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Title Total Carnage (CD32)
Game Type Shoot-em-up
Players 1
Company I.C.E.
Compatibility CD32
Submission Courtesy of Sean Caszatt

Review
I don't know what came over me as I opened the case of Total Carnage. I
was actually looking forward to playing the game. An arcade conversion
for the CD³²! "This ought to be fun," I thought to myself. I had somehow
forgotten that I'd played the Amiga version of this game. If I'd have
remembered, I wouldn't have opened the case and I surely wouldn't have
been excited.

TOTAL CARNAGE is a sequel of sorts to the arcade game SMASH TV, a
brilliant shooter game with a lot of bosses and power-ups. However,
TOTAL CARNAGE lacked the addictive properties as well as the personality
of SMASH TV. It just seemed to try too hard. Nevertheless, it was fun
to play in the arcade.

As good as the original SMASH TV was, it didn't translate very well for
the Amiga when it was released in 1991. It managed, however, to be a lot
more playable than the abomination known as the CD³² version of TOTAL
CARNAGE.

TOTAL CARNAGE would really have to kick some tail in the gameplay
department to make up for its very poor graphics. Unfortunately, it
doesn't. The player character looks like someone took Hulk Hogan's torso
and put it on Pee Wee Herman's legs. The animation is jerky and the
response to controller movement is about nil.

Did someone start a trend that made it fashionable for CD³² games to
emulate 8-bit game machines in terms of graphics? TOTAL CARNAGE has some
nice looking opening screens, but the game itself is nothing that the
Nintendo Entertainment System or Sega Master System couldn't handle.
(Those were the systems BEFORE the Super Nintendo and Genesis.) Where
are the 32-bit games?

The game is no different than the Amiga version, which is really a let
down. I don't know what I expect to make it better on the CD³² other
than possibly a complete rewrite or, at the least, better controller
response.

I.C.E. is repsonsible for two other CD³² shooter games, FIRE FORCE and
DEEP CORE. I recommend buying either one of those before picking up
TOTAL CARNAGE. Actually, I recommend a lot of other games (even those for
other systems) before you even think about getting TOTAL CARNAGE.