part0010

In 1984, the Japanese company Nintendo, which had achieved tremendous success in the arcades with Donkey Kong (1981), approached Atari about distributing the American version of their popular Famicom system in the United States. For a variety of reasons (which Steven L. Kent details in his indispensable The Ultimate History of Video Games ), the prospective deal with Atari failed, and Nintendo took it upon itself to test market their Americanized Famicom (dubbed the Nintendo Entertainment System) in New York City in 1985, leading to a nationwide release in 1986.

Initially, due to the fabled Great Video Game Crash of 1983/1984, U.S. retailers were wary of carrying a new video game system. Wisely, Nintendo marketed their brainchild as more than just a simple game console, packaging the deluxe version of the NES with a mechanical Robot Operating Buddy (R.O.B. for short) and a Zapper light gun (for use with Duck Hunt and other target games). They called their video game console an “entertainment system” and referred to its cartridges as “game paks.”

The aforementioned marketing ploy was useful in getting the Nintendo NES on to store shelves, but the true success of the system, at least initially, can be attributed to a little side-scrolling platformer called Super Mario Bros. , which astonished grizzled gamers and video virgins alike with its rich colors and sounds, cartoonish graphics, lengthy levels, freedom of movement, and hidden secrets and surprises. Those who grew up on comparatively primitive previous consoles, such as the Atari 2600 and the ColecoVision, were truly mesmerized by Super Mario Bros. ’ epic nature and expansive game play.

Scores of other landmark Nintendo-brand NES games followed in the wake of Super Mario Bros. , including Metroid and The Legend of Zelda , and the company began publishing the long-running Nintendo Power magazine in 1988. The NES hit its zenith in 1990 with the introduction of Super Mario Bros. 3 . Released in conjunction with the feature film The Wizard (1989), which was more or less an extended commercial for the game, Super Mario Bros. 3 sold more than 18 million copies worldwide, making it the best-selling video game cartridge of all time. The Wizard also showcased the technically advanced Power Glove controller, a black and gray gauntlet that looked really cool and created a lot of buzz, but was extremely inefficient and lacking in precision of movement when it came to actually playing games.

Numerous third-party companies, such as Capcom, Jaleco, and Data East, got in on the NES act as well. In fact, Konami’s Contra and Castlevania are two of the most fondly remembered games ever released for the system. In a marginally successful attempt to keep third-parties from cranking out lousy and/or unlicensed games, Nintendo had built a lockout chip into the console and forced third-party companies to pay substantial licensing fees in order to produce games for the console. In addition, third-party companies could only produce five games per year, a rule that certain companies circumvented by forming sister companies. Other companies, like Tengen and Sachen, bypassed Nintendo altogether by producing unlicensed games. Authorized game cartridges have an official Nintendo seal of approval (or seal of quality) on the packaging, but that doesn’t necessarily guarantee a great game (as owners of the dreadful Hydlide will attest).

A boxed Nintendo NES Control Deck, which Nintendo dubbed, “The Most Challenging Video Game System Ever Developed.”

During its lifespan, the two-tone gray, boxy looking NES was a staple in homes across America, selling tens of millions of units before its official demise in 1995 (the last Nintendo-brand NES game, Wario’s Woods , was released in 1994). One of the best, most enduring things about the system is its sturdy, user-friendly controllers, which are rectangular in shape and feature an eight-way directional pad on the left, a select and a start button in the middle, and a pair of action buttons on the right. This design, which was patterned after Nintendo’s Game & Watch series of handheld games, is vastly superior to controllers for previous systems, all of which have at least one overriding flaw. Also cool are the two multi-player adapters released for the console: the NES Satellite and the NES Four Score.

No game system is perfect, and the Nintendo NES does have one notable setback: The console lacks durability. Dusty or heavily used cartridges can render the system unreliable by gumming up or otherwise making the intake port less than reliable in loading games. In addition, frequent usage can loosen the connector pins in the intake port, resulting in the loss of connectivity between the cartridge and the console. Finding a used system that works perfectly can be difficult. Nintendo remedied this design flaw in 1993 with the release of a top-loading version of the console, but it was produced in small quantities and is therefore very hard to find, often commanding $100 or more in today’s collector’s market.

Along with the Atari 2600 and Sony’s original PlayStation, the Nintendo NES is one of the most important, most influential video game systems ever released. It is home to an astonishing number of revolutionary, genre-defining titles, and it popularized and expanded upon such concepts as beating levels, saving progress (via passwords or battery backup), and exploring vast, lavishly illustrated worlds. Most importantly, it revived (make that resurrected) the American home video game industry.

Today, the NES remains a popular system among hardcore collectors and casual fans alike. For those who don’t want to bother with getting an original NES system and a bunch of cartridges, select NES titles are available for download via the Nintendo Wii Virtual Console, which is a phenomenon that has helped introduce a new generation of gamers to the distinct pleasures of retro gaming.

Nintendo NES console with two controllers and Zapper light gun. Along with the Atari 2600, PlayStation, and PlayStation 2, the NES was one of the most popular video game systems of all time.

A challenging shooter that fans of Life Force and R-Type will enjoy, Abadox has players using a space ship to battle a giant creature named Parasitis, who feeds on life forms and planets. Players must survive the surface of the creature, then blast their way down its throat and through its body, using lasers, guided missiles, and orbiting shields to destroy eyeballs, worms, skeleton fish, bacteria, anti-bodies, bosses, and other monsters. Power-ups to grab include super speed, an orbiting barrier shield, twin missiles, a laser gun, multi-directional beams, and more. When the action scrolls vertically, the ship travels downward, which is an unusual trait for the genre. Even more unusual (for the era) are the game’s gruesome, graphically rich visuals.

This cartridge features 52 games, most of which are shoddy and poorly produced: Fire Breathers, Star-Evil, Illuminator, G-Force Fighters, Ooze, Silver Sword, Critical Bypass, Jupiter Scope, Alfredo and the Fettuccini’s, Operation Full-Moon, Dam Busters, Thrusters, Haunted Hills of Wentworth, Chill-Out, Sharks, Megalonia, The French Baker, Atmos-Quake, Meong, Space Dreams, Streemerz, Spread-Fire, Bubblegum Rosie, Micro-Mike, Underground, Rocket Jockey, Non-Human, Cry Baby, Slashers, Crazy Shuffle, Fuzz Power, Shooting Gallery, Lollipops, The Evil Empire, Sombrero’s, Storm Over the Desert (The Land War), Mash-Man, They Came from Outer Space, Laser League, Billy-Bob, City of Doom, Bits and Pieces, Beeps and Blips, Manchester Beat, Boss, Dedant, Hambo’s Adventures, Time Warp Tickers, Jigsaw, Ninja Assault, Robbie and the Robots, and The Action Gamester. Unlicensed.

The Nintendo NES Four Score, which lets players hook up four controllers for simultaneous, multi-player action; and the QuickShot controller, an oddly designed NES peripheral containing a large, 16-way ball instead of the more conventional directional pad.

Based on the 1991 feature film (which, in turn, was based on the 1960s television series and on the Charles Addams cartoon panels), The Addams Family for the NES stars many of the characters familiar to fans of the popular franchise, including Gomez, Morticia, Pugsley, Wednesday, Lurch (who plays music), and Thing (who acts as a shield). Gomez must rescue members of his family from various rooms of his house and the surrounding grounds, avoiding skulls, ghosts, spikes, and other creatures and obstacles (many of which fall very quickly) along the way. There are no weapons, but Gomez can jump on enemies, swim in a pond, paddle down a secret river, and collect money. The game has lots of atmospheric, richly illustrated areas to explore, plenty of tricky puzzles to solve (such as finding keys to open doors and using a potion to shrink Pugsley), and a nice musical score.

Based on the Addams Family cartoon series (Hanna Barbera, 1992–1995), The Addams Family: Pugsley’s Scavenger Hunt finds the chubby son of Morticia and Gomez Addams searching for members of his family (Gomez, Granny, Wednesday, and Uncle Fester), who have been kidnapped and hidden as prisoners in their own home. Each family member holds a piece of music that Lurch must play to unlock the secret passage leading to Morticia, and Thing is on hand to provide clues. Pugsley has no weapons, but he can jump on the various creatures that impede his progress. Pugsley can also crouch, climb, swim, and fly (with the help of beanie caps). Pugsley’s Scavenger Hunt is much different than its SNES counterpart, in which Pugsley searches for items Wednesday has hidden around the Addams mansion. Interestingly, it plays more like The Addams Family (NES, SNES), but with Pugsley taking over for Gomez.

DragonStrike for the NES eschews the first-person elements of the computer version of the game, opting instead for free-roaming shooter action. Players guide one of three different dragons (bronze, silver, and gold) through 14 missions, firing lightning bolts, ice balls, fireballs, and other weapons at archers, battleships, carpet mages, giant dragonflies, swamp monsters, bosses, and other enemies. The dragon can fly high to avoid certain obstacles, but must fly low at times to complete various mission objectives. RPG elements are conspicuously absent, but there are power-ups to grab, and the game looks decent and is plenty challenging. Includes battery backup.

Sporting real-time battles and a side-view perspective, Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Heroes of the Lance for the NES is based on three things: the computer game of the same name (1988); the first Dragonlance campaign module (Dragons of Despair ); and the Dragonlance novel, Dragons of Autumn’s Twilight . Players, controlling one character at a time, guide a band of eight warriors and magic users of varying attributes and skills on a decidedly brief adventure quest. Enemies to battle include giant spiders, Gully Dwarves, ferocious dragons, monstrous Draconians, and more. Rightly dubbed one of the “10 Worst Games of All Time” in the September, 1997 issue of Nintendo Power , Heroes of the Lance suffers from lousy controls, sluggish game play, and a flawed combat system. Includes battery backup.

This oddly segmented, narrative-deprived RPG lets gamers explore areas in and around Hillsfar, using a character created by the player. Characters are ranked according to strength, intelligence, dexterity, and other attributes that can be built up as the game progresses. Four character classes are available: fighter, mage, thief, and cleric. Activities include searching secret rooms, stunning guards, finding exits, looting gold chests, avoiding traps, blasting obstacles with a rod, competing in Archery contests, using a horse to jump over obstacles, fighting in an arena, gathering information in taverns, and more. Based on the computer game of the same name (1989), Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Hillsfar for the NES includes battery backup.

Based on the oft-ported computer simulation (1988), Pools of Radiance for the NES, like its personal computer counterpart, does an excellent job of maintaining the spirit and gameplay of the popular pen-and-paper game, Advanced Dungeons & Dragons . The text-heavy cartridge lets players create a party of up to six characters of differing races and classes. The characters are modeled after those found in actual D&D rules sets, and the battles, which display an isometric viewpoint, evoke those found in the AD&D edition of the Dungeon Master’s Guide book. In addition, the areas to explore are lifted from the Forgotten Realms campaign world. Includes battery backup.

Adventure Island , like all games of its type, owes a debt to the mother of all classic side-scrollers, Super Mario Bros . To rescue a princess, players must guide a fellow named Master Higgins through bright, colorful, nicely illustrated forests, mountains, and caves, grabbing eggs that turn into skateboards (for going faster), axes (for throwing at cobras, skeletons, coyotes, bosses, and other enemies), fruit (for energy), “honeygirls” (for invincibility), and other useful items. There are obstacles to jump over, such as rocks and snails, and missing a cloud jump results in instant death. As in Super Mario Bros. , Adventure Island is divided into eight worlds, each containing four stages. Adventure Island is essentially the same game as Wonder Boy (SMS), but with a number of graphical changes. An unusual licensing agreement let Hudson Soft use the same game engine as Adventure Island , but not the same characters. Platforming fans won’t be disappointed.

Featuring the return of Master Higgins, Adventure Island II improves upon the already enjoyable Adventure Island by giving the young man four friendly dinosaurs to ride, each of which can perform a fun-to-use, nicely animated skill: tail-whipping (Blue Camptosaurus), fire-spitting (Red Camptosaurus), swimming (Elasmosaurus), or flying (Pteranodon). The game also has sharper graphics than its predecessor and a special map screen. Good music, diverse environments (caves, forests, deserts, and the like), and stiff challenges only add to the fun. Interestingly, Adventure Island II , which is an offshoot of the Sega Master System’s Wonder Boy series, stays faithful to the basic elements of the original Wonder Boy formula while the Master System sequels, Wonder Boy in Monster Land and Wonder Boy III , introduce RPG elements and swordplay. Adventure Island II was released for the Game Boy as Adventure Island .

Adventure Island 3 is similar to the second game in the series, but includes a fifth dinosaur pal—Poley Tripetaurus—who can perform a rolling attack. To rescue Jeannie Jungle, who has been kidnapped by aliens, Master Higgins must explore eight islands, each of which is filled with creatures to battle, fruit to eat, and eggs that contain milk bottles (for maintaining energy), axes, boomerangs, time-stops, and other useful weapons and items. There are even keys for opening portals to bonus rounds and secret rooms. Adventure Island 3 was released for the Game Boy as Adventure Island II .

Adventures in the Magic Kingdom has players collecting keys by completing five surprisingly challenging mini-games, each of which is based on a real Disney theme park attraction. Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted House are side-scrolling platformers in which players run, jump, and throw candles at enemies. Big Thunder Mountain is a mine cart game containing such obstacles as dead ends, wrong-way crossing guards, and rolling boulders. Autopia is an overhead view racer with jumps reminiscent of Bump ’n’ Jump , while Space Mountain is a first-person space shooter. Disney fans of all ages will enjoy the atmosphere of the rides, and many will have fun with the trivia questions that are posed, but younger players may find the games to be prohibitively difficult.

An atmospheric, richly illustrated, musically adept game set in the Louisiana swamp lands, The Adventures of Bayou Billy is unusually diverse, incorporating three entirely different genres. Five of the game’s nine stages consist of Double Dragon -style fighting, with players, as a Crocodile Dundee-like hero, punching, kicking, knifing, whipping, and hitting (with a stick) a succession of bad guys and alligators. A pair of shooting stages lets gamers use a Nintendo Zapper or a standard controller to pick off enemies. Finally, two driving stages, each featuring a behind-the-vehicle perspective, have players shooting bullets and throwing dynamite at planes, helicopters, and a swamp stomper. The Adventures of Bayou Billy , which spawned an Archie comic book series of the same name, looks and sounds (voice effects are included) better than it plays.

Adventures of Dino-Riki puts players in the titular role of a young man who walks, runs, jumps (over water and other obstacles), and flies his way up five challenging (if graphically plain) stages of jungles, deserts, swamps, and quicksand. Armed with rocks, axes, boomerangs, and torches, Dino-Riki must shoot dinosaurs, spitting dolphins, spitting cobras, dragons, flying cow skulls, flying fish, purple flies, and other enemies, including the following bosses: Pteranodon, Tyrannosaurus, Monster Fly, Triceratops, and Giant Cobra. Power-ups Riki can grab include turbo boots (speed), power fists (upgrades weaponry one level), Airy the bird (flight), and the impressive Macho-Riki, which is a larger Riki who can throw mirror images of himself.

In Adventures of Lolo , players guide the title character around each of a seemingly endless number of mazes, grabbing heart framers. When all the hearts have been taken, a chest opens up to reveal a jewel, which Lolo must get to advance to the next level. Certain heart framers contain items for use in trapping or defeating the creatures that roam around each maze, shooting fire, dashing toward Lolo, or otherwise trying to destroy our hero. Enemy creatures include Skull, Medusa, and Rocky, among others. Heart framer items include bridges for crossing over lava, hammers for destroying rocks, ammo for turning monsters into eggs (which can be used to float across water), and more. Each screen is a puzzle, making the game a brain-straining challenge in later levels. Includes password feature.

Despite marginally improved graphics and a somewhat higher level of difficulty, Adventures of Lolo 2 is a lot like the first game in the series. Players guide Lolo around each of a seemingly endless number of mazes, grabbing all the heart framers to open a treasure chest in order to exit to the next level. Each maze is riddled with such items as trees, flower beds, deserts, rocks, and creatures. Lolo can use emerald framers to trap creatures, magic shots to turn enemies into eggs, bridges to cross lava, hammers to crush rocks, and more. All the enemies from the first game return, but the puzzles, though familiar in design, are new. Gameplay is vaguely similar to Pengo (arcade, Atari 5200), but with more emphasis on puzzle solving. Includes password feature.

This third and final entry in the Adventures of Lolo series for the NES features the same type of heart frame-grabbing, monster-trapping, puzzle-solving action found in the first two games, but this time around players can go at it as either Lolo or his girlfriend, Lala, switching between them as desired. The game also introduces underwater levels, a rainbow egg and key (for accessing level three), and a main map that players must navigate. Another new element is Grandpa’s Learning Tree, in which an old man shows players how to solve specific puzzles. Includes password feature.

Rad Gravity is a fun, variety-packed game in which players, as the titular, big-headed protagonist, must travel to nine different planets and an asteroid belt, using a laser sword, super sword, power pistol, vertigun, maxigun, and crystal bombs to battle a variety of aliens and creatures. Other useful items include: four types of armor; a teleporter; a translator (for deciphering alien text); and an energy disk (for floating over hazardous areas). Activities include: jumping over obstacles (Rad jumps higher in low-gravity worlds); riding elevators; shutting down a security system; opening doors to secret areas; stopping a conveyor belt; finding a gravity device; solving puzzles; running around upside down; and much more. The Adventures of Rad Gravity is long and challenging, meaning the password feature for saving progress is a virtual necessity.

Based on Jay Ward’s classic, satirical cartoon series, this game has players guiding Rocky and Bullwinkle through five levels, including mountains, a pirate ship, and a moving train. Play alternates between the flying squirrel and the charging moose as needed. For example, Rocky can fly to otherwise unreachable platforms, but only Bullwinkle can climb stairs. Both are equipped with bombs for fending off Boris Badenov and Natasha Fatale, who pester our heroes with bombs of their own. Jumping is slight, meaning it’s difficult to leap over the various snakes, lizards, spiky balls, and other obstacles. Soda cans restore health, and keys provide access to certain stages. Plagued by sluggish controls, poor animation, repetitive sound, and uninspired platforming, The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle and Friends doesn’t do its source material justice. The game is much different than its Genesis and SNES counterparts, which include throwable nuts and berries and a pair of mini-games (among other differences). The Game Boy version is different as well.

Loosely based on characters created by Mark Twain, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer finds the famous scruffy scamp asleep in class, dreaming of floating down the Mississippi on a mission to rescue Becky Thatcher. The resultant adventure takes Tom through six levels (The Abandoned Ship, Down the River, Through the Forest, In the Haunted House, In the Sky, and Deep in the Cave), most of which are side-scrolling, and most of which involve running, jumping, climbing, avoiding obstacles (barrels, rocks, hail, and the like), throwing rocks, and shooting a slingshot (at a variety of enemies, including birds, bats, scorpions, mutant moths, and skeleton warriors). The vertical scrolling action takes place on a raft, which Tom must steer past whirlpools, fish, penguins, and eagles. In two-player mode, the second gamer controls Huckleberry Finn. Though drab visually, Adventures of Tom Sawyer presents a fairly entertaining challenge.

A pale, but playable port of Sega’s immersive, graphically rich 1987 arcade game (the sit-down version of which had a spiffy rotating cockpit), After Burner puts players at the helm of the F-14 Thunder Cat jet (viewed from behind), which is equipped with air-to-air guided missiles and a vulcan cannon for blasting supersonic fighters, class 1 fighters, harrier class jump jets, and helicopter gunships. To dodge the enemies and their fire, players can fly upside down, use the after burner, or perform a rolling maneuver, but the jet stays near the center of the screen during flight (the sky and horizon tilt and spin in accordance with the jet’s turns and rolls). Special bonus stages let players refuel and acquire more missiles. Unlike the Master System version, the NES game does not include the “Get Ready!” voice effects. Unlicensed. Also released for the Sega 32X. Sequels include: After Burner II (arcade, Genesis), After Burner III (Sega CD), After Burner Climax (arcade), and After Burner: Black Falcon (PSP).

Air Fortress has players piloting a spaceship through an Air Base, shooting beams at such repetitious enemies as missiles, robotic machines, and generic looking mechanical shapes. Energy power-ups and crash beam bullets collected in the Air Base will determine the ship’s initial power settings for the next area of the game, which is the main body of the Air Fortress where players abandon the spaceship in favor of a jetpack. In the Air Fortress, in addition to shooting enemies, players must navigate tunnels to find the central reactor of said fortress, blow it up, and then find their way out in order to reach the next Air Base (there are eight levels in all). Air Fortress could use a wider variety of power-ups and enemies, but it’s certainly playable. Includes password feature.

Based on the CBS TV series (1984–1986), Airwolf for the NES is 20 different missions of helicopter action. Players pilot their supersonic jet copter—which is outfitted with a satellite transmitted map display, a Doppler sensor, and a radar jammer—through the not-so-friendly skies (which are viewed from inside the cockpit of the helicopter), using machine guns and heat-seeking missiles to destroy flying missiles, ground missiles, and enemy planes. When it’s time to rescue POWs, the game switches to a side-view perspective, where players must avoid obstacles (control towers, mountains, and enemy fire) and land gently (ala Lunar Lander ) to keep from crashing. A similar landing method is used to make repairs and restock ammunition at a friendly airbase. The recognizable (to fans of the show) theme music in Airwolf is nice, but it hardly makes up for the dull gameplay.

Endorsed by Indy racer Al Unser, Jr., who provides tips on how to handle each course, this elaborate racing simulation lets players drive Unser’s car or design one of their own. Customizable components include color, speed, acceleration, durability, suspension, pit crew speed, and turbo, the latter providing up to 40 mph more than the standard velocity. The game sports a behind-the-car perspective and boasts 16 different twisting, turning, courses, each in a different country. Prior to entering a World Grand Prix Series (as opposed to one of two different Time Trial modes), players must race a qualifying lap to determine their pole position. Includes battery backup. Followed by: Al Unser Jr.’s Road to the Top (a go-kart racer for the SNES).

One of countless quirkily cute platformers of the era, Alfred Chicken finds the title character on a mission to rescue a hot chick named Floella from the fiendish Meka Chickens. Tasks related to this endeavor include firing bombs at monsters, dive-bombing enemies, pecking through ice, picking up invincibility presents, opening doors to secret rooms, jumping on moving platforms, bouncing on springs, swimming like a duck, and much more. To complete a level, every balloon must be popped, and diamonds can be grabbed for extra points and lives. Blocks must be pecked to allow Alfred access to otherwise restricted locations, giving the game additional challenges. In addition, unlike most side-scrollers, Alfred Chicken frequently scrolls vertically. An excellent soundtrack is icing on the proverbial cake. Also released for the Game Boy. Followed by: Super Alfred Chicken (SNES).

Although not as challenging or as graphically rich as Sega’s original 1986 arcade game, Alien Syndrome for the NES is preferable to its Sega Master System counterpart, thanks in large part to the NES game’s inclusion of the two-player simultaneous mode. The game evokes the Alien film series as players, controlling Ricky or Mary, explore seven different maze-like, multi-room spaceships in order to shoot H.R. Giger-influenced aliens, rescue captive humans, and exit before the timer runs out. Each spaceship is equipped with a number of helpful items, including warps, fireballs, laser cannons (an especially effective weapon), and flame throwers. A mapping system, which is something the Master System port lacks, helps players keep track of their position in relation to the captives. Unlicensed. Also released for the Game Gear. Remade for the PSP and Wii.

Based on David Fincher’s disappointing film from 1992, Alien 3 for the NES is much better than its silver screen counterpart. Players guide Lt. Ripley through six stages of the Fiorina 161 prison colony (consisting of maze-like tunnels, passageways, and ladders), using a machine gun, grenades, and a flame thrower to battle the trademark creepy creatures. A motion tracker warns Ripley of nearby aliens and prisoners, the latter of which are cocooned and must be rescued. Atmospheric visuals and music, solid controls, and a nice mix of exploration and intense action make Alien 3 one of the best movie-based games for the system. Also released for the Genesis, SNES, and Game Gear (the overhead view Game Boy version is much different).

A game of five-on-five hoops (players can go at it head-to-head or team up against the computer), All-Pro Basketball features eight different teams, sporting such fake names as the L.A. Breakers and the New York Slicks. Features include three-pointers, slam dunk close-ups (ala Double Dribble ), league play, fouls, steals (which the computer opponent is especially good at), jump passes, substitutions for tired players, and more. The overhead view court, which scrolls vertically (and a just a bit horizontally), goes black for a second and switches sides every time the ball crosses half court, making for a discombobulating experience.

Based on SNK’s 1985 arcade game, Alpha Mission is a battle against the invading Seven Stars Alliance. Players guide a SYD fighter ship up the screen, shooting lasers and missiles at ground-based targets and at a variety of circling, zigzagging, diving, and otherwise pesky airborne alien vessels. By flying over letter icons, the SYD can increase its speed, warp ahead or back three levels, and boost the power of its lasers and missiles. An arsenal of special weapons, including eight-way fire, guided missiles, thunder, and nuclear warheads, can also be acquired. Alpha Mission looks and plays similar to Xevious , but is less nuanced, less balanced, and less enjoyable. Followed by: Alpha Mission II (arcade, Neo Geo, Neo Geo CD).

In Amagon , players control the titular Marine, who must run, jump, and shoot his way through the plains, jungles, rivers, rain forests, mountains, and beaches of a monster-infested (though bland looking) South Pacific island. Amagon is equipped with a machine gun for battling the dinosaurs, bats, snakes, wasps, skeletons, aliens, elephant men, hippo demons, and other creatures. Transforming Amagon into Magagon, which is done by finding a mega-key and scoring at least 5,000 points, makes the character tougher and gives him laser beams and a megapunch maneuver. The action leaves little margin for error (the one-hit kill system will frustrate many), making for a difficult game.

Inspired by the television series (1989–1996), American Gladiators for the NES lets players compete in six different events: Joust, Wall, Human Cannonball, Powerball, Assault, and Eliminator. Activities include battling with padded sticks, climbing walls while trying to avoid getting knocked off, swinging on ropes to knock the other Gladiator off his or her platform, throwing balls into a chute, running through obstacle courses, shooting missiles, and more. The graphics are plain, but the events are a fun (if ephemeral) diversion from standard sports video games. Includes three “real” Gladiators from the TV show: Gold, Laser, and Nitro. The NES cartridge lacks the Atlasphere event, which is in the Genesis and SNES versions.

Anticipation has up to four players competing to identify pictures 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 should be avoided. Fans of Pictionary and Win, Lose or Draw should enjoy Anticipation .

A precursor to the two-on-two arcade stylings of NBA Jam , Arch Rivals was first released in the arcades in 1989 by Bally/Midway, scoring big points with fans for its irreverent, over-the-top gameplay. Players dribble, shoot, pass, rebound, dunk, and play defense, but they can also punch one another (the most enjoyable aspect of the game) and pull down each other’s shorts. The referee only gets in the way, and players sometimes slip on the trash thrown onto the floor by fans. Although not as fast or as fun as Double Dribble (another NES favorite), Arch Rivals is entertaining, especially in small doses. Not surprisingly, the Genesis version slam dunks the already impressive NES game with voice effects and richer, more colorful graphics. Released for the Game Gear as Arch Rivals: The Arcade Game .

Two NES hoops titles: Arch Rivals , which is based on the 1989 arcade game, and Jordan vs Bird: One on One , which has its roots in the 1984 computer game Julius Erving and Larry Bird Go One-On-One .

A fine translation of the groundbreaking 1983 computer game, Archon for the NES is similar to Battle Chess , but uses such mythological creatures as wizards, unicorns, and goblins instead of traditional chess pieces. When two characters land on the same spot, the action switches to a combat arena in which players battle to the death with swords, fireballs, clubs, or other weapons. The chess board squares fluctuate between light and dark, giving one side or the other the advantage, and certain characters can conjure spells to teleport, summon the elements, reverse color patterns, and revive or regenerate weary or dead creatures. Archon is an excellent game of strategy, broken up nicely by intensive battles.

Packaged with a special “Vaus” rotary controller for precise and speedy paddle movement, Arkanoid is a stellar port of Taito’s own 1986 arcade game. Players guide a paddle along the bottom of the screen, rebounding a bouncing energy ball off of various space walls, eliminating colored bricks as they are hit. There’s space debris to contend with, and certain walls contain power capsules that can widen the paddle, give the paddle laser fire, warp the game to the next round (there are 33 rounds in all), split the ball into three, and more. Arkanoid is a terrific expansion of the brick-busting concept pioneered by Breakout . Similar to: Thunder & Lightning (arcade, NES). Followed by several sequels (including Arkanoid: Doh it Again for the SNES) and a remake (Arkanoid DS for the Nintendo DS).

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

Arkista’s Ring is a simplistic, action-oriented RPG in which players guide an elf girl named Christine through villages, castles, graveyards, caves, and other colorful locations (which are viewed from overhead), firing arrows at such enemies as scorpions, goblins, wolves, skeletons, bats, magicians, and ninjas. Killing enough baddies makes a key appear, which unlocks the next stage. After stage 31, the stages repeat, but get harder. Defeated enemies frequently leave behind a pouch containing an item or a power-up, such as a fire wand, a holy stick, armor, a helmet, a shield, or a ninja stunner. Gauntlet fans may enjoy Arkista’s Ring , but Legend of Zelda buffs will find it overly linear and lacking in complexity.

Based on Jaleco’s The Astyanax (arcade, 1989), Astyanax for the NES puts players in the titular role of a teenager who must rescue Princess Rosebud from the castle of wizard Blackhorn. As he runs, jumps, ducks, and teleports his way through 12 levels of play, Astyanax must use a broad axe, a spear, and a sword to fend off a variety of monsters. He can conjure spells that freeze or damage all onscreen enemies, and he can smash stone idols to reveal recovery potions, extra lives, weapon power-ups, and more. The controls and collision detection could use some fine tuning, and the arcade version has richer graphics, but Astyanax is notable for its nifty (if unintentionally funny), Ninja Gaiden -like cut scenes.

Marred by poor collision detection, unresponsive controls, bland graphics, cruddy sound effects, and weak weaponry, Athena gives platformers a bad name. Players guide the big-headed, poorly animated title character through Fantasy World, which is populated with ladders to climb, obstacles to jump (or double jump) over, oddly cartoonish monsters to kick (or otherwise destroy), brick walls to smash, and more. Pegasus wings enable Athena to fly, shell necklaces change her into a mermaid, and she can grab a number of other useful items, including hourglasses, swords, billy clubs, magic sticks, weapon power-ups, helmets, shields, armor, and life flowers. Athena looks a lot like its arcade counterpart (SNK, 1986), but that’s faint praise indeed.

Athletic World makes players get up off the couch and onto the Nintendo Power Pad control mat (or Bandai’s own Family Fun Fitness pad). By physically walking, jogging, running, and jumping in place on side A of the Power Pad, players guide the onscreen character through five tiring events: Hurdles, Animal Trail, Dark Tunnel, Hop-a-Log, and Rafting. Depending on the mode of play selected, there are obstacles to hop over or otherwise avoid, including moles, bats, frogs, fish, logs, and water. Sometimes it is necessary for the player to drop to his or her knees. Although it has flat graphics, Athletic World is a fun and challenging exercise tool that fans of World Class Track Meet will enjoy.

Based on the 1991 cartoon series (which in turn was based on the 1978 B-movie semi-classic), Attack of the Killer Tomatoes for the NES puts players in control of Chad Finletter, who must run and jump through four monotonous stages, plus a fifth stage that appears after the credits have ended. To stomp a tomato, it must be jumped on in the direct center, making for a frustrating central gameplay element, especially since there are no weapons. The buildings and city streets are very nicely illustrated, and the running and jumping action is broken up somewhat by ladders, conveyor belts, and other staples of the genre. However, the game remains a disappointment to fans of the franchise. Also released for the Game Boy.

Baby Boomer is an unusual game in which players use Nintendo’s Zapper gun to help a baby make it through a series of hazards and to his mother. While the baby crawls from left to right, players must shoot fireworks, spiders, ghosts, bats, and other obstacles while avoiding shooting gold nuggets, which the baby will gather for extra lives. Milk should be shot or the baby will get hungry, and a variety of items can be shot for extra points. Puzzle elements 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 crawls through. Hampered by bland graphics and lousy collision detection, this unlicensed oddity was Color Dreams’ first game.

Loosely based on the 1985 feature film, Back to the Future for the NES has players guiding Marty McFly up a vertically scrolling screen, collecting clocks while avoiding bees, hula hoop girls, trash cans, and other obstacles. McFly can throw bowling balls at enemies, grab skateboards that make him go faster (time is a major factor), and jump over manholes. Four different mini-games let McFly shoot milk shakes at bullies, block hearts from his mom, catch guitar notes, and drive up a road while maintaining a speed of 88 mph. The game is playable, but it frequently ignores the plot of the movie, and it has a disappointing ending and crude graphics and sounds. Paperboy fans may find something here to enjoy.

Back to the Future Part II & III plays somewhat similar to Super Mario Bros. (complete with enemies that look like Spiny and Goomba), but adds a number of frustrating complications, including tricky puzzles. For example, planting an acorn in 1955 produces a climbable tree in 1985. In addition to running, throwing projectiles, and jumping on platforms and on top of enemies, players must look for and enter object rooms that contain a mini-game involving collecting a certain number of watches within 60 seconds while avoiding cacti, quicksand, and other obstacles. Beating a mini-game grants players an object that must be taken to the correct puzzle room, wherein waits a word scramble mini-game. Back to the Future Part II & III follows, to some degree, the plots of the 1989/1990 feature films, including such elements as Marty traveling through time and Biff stealing an old sports almanac.

When compared to the 1988 Data East arcade original (which was called Bad Dudes vs. Dragon Ninja ), Bad Dudes for the NES suffers from flickering graphics, choppy controls, poor voice effects (“I’m Bad!”), and the lack of a two-player simultaneous mode. The game, famous for its campy storyline in which ninjas have kidnapped the president, plays like a poor man’s Double Dragon , with gamers walking, jumping, punching, and kicking their way through seven levels (City, Big Rig, Sewer, Forest, Freight Train, Cave, and Factory) filled with mindless ninjas, plus some dogs, samurai, and super warriors. There are only two types of weapons to grab: knives and nunchuks. President Ronnie (based on Ronald Reagan) from the arcade version has been replaced with a man resembling George H. W. Bush (who was president at the time of the NES release).

This fun, fast paced baseball game appears to have been made with younger players in mind, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a substantive experience. Gamers can bunt, pick runners off bases, change the batting order and field positions, send in pinch hitters, decide on the starting pitcher, and select their starting line-up from a roster of (fictional) players ranked according to such categories as fielding ability, running strength, arm strength, and home run hitting ability. Pitchers, which are ranked by stamina and ERA, can throw curve balls, screwballs, forkballs, and change-ups. What makes Bad News Baseball kid-friendly are cute animations, voice effects, juvenile players (boys and girls), and bunny rabbit umpires. Includes password feature.

In Bad Street Brawler , players guide a dorky looking dude named Duke Davis through five areas (City Park, Streets, Docks, City Center, and Railroad Yard), using a variety of moves (drop kick, punch, head butt, ear twist, and the like) to battle a lame assortment of boxers, gorillas, punks, bulldogs, bikers, basketball players, and other enemies. There are 15 different fighting moves, but only three can be used per level. As in the vastly superior Double Dragon , Bad Street Brawler lets players grab weapons from certain enemies, but Brawler makes players throw the weapons in the trash (teaching an invaluable lesson, no doubt). In addition, Duke, unlike the boys from Double Dragon , is constrained to a single plane of movement. Compatible with the ill-fated Nintendo Power Glove.

Balloon Fight plays a lot like Joust , but replaces the ostrich-mounted knights with balloonists who fly by flapping their arms. The objective is to fly around bumping into enemies from above (while avoiding being bumped into from below), thereby popping their balloon and sending them parachuting downward. Hitting the enemy again on his way down makes him drop into the water below. Flying too close to the water puts players in danger of getting eaten by a fish, which is similar to The Troll of the Lava Pits in Joust . If it takes too long to defeat all the enemies, a lightning storm will occur. Like its coin-op counterpart (Nintendo, 1984), Balloon Fight contains a special side-scrolling mode where players float along popping balloons while avoiding lightning, making a great (if largely unoriginal) game even better.

Named after the famous coastal golf course in California, Challenge Pebble Beach is 18 holes of no-nonsense golf. Players can select their clubs, handicap their game, tee off from the back tee or regular tee, and, depending on the club and type of shot selected, control the ball’s flight, direction, and spin. The speed and direction of the wind are overriding factors, as are a variety of hazards, including roughs, bunkers, water, slopes, and rises. Players are given a cross-sectional and bird’s-eye view of each hole, along with two different close-ups of the greens and their surroundings. The iconic Pebble Beach was featured in various other video games, including Pebble Beach Golf (arcade), True Golf Classics: Pebble Beach (SNES), and Pebble Beach Golf Links (Genesis, 3DO, Saturn).

Bandit Kings of Ancient China takes place at the dawn of the 12 Century, when the evil, power-hungry Gao Qui has seized all imperial authority. As a bandit leader, it is up to the player (and up to six friends) to wage war against Gao Qui and his soldiers. This relatively complex process includes: fighting battles on a hexagonal playfield; deploying and instructing units across mountains, ice, planes, lakes, castles, and other terrain; using four types of attacks (melee, archery, magic, and duel); trading fur for gold; building towns; promoting agriculture; recruiting, imprisoning, exiling, and executing prisoners; dealing with such hindrances and special events as taxes, aging, snowstorms, riots, and epidemics; battling wild beasts to increase popularity; and much more. Players are ranked according to strength, dexterity, wisdom, integrity, mercy, courage, and other attributes. Similar Koei games include: Romance of the Three Kingdoms , Nobunaga’s Ambition , and Genghis Khan .

Unlike most other Barbie games, this one is a side-scrolling platformer. Players guide the famously skinny, famously blonde doll as she walks, jumps, and throws crystals through five dream-induced levels: The Mall (Sports, Toy Store, Boutique); The Center of the Mall (Galleria, Waterfalls, Food Court, Pizzeria); The Beach (Coral Reef, Sand Castle, Throne Room); The Soda Shop Part One; and The Soda Shop Part Two (Fast Food, Thick Shakes). Crystals can be thrown at enemies, but are also given to animals and other friends in exchange for favors. For example, a dog will steal the enemy’s tennis ball, a toucan will act as a platform, and a dolphin will use its tail to tug Barbie through the water. The action is slow, but a nice blend of puzzles and platforming makes the game fairly enjoyable, especially for those who don’t mind lots of pink and purple.

The Bard’s Tale for the NES is a scaled down (smaller with fewer dungeons) port of Electronic Arts’ Wizardry -influenced computer game from 1985, which was titled Tales of the Unknown, Volume I: The Bard’s Tale . In traditional dungeon-crawler fashion, players explore maze-like areas (a wine cellar, sewers, towers, and a castle) to find treasure, and battle monsters to gain experience and to level up a party of six characters consisting of wizards, warriors, hunters, bards, sorcerers, and the like. Fights are text-based, and actions are initiated by selecting from such commands as guard, cast, use item, equip, conjure, fight, run, talk, Bard song, and attack. Two views of the action run concurrently: overhead and first-person (pseudo-3D). The pubs in the kid-friendly NES version sell root beer and grape juice instead of beer and wine. Includes battery backup.

Although not as well known as Duck Hunt , Barker Bill’s Trick Shooting is a better, more colorful, more versatile game. Using the Nintendo Zapper, players take aim and fire at various targets through four different areas: Balloon Saloon (shoot balloons before they reach the top of the screen); Flying Saucers (shoot saucers that a man and his assistant throw into the air); Window Pains (shoot falling items through open windows); and Fun Follies (cycle through the previous events). Fun Follies also includes Trixie’s Shot (shoot coins a dancing woman holds out) and Bill’s Thrills (shoot items before they fall on a woman’s head). Longtime Nintendo fans will recognize the laughing dog from Duck Hunt , who pops up (but shouldn’t be shot) in Balloon Saloon.

This NES launch title lacks a season mode, but it does include stealing, hit and run plays, bunts, and tag ups. The computer controls fielding, meaning the defense only has to worry about pitching and throwing the ball to the proper base. Batting and pitching require the simple press of a button, but the control pad can be used to vary the speed and direction of pitches, which include fast, regular, curve, slow, and screwball. The teams in Baseball are as generic as the game itself, which has an overhead/slightly angled view of the diamond. As in many sports video games, the two-player mode is recommended.

Baseball Simulator 1.000 offers solid, fast paced gameplay and lots of features, including seasonal play (5, 30, 60, or 165 games), full editing for up to six teams, pinch hitters, pick-offs, the shifting of fielders, substitutions, six different stadiums, and saveable stats (via battery backup). What truly sets the game apart from the pack is the zany, laugh-inducing fun of Ultra Play, which allows players to jump super high, throw pitches that disappear or speed up in mid-air, hit balls that explode or knock out the fielder, and more. The perspective is the typical behind-the-batter view, switching to overhead when the ball gets hit into play. Followed by: Super Baseball Simulator 1.000 (SNES).

A favorite among NES sports fans, Baseball Stars is a highly enjoyable rendition of America’s favorite pastime, giving armchair athletes the ability to: alter starting lineups; hire, fire, and trade players (including females); improve the players’ hitting, batting, running, defense, chance, and prestige; improve the pitchers’ stamina and speed; and change player names and team logos. The game also includes leadoffs, steals, pickoffs, diving catches, jumping catches, the ability for players to climb walls, and other fun features. Includes battery backup. Followed by: Baseball Stars Professional (arcade, Neo Geo).

Baseball Stars II is fun like the original game, but it does take away one of the more enjoyable features of Baseball Stars : the ability to alter the names of the teams and the players. Luckily, the audio/visuals have been spruced up a bit, and gamers can still purchase and trade players, dive for grounders, pick off runners, earn money to improve player stats, and much more. Like Baseball Stars , the sequel lacks Major League licensing, meaning fake team and player names are used. Includes battery backup. Followed by: Baseball Stars Color (Neo Geo Pocket Color).

One of the more noteworthy sports titles in the NES library, the original Bases Loaded helped popularize the behind-the-pitcher camera angle, and it is famous for its use of “bean balls” that hit batters in the face, sometimes causing a bench clearing brawl. Each of the game’s 12 teams is comprised of 30 players, each rated according to batting average or ERA. The game lacks MLB or MLBPA licensing, but it does offer a Pennant mode comprised of 132 games. Other features include bunts, steals, pickoffs, pinch hitters, relief pitchers, voice effects, passwords for saving progress, and more. Also released for the Game Boy. Based on Jaleco’s 1987 arcade game.

Bases Loaded II adds a few new features to the franchise, including additional camera angles, faster fielders (who are too small), and the ability for fielders to dive. However, the original Bases Loaded has better gameplay. One curious new feature is the use of biorhythms, which track the players in three different categories: physical, sensitivity, and intellectual. When a player’s readings are low, he should probably be pulled from the lineup. Includes password feature. This was the first of three NES sequels in the Bases Loaded series, which spawned several games for other systems, including the SNES (Super Bases Loaded #s 1–3) and Saturn and PlayStation (Bases Loaded 96: Double Header ). Followed by: Ryne Sandberg Plays Bases Loaded 3 (NES).

Bases Loaded 4 wisely drops the perfect game goal of Ryne Sandberg Plays Bases Loaded 3 , but keeps the oddly disconcerting behind-second-base fielding perspective intact. When a player wins 70 regular season games, he or she enters the Super Series championship round. A slaughter rule dictates that if a team is ahead by nine or more runs in the bottom of any inning, they will automatically win, and players are awarded black (bad) or white (good) stars depending on the quality of their performance. Like the first three games in the series, Bases Loaded 4 lacks MLB and MLBPA licensing. Includes password feature.

Inspired by Tim Burton’s 1989 film, Batman puts players in the role of DC’s Dark Knight Detective, who works his way through five exciting stages: Gotham City, Axis Chemical Factory, Underground Conduit, Laboratory Ruins, and Cathedral. Batman can punch, in addition to gaining three optional Bat-weapons: a spear gun, a dirk (which shoots in three split directions), and a Batarang. These items are useful in battling a variety of obstacles and bad guys, including homing mines, bomb-dropping claws, K.G. Beast, Deadshot, and even the Joker himself. A spry hero, Batman can kneel and pull off three types of jumps: normal, Batman, and wall. One of the better looking and playing movie-based titles of the era, the game spawned a sequel in Batman Return of the Joker , which boasts an original storyline.

Two original super-hero titles for the NES: Batman , which is based on the 1989 Tim Burton film, and Captain America and the Avengers , which is not based on the 1991 Data East arcade game.

Batman Return of the Joker pits the Caped Crusader against the Clown Prince of Crime and his henchmen. Using a basic shooting mechanism, a jetpack, four types of extremely cool projectile weapons (cross bow, Batarang, sonic neutralizer, and shield star), and the ability to jump (over obstacles and on moving platforms), slide-attack, and duck, Batman must battle his way through seven challenging, hugely enjoyable stages: Gotham City Cathedral, The Joker’s Warehouse, Snow Mountain, Refinery, Underground Conduit, Ammunition Base, and Island of Ha-Hacienda. The visuals, which feature parallax scrolling, rich coloring, detailed backgrounds, and large characters, are a pitch-perfect complement to the exemplary gameplay. Also released for the Game Boy.

The NES take on Tim Burton’s Batman Returns (1992) is a brawler in the mold of games like Double Dragon and Streets of Rage , but is much more redundant. Players control the Dark Knight Detective as he punches and kicks his way through six stages (including Gotham Plaza and Arctic World) of sword swallowers, clowns, skull riders, and other enemies, including Catwoman and Penguin (who starred in the film). Like the SNES version of the game, this one lets players commandeer the Batmobile, which shoots discs and bullets. As in Final Fight , one of the more powerful combat moves (in this case a spinning cape attack) takes health away from the player, leading to inevitable frustration. Also released for the Genesis, Game Gear, Atari Lynx, and Sega CD.

Based on the 1988 computer game, Battle Chess for the NES is a playable chess simulator (the computer A.I. is certainly formidable), but the animations move much slower than their PC counterparts, making the battle scenarios a chore to watch. Luckily, there is a standard 2D mode of play with ordinary chess pieces and no animations. In 3D mode (pseudo-3D, actually), the chess pieces appear primarily in human form (the knight has no horse, for example) and come to life when moved. During a capture, the scene switches to a computer-directed battle set against a castle background. Features include: take back (undo your last move); replay (replay your last move); suggest move (get hints from the computer); and five difficulty levels. Also released for the 3DO.

Sporting a side-view perspective, The Battle of Olympus plays a lot like Zelda II: The Adventure of Link , but is set in ancient Greece. Players guide Orpheus on a mythological quest to rescue his beloved Helene, whose soul has been stolen by Hades. Armed with a club and the ability to acquire a sword, a staff (unleashes the fire of Prometheus), a crystal ball, a harp (enables players to fly on the wings of Pegasus), the sandals of Hermes (for jumping higher), and other weapons, Orpheus must battle his way through labyrinthine woods, ruins, villages, valleys, mountains, swamps, and caves. Each of the game’s eight levels is home to a gift-bearing god or goddess, such as Zeus or Athena. Enemies in this challenging, lavishly illustrated game include cyclopean beasts, centaurs, minotaurs, serpents, rock giants, and other fantastical creatures. Includes battery backup.

Although it lacks a two-player mode, Battleship for the NES is a nice take on Milton Bradley’s classic board game, in which gamers take turns bombing the other player’s ships. As with the board game, players have numerous standard missiles, but the video game adds a limited supply of 10 different special weapons (warheads, torpedoes, depth charges, and the like), each of which covers more ground than a standard missile (which hits just one square on the 12x8 grid). In addition, the NES cartridge includes a new type of ship: a frigate. The game is over when the player (or the computer) has lost all of his or her ships, or when the player has progressed through 40 battles. Battleship does lack certain features found in Super Battleship (SNES, Genesis), such as the ability to repair ships and advance the fleet. Also released for the Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Gear, Philips CD-i, and PlayStation.

Designed by Garry Kitchen (of Activision fame), Battletank expands upon the inside-the-tank perspective of such classics as Battlezone and Robot Tank . The tank players commandeer can steer right and left, speed up and slow down, reverse direction, raise and lower cannon and weapon sight, and fire 150mm shells, wire-guided shells (which lock onto fast-moving enemies at long range), smoke screens, and 50 caliber machine guns. The game has 10 missions (taking place through mountains, deserts, icy fields, and other areas), each involving such maneuvers as avoiding mines, shooting enemy tanks and helicopters, and destroying enemy strongholds (including a train yard, a refinery, and a nuclear power plant). Players will also visit NATO headquarters (for repairs, refueling, and rearming), study a satellite radar map, and monitor the tank’s readouts, which include damage warning lights, short range radar, compass, number of enemies remaining, and more. Followed by: Super Battletank (Game Boy, Game Gear), Super Battletank 2 (SNES), and Super Battletank: War in the Gulf (Genesis, SNES).

The titular toads in this nicely designed, graphically rich game must punch, slam, and kick their way through a bevy of rodents, ravens, pigs, mutants, innovative bosses, and other baddies, jumping over or otherwise avoiding chasms, whirlpools, logs, mines, missiles, meteorites, and other obstacles along the way. The variety-filled, super challenging action incorporates ropes (for rappelling), weaponry, humorous animations, and much more. There are even vehicles to ride, including a speed bike, a jet turbo, and a space board. Gamers can play as one of two oversized, anthropomorphic toads: Zitz or Rash (Pimple has been kidnapped). Battletoads spawned a number of sequels, including Battletoads in Battlemaniacs (SNES), Battletoads in Ragnarok’s World (Game Boy), and a 1994 arcade game. Also released for the Genesis, Game Boy, and Game Gear.

A worthy sequel to Battletoads , Battletoads/Double Dragon is a dream team matchup of Zitz, Rash, and Pimple (the Battletoads) with twins Billy and Jimmy Lee (the Double Dragons). The gameplay and humor evoke Battletoads (as opposed to Double Dragon ), with our heroes battling bad guys (the combined armies of the Dark Queen and the Shadow Boss) across the top of the massive Colossus space ship, in the bowels of said ship, and atop a missile headed straight for Earth. Each character can pull off a variety of punches, kicks, throws, and other fighting maneuvers, and busting up an enemy walker lets players use that walker’s leg as a weapon. There’s also a speeder bike to ride and a turbo rope for swinging across or down chasms. Obstacles to avoid include sparkbolts, electro barriers, mines, homing missiles, machine guns, astro boulders, and more. The ability for the Toads and Dragons to hit each other can be turned off or on, the latter inducing chuckle-worthy competition. Also released for the Genesis, SNES, and Game Boy.

In Bee 52 , players maneuver the titular bee as it collects nectar to keep Really Nice Honey from going out of business. After visiting three flowers, the bee must return to the hive, where the nectar turns into honey and goes into a pot, thus completing one of 24 stages. Slugs, grasshoppers, grubs, and other enemies make Bee 52’s job a challenge, but the brave bee can fend them off with a stinger and a spit attack and can pick up such weapons as bombs, rapid reload, a junior bee, and a super sting. Beautiful outdoor environments and unusual gameplay make Bee 52 a keeper. Unlicensed.

A misstep by the usually reliable Rare (though a poor game by LJN is certainly no rarity), Beetlejuice is loosely based on Tim Burton’s 1988 feature film, but looks more like the animated series (1989–1991). Players guide “the ghost with the most” as he runs, jumps, and stomps his way through The Village, Storm Drains, The Maitlands’ House (which includes basement, kitchen, living rooms, attic, and model graveyard), The Attic, and Afterlife Waiting Room. By stomping on beetles, collecting poison bottles, and destroying ghosts, whirling skulls, and other enemies, Beetlejuice can collect “help vouchers” for use in purchasing “scares,” such as Medusa heads for freezing floating skulls, a Birdman for jumping high, and umbrella heads for defeating the octopus. Fans of the film may want this cartridge, but blind jumps, lousy controls, commonplace enemies that are impervious to certain attacks, and other examples of poor programming will alienate most gamers. Also released for the Game Boy.

Loosely based on the 1989 feature film (which was simply called Best of the Best ), Best of the Best Championship Karate features 32 different types of hits and kicks, eight of which the character the player creates or selects will have at his command. The action moves slowly, but is strategic in nature as a mix of moves works better than mere button-mashing. In addition, striking good blows depends on a number of factors, including the power of the blow, the proximity of the fighters, and the part of the body that was hit. Fighters are ranked according to strength, reflexes, and resistance and can improve these stats by training. The odd color scheme consists of blue lighting, purple onlookers, and a green ring. The SNES and Genesis versions of the game add a referee and crowd noise.

The first religion-themed console game, Bible Adventures lets players “experience the excitement of three stories from the Old Testament.” These include: Noah’s Ark (carry animals to the boat); Baby Moses (keep the little prophet from harm); and David and Goliath (gather sheep and battle a giant). Each segment plays like a (very) poor man’s Super Mario Bros. 2 . Gameplay consists of running, jumping, climbing, delivering items, picking up and throwing objects, and avoiding scorpions, lions, and other enemies. Bible verses appear throughout each game. Unlicensed.

Packaged with a rather sizable trivia book, Bible Buffet is a video board game in which each player spins a spinner, moves around a map screen, and, depending on the square landed upon, spins again, answers three questions (from the aforementioned book), moves ahead or back extra spaces, or enters a brief overhead view maze/action scene. The latter has players using spoons, knives, forks, and preservatives to battle and collect various foods. The objective in this game is to finish first, collect the most food, and/or correctly answer the most questions. Unlicensed.

Bigfoot is a cross-country tour from L.A. to New York, viewed from a top-down perspective. Players drive their monster truck up the screen, jumping (ala Bump ’n’ Jump ), crushing other vehicles, avoiding water slicks, grinding through mud hills, collecting cash (for purchasing tires, a bigger engine, transmission work, and an upgraded suspension), and grabbing power-ups (including a circular saw, shields, and nitro boosts). At stops along the route, the action switches to a thumb-numbing side-view event: Car Crush, Mud Race, Hill Climb, Tractor Pull, Car Crush Drag Race, or Oyster Bay Championship Drag Race.

The sequel to Bignose the Caveman , Bignose Freaks Out is a faster game than its progenitor, thanks to a new mode of transportation: a wheel board, which speeds Bignose through each level like a Sonic the Hedgehog wannabe (by way of BC’s Quest for Tires for the ColecoVision). On a mission to recover stolen bones scattered throughout five prehistoric levels filled with hills, trees, caves, slopes, chasms, and platforms, Bignose must use his trusty club and rocks to battle dinosaurs and other enemies, some of which pop up unexpectedly, leading to cheap hits. Level warps, boss battles, and hidden areas and treasures complement the action nicely. Unlicensed.

The Aladdin rendition of Bignose Freaks Out looks and plays like the standard version, but was produced in a compact cartridge format. Requires the Aladdin Deck Enhancer. Unlicensed.

In this fun, but minor platformer, a short, big-nosed caveman (hence the title) runs and jumps across the gaps and onto the platforms (cliffs, clouds, tree branches, and the like) of four prehistoric island worlds: Paradise, Monster, Terror, and Chaos. Armed with a club, the caveman must fend off pterodactyls, triceratops, spiders, sea serpents, turtles (who sometimes act as stepping stones), cobras, and other enemies. Grabbing rocks levels-up Bignose so he can fire projectiles, making his job easier. Collecting bones gives Bignose currency for use in purchasing spells. Certain areas feature forced scrolling while others find Bignose using his club like a propeller. An Aladdin Deck Enhancer version was advertised, but not released. Followed by: Bignose Freaks Out (NES). Unlicensed.

An extension of the movie Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989), this game lets players control Bill or Ted (depending on the level) as they travel back in time to rescue Cleopatra, Al Capone, Elvis, Sitting Bull, and 12 other historical figures. Friends throughout the game provide clues and items while foes (including “crazy jailer dudes”) can be distracted or eliminated with such items as text books, dynamite, pudding, and cassette tapes. Worlds to explore include Medieval, Western, Colonial, Medieval 2, Modern, and Ancient. The action is viewed from an isometric perspective, helping make the characters somewhat difficult to control. Bill and Ted are also featured in Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (Atari Lynx) and Bill & Ted’s Excellent Game Boy Adventure (Game Boy).

Viewed from inside the cockpit of the car (the bottom 2/5 of the screen shows the steering wheel and instrument panel), Bill Elliot’s NASCAR Challenge lets players select from three cars (Pontiac Grand Prix, Ford Thunderbird, and Chevrolet Lumina) for racing on two types of tracks: high banked ovals (Daytona and Talladega) and challenging road courses (Sears Point and Watkins Glen). Prior to hitting the pavement, players can customize their vehicle in terms of tires, gear ratio, spoiler angle, transmission (automatic or manual), and engine (racing or qualifying). During races, which are against 15 other drivers, the backgrounds are simplistic and players can only see a short distance ahead. However, numerous strategic considerations, including pitting, following a good line, and drafting (positioning the car in the vacuum behind the leader) provide players with a relatively authentic racing experience. Co-designed by Elliot himself.

In Bionic Commando , the protagonist cannot jump, making for some unusual (if enjoyable) platforming action. The titular soldier uses an extendable bionic arm, which can grab onto surfaces to swing or pull him forward. Unlike the arcade original (Capcom, 1987), the NES version features: vertical scrolling stages; permits necessary for entering certain areas; and a stage selection map. Armed with a normal gun, the soldier can add a wide gun, a rocket gun, a three-way gun, a machine gun, and a hyper bazooka to his arsenal. Enemies to shoot include suicide bombers, helicopters, gunners, laser cannons, jeeps, giant soldiers, and more. Also released for the Game Boy. Followed by: Bionic Commando: Elite Forces (Game Boy Color), Bionic Commando Rearmed (PS3, Xbox 360), and Bionic Commando (PS3, Xbox 360).

Commando and Bionic Commando , both published by Capcom, a third-party company. As with Konami and Rare, most Capcom games for the NES are high in quality.

The first realistic fishing video game, The Black Bass lets armchair anglers catch black bass, brown trout, rainbow trout, and pike, but only bass increase the player’s score. There are four lakes (Lake Amada, Japan Lake, Lake More, and San Lake) and five types of lures: pencil bait, frogs, shallow runners, spinners, and plastic worms. Players can change the color of the lure (according to weather conditions), choose a fishing spot, move the fishing pole from side to side, and let out and reel in the line. The Black Bass is slow and hopelessly dated, but remains historically important. Followed by: The Blue Marlin (NES), Super Black Bass (SNES), Bassin’s Black Bass (SNES), Black Bass: Lure Fishing (Game Boy, Game Boy Color), Black Bass with Blue Marlin (PlayStation), and Super Black Bass Fishing (Nintendo DS).

Unlike Las Vegas Poker & Blackjack (Intellivision) and Ken Uston Blackjack/Poker (ColecoVision), both of which are from the previous generation of consoles, and both of which depict a nicely drawn and animated dealer, Blackjack for the NES has decidedly simplistic visuals, offering little more than white text, a hand cursor, a solid green background, and five different card designs. In addition, there is no poker option. Fortunately, however, the game does feature a nicely programmed version of “21,” letting players double down, split pairs, make insurance bets, and draw five card charlies. The cards are dealt from a “dealing shoe,” which consists of one, three, or five decks of cards. Unlicensed.

One of the best, most exciting sports games of the 1980s, Blades of Steel is fast paced, six-on-six action, featuring smooth skating, quick, crisp passing, and furious shots on goal. There are face-offs, icing penalties, slashing, and checking, but if play gets too rough, a fight will break out. This switches the game to battle mode, which is a one-on-one, side-view slugfest that adds substantial enjoyment to an already fun game. Like its arcade counterpart (Konami, 1987), Blades of Steel for the NES helped usher in a new era of realism in sports video games. Also released for the Game Boy. Followed by: NHL Blades of Steel (Game Boy Color), NHL Blades of Steel ’99 (Nintendo 64, PlayStation), and NHL Blades of Steel 2000 (Game Boy Color, Nintendo 64, PlayStation).

Blaster Master has players piloting the S.O.P.H.I.A., a tank-like vehicle that travels underground through maze-like passages, using missiles and other weapons to destroy mutants. After killing the boss of each level, players will acquire such items as Hyper, which crushes walls, Hover, which enables the vehicle to reach higher areas, and Dive, which allows for free swimming under water. Players can jump out of the vehicle to climb ladders, enter doorways, throw grenades, and more. Non-linear gameplay, richly textured graphics (which include lots of greens and browns), and unusual gameplay make Blaster Master worth looking into. Followed by: Blaster Master Boy (Game Boy), Blaster Master 2 (Genesis), Blaster Master: Enemy Below (Game Boy Color), and Blaster Master: Blasting Again (PlayStation).

The first of several sequels to The Black Bass , The Blue Marlin improves upon its predecessor with more detailed graphics, a wider variety of fish (including marlin, sailfish, sharks, tuna, swordfish, dorado, and barracuda), the ability to navigate a boat (as opposed to simply selecting a fishing spot), and more. During the reeling in of fish, the game offers intense battles and even some multiple choice questions. Relative to the limitations of the medium, the simulation of deep-sea fishing in Florida and Hawaii is fairly accurate.

The Blues Brothers is little more than a mundane platformer, besmirching the name of the raucous, rousingly good comedy (1980) on which it is based. Jake or Elwood (or both in two-player mode) must run, jump (over gaps and onto moving platforms), crawl, and climb (stairs and ladders) their way through five chapters: Stairway to Heaven, Wear-House, Jailhouse Rock, Underworld, and Demolition Experts, each filled with such enemies as snakes, blobs, sharks (swimming does come into play), spiders, evil cops, and/or mad dogs. The musically inclined (at least in the movie) heroes can kick eggs at enemies and ride a dog and a snake, and springs allow for heightened hops, but most of the action consists of simple avoidance, which quickly gets old. Endlessly looping versions of the “Peter Gunn Theme,” “Everybody Needs Somebody To Love,” and other tunes is the supposed “strength” of the game. Also released for the Game Boy. Much different than the more adventurous SNES version. Followed by: Blues Brothers 2000 (Nintendo 64).

Two-sport superstar Bo Jackson may have been a fine athlete, but the NES game bearing his name is a real clunker. The action begins with an instrumental rendition of the National Anthem (“sung” by a rather attractive lady), but goes down hill from there. The player’s pitcher is invisible (represented by an arrow), and the batter and pitcher are too close together. The batter can’t move inside the batter’s box, and pitching and swing selection, which employs an onscreen menu, is awkward to use. Voice effects are included, but they get old pretty quickly. Bo also starred in Bo Jackson: Hit and Run! (Game Boy), which features baseball and football.

Bomberman is a simplistic, though fun and addictive little game, in which players plant bombs, run away, then plant more bombs. The mazes consist of concrete panels and brick walls, the latter of which may reveal one of the following power-ups when destroyed: increased bomb blast radius, the ability to detonate bombs via remote control, and increased running speed. Prior to exiting each level, Bomberman must walk around destroying a bunch of goofy little smiley faced characters, avoiding their firepower in the process. Bomberman inspired lots of sequels, most of which increased the entertainment value considerably with the inclusion of multi-player action. Also released for the TurboGrafx-16 and various other systems.

As the title indicates, Bomberman II is the second game in the Bomberman series. The basic action remains essentially the same: guide an odd looking little fellow around more than 50 mazes delineated by concrete panels, brick walls, and other small squares, setting bombs to blow up pursuing creatures and the brick walls. However, the ante has been upped tremendously with the inclusion of multi-player action (VS Mode and Battle Mode), a feature that would become a staple of the popular series. Blowing up a brick wall may reveal the exit to the next level, or it may uncover a power-up item, such as a remote control detonator, Bomberman symbol (hidden bonus round), flame face (bomb blast extender), wall pass (walk through walls), skate (walk faster), or vest (fireproof against your own blast). Multi-tap adaptor required for three-player action. Followed by: Bomberman ’93 (TurboGrafx-16), Super Bomberman (SNES), Mega Bomberman (Genesis), Bomberman: Act Zero (Xbox 360), and numerous other sequels.

Though sporting fewer levels and fewer colors than its more popular, better sounding TurboGrafx-16 progenitor (which gave that console a mascot), Bonk’s Adventure for the NES nevertheless retains a high degree of playability and cartoonish humor. Gamers guide the big-headed cave boy as he runs, jumps, swims, and climbs (using a special wall-biting technique) his way through perilous Dinosaur Land (including inside a dinosaur itself), collecting smiling faces and searching for the beautiful Moon Princess. To battle the many beasties he will come across (including huge bosses), Bonk does a midair spin and “bonks” them with his huge, indestructible head. Power-ups are obtained by bonking Bani Bani flowers, which provide higher jumps, extra energy, and pieces of meat, the latter giving Bonk the ability to simply run over enemies. Flowers can also transport Bonk to special bonus zones that test the cave boy’s jumping, spinning, climbing, and swimming skills. Also released for the Game Boy and arcade. Sequels include: Bonk’s Revenge (TurboGrafx-16, Game Boy) and Bonk 3: Bonk’s Big Adventure (TurboGrafx-16, TurboDuo).

First released in 1984 as a computer, arcade, and ColecoVision game, Boulder Dash was updated by Data East in 1990 for the arcades and the NES. Players control Rockford as he tunnels underground, collecting the required number of diamonds to make exit doors appear. Dropping a rock on an enemy makes it explode, breaking objects and obstacles around it. Rocks can also be used to block objects, such as amoebas, which turn into diamonds when surrounded. Boulder Dash is similar to Dig Dug , but is more strategically complex. Highly recommended. Includes password feature. Also released for the Atari 5200. Followed by: Boulder Dash II: Rockford’s Revenge (Atari 5200) and Boulder Dash EX (Game Boy Advance).

Developed by David “Pitfall! ” Crane, A Boy and His Blob shares some things in common with Pitfall! (including a side-view perspective and caverns to navigate), but it features a highly original component: that of an alien blob following players as they run around collecting treasure, climbing stairs, shooting vitamins at enemies (including subway serpents, popcorn, and magic marshmallows), and dodging falling rocks, stalactites, chocolate kisses, and other obstacles. The blob is the key to success, since feeding him jelly beans turns him into various helpful shapes, such as a ladder, a bridge, a rocket, a hole, or a blow torch. There are 14 jellybean flavors, each with a different effect on the blob. The action can get tedious, but it’s nice that the game requires players to think their way through each area.

Francis Ford Coppola’s opulent 1992 film comes to playable life on the NES. Gamers guide Jonathan Harker through Castle Dracula, Hillingham Estate Mansion, Carfax Abbey Crypt, and other creepy locales, battling and trying to get past such enemies and obstacles as skeletons, ghosts, zombies, spike pits, floating platforms, and Dracula himself (including his shadow, bat, and wolf beast forms). Harker begins the game with a hacking/slashing weapon, but can pick up rocks, triple rocks, axes, and enemy-burning torches. Like Castlevania , Bram Stoker’s Dracula is superior to Friday the 13th , Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde , and most other horror-themed NES games. Also released for the Genesis, SNES, Game Boy, and Game Gear. The Sega CD version is much different.

In The National Pool Tour , players maneuver a cursor around the table to line up their shot. Then, using a moving cue and a meter, players select the power of the shot. The table is viewed from overhead while the moving cue and meter appear in windows along the bottom 1/3rd of the screen (the table takes up the top part of the screen). There are four opponents of varying difficulty and six modes of play: Nine Ball, Rotation, Eight Ball, 14–1 Rack Game, The National Pool Tour, and Practice. Voice effects and overbearing music supplement the action.

Not to be confused with BreakThru! for the Super NES, which is a Tetris -inspired puzzler, BreakThru for the NES is a solid port of Data East’s 1986 arcade shooter. Players drive an assault vehicle from left to right, speeding up and slowing down (the rate of speed determines the distance of the jump) to avoid or jump over landmines, rocks, missiles, destroyed bridges, and other obstacles. There are also enemies to shoot, including infantrymen, armored buggies, armored cars, jeeps, fire mobiles, trucks, tanks, and helicopters. Grabbing power barrels, which come down from the sky, gives players three-way fire and extra lives. The mission of the game, which takes place through fortified mountains, bridges, prairies, cities, and airfields, is to retrieve a secret fighter plane. The action is fast, and precision jumping is a must, but unlimited continues make the game beatable. Somewhat similar to: Moon Patrol .

Easily the best of the three adult NES games produced by Panesian (Peek-A-Boo Poker and Hot Slots are the others), Bubble Bath Babes is a challenging puzzler in which moveable groupings of four bubbles rise from the bottom of the playfield into formations up above. When four or more bubbles of the same color touch, they will burst, which is what the player wants. Spelling out magic (letters appear in certain bubbles) is a helpful strategy, and randomly appearing transforming bubbles turn surrounding bubbles into the same color. Level progression treats players to pictures of seductively dressed (or undressed) women, and a two-player split-screen mode provides some nice competition. Unlicensed and very hard to find. See also: Mermaids of Atlantis (NES).

A stellar rendition of Taito’s oft-ported 1986 arcade game, Bubble Bobble for the NES has players guiding a pair of running, jumping dinosaurs (who look like cartoon dragons) named Bub and Bob around a series of non-scrolling, platform-heavy levels, blowing bubbles to trap beasties with such names as Willy Whistle, Baron Von Blubba, and Grumple Grommit. To remove the beasties from the playfield (which is the objective in each screen), players should burst the bubbles trapping the beasties. Bursting several enemy-holding bubbles in concession grants extra points. Grabbing candy, crosses, parasols, shoes, bombs, and other items gives players extra abilities, such as speed, faster and farther bubbles, weaponry (bombs, fire, thunder bubbles, earthquakes, lightning, water), and temporary invincibility. Players can ride bubbles as well. There are two worlds, each containing 113 screens. Includes password feature. Numerous sequels followed.

Much different than the vertically scrolling Rainbow Islands , which was the arcade sequel to Bubble Bobble , Bubble Bobble Part 2 for the NES plays a lot like Bubble Bobble , but adds: background graphics (clouds, trees, and the like); clocks (to freeze enemies); pencils (to continue the game); bottles of wind (to create wind bubbles); and basketball and volleyball mini-games. In addition, the dinosaurs can now float (by inflating), jump extra high (while on top of a bubble), and blow super bubbles (which can entrap several enemies at once). Released late in the life of the NES, Bubble Bobble Part 2 was an under-produced title, making it hard to find (and very expensive) in today’s collector’s market. Also released for the Game Boy. See also: Rainbow Islands (NES).

Based on the animated series, Bucky O’Hare and the Toad Wars , Bucky O’Hare for the NES lets players guide the titular comic book hero through eight challenging levels (four color-coded planets and inside a Magma Tanker), rescuing his friends (AFC Blink, Deadeye Duck, Jenny, and Willy DuWitt) and battling members of the fiendish Toad Empire (including Storm Toad Jet Trooper, Crater Centipede, and Robosnake). Once rescued, a friend becomes a playable character. Each friend has a different weapon and/or ability, such as a three-way pulse gun, bombs (for destroying walls and ice), flying, or clinging to walls. Gameplay evokes Mega Man , but Bucky O’Hare offers more variety. Excellent platforming and shooting action, gorgeous visuals (including layered scrolling and colorful animation), and robust sound effects and music cement the deal. Konami released an arcade version the same year, but it’s a side-scrolling combat game.

To celebrate Bugs Bunny’s 50th birthday, Warner Bros. has planned a special celebration, prompting Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, and other jealous Loony Tunes to plant various obstacles (shooting comets, poisonous frogs, exploding alarm clocks, tarantulas, and more) between Bugs and his party destination. To make it past the animated foes and their fiendish contraptions, Bugs, who can run, jump, climb, and gather carrots (which allow him to play Bonus Bingo), is outfitted with a large mallet. Levels include Gentle Grassland, Deadly Desert, Mighty Mountain, Creepy Cave, Freaky Forest, and Haunted House. The Bugs Bunny Birthday Blowout is a solid platformer that fans of the franchise will enjoy.

Despite the fact that he’s a rabbit, Bugs Bunny can’t jump in Crazy Castle , making for a rather limited game. The Wascal Wabbit’s objective is to rescue Honey Bunny, which requires maneuvering through 60 relatively unadorned levels of play, climbing stairs, entering doorways and pipes, gathering carrots, and avoiding Daffy Duck, Sylvester, Wiley Coyote, and Yosemite Sam. Bugs can drink magic carrot juice for invisibility, pick up boxing gloves for punching, and drop safes, crates, buckets, and weights on the bad guys. Also released for the Game Boy. Followed by: The Bugs Bunny Crazy Castle 2 (Game Boy), Bugs Bunny in Crazy Castle 3 (Game Boy Color), and Bugs Bunny in Crazy Castle 4 (Game Boy Color).

Similar in some respects to Spy Hunter , Bump ’n’ Jump is viewed from overhead, with players racing up roadways (in this case city, country yard, mountain, and seaside roadways). However, instead of shooting other cars, players bump them into obstacles or jump on top of them. Players must also jump over water, buildings, and other road hazards (flashing exclamation points warn of such dangers). Enemy vehicles to crush or avoid include patrol cars, ambulances, jeeps, buggies, trucks (which deposit sand on the road), fuel trucks (which dump oil), cement mixers (which emit concrete), and more. The game is a nice port of the 1982 Bally/Midway coin-op classic, going so far as to add an extra component: power barrels to pick up for fuel and energy. Jumping is only allowable when the car has reached 150 km/hour, but the “Jump Ok!” text alert from the arcade game is missing. Also released for the Atari 2600, Intellivision, and ColecoVision.

Burai Fighter features seven levels, two of which are viewed from a top-down perspective and require that the player locate and destroy a base, meaning it’s easy to get lost (despite the inclusion of a radar display). Instead of a ship, this game features a man wearing a proton pack. He begins with a simple eight-way gun, but can grab three different weapons—laser, missile, and ring—each of which has three power levels. Additional pick-ups include speed, cobalt bombs, and rotating pods (ala R-Type ). Enemies include Giganticrab, Jawsipede, and other robo-mutants. Three difficulty levels are available.

Though missing a few flourishes from the introductory sequence (including character names and pictures), BurgerTime for the NES is a finely programmed port of Bally/Midway’s 1982 arcade game. Players guide Chef Peter Pepper as he climbs ladders and walks across giant burger parts, including buns, lettuce, patties, cheese, and tomatoes. The parts, which are lined up in vertical rows on several levels of platforms, fall when walked over, and the ultimate goal is to get all the parts stacked onto plates positioned below. While Peter Pepper builds burgers, Mr. Hot Dog, Mr. Pickle, and Mr. Egg will pursue him, and they can be squashed by burger parts or stunned with pepper, the latter of which is replenished by picking up French fries, coffee, and ice cream cones. As in the arcade game, there are six different screens. Getting trapped while out of pepper is frustrating, but BurgerTime remains a timeless classic. Also released for the Atari 2600, Intellivision, and ColecoVision. Followed by: BurgerTime Deluxe (Game Boy) and The Flintstones: BurgerTime in Bedrock (Game Boy Color).