier for the Master System and Genesis. Those graphically-challenged versions don't leave the player with a positive impression of the series. Fortunately this 32X version finally does the game justice. Its rapid-fire gameplay involves moving a guy in a jet pack around the screen while blasting mushrooms, stone faces, flying dragons, and UFOs that quickly scale in from the distance. The action is chaotic, but the smooth scaling allows you to anticipate incoming missiles and weave around marble pillars. The sense of speed is good, and you can tell the game uses the same underlying engine as Afterburner. The controls are responsive and you can hold in the fire button for constant fire (although tapping lets you unload more shots). When you shoot a UFO it immediately takes a nose-dive straight into the ground, which looks kind of odd. The explosions are completely over-the-top, and I find it amusing how trees and vegetation often go up in mushroom clouds! Some of the enemies are hard to make out. Are those clouds I'm shooting in the first stage or floating rocks? In one of the later stages there are a lot of big colorful mushrooms that tend to obstruct your vision. Each stage concludes with an obligatory boss, and they turn red to indicate damage just like any good boss should. The familiar soundtrack will please fans of the series and the voice samples are clear. This appears to be a very close port of the arcade game, so Space Harrier fans should be satisfied - at long last. © Copyright 2011 The Video Game Critic.

Our high score: 3,196,740
1 player

If you like this game, try: Sega Ages (Saturn),
Space Harrier (Sega Master System), Afterburner II (Genesis),
Afterburner (Sega 32X), Space Harrier II (Genesis)

Spiderman Web of Fire
Grade: B-
Publisher: Sega (1995)
Reviewed: 2001/11/3

screenshotThis is the crown jewel of any 32X game collection. Spiderman Web of Fire is a very rare and expensive game. Its gameplay is less remarkable however. As a matter of fact, I don't see why this game couldn't have been done on the normal Genesis (minus a few colors perhaps). The developers attempted to make the characters look more lifelike using subtle shading, but it's tough to tell because they are so small (even smaller than the people in the Genesis and Sega CD Spiderman games). Spiderman is nicely animated though, and his combination punches look great. I especially like how he can punch while sticking to a wall. The game is fun, but the controls could be better. I found myself "sticking" to ceilings, walls, and more dangerous things quite a bit. There are also some annoying collision problems. In the course of the uninteresting storyline, Spiderman faces lesser-known villains like Dragonman, Thermite, Blitz, and Eel. Making a special cameo appearance is Dare Devil, who Spiderman can call on for help. The six rather generic stages are located in New York, a power plant, a bridge, an oil wasteland, and a fortress. The scenery isn't particularly impressive. The droning background music is typical Genesis fare, and the sound effects are minimal. The difficulty is fair, but dying sends you WAY back to the beginning on the stage (rats!). Web of Fire is a real underachiever. I was expecting more. But considering the lack of platform/action games on the 32X, this game isn't looking half bad. © Copyright 2001 The Video Game Critic.

1 player

If you like this game, try: Spiderman (Genesis),
Spiderman (Dreamcast), Spiderman 2 (Xbox),
Spiderman Return of the Sinister Six (NES), Toughman Contest (Sega 32X)

Star Trek Starfleet Academy
Grade: F
Publisher: Sega (1995)
Reviewed: 2002/7/4

screenshotThis is an odd little game that even Star Trek fans will struggle to enjoy. In it, you are a student at the Starfleet Academy, where you can learn and participate in several "training missions" to "challenge your tactical skills". Why not just make a REAL Star Trek game? I'm guessing that the developers were planning to just that, but later downgraded the scope when they realized how weak the 32X's graphic capabilities were. At heart, this is a glorified Star Raiders clone with better graphics but far worse gameplay. You have access to layers of menus with all sorts of data and instrumentation, but only a geek versed in Star Trek techno-babble could digest any of this garbage. The first person shooting "action" is painfully dull. The enemy ships are fully 3D, but their movements are sluggish and the AI is idiotic. Being an academic environment, there's also opportunity to meet and socialize with your fellow space cadets. Here I stumbled upon the single redeeming feature of the game: a pool table! That right, you can challenge classmates to a game a pool, which is by far the highlight of this cartridge. The pool balls are huge but they rotate nicely and the game is easy to play. As you can deduce, Starfleet Academy really isn't much of a game. It's probably the worst 32X title I've come across. © Copyright 2002 The Video Game Critic.

1 or 2 players

If you like this game, try: Star Trek (Vectrex),
Star Raiders (Atari 5200), Star Master (Atari 2600),
Star Wars Arcade (Sega 32X), Star Strike (Intellivision)

Star Wars Arcade
Grade: B
Publisher: LucasArts (1994)
Reviewed: 2005/5/18

screenshotOne thing I can say about Star Wars Arcade (not to be confused with the 1983 vector graphics game) is that it really does showcase the 32X's polygonal graphic capabilities. It's a good-looking first-person shooter where you dogfight Tie Fighters in space, infiltrate Star Destroyers, and battle over the Death Star. The game includes a four-mission "arcade" mode and an expanded eight-mission "32X" mode. Half the stages involve shooting Tie fighters in open space, which is fun because they shatter into pieces (polygons) when blasted. It's also neat how these battles occur in the midst of the huge Star Destroyers. Your X-Wing is well-armed with both lasers and guided proton torpedoes. Unfortunately, the other missions aren't so hot. It may look great as you approach a Star Destroyer or Death Star, but the gameplay subsequently takes a turn for the worse. The framerate slows to a crawl and your ship becomes difficult to control as it absorbs hit after hit. Hitting the side of a trench sends you caroming off the walls like a pinball. Looking back, I wonder how I could have possibly completed that Star Destroyer stage. The background music and sound effects are very good, especially the distinct sounds of zooming Tie fighters. A two-player option lets one player steer while the other shoots, but it's nothing to write home about. Despite its flaws, I enjoy Star Wars Arcade, and would rank it as one of the best titles for the 32X. © Copyright 2005 The Video Game Critic.

Our high score: 11900
1 or 2 players

If you like this game, try: Star Wars: The Arcade Game (Colecovision),
Star Battle (Bally Astrocade), Star Fire (Vectrex),
Star Wars: The Arcade Game (Atari XEGS), Star Wars: The Arcade Game (Atari 2600)

Grade: F
Publisher: Sega (1995)
Reviewed: 2001/1/20

screenshotIf you've never heard of this game, you're not alone. It's a pretty rare 32X first-person tank game (no, there are no "mechs" in this one). A tank combat game for the 32X sounds like a pretty good idea, but this is just a sloppy, unexciting mess. One player can make his way through a series of levels containing numerous tanks (and sometimes a boss), or two players can go head-to-head. You get your choice of tanks, each with its own special attributes including special weapons. There's not much strategy; just shoot the other tanks and don't stay in one place for too long. The frame rate is smooth enough, but the graphics are ugly. The objects are all sprites, which get very pixelated up close. The small text on your control panel is hard to read. The flat battlegrounds differ in color and scenery, but none are conducive to any kind of strategy. The music and voice effects are very good, and include a deep voice that lets you know if you're winning or losing. The scoring system is useless; it resets to zero after each round (what's the point??). But the ultimate let-down is the bosses. These menacing-looking monstrosities are well-illustrated in the instruction book, but in the game they are nothing but tanks of a different color. Even the 2 player game is pointless. The 32X could have used a good tank battle game, but this wasn't what I had in mind. © Copyright 2001 The Video Game Critic.

1 or 2 players

If you like this game, try: Seek and Destroy (Playstation 2),
Armor Battle (Intellivision), Armored Encounter/Sub Chase (Odyssey 2),
Tanks But No Tanks (Atari 2600), Armor Ambush (Atari 2600)

Grade: D
Publisher: Sega (1995)
Reviewed: 2001/6/17

screenshotTempo is like Mario Bros on acid. The seven levels include a psychedelic "hi-fi" stage and an unusual "indigestion" stage, along with the more traditional downtown, winter, and jungle stages. Each level is bursting with color. The scenery is multi-layered, and everything is alive and moving. Sega was definitely trying to show off the 32X graphic capabilities here. As far as the audio goes, the game tries to have a hip "rap" theme, but the opening song is pretty cheesy. The in-game music is funky, and some of it is quite good. Your big-eyed character must fly, jump, shoot, and kick his way through each level. While the game is certainly an eyeful, you'll soon discover that this is just a by-the-numbers platform game. And although the graphics are wild, they are often so cluttered that you can't tell where you can go, or what you can touch (without dying). Portals that transport you around only add to the confusion. The control could be better also. The same button is used to jump and fly, and you'll often fly when you just want to jump. Also, Tempo moves a little slow for my taste. There is a nice stage select screen, and there are even some mini games available. But overall Tempo is just isn't much fun. © Copyright 2001 The Video Game Critic.

1 player

If you like this game, try: Super Mario All-Stars (Super Nintendo),
Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES), Mario Clash (Virtual Boy),
Carnival Games Mini Golf (Wii), Super Paper Mario (Wii)

Toughman Contest
Grade: B-
Publisher: Electronic Arts (1995)
Reviewed: 2000/6/18

screenshotThe 32X version of this boxing game plays better, but lacks some of the charm of the Genesis version. Toughman plays similar to Nintendo's Punch Out games, with your boxer being a green outline. The action is fast and furious, and there are plenty of punches and special moves. The backgrounds look more realistic than the Genesis version, but are less animated and not as interesting (or funny). Only one babe introduces the rounds, no matter where you fight, unlike the Genesis version, which has a different girl for each location. The responsive control is the star of this game, but it will make your fingers very tired. © Copyright 2000 The Video Game Critic.

1 to 2 players.

If you like this game, try: Toughman Contest (Genesis),
Evander Holyfield's Real Deal Boxing (Genesis), Super Punch Out!! (Super Nintendo),
Final Fight One (Game Boy Advance), BC Racers (Sega 32X)

Virtua Fighter
Grade: A
Publisher: Sega (1995)
Reviewed: 2004/2/29

screenshotThis 3D polygon fighter is so technically impressive that it even compares favorably to some of the early Sega Saturn fighters. Had Virtua Fighter been released a year earlier, it may have saved the 32X from its untimely death. Unfortunately it wasn't released until the system had one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel. Anyway, you might expect this venerable 3D fighter to be pretty shallow and boring, but in fact it's very exciting and much deeper than you might expect. In addition to multiple punch and kick attacks, you can guard, dash, throw, stomp, and execute a bevy of special moves. I really appreciate how well-executed attacks do significant damage and keep the matches short. All the moves are listed in the manual, and there are over 25 for each of the eight fighters. I must admit that some gamers might not appreciate the "floaty" physics and the emphasis on jump attacks. The fighters look blocky but the animation is remarkably fluid, making the game more playable than some of the more advanced 3D brawlers. They even change facial expressions! Matches take place on raised platforms, and ring-outs are possible. The generic background scenery (desert, mountains, water) is pretty sparse, and the city night stage just looks like a bunch of yellow dots littering the screen. If you want to experiment with the camera angle, you can adjust it while the match is paused. The music is okay and the voice samples are quite clear. Play modes include the standard arcade, versus, and tournament, but what I enjoyed most is the one-player "Ranking Mode", which pits you against a series of cpu competitors and displays an analysis of your performance afterwards. Virtua Fighter is a fine example of what the 32X is capable of. © Copyright 2004 The Video Game Critic.

Our high score: 202
1 or 2 players

If you like this game, try: Battle Arena Toshinden (Playstation),
Virtua Fighter 2 (Saturn), Virtua Fighter 4 (Playstation 2),
Brutal Unleashed: Above the Claw (Sega 32X), Virtua Fighter 2 (Genesis)

Virtua Racing Deluxe
Grade: A
Publisher: Sega (1995)
Reviewed: 2004/2/29

screenshotVirtua Racing Deluxe was one of the 32X's impressive flagship titles, along with Star Wars Arcade and Doom. Its graphics were cutting edge in 1995, with three-dimensional polygons and multiple camera angles you can change on the fly. Although the boxy-looking cars and triangle trees look archaic now, VR is still thrilling to play thanks to its smooth frame-rate and simple controls. Each race begins by showing a pit crew preparing your car, but these guys are so blocky that they look more like robots. Once the race is underway, you can switch between several views ranging from the unplayable "driver's seat" angle, to the vertigo-inducing birds eye view. You'll want to select one of the in-between views for best results. You can compete against a friend in split-screen mode or go against a field of 15 (!) cpu-controlled cars in the single-player mode. The scenery isn't spectacular, but there are plenty of banked turns, bridges, tunnels, overpasses, and alternate routes to keep things interesting. Flat backgrounds depicting mountains and rolling hills blend in nicely with the foreground. The trademark carnival rides are present, but they look a little flat. And I can't forget to mention the completely pointless pitstop area which I've never had to use in my life. The steering is responsive, but spinouts will occur if you take a turn too fast (Hint: let off of the accelerator). The whining engine sounds more like a swarm of angry bees, and why does my car keep backfiring? The appealing Sonic-like background music is sparse but sounds great when it kicks in. All lap times are displayed on the screen, but despite some nice record keeping, these are erased when the game is turned off (rats!). After each race, you have the option of watching a multi-angle replay of your race, which is often quite interesting. There are five tracks and three types of cars to choose between, including formula, stock, and prototype. Virtua Racing Deluxe runs better and offers more options than the $100 Genesis version released in 1994. You're simply not going to find a better game for the 32X. © Copyright 2004 The Video Game Critic.

1 or 2 players

If you like this game, try: Virtua Racing (Saturn),
Virtua Racing (Genesis), Mario Andretti Racing (Genesis),
Re-Volt (Dreamcast), Sega Rally Championship (Saturn)

Grade: D-
Publisher: Acclaim (1995)
Reviewed: 2005/3/19

screenshotOf the two wrestling titles Acclaim released for the 32X (the other being WWF Wrestlemania), Raw is clearly more ambitious yet falls short in terms of actual gameplay. It features 12 actual WWF wrestlers, depicted in large colorful photos on the menu screens. The actual game characters are fairly small however and less impressive than those in Wrestlemania. Raw's gameplay is undeniably deep. Like most wrestling games, the action gets repetitive, but you have to give Acclaim credit for incorporating an astonishing number of moves. You can throw your opponent from the ring, jump from the turnbuckle, perform knee/elbow drops when your opponent is down, and even execute signature moves. One aspect that really sucks however is the "tie-up" system. When two fighters lock arms, a meter appears and the player who taps buttons fastest wins. Not only is this physically tiresome, but more often than not it ends in a draw. The combination of lengthy matches and constant button tapping will take its toll on your hands. This game's title is apropos, as the visuals look unpolished, with animation that's hard to make out at times. WWF Raw offers seven playing modes including tag team and the Royal Rumble, which features six wrestlers in the ring at once! Yes, it's a big, confusing mess. Just like real wrestling, you can do some crazy things like punch the referee or fight outside of the ring. And while you're out there, don't forget to smack your opponent with that folding chair that always just happens to be sitting around for no good reason. WWF Raw is not a game I can play for an extended period of time. Then again, I'm not a wrestling fan. If you are an avid fan, you can probably bump up the grade by one letter. © Copyright 2005 The Video Game Critic.

1 to 4 players

If you like this game, try: WWF War Zone (Playstation),
Pro Wrestling (Sega Master System), WWE Legends of Wrestlemania (Xbox 360),
WWF Wrestlemania: The Arcade Game (Sega 32X), Title Match Pro Wrestling (Atari 2600)

WWF Wrestlemania: The Arcade Game
Grade: C+
Publisher: Acclaim (1995)
Reviewed: 2005/3/19
Rating: Kids to Adults (Realistic violence)

screenshotWhile not a fan of professional wrestling, I can certainly appreciate the fast, exciting action and over-the-top animations of this arcade adaptation. Unlike real wrestling, matches tend to quickly run their course with few pauses or interruptions. There are eight WWF fighters represented in Wrestlemania, including the Undertaker, Bam Bam Bigelow, Doink the Clown, Leg Lugar, Yokozuna, Bret Hart, Razor Ramon, and Shawn Michaels. The character sprites are large and well defined. For some reason however, when you land a solid hit it looks like ice cubes are flying out of your opponent. Is that supposed to be sweat, spit, or ice? Anyway, the Mortal Kombat-inspired controls are simple to grasp and responsive. Although most moves are realistic in nature, some of the more over-the-top maneuvers are embellished by crazy animations to make them look even more spectacular. Voice samples comment on the action in progress, but they sound pretty rough. This game was a pleasant surprise, especially compared to the laborious WWF Raw. Wrestlemania is a fighting game just about any gamer can enjoy. © Copyright 2005 The Video Game Critic.

1 or 2 players

If you like this game, try: WWF Raw (Sega 32X),
Ultimate Mortal Kombat (Nintendo DS), Def Jam Vendetta (Playstation 2),
Mortal Kombat (Xbox 360), Mortal Kombat (Super Nintendo)

World Series Baseball
Grade: B+
Publisher: Sega (1995)
Reviewed: 2002/5/28

screenshotThis game proves what most of us have known all-along: there's not much difference between a 32X and a regular Genesis. Sega tried to make this game a step up from the Genesis version, but besides some minor cosmetic changes, the game is practically identical. The enhanced color palette allows the stadiums to look a bit better, with more colorful backgrounds and crowds. The pitches now make a "whooshing" sound on their way to plate, and seem to move slower. When a ball is hit to an outfielder, the camera sometimes zooms in on the fielder. It looks pretty cool, but has little more than novelty value. The biggest disappointment is the sound - or lack of it! There's less commentary that other versions of the game, and the crowd is practically silent. Most of the new features of this 32X version, like multi-player options and player trades, were incorporated into World Series 96 on the Genesis. Yes, this World Series game is better than its Genesis counterparts, but only slightly. © Copyright 2002 The Video Game Critic.

1 or 2 players

If you like this game, try: Bill Walsh College Football (Sega CD),
NBA Live 96 (Genesis), Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 (Super Nintendo),
NBA Live 96 (Super Nintendo), Primal Rage (Sega 32X)

Zaxxon Motherbase 2000
Grade: D-
Publisher: Sega (1995)
Reviewed: 2000/5/13

screenshotWhen I first found out that a Zaxxon game was out for the 32X, I was giddy as a schoolgirl. The last time I had played Zaxxon was on a Colecovision in 1982. I always thought it was a cool game, and a sequel was long overdue. Imagine my disappointment when I realized this mediocre shooter wasn't really Zaxxon at all. Yes, the 3D viewpoint is the same, but you can't elevate your ship (except to jump)! In an attempt to show-off the 32X polygon-rendering abilities, all objects in this game are 3D rendered. While the ships and bosses look fairly decent by 32X standards, the blockiness of the objects makes me wish they had just used old-fashion sprites. It doesn't even look as good as the original game! And unfortunately, all the polygon graphics result in a busy screen with some annoying slowdown in the action. There are some cool gameplay concepts here, including the ability to commandeer enemy ships. But the screen area is limited, and the large bosses often squeeze you into an awkward corner of the screen. This Zaxxon is a real dud. © Copyright 2000 The Video Game Critic.

1 player

If you like this game, try: Zaxxon 3D (Sega Master System),
Viewpoint (Genesis), Viewpoint (Playstation),
Space Attack (Atari 2600), Zaxxon (Colecovision)

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