My Played Video Games Review: Pirates! Gold for the Sega Genesis

_{Image source}

Pirates! Gold is the 1993 Sega Genesis game remake of Sid Meier's PC game, Sid Meier's Pirates!, that came out in 1987.

Here is a great, choose-your-own, action-adventure game that which I foolishly thought was not possible on a 16-bit console during the early 1990s. The Sega Genesis gets a trump card over the Super Nintendo with this one.

The Story

Anchors away! The Golden Age of sea pirates has returned with Pirates! Gold. As an ambitious privateer, you will sail your way along the dangerous Spanish Main in search of adventure. Lead your wild crew of sea pirates along the 17th-century seas of the Caribbean and into new colony towns! And you will risk your ship and your life in daring attacks upon enemy ships!

Along the way, you will cross blades with nasty noblemen. Hunt for those hidden treasures. Make alliances with powerful men. And embark on rescue journeys that will put your seamanship to the test. Will they remember you in history? Or will you end up abandoned/shipwrecked on a lonely island? Find your fate in Pirates! Gold.

Box, manual and cartridge of the game. (Image source)

The Graphics and Sound

For an early 1990s game, the graphics are good. The duel screen gives you a nice view of you and your enemy, along with a status bar showing how many men are still left on both sides. The ship battles are shown from an eagle's-eye view of the battle.

The sound is the usual Sega Genesis type. However, the sound effects of a cannon hitting a target, the clashing of swords in a duel, and the low music in a shop are quite good.

A gameplay video sample of Pirates! Gold. Watch in 360p for near original TV resolution at the time.

The Gameplay

What makes this adventure game interesting is that it is surprisingly open-ended. In Pirates! Gold, you can be either play as an English, Spanish, French, or Dutch seaman when you begin a new game, as well as choose time periods to sail in. Another choice you have to make is how you will become that character in that world. You can be a successful trader, or a privateer (naval officer of the time) attacking enemy ships and towns to earn titles until you get a noble title. The other path is to be a notorious pirate and attack/pillage whomever or wherever you fancy.

The controls are damn simple. From using the directional pad to sail your ship, and using the "B" button to activate turbo mode for long trips, sailing is a breeze. However, using turbo mode while sailing can very dangerous with all the reefs around. The reefs can wreck your ship easily.

The dueling and ship combats are simple and fun. With the "A" button as the primary attack button while "B" and "C" are for parrying.

The replay factor is great. There is plenty to do and try that no matter how many times you replay it, there is always a different experience with the different choices you make. Plus, the ability to game save makes the pirating adventures worth it.

My Verdict

Pirates! Gold on the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive is a great game in the records of gaming history. It has everything but nice, updated video game graphics in a pirate adventure game. The game never gets boring because of the many choices your character makes.

Play it on the revered Sega Genesis/Mega Drive or play it cheap on any damn good emulator.

Let's keep on gaming in the free world!