High Seas Havoc (Genesis) Playthrough - NintendoComplete

A playthrough of Data East's 1993 mascot-platformer for the Sega Genesis, High Seas Havoc.
High Seas Havoc is a game that seems to get placed in one of two categories, depending on who you ask:
The first is that, because Data East creates nothing but substandard clones of popular games, Havoc ends up being little more than a poor Sonic wannabe. It might look and sound "nice," but it's too generic to warrant any real praise, and overall the game is too hard and too derivative to be worth playing.
The second is that, despite an unfair reputation for creating games devoid of innovation or creativity, Data East has managed to create a solid, enjoyable hop'n'bop platformer. The graphics and sound are excellent by Genesis standards, and while the game is demanding, it's beatable with practice.
The first opinion seems to be perpetuated by the type of people who merely repeat what other people say, and is really nothing but a poorly constructed strawman argument. Data East was no more guilty of lacking in originality than countless other companies were, but this perception seems to be the basis for many's dislike of the game. And let me stop you there before you say Fighters History, Captain Obvious: Capcom's lawsuit proved nothing. Capcom lost. Let's also not forget that they also made dozens of games that weren't Fighters History: Atomic Runner, Two Crude Dudes, Vapor Trail, Side Pocket, The Avengers... there is lots of great stuff of theirs to be found on the Genesis alone, let alone in the arcades and on Nintendo platforms.
The second opinion is the logical argument against opinion number one, and it's the one that I personally hold. Havoc isn't really much of a Sonic clone. He's not terribly fast, he ninja kicks stuff, and he grabs every item in sight. This all means that he stars in a platformer - not that he's a hedgehog. Don't get me wrong - there are definitely some undeniable, obvious influences at play here - but still, we don't typically think of Sonic as a Mario clone, right?
The gameplay is solid. The level designs are quite varied throughout, and the controls are excellent. Just be careful with the kick move - if you aren't on-target, it's easy to take damage using it. The difficulty ramps up nicely throughout most of the game, though it get a bit too hard for it's own good on those last few stages as stuff starts flying at you nonstop from every direction. It's manageable with practice, though - it's just nowhere near as easy as Sonic 1 and 2 were to finish.
The graphics and sound are really nicely put together. The level themes might occasionally feel generic (Stage 1 - Grass and Water, here we come!), but they're all drawn well with little apparent dithering, the scrolling is fast and smooth, the enemies are colorful and stand out against the backgrounds, and some of the larger enemies are really impressive. Anyone else remember being totally intimidated by that giant fireball with a face that chases you through the town?
As per Data East's standard on the Genesis, the music is really something special. They obviously took pride in their work on the soundtrack - the sound test is labelled "orchestra" on the title screen and features an animated animal orchestra actually playing the tunes - really cool touch! The music does a good job at carrying a symphonic feel despite being in FM, with a lot of it feeling suitably "epic", and it's loaded with clear samples of things like timpani hits. The constant orchestra hit noises might've been a bit much, but at least nobody screams "baked potato" as they fire off blue tornadoes in this one! ;)
Overall, I really liked High Seas Havoc. It might not quite sit on par with Sonic or Dynamite Headdy, but the entire thing smacks of quality and of high production values, and it's fun. That makes it worth a play in my book.
_
No cheats were used during the recording of this video.
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[@SocietyFilth]

This game felt like a part of a expanded Sonic Universe

[@strengthcolossal5538]

*EMERALDA*

[@AdeonWriter]

Same with Freedom Planet

[@FailureBiWinning]

It seems a lot of Genesis bootleggers REALLY liked this game's sound driver, because I've heard so many bootleg games with music that sounds a lot like Havoc's... at least instrumentally - the actual compositions themselves were... lacking in comparison, to say the least. The opening tune from Top Fighter 2000 MK VIII comes to mind. Bootleg silliness aside, this is a good game... though also a product of its time. It may not be a literal Sonic clone, but this WAS Data East's attempt at cashing in on the cute-little-furry-animal-mascot-with-attitude platformer trend that Sonic basically kicked off. A pity it never got any sequels... sort of like what became of Vic Tokai's Socket/Time Dominator, though at least Socket managed to make a cameo appearance in Battle Mania Daiginjou.

[@NintendoComplete]

High Seas Havoc isn't the Sonic clone that many make it out to be, but it is a really well made platformer that's typical of the quality Data East was known for on the Genesis.

[@emanuelrodriguez8230]

Cousin of sonic

[@douro20]

It was also a direct arcade port. The arcade version actually ran on slightly modified Mega Drive hardware.

[@Bloodreign1]

@@douro20 There's never been video proof of any arcade game, till I see it with my own eyes, I refuse to believe it exists.

[@jadstudiosofficial]

@@Bloodreign1 Me too!

[@qwertyqwerty2129]

I actually never understood why everyone doesn’t take the game seriously and says “oh, it’s like a Sonic clone?” so .. where exactly? The main character looks like Sonic 1) he is blue 2) there is some general similarity, THATS ALL!. "It's a Sonic clone" they said, lol.

[@firestar4407]

I love how the pirate captain is both the first boss AND the final boss. Omega from Mega Man Zero 3 did the same thing.

[@franzschnabel1602]

Bei manchen Beat em up´s wie "Dark Water" für Snes gibts das ebenfalls, das der End-Boss Erster und Letzter Endgegener im Spiel ist, finde ich auch irgendwie cool, hat was aus alten Filmen der 80er & 90er. Erst gabs ein kleines Kampfgeplänkel am Anfang, und am Ende vom Film, kommt es dann meist zum alles entscheidenen Kampf auf Leben und Tod^^ Das ist so schön nostalgisch.

[@solarflare9078]

Also Sigma from Mega Man X5

[@HyperSonicXtreme]

The first Ninja Gaiden for Xbox.

[@bigburkhart2293]

Pretty sure this is somebody's Sonic OC. Donut steel.

[@MisterGiygas]

Bridget made her debut a month before Amy did with Sonic CD. Both characters are pink, have fringe hairstyles and headbands. But what I find really eerie is how Bridget's bobcut is almost identical to Amy's redesign, which wouldn't happen for another 5 years. Surely a coincidence, but still thought-provoking. ;)

[@HyperSonicXtreme]

Amy was originally shown in a manga back in 1992.

[@christopherb.5797]

The earliest Amy rose came out in Shogaku Ninensei comics based off Sonic which lasted April 1992 to August 1993. The very first Amy in April 1992 being a thinner design & brown hair fur. Then in September 1992 they gave Amy her finalized pink design fur. And Sonic CD was already in development sometime in late 1992 during the beta stages.

[@jahariwhite4127]

Honestly, i literally was mind blown went at bridget and thought hmm...she looks almost similar to Amy rose Modern design. Betting someone at Sega used Bridgets Design For Amy Rose For sonic Adventure

[@The-official-knudschannel]

Somebody needs to remake this game like for real!! It’s Damn good!! The game play, the music, the bosses, like seriously!!!

[@Danhanado]

Why is Tails kidnapping Sonic and Knuckles in the thumbnail

[@GrayLion5]

More like amy.

[@hydical3752]

Why is tails kidnapping sonic and Amy in the thumbnail

[@FlyingDuckMan360]

I like to think of Havoc and Tide as the prototypes for Stratford and Chumley, Lady Walrus' children from Sonic Boom.

[@auron570]

I'm enjoying the movement animation. Really looks like he's putting his weight into his jumps

[@rajkulal1]

@auron570 I always thought the physics of this game was better than mario. For some reason

[@goiabexp]

for a second i thought that was amy in the thumbnail

[@violetfox3362]

Me too. That's why I clicked on it. I love sonic and I watched this video it's so cute; Sega was always known for their beautiful backgrounds. :)

[@twinky1839]

Same

[@Dorian_Scott]

In the UK, this game is called "Havoc", and in Japanese, "Captain Lang". Here in the US, it's "High Seas Havoc". TOO MANY CONFUSING TITLES!! 😣

[@NintendoComplete]

I had the British version as a kid, and iirc it was called Captain Havoc. When I was playing this is also struck me that I hadn't seen all of these levels before. I think the PAL version was missing a few. The game I had started with the pirate ship stage, and I know I had never seen the cape level before, though without going back and playing it again though I couldn't say for sure if there are any other differences.

[@Dorian_Scott]

@@NintendoComplete Better Question, How did you get the UK version as a kid? Did you actually visit the UK?

[@NintendoComplete]

@@Dorian_Scott I'm from London and grew up moving between the US and England.

[@nonnon6856]

Love the soundtrack it's beautiful

[@ExtremeWreck]

It was so good that the sound driver would end up being used by a bunch of bootleg game developers from Taiwan.

[@Nathan-rb3qp]

This game needs a remaster!

[@SophiaXiaoyuAralaCran]

This kind of reminds me of Rocket Knight Adventures with a hint of Turrican some reason, more of Rocket Knight though X'D

[@NintendoComplete]

It reminded me a lot of that too. I loved RKA! (But my favorite was the SNES version of Sparkster)

[@CidZero]

@@NintendoComplete I'm glad you like sparkster. Many seem to dislike it over RKA.

[@Des_Zee]

I read your description and I have to agree Data East did have some decent games back in the day but even though I owned a Genesis, I have never tried this game but watching you play made me want to test it out.

[@jamarilx7176]

Havoc really lived up to his name at the end

[@yomatasaki]

Oh man, i have been looking for this game for so long. I had it during my childhood and forgot the name after i got a dreamcast, but always remembered the gameplay and character. I was too scared of the first boss to beat him but i still remember playing this a lot regardless.

[@foxmulder4318]

This was a fun play back then. As a kid, I never really read reviews, generally just rented games on the weekends. Data East wasn't as bad as they are made out to be. An aside, have you ever played Decap Attack?

[@NintendoComplete]

I haven't posted a video of it, but I have played it quite a bit. I was a big fan of Kid Kool/Psycho Fox as well.

[@foxmulder4318]

I remember Kid Cool, never actually played Psycho Fox. Now, I know they are pretty similar, but, never actually ever owned a SMS.

[@Dorian_Scott]

@@foxmulder4318 Kid Kool on NES sucks in comparison to Psycho Fox & Decap Attack.

[@foxmulder4318]

@@Dorian_Scott Kid Cool was alright for me, but I would have to agree on Decap Attack. I always had fun with that one.

[@Bloodreign1]

Data East were quirky, sometimes they made intentionally bad games, some of those were well received (Trio the Punch). Then they made stuff like the Magical Drop series, which were fantastic.

[@FreedomDaveX]

This looks like a solid platformer. Why doesn’t it ever show up on people’s lists?

[@rajkulal1]

Its harder than it looks

[@MFields2178]

That’s funny you uploaded this because I want to play it again.

[@galagachamp2193]

Fun fact, the European version skips the 1st level

[@Dorian_Scott]

I noticed that too when playing every version of the game for comparison's sake. Weird, right.

[@donkeykong6426]

why?????????????????????????????????????

[@Dorian_Scott]

@@donkeykong6426 Nobody knows "why?????????????????????????" It's just typical localization of retro games making unnecessary changes.

[@FreeMindGamingStudios]

@@donkeykong6426 because of the similarity between that level and green hill zone. They try to avoid the clone of sonic critics

[@kiartoons2010]

This looks like a SNES game with Genesis sound.. WHAT HELLISH MAGIC IS THIS

[@ludwikd]

You wish....snes 👎

[@loutrenajackson5550]

Ardy Lightfoot?

[@therealseanw.stewart2071]

What a neat-o platformer, I find the graphics and music highly appealing and the gameplay solid, if of course, derivative. In addition to that, the music at the beginning intro cutscene with the green crystal is quite reminiscent of the Final Fantasy title theme, and the chick, Bridget looks quite a bit like Amy Rose! What it might lack in originality compared to the big boys at the time, I find High Seas Havoc very enjoyable regardless. For some reason it reminds me of Ardy Lightfoot on SNES. P.S. NintendoComplete, in the description you get major bonus points from me just for mentioning Dynamite Headdy!

[@NintendoComplete]

Dynamite Headdy was an amazing game, right? I remember being pissed at GamePro for not giving it's all 5s lol. But yeah, Mr. Headdy is probably due for an appearance sometime in the near future... just sayin, ;D

[@therealseanw.stewart2071]

My favorite Genesis game, no joke! Headdy's a masterpiece. Ristar is an overlooked gem as well.

[@NintendoComplete]

@The Real Sean W. Stewart Couldn't agree more. For whatever reason I've always thought of those two as a pair. Both awesome looking and sounding late-gen platformers with a yellow hero probably helps that, now that I think about it haha I'll never forget that stupid Come on! sound clip at the beginning of Ristar

[@Dorian_Scott]

@@therealseanw.stewart2071 I Freaking LOVE _Ristar_ and _Dynamite Heddy_ . Those games are an absolute blast to play from beginning to end. Definitely 2 of my all-time Genesis favorites.

[@therealseanw.stewart2071]

Hello there Dorian Scott, haven't seen you in a long time. Yeah they're gems for sure, still play Genesis games to this day.

[@LPetal86]

Ehhhhh, I can see Data East was totally going for Sonic, but I agree that it does enough things in its own right to be a worthwhile, fun platformer. The question I always ask for clone games/semi-clone games is, "But is it a good game?".

[@keen7youtubeistoast796]

What a great game! But yeah, never passed the wolf as a kid. Like you've said, it really gets near the end.

[@mariowario5945]

The beginning intro with the crystal is like a parody of final fantasy

[@TheNawaf258]

Ah high seas havoc I did let’s play on my channel and glad this game finally got attention he needs

[@Bunihime]

That looks like amy

[@violetfox3362]

Didn't know FF4 creators helped with this game too. :)

[@Highretrogamelord]

I bought this game on ebay years ago, not knowing what it is. I just liked the skull and bones cover... Pretty lucky purchase.

[@michaelmicheal8228]

Amy rose sure looks taller lol

[@ludwikd]

This game would have been an amazing addition to the Sega Saturn.😢

[@Gabriel-zy7ee]

Man those drugs really hit Tails hard

[@galagachamp2193]

I LOVE THE SOUNDTRACK!!!!!!!!!

[@abloogywoogywoo]

Mascot? Everyone's heard of Data East's Joe & Mac series, but this? This is the first time I've ever heard of it.

[@KTJohnsonkidThunder]

Looks really fun. G-Mode should release this on the Nintendo Switch. I should try to look for the cart itself though.

[@FreakenPinko256]

Thought that was Sonichu and Rosechu in the thumbnail for a second.

[@samsonbelmont9027]

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="83">1:23</a> the thumbnail hehehe But hey,the game looks great in my opinion

[@prismaticpaul]

I still can't beat that cat boss at <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="1946">32:26</a> goddamnit the whole fight just feels unfair, but that's probably because I don't use every opportunity possible to hit him so there's that. Need to be more aggressive probably

[@NintendoComplete]

That was definitely a difficult one. For me, the big thing was getting the timing down with the kick so that I didn't get hit when I hit him. But yeah, the faster you take him out, the better.

[@ValentinesEve1996]

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="12">0:12</a> Final Fantasy just commented on this video. They want their opening intro back.

[@Dzumeister]

this looks like if Sonic and DKC2 had a baby

[@DC-yx8qt]

Is it me, or does part of the music for the final level sound a lil bit like the theme from Big Guy and Rusty?

[@jennifernaddeo6495]

too bad this game didn't make it to the wii's virtual console

[@ravenkeilandallen7841]

Sonic fused with bootleg pirate Felix the cat. This and dynamite heady were really polished choices at the rental spot at my time. Spot , wow lol anyone remember when 7up soda Mascot 'cool spot' had a genesis cartridge? That was there too. Food mascots on console games. Weird times . . Other than cooking mama, food games in the market today might share titles like "Coming Soon" McDonald's voyages! Exclusive expansions. PS5: Ronald's rompus. Nintendo: hamburglar's sneaky deli . xbsx: grouch'in grimace. With cross play 👑. Lol had fun with this.

[@GenericUser379]

There should be a remake of this good game!

[@SammyRenard]

Who made the music for this game? it kicks SO MUCH ass!

[@toreywhite9917]

Bridget=Amy Rose

[@kacperciesowski8471]

URCHIN!

[@TheRealPoloBlue]

Havoc himself even has Tails' hair going on lul

[@LegoMarioXbox360]

Fun fact: Mario 9 uses the this games sound engine

[@johncraw8572]

Awesomeness please do more thanks

[@Vetusomaru]

Why people label all mascot platformers as Sonic clones even when gameplay-wise they're nothing like Sonic?

[@hamiltonappiah6759]

well, because people nowadays study the designs of animal mascot characters and compare them all to sonic (like klonoa) and also because they are so stupid that any animal mascot platforms that goes fast sonic is considered as a clone of him or his rip-offs! but the thing that is even more annoying about these people, in addition to underestimating these mascots, they even accuse them of being rip-offs of Sonic even when they don't have linear levels like him, for example go and look at the stupid list of capitainwaffless that he is even worse of all of them, he even even put zool and mr nutz and then let me know if it's right or just stupid and senseless!

[@zukoulou7464]

Havoc : young brother of Scott Summers. (Cyclops. X-Men) Havoc : playable character in X-Men : Mutant Academy 2. (PlayStation)

[@dezecinc0_715]

I Played this game. Is so good

[@muhammadumair9074]

How can i play it on pc/android

[@daviddeanthehumanjuggernau6182]

Cool vid

[@strengthcolossal5538]

*OMG!!! Havoc The Seal*

[@ThePlanet_L.I.]

First time I've ever seen and heard of this game

[@skar8009]

I have absolutely no idea how to dodge that homing lightning that the final boss fires in his golden form. The pattern of that shit is completely random.

[@GenericUser379]

This game reminds me of sonic the hedgehog

[@QuickyGreen]

Probably the best sounding game on the Mega Drive.

[@mariomario7379]

Thunder Force 4 disagrees.

[@QuickyGreen]

@@mariomario7379 I don't care about some shoot-em-up with a gritty presentation.

[@mariomario7379]

@@QuickyGreen 🤣 I'm cracking up!

[@Sinn0100]

You my friend, are out of your mind. The best soundtrack for a Genesis game definitely goes to Thunder Force IV. It is a game that would not look out of place playing on a Neo Geo AES/MVS, a true tour de force of 16-bit goodness. I would say a close second is Streets of Rage II but I digress...There are so many Genesis games with soundtracks that don't just sound better than this game but also dominate the entire generation they were created for. Now, that's not to say this game sounds bad, it definitely has some decent chip tunes. However, the best...Super Hang-On, Outrun, The Revenge of Shinobi, Gunstar Heroes, Phantasy Star IV, Aladin, Ristar, Rocket Knight Adventures, Musha, Sonic 2, and Dynamite Heady all were top contenders for the best soundtracks for the 4th generation. Anyone of these games feature better sound and this is just me naming great games off-hand. I could definitely throw some more heavy hitters out here that deserve to be mentioned. "Welcome to the Fantasy Zone! Get Ready!" -Space Harrier II

[@QuickyGreen]

@@Sinn0100 I was referring to how the instruments sounded. It kinda sounded more unique compared to most of the other Mega Drive games I've heard at the time... I was also obsessed with bootlegs and unlicensed games for various systems that came out in the 80s and 90s back then, and some of the unlicensed Mega Drive library had this sound engine, which led me to discover this game.

[@Heidern73David]

Hi, I have a retro video game channel and I want to make a Top 20 video of Game boy, but I need video captures of some games, I would like to know if I could take some fragments of Game Boy gameplays from your videos, they have a lot of quality. It would only be 10 or 12 seconds for each game and no sound. I will recommend your channel in my video. I wait for an answer, thanks friend.

[@NintendoComplete]

Sure, as long as you give credit and links for whatever you use, I don't mind :)

[@Heidern73David]

Ok, I'll give you credit and put the link. Thank you.

[@NintendoComplete]

@@Heidern73David Np :) lemme know when you put it up, I'd like to see it!

[@Heidern73David]

OK. there are still a couple of months.

[@Heidern73David]

I have been looking for the option to give credits, but KZbin canceled this option on November 26, 2018, and it is no longer available. How can we do it?

[@LazyTomato]

Just beat this game, been playing through my list of old retro games that I never got around to trying. The art direction and the music here are SO good, it makes me wish it had the polish and balanced difficulty to go with it... The "instashield" kick feels too slow and unwieldy to use because of its slow startup and its range limited to only in front of you (not below, you can't stomp with it), the dodge roll is so bad it might as well not even exist, and the game falls off a cliff after Zone 4 when they start throwing instadeath spike pits and "stop-and-go" stage gimmicks at you that are just there to burn your lives and waste your time respectively. With the production value that the visuals here radiate, it feels weird that they didn't put more time to testing and polishing the game's design and balance, because it feels like with some tweaks to the gameplay numbers (namely buffing the special moves and adjusting your acceleration) and some rebalancing of later stages and bosses this could've been a GENUINELY really good game overall...

[@ZatohRondohoon3227]

I Personally Find This Game Easier Than Sonic The Hedgehog. Dang, He Moves SO FAST, I Have No Practice On How To Maneuver His Speed To MY Advantage. And The Music On HSH, It's Gorgeous. Underrated, But It Isn't Too Bad.

[@strengthcolossal5538]

WTF? Sonic And Amy but Pirates?

[@strengthcolossal5538]

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="2931">48:51</a> SonAmy Moment

[@hemisphere903]

2nd level music sounds like castlevania intro

[@RealParadoxBlues]

*Someone's* bitter... EDIT: Two observations. One, this game hands out more extra lives than New Super Mario Bros U. Two, why do the bosses keep going invisible for random lengths of time after they're hit?

[@Bloodreign1]

Invincibility frames, and KZbin rendering the video in 30 frames unless you watch on the highest video setting.

[@SonGokuBlack93]

the soundtrack of this game is so depressing

[@teejaynumber13]

Well it certainly looks like a Sonic clone to me. Adding a kick move doesn't make it completely different. Not saying it's a bad game, it's just painfully obvious that it looks and feels like a Sonic game, just without the speed.

[@thehumbleone1983]

Havoc is a nice game 👍👍👍👍👍

[@masha_koltsova]

Игра моего детства 🥹❤️

[@Aqua.man045]

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="206">3:26</a> turning on a gameboy color.

[@Ultra13-13]

Me siento rara

[@johnlewisbrooks]

A pretty standard 90s side scroller but hey, Data East did it right!

[@AHorseThatIsARadish]

This game sucks. The player is slippery. Is he on roller blades? Plus this is one of those data east games I hate.

[@Bloodreign1]

The gameplay is a tad off, the game however is still solid due to good music and level design. The sprite work is pretty nice as well.

[@AHorseThatIsARadish]

@@Bloodreign1 I like the music and sprites. There not that bad. But the gameplay is not fun.

[@NintendoComplete]

@@mattfahringer148 Ah come on, a personal attack isn't warranted just because you disagree with him. But yeah, one of the defining differences I think between this and the top-tier platformers is the physics. They aren't bad in my opinion. It just takes a bit of practice to get the feel for them, but they definitely feel less on-point than in a game like Sonic or Mario.

[@Bloodreign1]

@@AHorseThatIsARadish Gameplay as I said is a tad slippery, but the huge levels give you lots of options to explore said stages. Not a bad game at all really, just not your cup of tea, but to me, the game feels fine once I adjusted to it's controls.

[@TheRealPoloBlue]

@@Bloodreign1 One of my favorite things about this game is the slapstick that happens whenever you get hit by something (getting pancaked by boulders, waddling around in a barrel if one lands on you, water leaking out of Havoc's pants after landing on spears, etc.). All good stuff!

[@bboymac84]

Final fantasy music intro rip off 🤦🏾‍♂️

[@chrisanthrop2672]

Video games are for children.