Classic Home Video Games (1985-1988) Read online

  Classic Home Video Games,

  1985–1988

  ALSO BY BRETT WEISS

  Classic Home Video Games, 1972–1984:

  A Complete Reference Guide (McFarland, 2007)

  Classic Home Video

  Games, 1985–1988

  A Complete Reference Guide

  BRETT WEISS

  Foreword by BILL KUNKEL

  McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers

  Jefferson, North Carolina, and London

  LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGUING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA

  Weiss, Brett, 1967–

  Classic home video games, 1985–1988 : a complete reference guide /

  Brett Weiss ; foreword by Bill Kunkel.

  p.

  cm.

  Includes bibliographical references and index.

  ISBN 978-0-7864-3660-6

  illustrated case binding : 50# alkaline paper

  1. Video games— History.

  I. Title.

  GV1469.3.W472

  2009

  794.809 — dc22

  2009016502

  British Library cataloguing data are available

  ©2009 Brett Weiss. All rights reserved

  No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

  Cover images: Digital Vision and Shutterstock ©2009

  Manufactured in the United States of America

  McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers

  Box 611, Jefferson, North Carolina 28640

  www.mcfarlandpub.com

  To Mike, Kelly, Chris, and Cara Davis, whose love and support through the years

  have had an immeasurable impact on my life

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  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Special thanks to my lovely (and loveable) wife, Charis Weiss, who helped me with the many computer conundrums that occurred during the writing of this book. Special thanks also to Ryan and Katie Weiss, who provide a constant source of inspiration, love, and amusement.

  Special thanks also goes to Bill Kunkel, co-founder of Electronic Games Magazine; Rick Kelsey, friend and fellow writer; Leonard Herman, author of Phoenix: The Fall & Rise of Videogames; David Kaelin, owner of Game Over Videogames; Buddy Saunders, owner of Lone Star Comics and mycomicshop.

  com; Thomas Sansone, editor of Video Game Trader Magazine; Chris “Cav”

  Cavanaugh, editor for the All Game Guide; Michael Thomasson, owner of Good Deal Games; Earl Green, who runs thelogbook.com; Jesse Hardesty, the man behind the Oklahoma Video Game Exhibition; Bart Bush, key member of the Oklahoma Alliance of Fandom; Roy Thomas, editor of Alter Ego magazine; and Digital Press editor Joe Santulli and all the guys (and gals) who contribute to the always lively Digital Press message boards.

  vii

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  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Acknowledgments

  vii

  Foreword by Bill Kunkel

  1

  Preface

  3

  Atari 7800 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

  Nintendo NES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

  Sega Master System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217

  Glossary

  255

  Bibliography

  267

  Index

  269

  ix

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  FOREWORD

  by Bill Kunkel

  More than any other companies in the his-

  Simultaneously, a phrase was beginning

  tory of electronic gaming, Nintendo, Sega, and

  to permeate the world of seven-disk computer

  later Sony established video games as a lifestyle,

  games, intolerable delays in loading new con-

  a hobby that would endure beyond the “video

  tent, the incredible range of power among even

  game craze” of the ’70s. Following the Great

  the same company’s microcomputers as well as

  Implosion of ’83, as the Age of Atari crumbled,

  a labyrinth of audio and video augmentation

  game console and software sales tanked and

  boards that made system/software compatibil-

  American industry and retail alike closed the

  ity an issue in every purchase (“I can buy this

  coffin lid on the video game as a viable enter-

  really cool-looking game, but it’s going to play

  tainment format and shoveled on the dirt.

  like crap on my computer. If it plays at all.”).

  In their heart of hearts, after all, most

  Then there was the question of whether soft-

  American retailers and even many executives

  ware publishers should be making “games” at

  within the industry itself had always viewed the

  all, when they could concentrate their efforts

  video game boom as a fad. Throughout the en-

  on the more academic-sounding “simulations.”

  tire mid–’80s, the only place most Americans

  And all of it took that phrase from a mur-

  played electronic games was on computers or at

  mur to a command. That phrase was plug ’n’

  the arcades. And the only games the computers

  play.

  offered were coin-op derivatives or text (and

  The old joys of ripping a plastic-encased

  later illustrated and even animated) RPGs and

  game board directly out of the box, putting it

  adventure games. For most Americans, video

  into your game system and seeing it on the TV

  games were now perceived as the carrot-on-the-

  suddenly acquired a nostalgic appeal. More-

  stick gateway to the computer-in-every-house-

  over, computer gaming was, and remains, a so-

  hold world that many people thought would

  cially isolated experience. Online play has long

  take place 20 years before it actually occurred.

  allowed computer gamers to test their skills

  But the Japanese never lost faith. Japanese

  against gamers in remote locations, but the key

  coin-op manufacturers had, in many ways,

  word there was “remote.” People began to re-

  helped create the second generation American

  member how much fun it had been to play

  video game boom (i.e., the Age of Atari) with

  against their brother, sister, parents, and friends

  games like Space Invaders and Pac-Man and head-to-head in the most comfortable room in

  they saw no diminution of interest among Japa-

  the house on a TV screen that was almost cer-

  nese gamers.

  tainly larger than your computer monitor.

  1

  2

  FOREWORD BY BILL KUNKEL

  All of these things converged when Nin-

  digm to the “joypad,” an interface that all but

  tendo brought its Nintendo Entertainment

  demanded an endless diet of platformers. For

  System (complete with a dorky robot that was

  the first time, the idea of multiple action but-

  eliminated from the system with appropriate

  tons (direction was now controlled with the left

  swiftness) and Sega introdu
ced its Sega Mas-

  hand via the directional joypad) and the timing

  ter System to America. Video games were once

  required in pushing them became the driving

  again embraced as part of a lifestyle, as fixed a

  force behind most games of this period. Move-

  member of the pop cultural pantheon as pop

  ment was largely confined to North-East-

  music, movies, and comic books. There will be

  South-West commands and the trick was in

  good years and bad years, we realized, but the

  perfectly timing a jump over a ravine or onto

  idea of the video game itself as a staple of pop-

  a mushroom.

  ular entertainment was here to stay.

  The Nintendo/Sega (and later Sony) era

  The Nintendo/Sega (and later Sony) era

  taught us to once again love video games and,

  revolutionized the concept of what you could

  to this day, Nintendo and Sony remain the

  do with video games. Elaborate, action-driven

  world’s most successful producers of video

  adventures joined the video game landscape

  game hardware. So take a stroll back through

  and the platform and scrolling shooter genres

  the mid and late ’80s, when a new voice and a

  became the dominant categories. After all, the

  new culture took back the right to enjoy video

  Nintendo/Sega era redefined the nature of

  games.

  gaming by transitioning gamers from a joy-

  Take it away, Brett...

  stick-driven, one or two action button para-

  Bill Kunkel (AKA The Game Doctor) and his partner Arnie Katz “invented” video game journalism in Video magazine in 1978 and then, with Katz and Joyce Worley, created Electronic Games in 1981. Kunkel has designed games, consulted, written numerous game strategy books, and served as an expert witness in much of the industry’s seminal litigation. His memoirs, Confessions of the Game Doctor , were published in 2006, and he’s a regular colum-nist at J2Games.com.

  PREFACE

  The year 1984 was a bad one for the U.S.

  tive consciousness of a nation and quickly sup-

  home video game industry. No new consoles

  planted the Atari 2600 as the system that the

  were released in 1984 (or in 1983, for that mat-

  general public most frequently associated with

  ter), and the Atari 5200 and ColecoVision,

  video games. Nintendo put the U.S. home

  which had seemed so fresh and innovative in

  video game market back on the map, and the

  1982, were (or already had been) abandoned by

  industry has been going strong ever since (de-

  their manufacturers, not to mention most of

  spite such intermittent misfires as the Pana-

  their owners. The ubiquitous Atari 2600 was

  sonic 3DO and the Philips CD-i).

  still being produced, but it was increasingly ob-

  I got my very own NES, along with its

  vious that the antiquated system was a primi-

  killer app ( Super Mario Bros. , of course), in Autive relic of another time. Atari was losing

  gust of 1987 as a birthday present from my

  money by the bucketful, prompting Warner

  older brother. Before the year was up, I added

  Communications to sell the company. INTV

  such quality titles as Castlevania, Contra, Ikari rescued the aging Intellivision from oblivion

  Warriors, Ghosts ’n Goblins, Double Dribble, and in 1984, keeping it afloat until 1991, but sales

  The Legend of Zelda to my NES library. I was of INTV games barely registered a blip on the

  thrilled with the NES, but still kept my favorite

  consumer radar. What had once been a thriv-

  system —the ColecoVision—hooked up to my

  ing industry, boasting gross sales of $3.2 bil-

  19-inch television set, which sat on a desk in

  lion in 1982, was on the verge of extinction.

  my bedroom. Despite the advances made by

  As fate would have it, a Japanese outfit

  Nintendo, I still enjoyed the simple pleasures of

  called Nintendo (which began in 1889 as a

  munching dots, climbing ladders, and shoot-

  playing card manufacturer) was more than

  ing descending armadas of alien invaders that

  eager to save the proverbial day. In 1985, the

  the ColecoVision, Atari 2600, and other older

  company test-marketed their Nintendo Enter-

  systems offered. (The NES was home to a num-

  tainment System (called the Famicom in Japan)

  ber of retro arcade ports, such as BurgerTime, in select locations in New York City and re-Galaga, and Ms. Pac-Man, but the emphasis leased it nationwide in early 1986, giving birth

  was definitely on the newer, more elaborate

  to the next generation of home video game

  games.)

  consoles. Bolstered by the legendary launch

  As biased toward the ColecoVision (and

  title Super Mario Bros. , which fascinated con-other outdated systems) as I was, I had to admit

  sumers with its expansive gameplay, delightful

  that the NES games were vastly superior in

  audio/visuals, and plethora of secrets and sur-

  many ways, especially in terms of graphics,

  prises, the Nintendo NES captured the collec-

  controls (the NES D-pad was a huge improve-

  3

  4

  PREFACE

  ment over previous joysticks and control

  the subject (compared to various other com-

  discs), and the epic nature of the games. Play-

  mercially viable pop culture art forms), espe-

  ing such adventure titles as Metroid and The cially in terms of literate, comprehensive, thor-Legend of Zelda was a liberating experience

  oughly researched reference guides. To help fill

  when compared to the relatively confining na-

  that gap, I wrote a book called Classic Home

  ture of most games for previous consoles. I

  Video Games, 1972–1984: A Complete Reference

  found myself powering up Nintendo’s gray box

  Guide (McFarland, 2007), which chronicled

  with increasing frequency, spending hours

  every video game console released during that

  upon hours hopping on monsters, jumping

  time, plus all the cartridges for those systems,

  across treacherous chasms, beating up bad

  regardless of the release dates of those car-

  guys, battling bosses, completing objective-

  tridges. That book covered what I (and certain

  specific levels, playing relatively realistic bas-

  other historians) call the golden age of home

  ketball and hockey, and undertaking compar-

  video games, which includes such consoles

  atively complex missions, many of which

  as the Atari 2600, Intellivision, and ColecoVi-

  revolved around rescuing the proverbial

  sion.

  damsel in distress (usually a princess).

  The book you hold in your hands picks

  The NES revitalized my interest in home

  up where the first volume left off. Classic Home

  video games in general, spurring me to pur-

  Video Games, 1985–1988 covers the three sys-

  chase the inevitable consoles that followed,

  tems released during that prolific era, plus all

  such as the Sega Master System (1986), the Sega
<
br />   the games produced for those systems regard-

  Genesis (1989), and the Super Nintendo (1991).

  less of the release date. Included is every

  Games like Shinobi (Master System), Sonic the U.S.–released game for the Nintendo NES, the

  Hedgehog (Genesis), and Super Mario World Sega Master System, and the Atari 7800. Those

  (Super NES) offered new worlds to explore,

  of you who read the first volume of Classic

  new challenges to conquer, and new shelves to

  Home Video Games know I included the 7800

  build (for my increasingly large library of

  in that book (since it was a throwback to ear-

  games).

  lier systems, and since it completed the “tril-

  Unlike many gamers, simply buying a new

  ogy” of classic Atari consoles), but I have up-

  game, playing it to death, and then getting rid

  dated it for the present work, expanding most

  of it wasn’t enough for me. I wanted to keep

  of the entries and adding newly relevant infor-

  each cartridge (along with its accompanying

  mation, such as comparisons to similar NES

  box and manual), especially the games that I

  and Master System titles.

  thoroughly enjoyed. To me, building a good li-

  As with the first volume, this book is de-

  brary of video games is akin to having a nice

  signed to be a video game version of a classic

  collection of books or movies. You never know

  American movie guide, directing readers to the

  when the urge might hit to revisit (or share

  games they may enjoy. Each entry describes the

  with a friend) an old favorite, be it Orwell’s

  gameplay in detail and includes pertinent data

  1984, Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third for that title, and most entries contain critical

  Kind, or Shigeru Miyamoto’s Super Mario

  analysis. The review elements reflect my opin-

  Bros. (The fact that Miyamoto is not a house-

  ions, of course, but I tried to remain as objec-

  hold name underscores the relative infancy of

  tive as possible when considering the merits (or

  and the lack of respect accorded to the video

  lack thereof ) of each game. When possible (and

  game industry when compared to books and

  when relevant), I compared the games to their

  movies.)

  arcade, computer, and other-console counter-

  Over the years, I have amassed countless

  parts.