Classic Home Video Games (1985-1988) Read online

  PUBLISHER: LJN. DEVELOPER: Probe Software.

  icons, the SYD can increase its speed, warp

  Platform Shooter, 1 player.1993.

  ahead or back three levels, and boost the power

  Based on David Fincher’s disappointing

  of its lasers and missiles. An arsenal of special

  film from 1992, Alien 3 for the NES is much

  weapons, including eight-way fire, guided mis-

  better than its silver screen counterpart. Play-

  siles, thunder, and nuclear warheads, can also

  ers guide Lt. Ripley through six stages of the

  be acquired. Alpha Mission looks and plays

  Fiorina 161 prison colony (consisting of maze-

  similar to Xevious, but is less nuanced, less bal-like tunnels, passageways, and ladders), using

  anced, and less enjoyable. Followed by: Alpha

  a machine gun, grenades, and a flame thrower

  Mission II (arcade, Neo Geo, Neo Geo CD).

  to battle the trademark creepy creatures. A mo-

  tion tracker warns Ripley of nearby aliens and

  Amagon

  prisoners, the latter of which are cocooned and

  PUBLISHER: American Sammy. DEVELOPER:

  must be rescued. Atmospheric visuals and

  Aicom. Platform Shooter, 1 player. 1989.

  music, solid controls, and a nice mix of explo-

  In Amagon, players control the titular Ma-

  ration and intense action make Alien 3 one of rine, who must run, jump, and shoot his way

  the best movie-based games for the system.

  through the plains, jungles, rivers, rain forests,

  Also released for the Genesis, SNES, and Game

  mountains, and beaches of a monster-infested

  Gear (the overhead view Game Boy version is

  (though bland looking) South Pacific island.

  much different).

  Amagon is equipped with a machine gun for

  battling the dinosaurs, bats, snakes, wasps,

  All-Pro Basketball

  skeletons, aliens, elephant men, hippo demons,

  PUBLISHER: Vic Tokai. DEVELOPER: Vic Tokai.

  and other creatures. Transforming Amagon

  Sports/Basketball, 1 or 2 players (simultane-

  into Magagon, which is done by finding a

  ous). 1989.

  mega-key and scoring at least 5,000 points,

  A game of five-on-five hoops (players can

  makes the character tougher and gives him laser

  go at it head-to-head or team up against the

  beams and a megapunch maneuver. The action

  computer), All-Pro Basketball features eight dif-leaves little margin for error (the one-hit kill

  NINTENDO NES

  37

  system will frustrate many), making for a

  Arch Rivals

  difficult game.

  PUBLISHER: Acclaim. DEVELOPER: Rare.

  Sports/Basketball, 1 or 2 players (simultane-

  American Gladiators

  ous). 1990.

  PUBLISHER: Gametek. DEVELOPER: Incredible

  A precursor to the two-on-two arcade

  Technologies. Sports/Extreme, 1 or 2 players

  stylings of NBA Jam, Arch Rivals was first re-

  (simultaneous). 1991.

  leased in the arcades in 1989 by Bally/Midway,

  Inspired by the television series (1989–

  scoring big points with fans for its irreverent,

  1996), American Gladiators for the NES lets

  over-the-top gameplay. Players dribble, shoot,

  players compete in five different events: Joust,

  pass, rebound, dunk, and play defense, but they

  Wall, Human Cannonball, Powerball, and As-

  can also punch one another (the most enjoy-

  sault. Activities include battling with padded

  able aspect of the game) and pull down each

  sticks, climbing walls while trying to avoid get-

  other’s shorts. The referee only gets in the way,

  ting knocked off, swinging on ropes to knock

  and players sometimes slip on the trash thrown

  the other Gladiator off his or her platform,

  onto the floor by fans. Although not as fast or

  throwing balls into a chute, running through

  as fun as Double Dribble (another NES fa-

  obstacle courses, shooting missiles, and more.

  vorite), Arch Rivals is entertaining, especially in The graphics are plain, but the events are a fun

  small doses. Not surprisingly, the Genesis ver-

  (if ephemeral) diversion from standard sports

  sion slam dunks the already impressive NES

  video games. Includes three “real” Gladiators

  game with voice effects and richer, more color-

  from the TV show: Gold, Laser, and

  Nitro. The NES cartridge lacks the

  Atlasphere and Eliminator events,

  which are in the Genesis and SNES

  versions.

  Anticipation

  PUBLISHER: Nintendo. DEVELOPER:

  Rare. Board Game, 1–4 players (si-

  multaneous). 1988.

  Anticipation has up to four

  players competing to identify pic-

  tures being drawn onscreen by the

  computer. The first player to buzz in

  must identify the picture correctly to

  move their marker—shoes, ice cream,

  a teddy bear, or a trumpet — around

  a color-coded game board. There are

  16 picture categories, including

  music, weaponry, math, tools, food,

  and clothing. In easier levels of play,

  the computer connects dots to create

  the pictures. In advanced levels, there

  are few or no dots. Advanced levels

  also introduce feature squares and

  drop-out squares, both of which

  Two NES hoops titles: Arch Rivals, which is based on the should be avoided. Fans of Pictionary

  1989 arcade game, and Jordan vs Bird: One on One, which has and Win, Lose or Draw should enjoy

  its roots in the 1984 computer game Julius Erving and Larry

  Anticipation.

  Bird Go One-On-One.

  38

  CLASSIC HOME VIDEO GAMES, 1985–1988

  Arkanoid for the NES, with box and special “Vaus” controller, which is a rotary device similar to the Atari 2600 paddle controllers.

  ful graphics. Released for the Game Gear as

  Packaged with a special “Vaus” rotary

  Arch Rivals: The Arcade Game.

  controller for precise and speedy paddle move-

  ment, Arkanoid is a stellar port of Taito’s own Archon

  1986 arcade game. Players guide a paddle along

  PUBLISHER: Activision. DEVELOPER: Beam Soft-

  the bottom of the screen, rebounding a bounc-

  ware. Board Game/Fighting, 1 or 2 players (si-

  ing energy ball off of various space walls, elim-

  multaneous). 1990.

  inating colored bricks as they are hit. There’s

  A fine translation of the groundbreaking

  space debris to contend with, and certain walls

  1983 computer game, Archon for the NES is

  contain power capsules that can widen the pad-

  similar to Battle Chess, but uses such mytho-

  dle, give the paddle laser fire, warp the game to

  logical creatures as wizards, unicorns, and gob-

  the next round (there are 33 rounds in all), split

  lins instead of traditional chess pieces. When

  the ball into three, and more. Arkanoid is a two characters land on the same spot, the action

  terrific expansion of the brick-busting concept
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  switches to a combat arena in which players

  pioneered by Breakout. Similar to: Thunder & battle to the death with swords, fireballs, clubs,

  Lightning (arcade, NES). Followed by several

  or other weapons. The chess board squares

  sequels (including Arkanoid: Doh it Again for fluctuate between light and dark, giving one

  the SNES) and a remake ( Arkanoid DS for the

  side or the other the advantage, and certain

  Nintendo DS).

  characters can conjure spells to teleport, sum-

  mon the elements, reverse color patterns, and

  Arkista’s Ring

  revive or regenerate weary or dead creatures.

  PUBLISHER: American Sammy. DEVELOPER:

  Archon is an excellent game of strategy, broken American Sammy. Maze Shooter/Third-Per-up nicely by intensive battles.

  son Action Role-Playing Game, 1 player. 1990.

  Arkanoid

  Arkista’s Ring is a simplistic, action-ori-

  PUBLISHER: Taito. DEVELOPER: Taito. Ball-and-

  ented RPG in which players guide an elf girl

  Paddle, 1 or 2 players (alternating). 1987.

  named Christine through villages, castles,

  NINTENDO NES

  39

  graveyards, caves, and other colorful locations

  to fly, shell necklaces change her into a mer-

  (which are viewed from overhead), firing ar-

  maid, and she can grab a number of other use-

  rows at such enemies as scorpions, goblins,

  ful items, including hourglasses, swords, billy

  wolves, skeletons, bats, magicians, and ninjas.

  clubs, magic sticks, weapon power-ups, hel-

  Killing enough baddies makes a key appear,

  mets, shields, armor, and life flowers. Athena

  which unlocks the next stage. After stage 31,

  looks a lot like its arcade counterpart (SNK,

  the stages repeat, but get harder. Defeated en-

  1986), but that’s faint praise indeed.

  emies frequently leave behind a pouch contain-

  ing an item or a power-up, such as a fire wand,

  Athletic World

  a holy stick, armor, a helmet, a shield, or a

  PUBLISHER: Bandai. DEVELOPER: Bandai.

  ninja stunner. Gauntlet fans may enjoy Ark-Sports/Exercise, 1 player. 1987.

  ista’s Ring, but Legend of Zelda buffs will find it overly linear and lacking in complexity.

  Athletic World makes players get up off the

  couch and onto the Nintendo Power Pad con-

  Astyanax

  trol mat (or Bandai’s own Family Fun Fitness

  P

  pad). By physically walking, jogging, running,

  UBLISHER: Jaleco. DEVELOPER: Jaleco. Side-

  Scrolling Combat, 1 player. 1990.

  and jumping in place on side A of the Power

  Pad, players guide the onscreen character

  Based on Jaleco’s The Astyanax (arcade,

  through five tiring events: Hurdles, Animal

  1989), Astyanax for the NES puts players in the Trail, Dark Tunnel, Hop-a-Log, and Rafting.

  titular role of a teenager who must rescue

  Depending on the mode of play selected, there

  Princess Rosebud from the castle of wizard

  are obstacles to hop over or otherwise avoid,

  Blackhorn. As he runs, jumps, ducks, and tele-

  including moles, bats, frogs, fish, logs, and

  ports his way through 12 levels of play,

  water. Sometimes it is necessary for the player

  Astyanax must use a broad axe, a spear, and a

  to drop to his or her knees. Although it has flat

  sword to fend off a variety of monsters. He can

  graphics, Athletic World is a fun and challeng-conjure spells that freeze or damage all on-

  ing exercise tool that fans of World Class Track

  screen enemies, and he can smash stone idols

  Meet will enjoy.

  to reveal recovery potions, extra lives, weapon

  power-ups, and more. The controls and col-

  Attack of the Killer Tomatoes

  lision detection could use some fine tuning,

  PUBLISHER: THQ. DEVELOPER: Imagineering.

  and the arcade version has richer graphics,

  Side-Scrolling Platform, 1 player. 1992.

  but Astyanax is notable for its nifty (if unintentionally funny), Ninja Gaiden-like cut

  Based on the 1991 cartoon series (which

  scenes.

  in turn was based on the 1978 B-movie semi-

  classic), Attack of the Killer Tomatoes for the Athena

  NES puts players in control of Chad Finletter,

  P

  who must run and jump through four monot-

  UBLISHER: SNK. DEVELOPER: Micronics. Side-

  Scrolling Platform, 1 player. 1987.

  onous stages, plus a fifth stage that appears

  after the credits have ended. To stomp a

  Marred by poor collision detection, unre-

  tomato, it must be jumped on in the direct cen-

  sponsive controls, bland graphics, cruddy

  ter, making for a frustrating central gameplay

  sound effects, and weak weaponry, Athena gives element, especially since there are no weapons.

  platformers a bad name. Players guide the big-

  The buildings and city streets are very nicely

  headed, poorly animated title character

  illustrated, and the running and jumping ac-

  through Fantasy World, which is populated

  tion is broken up somewhat by ladders, con-

  with ladders to climb, obstacles to jump (or

  veyor belts, and other staples of the genre.

  double jump) over, oddly cartoonish monsters

  However, the game remains a disappointment

  to kick (or otherwise destroy), brick walls to

  to fans of the franchise. Also released for the

  smash, and more. Pegasus wings enable Athena

  Game Boy.

  40

  CLASSIC HOME VIDEO GAMES, 1985–1988

  Baby Boomer

  climbable tree in 1985. In addition to running,

  PUBLISHER: Color Dreams. DEVELOPER: Color

  throwing projectiles, and jumping on plat-

  Dreams. Light Gun Shooter, 1 player. 1989.

  forms and on top of enemies, players must look

  for and enter object rooms that contain a mini-

  Baby Boomer is an unusual game in which

  game involving collecting a certain number of

  players use Nintendo’s Zapper gun to help a

  watches within 60 seconds while avoiding cacti,

  baby make it through a series of hazards and

  quicksand, and other obstacles. Beating a mini-

  to his mother. While the baby crawls from left

  game grants players an object that must be

  to right, players must shoot fireworks, spiders,

  taken to the correct puzzle room, wherein waits

  ghosts, bats, and other obstacles while avoiding

  a word scramble mini-game. Back to the Fu-

  shooting gold nuggets, which the baby will

  ture Part II & III follows, to some degree, the gather for extra lives. Milk should be shot or

  plots of the 1989/1990 feature films, including

  the baby will get hungry, and a variety of items

  such elements as Marty traveling through time

  can be shot for extra points. Puzzle elements

  and Biff stealing an old sports almanac.

  come into play as well. For example, clouds can

  be shot to form ice bridges, and shooting valve

  handles can determine which pipes the baby

&
nbsp; Bad Dudes

  crawls through. Hampered by bland graphics

  PUBLISHER: Data East. DEVELOPER: Data East.

  Side-Scrolling Combat, 1 or 2 players (alter-

  and lousy collision detection, this unlicensed

  nating). 1989.

  oddity was Color Dreams’ first game.

  When compared to the 1988 Data East ar-

  Back to the Future

  cade original (which was called Bad Dudes vs.

  PUBLISHER: LJN. DEVELOPER: Beam Software.

  Dragon Ninja), Bad Dudes for the NES suffers Overhead View Action, 1 player. 1989.

  from flickering graphics, choppy controls, poor

  Loosely based on the 1985 feature film,

  voice effects (“I’m Bad!”), and the lack of a two-

  Back to the Future for the NES has players guid-player simultaneous mode. The game, famous

  ing Marty McFly up a vertically scrolling

  for its campy storyline in which ninjas have

  screen, collecting clocks while avoiding bees,

  kidnapped the president, plays like a poor

  hula hoop girls, trash cans, and other obsta-

  man’s Double Dragon, with gamers walking,

  cles. McFly can throw bowling balls at enemies,

  jumping, punching, and kicking their way

  grab skateboards that make him go faster (time

  through seven levels (City, Big Rig, Sewer, For-

  is a major factor), and jump over manholes.

  est, Freight Train, Cave, and Factory) filled

  Four different mini-games let McFly shoot milk

  with mindless ninjas, plus some dogs, samu-

  shakes at bullies, block hearts from his mom,

  rai, and super warriors. There are only two

  catch guitar notes, and drive up a road while

  types of weapons to grab: knives and nunchuks.

  maintaining a speed of 88 mph. The game is

  President Ronnie (based on Ronald Reagan)

  playable, but it frequently ignores the plot of

  from the arcade version has been replaced with

  the movie, and it has a disappointing ending

  a man resembling George H. W. Bush (who was

  and crude graphics and sounds. Paperboy fans president at the time of the NES release).

  may find something here to enjoy.

  Bad News Baseball

  Back to the Future Part II & III

  PUBLISHER: Tecmo. DEVELOPER: Tecmo.

  PUBLISHER: LJN. DEVELOPER: Beam Software.

  Sports/Baseball, 1 or 2 players (simultaneous).

  Side-Scrolling Platform, 1 player. 1990.

  1990.

  Back to the Future Part II & III plays someThis fun, fast paced baseball game appears

  what similar to Super Mario Bros. (complete

  to have been made with younger players in

  with enemies that look like Spiny and