Sydney Hunter & The Sacred Tribe is the third game in the Sydney Hunter series from CollectorVision Games and the first to get a physical release for the Sega Master System. The game was initially made for the Intellivision in 2016, then released on the ColecoVision in 2017, Commodore 64 in 2018 and finally released for the Master System in 2019.

The game, released on physical cartridge, is very nicely presented in a clamshell box with reversible cover art and both sides have the familiar Sega style graph paper pattern. There is a nice, if short, instruction manual included and the cartridges are recycled with a new sticker. It's due to the shortage of cartridges that the game has so far only been released in very limited quantities.

A nice extra is that the game also features FM sound, which is enhanced sound capability that was built in to the Japanese Master System. You may also note that the 'Acclaim' logo is used on the box, manual and cart - that is because CollectorVision bought the trademark and trading name to use on their games. I think it's a nice touch for this type of release as the target audience loves nostalgia.

Based in two locations - Phoenix, USA & Montreal, Canada, CollectorVision Games has been an independent game developer, publisher & manufacturer since 2008. The team has published and released games on a number of different platforms including the Atari 2600, ColecoVision, Intellivison, NES, Super NES and C64.

Their reputation of making quality new games playable on physical cartridges has brought back that thrill and nostalgic excitement for gamers to re-live those wonderful experiences they had when they first owned their console or computer.

You play as Sydney Hunter who has been captured and held prisoner. Your captors want your assistance in finding their sacred portal before they will release you. The game is a non-linear platformer similar in style to Montezuma's Revenge (which I've since read from John Lester was one of the influences for the series). It's the standard 'run, jump, climb ladders, explore rooms and avoid enemies' platformer with a small twist in that you can move through staircases in the walls to uncover new sections.

The best thing about the Master System variant of this game is the graphics. They easily outclass all the other versions and they're better than Montezuma's Revenge too. There are some nice details such as cobwebs, skeletons, carved stone skulls and flaming torches. There's a lot of black on the screen but this does make the enemies and items to collect really stand out.

The animation of Sydney himself is good with a nice touch that when he is on the downward half of a jump he puts his arms up and opens his mouth. All the collision detection feels fair which is good as some of the jumps you need to perform when enemies are around can be tricky. As stated above the game features FM sound. I know some don't like this but I think this game really benefits from it. The music fits the game well and really adds to the atmosphere. Letting it course through my analogue Mega SG with an amp and speakers was a great gaming experience.

When I first came to play this game I found it quite challenging due to quirky controls and the maze-like layout of the temple. However, once you get used to the jumping mechanics things get more fun. You cannot jump straight up, only left or right, which at first will lead to many frustrating deaths. Also running jumps do not add length, so getting used to learning how close you can be to an edge really helps. Due to the non-linear nature of the game I found it was really helpful to draw a simplistic map as I went from room to room. Armed with my map and a good understanding of the controls I found myself progressing quicker and having a greater appreciation for the game.

Even once you are familiar with the controls, the game still poses a significant challenge. One of the key elements of the game is collecting diamonds and some of them are a little tricky to find, but if you map it out as you go, marking on the diamond locations it does get easier.

The lives in this game are really precious. You start with three and there are a few more scattered about to collect but there are no continues. Once you lose all your lives it's back to the start. This can be really frustrating if you have got a significant way into the game and more than once this caused me to switch it off and walk away for a few days!

Platformers can be tedious but Sydney Hunter on the Sega Master System was quite enjoyable, so much so that I would recommend this game to any platforming fan or famous treasure hunter. The attention to detail with the cartridge and its packaging is first class, you'd think the Sega Master System was a brand new console. The only real drawback is it's probably best not to use the original SMS controller as it can make the game quite irritating.

If you're a fan of challenging retro style platformers then this is something new you will enjoy!