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Play as or against the “Clown Princes of Basketball” in Harlem Globetrotters for the NES. When playing as the titular team, gamers can execute the following trick maneuvers: behind-the-back pass, slam dunk, piggy back slam, pull down the referee’s pants, trip the referee, and ball on elastic. Despite these funky flourishes, the game plays a fairly mundane rendition of five-on-five hoops, and the Globetrotters aren’t even wearing their patented red, white, and blue uniforms. The elevated view is from the side, and the screen scrolls horizontally (as in most basketball video games of the era). Fouls are seldom called, but most of the bare essentials are here, including jump balls, jump shots, steals, passes, rebounds, free throws, and cheerleaders. The shot clock is 45 seconds, and players can adjust quarter length and select from two difficulty levels. Multi-tap adapter compatible. The far-famed hoopsters also appear in Harlem Globetrotters World Tour (Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS).

Programmed by Alexey Pajitnov (along with Vladimir Pokhilko), the Russian designer of the groundbreaking Tetris , Hatris replaces the blocks in Tetris with hats, putting a new (yet hardly original) twist on the falling object subgenre. Hats fall in pairs, and the object is to stack them in vertical rows of five in order to make them disappear. There are six different types of hats: ball cap, cowboy hat, crown, derby, top hat, and wizard hat. As a pair of hats falls down the screen, players can switch the positions of those hats. The NES version is a port of Video System’s 1990 arcade game, which has a two-player split-screen mode, a more sophisticated title screen, and better, more colorful graphics. Also released for the Game Boy. Similar to: Dr. Mario , Puyo Puyo , Columns , and Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine .

Heavy Barrel for the NES lacks the rotary control of the visually sharper arcade original (Data East, 1987), meaning players can only fire in the direction they are moving. Gameplay remains a blast, however, with players running around seven different levels (including a quarry, a maze of stairways, and a weapons assembly area), using such weapons as guns, grenades, and a flamethrower to blow away terrorists, tanks, helicopters, bunker doors, gun turrets, and other enemies and obstacles. Finding keys lets players open six different storage lockers containing pieces of a special Heavy Barrel weapon.

A precursor of sorts to such games as Cool Boarders (PlayStation) and SSX Tricky (GameCube, PS2, Xbox), Heavy Shreddin’ has players snowboarding down Poseur Peak, Scary Summit, and Mt. Mortified, performing stunts (toe grab, hand-plant, mid-air 360, and mule-kick) and negotiating such obstacles as trees, cliffs, ice ponds, rocks, tunnels, waterfalls, gates, semi trucks, and other skiers. Events include: Downhill, Slalom, Half-pipe, Moguls, and Backwoods. Viewed from the side, the action moves from left to right. Wiley Asher, senior editor of International Snowboard Magazine , had this to say about the cartridge: “The realism of Heavy Shreddin’ is uncanny.... Nintendo and snowboarding freaks everywhere will be addicted to this game.”

High Speed is based on Williams’ police chase-themed pinball machine of the same name (1985), which takes place on the Santa Monica freeway. The NES rendition adds a number of features to the formula, including a lightning bomb weapon and the following enemies: acid patch; water puddle; tumbleweed (picks up the ball and drops it between the flippers); rust balls (dissolves the flipper mounting); heli-bombs; manic mechanic (stuns and destroys the ball); magnetic helicopter (carries the ball off the playfield); and barriers. In addition, there are two bonus games: Pachinko and Race. Players can shake the playfield left and right, and the screen scrolls to always show the ball and splits to always show the flippers. Includes voice effects.

Hogan’s Alley has players pointing the Nintendo Zapper gun at the screen, firing at targets. In game A, three panels appear in a row, facing sideways. The three panels will then turn in unison, displaying a drawing of a person on each panel. Players should shoot the gangster panels (there are three types of gangsters) while avoiding the lady, the professor, and the policeman. In game B, similar rules apply, but with panels appearing in the windows of buildings and around said buildings. Game C is Trick Shot, in which spinning cans move from right to left across the screen. Players must shoot the cans to keep them from falling too far and to guide them to platforms of varying point values. A nice alternative to Duck Hunt , Hogan’s Alley was a system launch title and a precursor to such games as the Lethal Enforcers series. Based on Nintendo’s 1984 arcade game.

Despite a conspicuous absence of real celebrities, Hollywood Squares is a fun, easy-to-play rendition of the classic TV game show (which is a cross of sorts between a trivia contest and tic-tac-toe). The playfield is a 3 × 3 grid of pseudo celebrities. When it’s the player’s turn, he or she must select a celebrity. That celebrity will be asked a question, and the player must decide whether or not the celebrity is giving the correct answer. If the player guesses correctly, the space that celebrity occupies will be filled with an X or an O. If a player gets three Xs or Os in a row (horizontally, vertically, or diagonally), he or she will win. The fictional game show host (John Davidson, who hosted the TV show from 1986 to 1989, is regrettably absent) and other characters blink, smile, and turn their heads a bit, and the jokey answers to the questions are oftentimes very funny. Unfortunately, there are fewer than 500 questions, meaning repetition occurs fairly often.

Characterized by glitch-ridden programming, imprecise control (beginning a climb is especially unforgiving), and simple gameplay, Home Alone for the NES is based on the climax of the 1990 blockbuster film. Unlike the movie ending, however, the two bad guys are already in the house when the game begins. The player, as Kevin (portrayed by Macaulay Culkin in the film), must run around his house, setting traps for Marv and Harry, who remain in hot pursuit. Each trap, be it a light bulb, a soda can, a water balloon, or other such item, behaves the same, stalling the bumbling bandits for a few seconds. The objective is to avoid making contact with Marv and Harry for 20 real-time minutes, which is when the police arrive. Also released for the Game Boy, Game Gear, SNES, and Genesis.

Based on the 1992 feature film, Home Alone 2 finds Kevin McCallister once again separated from his family, with “Wet Bandits” Marv and Harry in hot pursuit. Kevin must run, jump, duck, and ride elevators in such New York locales as the Plaza Hotel, Central Park, and his uncle’s townhouse. Other activities include dodging suitcases, finding keys to open doors, scaling the Christmas tree at the Rockefeller Center, and much more. To battle enemies, Kevin can use darts, a sliding attack, and flying fists. Power-ups enable Kevin to acquire extra lives, replenish power, perform a spin-jump attack, gain extra speed, jump higher, and become invulnerable. Regrettably, poor controls ruin the entire experience. Also released for the Game Boy, SNES, and Genesis.

Based on the 1991 fantasy film, Hook lets players guide Peter Pan through various areas of Neverland (including forests, caves, underground caverns, lagoons, and icy regions), each of which contains items that Pan must collect in order to complete the level. Throughout the adventure (which is tepid, boring, and poorly programmed), Pan will climb ladders and ropes, swim and fly past obstacles, jump on moving platforms, engage in swordfights with Rufio and Captain Hook, use a metal detector to locate treasure, and call on Tink to help defeat the pirates, spiders, penguins, banana-throwing monkeys, and other enemies. Also released for the Game Boy, Game Gear, Genesis, and SNES.

Despite close-up dunk animations, Hoops largely ignores the aesthetic established by Double Dribble (arcade, NES). Rather, the game is a throwback to One-on-One , the old computer title starring Dr. J. and Larry Bird. Viewed from above/behind the top of the key, Hoops features one-on-one and two-on-two street ball, with players competing against one another or teaming up against the computer. There’s also a nifty game of Around the World, the popular shooting contest that is rarely seen in a video game. In addition, the game offers eight distinctive characters, solid gameplay, and a variety of foul calls. Hoops may be old fashioned, but it’s a lot of fun.

One of the most sought after games in the NES library, Hot Slots , like Peek-A-Boo Poker and Bubble Bath Babes , is an unlicensed adult game from Panesian that is very hard to find. The game features three different slot machines—Cutie Bunny, Juicy Fruit, and Las Vegas—each of which is represented by a seductive babe who flirts and takes her clothes off when the player wins lots of money. The dialogue is laughably bad, but makes humorous use of such suggestively ambiguous words as “slot” and “cherry.”

Based on the 1991 box office bomb, Hudson Hawk puts players in the title role, which was played by Bruce Willis in the movie. Hawk, an ex-cat burglar, is blackmailed into stealing priceless works of art from a heavily guarded auction house and from the Vatican. This involves: running across floors of the buildings; jumping over obstacles and up to high places; crawling under electric eyes and through booby-trapped ventilation shafts; climbing ladders and ropes; riding platform lifts; dodging bullets, steam, and guard dogs; going through doors, windows, and laundry chutes; and more. Having to push boxes into place to reach certain areas adds minor puzzle elements to the game. To fend off enemies, Hawk can punch and throw softballs. Like the movie itself, Hudson Hawk for the NES was widely panned upon release. Also released for the Game Boy.

Unlike many movie-based games, which incorporate a variety of genres and locations, The Hunt for Red October is a simple side-scroller. Players, as Captain Marko Ramius, pilot the Soviet Typhoon submarine Red October through hazardous waters in hopes of reaching a U.S. port. The sub is equipped with the following: armor; Electronic Counter-Measures (which act as decoys); upgradeable torpedoes (for horizontal shooting); missiles (for vertical shooting); and caterpillar drive (for invisibility). In addition to shooting enemy ships, players must grab fuel and avoid walls. Compared to the 1990 film (or to most any other shooter), this game is decidedly weak, plagued as it is by repetitious sounds, lousy graphics (which include backgrounds consisting of purple bricks), and slow, frustrating gameplay. Adding insult to injury, the playfield only takes up 2/3 of the screen. Also released for the Game Boy and SNES, the latter version of which has missions and levels, including some that support the Super Scope light rifle.

The storyline for Hydlide , which revolves around Princess Ann being turned into three fairies, is as lame and as unimportant as the game itself. Cast in the role of a brave young knight named Jim, players walk around an overworld (forests, deserts, plains, and the like) and through caves (some of which are dark), leveling up by slaying goblins, wizards, dragons, zombies, vampire bats, and other enemies. The limp, ill-conceived battle system has players holding down the A button and simply running into the various creatures. Holding down B (in conjunction with A) unleashes fire, ice, shockwaves, and other magical attacks while pressing neither button puts Jim in defend mode. Treasures to find during this ugly little adventure include a sword of the brave, a shield of justice, immortal medicine, an eternal lamp, and more. Includes password feature. Followed by: Super Hydlide (Genesis) and Virtual Hydlide (Saturn).

Despite its title, Ice Climber is not a climbing game. Each of the game’s 32 mountains is a series of platforms consisting of small ice blocks. To move upward and eventually to the top of a mountain, players must jump into ice blocks from below to create holes that can be jumped through. Enemies and obstacles to watch for include falling icicles, Toppies (which fill holes), Nitpicker birds (which can be defeated with an ice hammer), and more. At the top of each mountain is a timed, vegetable-gathering bonus round. The controls are a bit clunky, but Ice Climber oozes with old-school charms and challenges. A system launch title. Also released for the Game Boy Advance.

More cartoonish and decidedly less violent than Konami’s popular Blades of Steel , Ice Hockey for the NES lacks the one-on-one fighting of the aforementioned classic, but nevertheless gives players an entertaining, highly accessible rendition of the manly sport. Armchair athletes can select from five game speeds, and they can form their own team by selecting the physical attributes (thin, fat, and average) of their players. These attributes determine the players’ shot strength and sticking, checking, and face-off abilities. Between periods, Zamboni machines drive across the ice (which is viewed from overhead).

Despite a number of shortcomings (slow characters, excessive usage of pink) and glitches (including the possibility of getting stuck behind a wall), Ikari Warriors is a popular title for the NES, thanks in part to unlimited continues and explosive two-player action. Gamers, as Rambo-style heroes Paul or Vince, must trudge through four overhead view levels of play (primarily jungles), firing a machine gun and throwing hand grenades at soldiers, snipers, tanks, rock faces, and other enemies. For enhanced firepower, gamers can occasionally hop into a tank (ala Front Line ) or a helicopter. When compared to the faster, more playable Tradewest arcade game (1986), the NES rendition lacks rotary control and forced scrolling. The 7800 version lacks these elements as well, but moves faster and has a more reasonable level of difficulty. The NES game does have better graphics than its 7800 counterpart, though both are missing certain details found in the arcade game. Also released for the Atari 2600.

After rescuing the colonel in the original Ikari Warriors , Paul and Vince were trying to return home when they got zapped into the future, in which Zang Zip the War Dog has enslaved the people of Earth. Once again, Paul and Vince must mow down bad guys (aliens in this case) with machine guns and grenades, but they’ve added bazookas, boomerangs, and swords to their arsenal. In addition, they can use landmines to blast through walls and rocks, meaning players won’t get stuck like in the original Ikari Warriors (NES version). Other new features include: barshops (where players purchase thunder power, armor power, and other items); dark mirrors (for warping to bosses or skeet shooting-style mini-games); and larger characters (meaning Vince and Paul are bigger targets). In comparison to Tradewest’s 1986 arcade game (which was simply called Victory Road ), the NES port has less detailed graphics and horribly inferior voice effects. The coin-op game also benefited from rotary controls.

A port of Tradewest’s Ikari III: The Rescue (arcade, 1989), this game unwisely removes most of the shooting action of the first two entries in the series and replaces it with mere punching and kicking (roundhouse kicks and jump kicks). Grenades and machine guns can be found, but ammo is severely limited. Other weapons to pick up include oil drums (which kill all onscreen enemies) and rocks. Once again, there are a variety of soldiers to kill, but, thanks to an underwater level, this game adds scuba divers to the mix. Other enemies include ninjas, tanks, knife men, an armored train, and more. Ikari Warriors III has better animation, more detailed jungle scenery, and more realistic characters than the previous games in the series. All three feature an overhead viewpoint and unlimited continues (via codes Up, Right, A in this game and A, B, B, A in the first two).

Despite scaled back graphics (in terms of detail, depth, and richness of coloring), Image Fight is a solid port of Irem’s 1988 arcade game. The action, though enjoyable, is standard for the genre, with players piloting an OF-1 Fighter ship up the screen, firing away at robots, cannons, alien ships, and other enemies (including Medusa) while avoiding their fire and various types of terrain (including walls). Whether flying over land, sea, or the enemy base, or through an elevator shaft or an abandoned mine, the view is from overhead. At any time, players can toggle between four different flying speeds. Special weapons to pick up include shields, reflecting balls, seeking lasers, a five-way gun, drilling lasers, rippling lasers, a v-cannon, seeking missiles, and a side shooter.

The Immortal for the NES is based on Will Harvey’s notoriously difficult computer classic (1990). Armed with fireballs and a pack for carrying amulets, shrinking potions, and other items, a wizard must brave a dark, dreary dungeon filled with spiders, bats, pit traps, and other obstacles. Gameplay is largely trial-and-error, with players trying (again and again, inevitably) to use the right items at the right times and in the right places. Monster battles, which are comprised of jabbing, slashing, and ducking right and left, switch the action to an up-close perspective. Includes password feature. An impressive port, but less so than the graphically superior Genesis version.

A faithful port of the Epyx computer game, Impossible Mission II puts players in the role of a 25th century sleuth, who must infiltrate the stronghold of mad genius Elvin Atombender (located within the six-story StarCom International Building) and shutdown his mainframe computer, which has spread a nasty virus that could unleash nuclear Armageddon upon the world. Armed with a pocket computer, players must run, jump, duck, climb stairs, ride elevators, and search for various items, including: time extender icons; security codes (for entering other rooms); safes (which contain musical key data sequences that must be recorded); and terminal commands (for turning on lights, setting bombs and mines, disengaging enemy droids, and resetting moving platforms). Like its predecessor (Impossible Mission , which didn’t make it to the NES), the action is a nice mix of platforming and puzzle solving. Impossible Mission II was also released by SEI. Both versions are unlicensed, and they play the same.

Based on the Tyco toy line, which was patterned after the government-sponsored crash dummies used to test car safety, The Incredible Crash Dummies puts players, as Slick or Spin (depending on the stage), through eight levels of action: Crash Test Center, Sewer, Big Top, Fun House, Warehouse, Pier, Wrecking Yard, and Junkman’s Lair. Each dummy rolls along on a unicycle-like wheel, meaning control is a bit tricky. The dummies use an air gun for stunning tanks, rats, flying fish, and other enemies, and an oil gun for killing them. Platforming activities include collecting traffic cones, jumping over gaps, rolling on moving sidewalks, flipping switches, bouncing on tires, avoiding beach balls, and more. Also released (in varying forms) for the Game Boy, Game Gear, Genesis, and SNES.

The first of two NES games based on the third film in the Indiana Jones series, the Taito version of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is divided into several distinctive genres, each partitioned by a cut scene that lets players decide what to do next (such as get cross, rescue Dad, or find Marcus). In The Cross of Coronado and Castle Brunwald, Indy runs, jumps, ducks, climbs ladders or stairs, and punches, kicks, and whips bad guys. In the jigsaw puzzle-like Catacombs of Venice, players must reassemble scattered pieces of the Grail. In The Desert of Iskenderun, Indy battles enemy soldiers atop a tank while trying not to fall off. Viewed from overhead, The Road to Berlin has Indy driving a motorcycle up the screen, whipping, bumping, or jumping on enemies while avoiding minefields, washed-out bridges, and machine gun nests. Also viewed from overhead, The Lost Temple finds Indy walking around a path of letters, spelling out “Jehovah” as he goes.

The second of two NES cartridges based on Steven Spielberg’s Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), this game puts players in the title role of the popular adventurer, who must rescue his father and find the Holy Grail. Armed with his fists and the ability to run, jump, and climb, Indy must battle his way through six levels: Exploring the Caves, Escaping on the Train, Entering the Catacombs, Assault on Brunwald Castle, Escape from the Airship, and The Three Trials. To add to his arsenal, Indy can grab a whip (beginning in level two) and a gun (beginning in level four). Enemies and obstacles include rats, giraffes, armed men, Indians, knives, bullets, circular saws, fireballs, and more. Neither NES Last Crusade title was a classic, but this version is particularly bad, thanks to short-range punching, poor controls, and Game Boy-like graphics. A port of the 1989 computer game. Similar to the Genesis version, but with more levels and less color.

With Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom , fans of the 1985 film get to play the role of their favorite whip-wielding adventurer. Indy’s mission is to free enslaved children working in mines, which involves exploring caves, climbing ladders, sliding down chutes, walking on conveyor belts, riding mine carts, swinging across gaps, and more. Freed slaves award players with keys, jewels, map pieces, hats (extra lives), arrows pointing to secret doors, and weapons (swords, guns, and TNT). There are 12 levels, each filled with rats, snakes, spikes, spiders, lava monsters, guards, boulders, and other enemies and obstacles. Temple of Doom is based on Atari’s 1985 arcade game, which had digitized voice effects and superior graphics (conversely, the NES version added jumping and more items to the formula). The original Tengen release is unlicensed, but Mindscape published an official (though identical) rendition later the same year.

Infiltrator puts players in the role of Jimbo-Baby McGibbits, who must infiltrate the headquarters of the Mad Leader. Jimbo starts off in his DHX-3 Attack Chopper, which he must fly to a secret enemy base. The action is viewed from inside the cockpit, with players firing 20 mm cannons and heat-seeking missiles at enemy fighters. The chopper sections are complex as numerous factors must be considered, including speed, engine damage, battery heat, fuel, altitude, RPMs, chaff (metal strips that are dropped to fool radar-guided missiles), flares, radio, turbo engines, whisper mode (fly and land silently), messages, altimeter, defenses, and more. Once a base is reached, players must undertake timed ground missions, which involve searching buildings, wearing disguises, avoiding capture by enemy guards, using various inventory items (sleeping gas, gas grenades, identification papers, a mine detector, and explosives), unlocking doors, and more. Based on Infiltrator and Infiltrator II for the Commodore 64.

Set during World War II (circa 1944), Iron Tank finds the United Forces looking to gain an advantage in their mission to establish a beachhead, break through the front lines, and infiltrate and destroy enemy headquarters. Enter Paul, a special forces veteran who must pilot the titular tank up 19 top-down areas, firing away at foot soldiers, grenadiers, tanks, trains, gunboats, fighter planes, fortified bases, and other enemies. The Iron Tank is upgradeable with armor piercing bullets, long range fire, rapid fire, full screen bombs, and increased explosive power (selectable via a sub screen), and players can point the sturdy vehicle’s turret in eight directions. Some may find the action to be a tad on the sluggish side, but the slow, steady pace is typical (and, at least in this case, desirable) for a tank shooter. Multiple pathways and substantial challenges ensure solid replay value. Similar to Vindicators (NES), but with no keys or fuel to worry about.

This sequel to Wizards & Warriors adds a few new elements to the enemy-stabbing, platform-jumping action, including a gambling mini-game and shops where players can purchase keys, food, armor, and magic spells, the latter of which enable players to gain speed, become invisible, turn enemies into food or coins, and more. Spells are especially useful against Elementals, which are also new to the series. The box for IronSword: Wizards & Warriors II sports a painting of muscle-bound model Fabio, making the game a potential collector’s item for romance novel enthusiasts. Includes password feature. Followed by: Wizards & Warriors III, Kuros: Visions of Power (NES).

In this testosterone-infused shooter, players walk, motorbike, and even ride a hovercraft through seven lengthy levels of explosive action, using beams (including a spread gun) and bombs to thwart an alien invasion. Weapon power-ups are plentiful, as are enemies, so there’s no shortage of shooting action. Barriers, such as gaps (which can be jumped over), pools of acid, gun emplacements, rocks, and destroyed buildings, are commonplace as well, helping make for a harrowing trek. In terms of audio/visuals, Isolated Warrior is nothing less than spectacular, boasting rich coloring, a nice assortment of highly detailed aliens, and a robust musical score. The game, which would look (and sound) at home on the more powerful Sega Genesis, is viewed from an isometric perspective, meaning the action progresses at an angle. Includes password feature.

A marvelous port of Leland’s 1989 arcade game, Ivan “Ironman” Stewart’s Super Off Road for the NES one-ups the coin-op classic by allowing four-player action (compared to three). The arcade game benefits from steering wheel control and somewhat sharper graphics, but Nintendo fans should be pleased with this fine off-road racer. Viewed from an overhead/angled perspective, the game has players racing their truck around eight different non-scrolling dirt tracks, turning sharp corners, driving over bumps and hills, dodging puddles and mud holes, and avoiding barriers and other trucks. Winning races grants players money for upgrading their trucks with nitro speed boosts and better tires, shocks, acceleration, and top speed. Nitros and money can also be picked up along the tracks. After races, beautiful, big-breasted women congratulate the winners. Obviously influenced by Super Sprint (arcade, 1986), this game was released as Super Off Road for the Game Boy, Atari Lynx, Game Gear, Genesis, and SNES. Followed by: Super Off Road: The Baja (SNES).

Jack Nicklaus’ Greatest 18 Holes features the Golden Bear’s dream golf course, which includes such hot spots as #8 at Pebble Beach, #13 at Augusta, and #12 at Royal Lythum. Nicklaus himself is a playable character, along with seven fictional golfers of varying skills. Unlike certain computer versions of the game, Castle Pines Golf Club and the Golf Club at Desert Mountain are not included. However, the NES cart does offer plenty of golfing goodness, including club selection, multiple viewpoints, hazards (trees, water, roughs, wind, and sand), hooking, slicing, a three-tap swing system, a driving range, practice modes, and more. A golfing legend, the Golden Bear appears in a number of other video games, including Jack Nicklaus’ Power Challenge Golf (Genesis), Jack Nicklaus’ Turbo Golf (TurboGrafx-16), and Jack Nicklaus Golf (Game Boy, SNES).

Dozens of American prisoners of war remain on enemy soil, and it is up the player—a Green Beret at the wheel an all-terrain, super-mobile attack jeep—to rescue them. After parachuting down to the Cambodian border, players must drive around six hostile territories, shooting tanks, cannons, light infantry, mobile missile launchers, troop transports, sniper rafts, shark attack submarines, and other enemies. To rescue POWs, players must destroy the barracks where they are being held, pick up said prisoners, and drive them to the heliport. The jeep, which can drive in all directions, is armed with a machine gun that can only fire straight up the screen. Players can also throw hand grenades and fire bazookas, the latter of which are obtained by rescuing POWs and powering up. Like most Konami cartridges, Jackal exudes quality and playability. Predictably, the original arcade game (Konami, 1986) has sharper graphics and more explosive sound effects.

Jackie Chan’s Action Kung Fu finds a cartoonish, big headed version of the titular martial arts expert walking, jumping, punching, and kicking his way through ninjas, swordsmen, birds, and other enemies and obstacles. Pummeling frogs grants Jackie such power-ups as life points, a tornado attack, a sky attack, and a spin kick. The basic action is rather generic in nature, and the TurboGrafx version has richer visuals, but Action Kung Fu for the NES is nevertheless an entertaining, nice looking game. Especially cool are the bosses, such as the Combat Spider and the Shaolin Giant. Chan also appeared in Jackie Chan Stuntmaster (PlayStation), Jackie Chan Adventures (PS2), and Jackie Chan Adventures: Legend of the Dark Hand (Game Boy Advance).

Based on the cartoon series (1991–1992), James Bond Jr. puts players in the role of James Bond’s nephew, who must rescue a weapons scientist being held hostage by the evil S.C.U.M. Lord. During his mission, the young super spy will jump on platforms, leap over long gaps, climb ladders, and use a gun, bombs, and flares to battle bad guys. In addition, Bond must open safes, disable missiles (similar to solving Rubik’s Cube-like puzzles), don scuba gear and a bubble gun, go airborne with a jet pack, and attack enemies as a werewolf. Helpful items to collect include extra ammo, shields, werewolf potion, clocks (extra time), and hamburgers (health). The characters and levels are very nicely drawn and detailed, making the game more sophisticated in appearance than most 8-bit titles. James Bond Jr. for the NES is much different than its Super NES counterpart, which is a side-scrolling platformer with brighter coloring and a more lighthearted look and feel. Includes password feature.

Loosely based on Jaws: The Revenge (1987), which was the fourth and final film in the famous franchise, Jaws for the NES features four types of gameplay: a pointless overhead sequence where players pilot a sailboat until it inadvertently hits an unseen Jaws; a dull underwater scenario in which players use a boat, a diver, or a mini-sub to gather conch shells and shoot sea creatures; a fairly decent bonus scene involving the bombing of jellyfish with an airplane; and an anti-climactic first-person finale in which players must ram Jaws with a boat. Jaws has a much more prominent role in the bloody Jaws Unleashed (PS2, Xbox), which puts players in the role of the hungry shark.

Based on the popular TV game show, Jeopardy! for the NES is missing host Alex Trebek, but the theme song is recognizable, and there more than 2,000 trivia questions in over 400 categories, meaning repeats are relatively few and far between. As play begins, three contestants are shown standing behind podiums (the computer fills in if only one or two humans are playing), and then the view switches to a board showing six different categories. Each category is at the top of a column, with each column containing a series of progressively higher dollar amounts. After a category and dollar amount has been selected, a trivia question is posed, and within a set time limit players must answer the question by guiding a cursor along an alphabet to spell out the word or words. The controller functions may seem tedious to casual gamers, but they get the job done, and the contestants react animatedly to various situations. Daily Double, Double Jeopardy!, and Final Jeopardy! are included. Also released for the Genesis, SNES, and numerous other systems.

Jeopardy! Junior Edition plays just like the regular version of Jeopardy! , but the trivia questions are kid-friendly (the game is recommended for children ages seven and up), and the contestants themselves are kids. There are nearly 2,000 questions divided into such categories as Weapons, Veggies, Numbers, Paul Bunyan, and Muppet Movies (there are more than 400 categories in all). As in real Jeopardy! , the action is timed, and players who think they know the answer to a question should try to be the first to buzz in so they can answer it (actually, as Jeopardy! fans know, the questions are posed as answers and the answers take the form of questions).

Produced to celebrate the popular TV game show’s silver anniversary, Jeopardy! 25th Anniversary Edition plays just like the first Jeopardy! game for the NES, but offers almost 2,000 new trivia questions. Categories include Historical Events, Sports Facts, Animals, The Bible, Human Body, Birds, Aussie English, and many more. As in previous editions of the game, certain misspellings are accepted while others are considered to be the wrong answer. Unfortunately, despite the celebratory nature of the game, host Alex Trebek, who wouldn’t show up in a console video game until the Genesis and SNES versions of Jeopardy! , remains missing in action. Followed by: Super Jeopardy! (NES).

Based on the classic sci-fi cartoon, The Jetsons is a mediocre platformer that puts players in the role of family patriarch George, who must run, jump, and fly (via jet pack) through 12 levels of play, including a Packing Factory, a Botanical Garden, and a Mining Factory. To thwart robots, archers, UFOs, and other enemies, George can pick up and throw blocks. Throughout the levels, George must pull switches to operate elevators, turn on lights, activate teleporters, and more. Fellow cast mates Rosie, Astro, Elroy, Jane, and Judy are on hand to dish out advice, magnetic boots, power packs, a jet board, and a remote control. The futuristic family also appeared in The Jetsons’ Way With Words (Intellivision), The Jetsons: Robot Panic (Game Boy), and The Jetsons: Invasion of the Planet Pirates (SNES).

The evil Dr. Grump has kidnapped Miss Piggy, forcing the Muppets to conquer four diabolical carnival rides. Lost in Space Ride has Asteroids -like controls (rotate, thrust, fire), but the action scrolls to the right, with Gonzo flying in his ship while avoiding and shooting satellites, space dogs, and asteroids. In Amazing Ice Cream Maze, Fozzie walks around a series of mazes, throwing bones, banana peels, and hearts at carnival barkers. Viewed from overhead, Crash Car Course scrolls to the right, with Animal riding through an obstacle course, running over flags while avoiding booby traps, oil slicks, and rubber band bumpers. A poor man’s Toobin’, The Raging River Ride has Kermit propelling his boat down a river, catching buoys and periscopes while avoiding rocks, logs, and dead ends. Beating all four rides takes players to a side-scrolling platform stage where Kermit must tickle Grumpasaurus with a feather in order to rescue Piggy.

Endorsed by one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Jimmy Connors Tennis is a typical video game version of the popular sport, giving gamers a viewpoint behind the court and slightly above the player on that end. Shots include lob, drop, normal, strong, forehand, and backhand, and players can use the D-pad to influence the direction and depth of hits. Modes of play include Practice (beginner, intermediate, advance, or smash play) and Tournament (beginner, intermediate, or advanced), the latter of which features 16 different countries and three types of courts: grass, hard, and clay. The tennis players are nicely animated (if similar in design), and the computer poses a substantial challenge, even in the easier modes of play. Followed by: Jimmy Connors Pro Tennis Tour (SNES).

Based on the arcade game Caveman Ninja (Data East, 1991), Joe & Mac for the NES is missing the two-player simultaneous mode, which is something the Genesis and SNES versions kept intact. And, despite the name “Mac” in the title, he is not a playable character. The prehistoric action finds Joe running, jumping on platforms, and throwing stone axes, flints, boomerangs, fireballs, and stone wheels at baby pteranodons, archaeopteryx, zephyrosaurus, electric flying fish, tyrant triffids, and helirock bombs, the latter dropped by Caveman Crowswing from his “helirockter.” Jumping and throwing a weapon at the same time is a common tactic, and Joe can eat food to restore his energy and score points. The game takes place in 10 stone-age areas spread across five levels: Volcanic Valley of Valor, Ocean of Silurian, Rapids of Ramapithecus, Bonseville Basin, and Petrified Forest of Fossileons. Also released for the Game Boy. Followed by: Joe & Mac Returns (arcade) and Joe & Mac 2: Lost in the Tropics (SNES).

Endorsed by the famous Denver Bronco, John Elway’s Quarterback scrolls vertically and is viewed from a top-down perspective, setting it apart from the pack. Also unusual is that players use an arrow to aim passes and kicks. Gamers can call six defensive and nine offensive plays, the latter of which can be changed on the fly. Diving tackles are an important part of the game, and players can jump to intercept passes. There are 14 different fictional teams, but it’s always red vs. blue, giving the game limited visual appeal (poor animation doesn’t help). John Elway’s Quarterback is based on the four-player John Elway’s Team Quarterback , which Leland released to the arcades in 1988.

Adapted from the 1988 computer game, Jordan vs Bird: One on One lets players control NBA greats Michael Jordan and Larry Bird as they face off against one another. Approximating reality to some degree, Jordan’s specialty is dunking while Bird’s expertise is knocking down three-pointers. Players are penalized for traveling, shot clock violations, charging, blocking, and failing to clear the ball, and there are four selectable difficulty levels and period lengths. Gameplay is slow, but fairly entertaining, and the graphics are clear and nicely animated and detailed. The cartridge includes a 3-Point Contest and a Slam Dunk Contest, the latter of which employs a hard-to-perfect maneuver where Jordan must take off from a specific location on the court for each particular dunk. The game, which has its roots in the groundbreaking Julius Erving and Larry Bird Go One-On-One (1984, PC), was followed by EA’s Jordan vs Bird: Super One on One (Genesis).

Joshua and the Battle of Jericho uses the same game engine as Crystal Mines , but is retrofitted with a biblical theme. Players guide Joshua through a series of 100 timed levels, tooting his trumpet (i.e. shooting his weapon) to clear away enemies and obstacles, including Hittite citizens, Israelite discontent (textured squares), pieces of the Jericho wall (circles), and temporary boundaries (gray squares). Joshua can also drop items on enemies and grab numerous prizes, including: the Lord’s direction (for extended trumpet gunfire); ram’s horns (for eliminating stubborn enemies); shovels (for shoveling through virtually all objects); and the Lord’s favor (temporary invincibility). The objective in each level is to collect five questions (the game includes 250 trivia questions based on the book of Joshua ), gather all the iron, brass, silver, and gold, and find the exit. Includes digitized speech and a password feature. Unlicensed. Also released for the Genesis (with more color, but no speech). See also: Exodos: Journey to the Promised Land (NES).

Produced under the working title of “The Terminator,” but changed when Sunsoft lost the Terminator movie license, Journey to Silius isn’t as well known as Mega Man or Contra , but it deserves a place on the shelf next to those great shooters. Gamers guide a vengeful boy through five futuristic stages, using six different weapons (hand gun, shot gun, machine gun, homing missiles, laser rifle, and grenade launcher) to destroy such enemies as flying warbots, humanoid laser cannons, and gigantic bosses (including a helicopter, a spaceship, and an android). Stages include: A Deserted Space Colony in Space Age 0373, Underground Concourse, Terrorist Headquarters, Inside the Terrorist’s Spaceship, and Inside the Terrorist’s Spaceship Factory.

Joust for the NES is a solid port of Williams’ 1982 arcade classic, despite slightly downgraded visuals, weaker sound effects, superfluous intro music, and missing “survival wave” levels. The soft, wing-flapping accuracy of the controls remains intact, as do the basic objectives. Players must keep their knight-mounted ostrich aloft and out of harm’s way in order to attack enemy Buzzard Riders. To defeat a Buzzard Rider, the player’s mount must be positioned higher when the two make contact. Players should beware the pterodactyls, which must be met head on (but are better avoided), and The Troll of the Lava Pits, who lurks below and can reach up and pluck the player’s ostrich out of the air. Also released for the Atari 2600, Atari 5200, Atari 7800, and Atari Lynx. Joust spawned a sequel (Joust 2: Survival of the Fittest for the arcades) and at least two imitators (Balloon Fight for the arcades and NES and Sir Lancelot for the Atari 2600 and ColecoVision).

Based on Disney’s 1967 feature film (which was inspired by Rudyard Kipling’s “Mowgli” stories), The Jungle Book for the NES puts players in the role of man-cub Mowgli as he works his way through the jungle and to the village, throwing bananas at monkeys, jumping fish, crocodiles, snakes, scorpions, and other enemies along the way. Weapon power-ups include double-power bananas, boomerang bananas, a pea shooter, and a mask of invulnerability. In addition to battling baddies, Mowgli swings on vines, jumps on platforms, collects gems and berries, bounces on see-saws (to reach high areas), dodges spikes and falling rocks, and more. Levels are timed, and the fun, nicely illustrated, side-scrolling action exhibits plenty of vertical scrolling to allow Mowgli to scale trees and cliffs and otherwise explore all the areas of each level. Also released for the Game Boy, Genesis, and SNES.

Jurassic Park for the NES turns Steven Spielberg’s 1993 film into a satisfying shooter/adventure game. Players guide paleontologist Dr. Alan Grant as he runs around shooting and bombing dinosaurs while avoiding volcanic rock, sparks, electrified gates, and other obstacles. Grant must also travel up river on an inflatable raft, collect dinosaur eggs to earn pass cards for entering buildings and accessing computer terminals, guide Tim Murphy (John Hammond’s grandson) through a Triceratops stampede, and more. The game is somewhat similar to its SNES counterpart, but with inferior (though still nice) graphics and no first-person segments. Also released for the Game Boy.

In the year 2056, Earth’s defense computer has been infected by a virus, and it is up to the Quantum Fighter to save the day. Converted to raw data and transferred into the computer’s circuits (which include such oddities as a river and imbedded monster faces), the hero must battle the infestation, which consists of such enemies as robots, birds, mutants, blue penguins, humanoid lizards, flame throwers, and snapping teeth. A whip-like Kabuki hair attack is the primary weapon, giving the game something of a Castlevania feel, but players can also punch, kick, shoot fireballs, lob quantum bombs, and wield a fusion gun and a remote control bolo. Kabuki-Quantum Fighter comprises six timed stages, most of which are fairly brief. The platforming action, which features standard jumps as well as flips, includes such typical constructs as icy platforms and conveyor belts.

Karate Champ for the NES outfits the gamer in traditional white karate clothes, facing an opponent who is clad in red. Fighters can pull off a variety of moves, including lunge punch, low punch, front kick, back kick, round kick, jumping kick, foot sweep, squat, block, and more. Rounds last 30 seconds or until a fighter gets two points. As in most modern fighting games, Karate Champ employs a best two-out-of-three format. There are nine fighting locations, each with different backgrounds, such as palm trees, cliffs, or a desert. At the end of each match, the victor enters a special bonus round in which knocking down flying objects earns extra points. Thanks to poor controls and choppy animation, Karate Champ is hopelessly dated, but it’s a solid port of a historically important title, namely Data East’s 1984 arcade classic, which was one of the first side-view, one-on-one fighting games.

The Karate Kid for the NES incorporates scenes from the first two Karate Kid movies and offers two types of gameplay: one-on-one fighting and side-scrolling combat, the latter of which includes platforms and such obstacles as flying sticks, birds, and gusting winds. Daniel-San performs standard punches and kicks as well as two special moves: the drum punch and his trademark crane kick (which Ralph Macchio performed so memorably in the 1984 feature film). Bonus stages find Daniel avoiding a swinging hammer, breaking ice blocks, and catching flies with chopsticks.

Karnov for the NES is a nice port of Data East’s 1987 arcade game, but it does have some differences. The title character, a circus strongman, can take two hits instead of just one. Levels four through eight have been redesigned, and the final boss is a three-headed dragon instead of a wizard. Gameplay is essentially the same as Karnov runs, jumps, and shoots (single, double, and triple fireballs) his way through nine levels of soldiers, demons, gargoyles, pigeons, tricky platforms, and other enemies and obstacles. Throughout the game, Karnov can collect such helpful items as boots (for double jumping power), boomerangs, wings, a shield, a swimming mask, and ladders. His ultimate goal is to retrieve the Lost Treasure of Babylon and defeat the evil Ryu (a huge dragon, not the Street Fighter character).

In Kick Master , players guide the titular hero as he runs, jumps, squats, and kicks his way through eight areas, including Witches’ Forest, Cavern of No Return, and Belzed’s First Stronghold. The Kick Master begins the game equipped with three fighting moves, but can add to his arsenal an assortment of fun, easy-to-use combat maneuvers, including sliding kicks, double front kicks, double butterfly kicks, and blazing flip kicks. In addition to fighting skills, Kick Master can acquire such magic powers as bouncing bulbs (fire balls), magic boots (for walking on otherwise deadly surfaces), lightning, earthquakes, harpy flying (flight), pulse waves, force shields, and twin power (a shadow decoy). The game also has RPG-like qualities in which collecting coins raises the player’s experience points, which in turn increases maximum hit and magic points. Enemies include bats, frogs, Grim Reapers, big-eyed monsters, rat soldiers, karate soldiers, and more. Despite uneven audio/visuals, Kick Master offers plenty of kicks for the action-oriented gamer. Includes password feature.

Viewed from overhead, Kickle Cubicle is a charming maze puzzler starring a baby-faced fellow who walks around frozen fantasy lands (Garden, Fruit, Cake, and Toy), rescuing innocents trapped in dream bags. Kickle can freeze cutesy enemy creatures into ice cubes and kick them into the water to create ice pathways to otherwise unreachable areas. Enemies include such characters as Myrtle the turtle, who uses her shell like a drill, and the Equalizer, who shoots cannon balls. Additional elements, including hammers (which turn cubes and knock enemies away), springs (which bounce cubes across the screen), and rocks (which stop cubes), fill the game with strategic challenges. Includes password feature. Similar to: Pengo (arcade, Atari 5200) and The Adventures of Lolo (NES).

Set during an era “when Gods and Man lived in harmony,” Kid Icarus was an A-list title for the NES that failed where such franchises as Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda succeeded. Unlike the latter two games, which are user friendly, Kid Icarus is frustratingly difficult, thanks in part to tricky platform jumps and the limitations of the titular angel’s primary weapon, which fires short-range arrows. Depending on the level (Underworld, Overworld, Skyworld, or Palace in the Sky), the action scrolls horizontally or vertically (up only, meaning falling to your death is easy to do), with players shooting an assortment of oddball beasts and mythological creatures. Items, which include flaming arrows, mirror shields, protective crystals, and more, are hard to come by and are unusable if Kid Icarus is low on strength. Backgrounds are solid black, but the columns, creatures, and other visuals are nicely rendered. Along with Metroid , Kid Icarus was the first video game cartridge to include a password feature for saving progress. Followed by: Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters (Game Boy).

Four popular NES cartridges: Kid Icarus , Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II—The Arcade Game , Ikari Warriors , and Battletoads .

Released late in the life of the NES, Kid Klown is a typical side-scroller (run, duck, jump on platforms) with colorful graphics, charming music, and lighthearted gameplay. One unusual thing about the game is the weapon of choice wielded by the blue-haired protagonist: balloons. Not only can balloons be thrown at the various fish, hedgehogs, snakes, bugs, and other enemies, they can be used to float, jump higher, and find hidden treasures and doors. Levels include Forest, Toyland, Beanstalk, Ice, Candy Land, and Castle. At the end of each level is a bonus stage, in which the titular clown, viewed from behind, throws strawberries at hearts and fruit to earn energy and extra lives. Beating the game reveals a secret code for unlocking a harder mode of play. Followed by: Kid Klown in Crazy Chase (SNES).

In Kid Kool , the chubby, dorky looking title character (who looks nothing like the cool kid on the box) must journey through seven levels (including Mountain Bulb and Aridian Desert), running, jumping, pole-vaulting (a minor part of the game), and battling creatures with such names as Snapping Dragon, Wooly Sprite, Doorgnat, and Synthetico. The Kid can jump on most of his enemies, but his most effective weapon is Wicky, a short, two-legged, mop top little creature who frequently appears along the ground and can be picked up and thrown. Other helpful items include extra time and temporary invincibility. Like Sonic the Hedgehog, Kid skids when he comes to a running stop. Gameplay resembles Super Mario Bros. , but is nowhere near as clever or as full of secrets and surprises. It’s hard to believe this juvenile game was produced by the same company responsible for Golgo 13 .

Using such dated terminology as “rad dude” and employing such side-scrolling staples as rescuing a girlfriend, jumping over water-filled gaps, and jumping on rock platforms that move up and down, Kid Niki is truly a product of its time. Players guide the spike-haired hero through seven cartoon-like rounds (a forest, an icy world, and the like), using a spinning sword to battle birds, foxes, masked devils, flying kites, and other standard enemies, along with such memorable bosses as Death Breath and Stone Buddha. Despite spotty collision detection during boss fights, Kid Niki can be beaten within a half hour by most anyone with some degree of platforming experience. It’s a fun game, though, and does a very nice job of imitating the original arcade version, which Irem released the previous year.

In King Neptune’s Adventure , players guide the legendary merman as he endeavors to retrieve a stolen orb and eight valuable treasures. The good king swims up, down, right, and left, and he can shoot bouncing light shots, detonate bubble bombs, collect sea horses (for extra lives), and kill stingrays (to refill health). There are nine levels to journey through: King’s Castle, The Maze, Open Ocean, Sunken Ship, Deep Sea, Dark Castle, Volcano, Atlantis, and Inner Chamber, each filled with such enemies as piranhas, jellyfish, crabs, dragons, and sharks. Some exploration is involved, and players must grab keys to open specific doors. The graphics are decent enough, but the game is marred by cheap hits and limited animation. Unlicensed.

King of Kings is a surprisingly good platformer with nice graphics, solid gameplay, and perky renditions of “We Three Kings,” “Go Tell it on the Mountain,” and “What Child is This?” The game, one of several religious titles from Wisdom Tree, is divided into three selectable stages: The Wise Men, in which players ride a surprisingly agile camel while collecting gifts for baby Jesus; Flight to Egypt, in which Joseph and Mary take baby Jesus to Egypt on a surprisingly nimble donkey; and Jesus and the Temple, which finds Jesus’ parents looking for him. Depending on the level, the game has players: avoiding creatures (such as bees, scorpions, and mice); dodging falling objects (rocks, ice, spikes, and the like); jumping on ledges and platforms; spitting on or kicking enemies; and jumping over polar bears, chasms, and other obstacles. Health-replenishing Bible trivia appears at various points throughout.

At first glance, King’s Knight looks like a role-playing game. However, it’s actually a shooter, with players guiding a knight, a wizard, a monster, and a thief (one at a time) over mountains, towns, and islands, firing away at such enemies and obstacles as rocks, statues, mushrooms, and trees. Magical elements, which are hidden in the first four areas, are important for making it through the fifth and final level, where the characters band together and fight as a team. Standard power-ups include higher jumps, speed, shields, and firing strength. A minor effort by Square.

Arguably the best pre–’90s volleyball game, Kings of the Beach has bright, detailed graphics that include onlookers, beachcombers, oceanic backgrounds, and a nice side-view of the court and players. There are three types of serves (underhand, flat, and jump) and a variety of moves, including bump shots, spikes, blocks (including a special Kong block), feints, and dives. The two-on-two action, which is designed to mimic the playing styles of pros Sinjin Smith and Randy Stoklos, is accessible and fun. Players can even argue bad calls. The game has five stages: Coronado Beach, San Diego; Oak Street Beach, Chicago; Waikiki Beach, Hawaii; Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro; and The Great White Beach, Australia. Multi-tap adapter required for four-player action.

Adapted from Sierra On-Line’s point-and-click computer game, which was called King’s Quest V: Absence Makes the Heart Go Yonder! (the CD-ROM version of which boasted digitized voices and hand-painted backgrounds), King’s Quest V for the NES puts players in the role of King Graham, who must journey through a magical world (including mountains, forests, deserts, and an island) to find his missing castle and royal family. Players guide Graham with the control pad, but an icon system is used for most functions. Icons include walk, quick travel, look, talk, action, item (view last item selected in inventory mode), inventory, and memory. Items to find include keys for opening doors, fish to feed a cat, a sled for riding down a mountain, a tambourine for getting rid of a snake, a stick to throw at a dog, and much more. Includes password feature. See also: King’s Quest: Quest for the Crown (SMS).

The second installment in the popular Kirby franchise (following Kirby’s Dream Land for the Game Boy), Kirby’s Adventure is a cute, colorful, thoroughly enjoyable game. The iconic pink puffball must make his way through seven levels (including Vegetable Valley, Ice Cream Island, and Rainbow Resort), jumping on platforms, swimming, floating over obstacles, and sliding into and shooting air pellets and water at enemies. Includes three mini-games: Quick Draw Kirby, Egg Catcher, and Crane Fever. The game introduced Kirby’s trademark ability to swallow enemies and use their powers, which later showed up in such titles as Kirby’s Dream Land 3 (SNES) and Super Smash Bros. (Nintendo 64).

Three NES games starring popular Nintendo characters: Kirby’s Adventure , which introduced Kirby’s ability to swallow enemies; Dr. Mario , which put Nintendo’s chief mascot in a Tetris -style game; and Donkey Kong Classics , which includes the arcade hits Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong Jr .

Despite missing the animated introductory screen, Kiwi Kraze is a very nice port of Taito’s 1988 arcade game, which was called The New Zealand Story . Players guide a Kiwi bird named Tiki through zoos, caves, mountains, villages, fields, and a pirate ship (all based in New Zealand), rescuing his friends from cages, dodging obstacles (including spikes and fireballs), and shooting arrows at crabs, koalas, angle bats, sea anemones, flying teddy bears, flying robo kitties, flying spearmen, and other enemies. In addition to running, jumping, shooting, and swimming, Kiwi can find such items as laser guns, balloons (for flying), magic watches (for freezing enemies), and magic staffs (for invincibility). Arrows and a radar map help players make it through the levels. Kiwi Kraze is a cute and charming, yet challenging game that platforming fans will thoroughly enjoy. Followed by: New Zealand Story: Revolution (Nintendo DS).

KlashBall is basically futuristic soccer, viewed from a top-down perspective. There are four players on either side (plus goalies), and the objective is to kick a small, bouncing ball into the opponent’s goal positioned at the top or bottom of the screen. The action scrolls vertically, and the playfield is approximately two screens in size. The sides of the field have openings like the tunnels in Pac-Man , and if the ball goes through one, it will come out the other side. Unlike traditional soccer, KlashBall has bumpers (and other obstacles) and randomly appearing power-ups, letting players freeze the other team, create an extra goalie, protect their team from taking damage, and more. Standard moves include catching the ball and diving to block the ball or knock down an opponent. Adapted from Speedball , the 1988 computer game.

A port of Atari’s Tetris -influenced arcade game, KLAX for the NES has players lining up descending (on a conveyor belt) tiles in rows, columns, and diagonals. Scoring a “KLAX” (three or more tiles of the same color lined up) removes those tiles from the screen. Players catch each tile on a paddle and can drop it into position below, hold onto it (up to five tiles at a time), or hoist it back up to the conveyor belt. Combos are worth extra points, and certain objectives (such as getting a set number of diagonal KLAXs) must be fulfilled to complete each wave. Letting too many tiles get past the paddle ends the game. Atari’s original coin-op classic (1989) has voice effects and crisper, more richly colored graphics, but the NES version does offer a Pong -type bonus game called Blob Ball. Thankfully, the two-player split-screen mode remains intact. Also released for the Atari 7800, TurboGrafx-16, Genesis, and other systems. Unlicensed.

Based on the TV show (1982–1986) starring David Hasselhoff, Knight Rider is somewhat similar to Spy Hunter , but is viewed from inside the car instead of above the action. In addition, the roads twist and turn (ala Pole Position ), and there are boss battles against semi trucks and jetcopters. Players drive the souped-up Trans-Am KITT (Knight Industries 2000) on 15 similar missions, shooting bullets, missiles, and lasers at certain vehicles while avoiding or collecting items (such as gasoline and shield repairs) from others. Courses are timed, and backgrounds reflect the various destination cities. Regrettably, there are no voice effects, meaning KITT can’t spout wisecracks like he did in the television series. However, he can jump over enemy fire.

In Krazy Kreatures , waves of small animals and other objects jump from off screen onto a rectangular or otherwise geometrical playfield, and it is up to the player to place the objects in rows of identical shapes in order to remove them. A cursor is used for picking up the objects (one at a time) and placing them in the desired spot. The longer the row of objects removed (11 is the maximum), the more points players will score. Objects include cats, dogs, elephants, snails, cobras, chatter teeth, spheres, books, atomic clocks, fish faces, and more. Gamers can play solo or have a friend join in for cooperative or competitive action. There’s no music during gameplay, the creatures are mono-colored and lacking in detail, and repetition sets in pretty quickly. However, the simple, fast-paced action will appeal to a certain breed of puzzle fan. Unlicensed.

The Krion Conquest is similar to Mega Man 2 , but with a little witch named Francesca in the starring role. Unlike Mega Man, Francesca can shoot upward (in addition to left and right), duck, and ride on a broom. There are five levels of play (Underground Base, Ice Base, Underwater Base, Sky Base, and Space Station), and the robot-shooting action is carried out via six types of selectable magic: normal, freeze, fire, ball (shots ricochet off walls), shield (forms barrier against enemies), and broom. Holding down the fire button charges up the magic gauge for unleashing super shots. Derivative, but fun.

A Simpsons -ized rendition of the computer game Rat-Trap , Krusty’s Fun House finds the titular residence being overrun with rats, and the player must help the cantankerous clown lure the pesky creatures into traps set by Bart and Homer. This involves moving blocks (including spring blocks), trapping rats in jars, creating stair steps, finding secret passageways, throwing superballs, jumping on moving platforms, using fireworks, connecting pipes, placing fans (which blow the rats), breaking walls, and more. To ward off snakes, aliens, birds, and flying pigs, Krusty can throw custard pies. Includes password feature. Also released for the Game Boy and Game Gear. Released as Krusty’s Super Fun House for the Genesis and SNES.

Based on Irem’s Kung-Fu Master arcade game (1984), Kung Fu has less detailed graphics than its coin-op counterpart, but handles better and has faithfully adapted (if repetitious) music. Players guide a kung fu expert named Thomas as he runs, jumps, punches, kicks (including jump kicks), and crouches his way through a barrage of stick fighters, giants, knife throwers, dragons, poisonous moths, and other enemies. The simple fighting action is dated, but this system launch title holds a special place in the hearts of many early NES owners. The game was released as Kung-Fu Master for the Atari 2600, Atari 7800, and Game Boy.

When martial arts masters Jacky and Lee return to their homeland, they discover that Princess Min-Min has been kidnapped by monsters. To set things right, the cartoonish characters must battle through eight castles, each of which contains four single-screen rooms. As in Bomberman , the view is from overhead, and players can move their combatant up, down, right, and left. However, instead of setting bombs, Jack and Lee dish out kung fu punches and flying “moon sault” kicks against the many oddly amusing enemies (including Mr. Coffin, Medusa Cat, and Dragon Man) they will encounter. In addition, the duo can destroy boxes, blocks, and stones to reveal swords, candles (for seeing hidden traps), invincibility, projectile attacks, and other helpful items and power-ups. Destroying all the enemies in a maze opens a door to the next screen. Simple and accessible, Kung-Fu Heroes is charmingly retro. Based on Taiyo’s Chinese Hero (arcade, 1984). Followed by: Little Ninja Brothers (NES) and Super Ninja Boy (SNES).

Laser Invasion puts players in the cockpit of a helijet, guiding a cannon sight around the viewscreen (which takes up the top half of the playfield), shooting missiles at enemy fighters, aerial mines, and other enemies in the employ of Sheik Toxic Moron. Below the viewscreen is the control panel, where players monitor radar, remaining missiles, remaining optional equipment (fuel tanks, ground bombs, and chaff activated protection systems), air speed indicator, and damage meter. After destroying the Sheik’s Vulture Squadron, players must land the helijet, shoot at enemies running around on the ground, and then enter the 3-D Confusion Maze, which, like the rest of the areas in the game, is viewed from a first-person perspective. A mapping system helps keep players from getting lost as they navigate the maze, collecting items and shooting bad guys. Although it can be played with a standard controller or a Nintendo Zapper gun, Laser Invasio n is designed specifically for use with Konami’s Laser Scope headset, which is a voice-activated optical targeting device.

Based on the feature film (1993), Last Action Hero puts players in the Arnold Schwarzenegger role of Jack Slater, who must walk (left and right only), crouch, punch, kick, and jump his way through seven levels, each inspired by a scene from the movie: Christmas in L.A., A Medieval Nightmare, A Date with Your Ex, The Car Chase, Leo’s Funeral, Premiere Night, and Finale. Enemies to battle include knights, archers, bad cops, guerilla guards, psycho candy girls, The Ripper, and others who have broken out of the movie screen and entered the “real” world to unleash cheap hits on our hero. Health hearts are the only pick-up. The limited, strategy-deprived, punch-and-kick action is broken up somewhat by Jack having to ride elevators and jump on cars and trucks. Includes between-level cut scenes. The Genesis and SNES versions include two driving levels. Also released for the Game Boy and Game Gear.

The Last Ninja puts players in the role of Armakuni, Master Ninja of 9th Century Feudal Japan, who gets transported to modern day Manhattan. On a mission to bring down the Evil Shogun Kunitoki, Armakuni must battle his way through six puzzle- and enemy-filled areas, each viewed from an isometric perspective. These include Central Park, The Street, The Sewers, The Office, The Mansion, and Final Battle. Armakuni can punch, kick, and jump, and he can use throwing stars, a sword, and other weaponry, but the key to success in this game is finding various objects (keys, bottles, staffs, credit cards, and the like) and discovering how to use them to get past such obstacles as locked doors, hidden entrances, alligators, and panthers. The Last Ninja is a port of the highly popular The Last Ninja 2: Back with a Vengeance (Commodore 64), but with some differences, including altered layouts, simplified combat, simplified graphics, and various sanitized elements (the enemy jugglers throw pins instead of knives, for example). Includes password feature.

With The Last Starfighter , Mindscape took the Commodore 64 classic Uridium (Hewson/Graftgold, 1986), slapped on a The Last Starfighter title screen from the 1984 feature film, and altered the soundtrack accordingly. Viewed from a top-down perspective, the game has players piloting a GunStar fighter ship over a series of what look like metallic outer space aircraft carriers, firing lasers at swirling formations of enemy ships and at ground-based targets. Unfortunately, flat visuals make it all too easy to misjudge and run into the targets. As in Defender , the ship can turn around and shoot in the other direction. Similar to The Dreadnaught Factor for the Intellivision, but with inferior gameplay and no bombs.

Offering clearly defined graphics, four distinctive golfers of varying abilities (including “Super Mex” himself), two 18-hole courses (Japanese and American), three modes of play (Stroke, Nassau, and Practice), and a three-tap swing system, Lee Trevino’s Fighting Golf is a solid video representation of the popular sport. Players can select clubs, apply backspin to the ball, aim the ball high or low, and hit a draw, fade, or straight shot. Obstacles include wind, water, out of bounds, bunkers (standard and hard), and roughs (super, light, heavy, and deep). Like the two-player arcade version (SNK, 1988), multiple overhead and behind-the-golfer viewpoints are employed. Despite its title, there is no fighting. Golf fans wanting to fight should pick up Ninja Golf for the Atari 7800.

Legacy of the Wizard is a quest to find four crowns in order to procure the DragonSlayer, which is a magical sword that can defeat a powerful dragon. Players guide members of the Drasle family (one at a time) through vast underground caverns (comprised of hundreds of rooms), climbing ladders, pushing blocks to solve puzzles, using magic to defeat monsters, and finding gold to purchase wings, keys, elixirs, jump shoes, fire rods (which increase range of current weapon), and other items. Each family member has different strengths and weaknesses, and each must be used to complete the quest, making for a complex adventure. Includes password feature.

The Legend of Kage (pronounced kah-gay) for the NES is a mostly accurate port of Taito’s 1984 arcade semi-classic. Armed with throwing stars and a sword that is severely limited in range (it can kill close-up bad guys and block enemy weaponry), the titular ninja must work his way through four extremely short scenes: Forest (climb and jump through trees, battle shinobis and yohbohs); Passage (run, swim, defeat 10 shinobis to reach the next level); Fortress (climb fortress walls, battle bomb-throwing shinobis); and Castle (battle through each castle level and rescue Kiri). Kage can jump far above the treetops, but once he is in the air, players cannot change his direction or cut short the jump, making for some frustrating deaths. Power-ups, including eight-way throwing knives and a shadow ninja, are hidden, as are certain exits. Kage moves with style, but most action fans will prefer a longer, more grounded adventure. Followed by: The Legend of Kage 2 (Nintendo DS).

Along with Super Mario Bros. 3 , The Legend of Zelda is one of the most acclaimed titles in the NES library. Gamers guide the sword-slashing, shield-wielding Link across a vast overworld (consisting of 128 interconnected screens of forests, lakes, and mountains) and through nine underworld mazes, hacking away at a variety of creatures while searching for (or purchasing) keys, a ladder, a raft, a map, boomerangs, bombs, a whistle, a magic wand, and more. Figuring out how to use certain items is an essential requirement for making it all the way to the evil Gannon, who has imprisoned the titular princess. Crisp graphics, epic, non-linear gameplay, and a grand musical score make Zelda a timeless classic. Followed by: Zelda II—The Adventure of Link (NES), The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (SNES, Game Boy Advance), and numerous other sequels.

In Legendary Wings , players guide a winged soldier over land and sea, shooting, bombing (ground-based targets only), and/or avoiding dragons, stone faces, horseshoe crabs, ninjas, earwigs, and other enemies, some of which move in Galaga -like formations. Unfortunately, there is little incentive to kill entire formations since scoring is absent, and since power-ups (twin lasers, penetration shots, flame shots, and firebirds) are obtained by shooting individual enemies. In Capcom’s arcade original (1986), destroying every enemy in a formation grants players bonus points or power-ups. In addition, the side-scrolling stages in the coin-op game are largely of the platform shooter variety. For some reason, the NES rendition opts for flight-based horizontal action. As expected, the arcade game has crisper, more colorful graphics. Despite the aforementioned differences and shortcomings, Legendary Wings for the NES is a solid, fairly intense shooter that should appeal to fans of such games as Xevious and Dragon Spirit .

Unlike most baseball video games, which feature fictional characters or contemporary Major League stars, Legends of the Diamond showcases baseball greats of the past, including such legendary figures as Cy Young, Hank Aaron, Dizzy Dean, Lou Gehrig, Honus Wagner, Ty Cobb, and Babe Ruth (note the conspicuous absence of Mickey Mantle). Players don old-school uniforms, but can play in a modern or a throwback stadium. The limited NES graphics make the players virtually indistinguishable from one another, but it’s a neat idea nevertheless. Gameplay evokes R.B.I. Baseball , but with wind conditions to make things a little more interesting. Team names are fictional, and gamers can play a solo match or enter an eight-game tournament. Random Mode lets the computer select the players and their positions while Member Select Mode lets gamers determine their own lineup.

Although it lacks a two-player mode and voice effects, Lemmings for the NES is a respectable port of the classic computer game. Players guide a cursor around the screen, assigning such tasks as digging, climbing, bridge building, and bashing to mindless lemmings in order to guide them past obstacles (lava, spring-loaded traps, holes, and the like) and to their goal within a set time limit. The game offers 100 levels of play (as opposed to 125 in the SNES version and 180 in the Genesis rendition), and the lemmings flicker a bit when the screen gets crowded. The NES lacks a mouse, meaning computer versions of the game have better controls. Includes password feature. Also released for the Game Boy, 3DO, and numerous other systems.

Taking place in the violent aftermath of the French Revolution, L’Empereur puts players in the role of Napoleon Bonaparte, who starts off as Officer in Charge of City Affairs and rises in rank to First Consul and then Emperor. With the goal of unifying Europe (46 European cities are included), Napoleon must: recruit and train an army (infantry, cavalry, artillery, and reserves); invade hostile nations (including sea battles); collect taxes; pay stipends; build bridges; survive harsh winters (and other hostile weather conditions); relocate his brothers and son to rule over distant lands; invest in industry and agriculture; fend off strikes, rebellions, and military uprisings; and much more. The turn-based battles take place via a hex map, with terrain consisting of mountains, hills, forests, swamps, grassy plains, sand bars, rivers, lakes, seas, ice, and fortresses. Four game scenarios tell the story of Napoleon’s storied life: Napoleon’s Beginning, Desire for Power, End of Revolution, and Glorious Empire. Adapted from the 1989 computer game.

Based on the Lethal Weapon movie series, this mediocre, surprisingly easy game puts players in the role of Murtaugh (who can pick up boxes) or Riggs (who can jump higher than Murtaugh) as they make their way through a park, a camp, a mall, and other areas, punching, kicking, and shooting soldiers, kick boxers, guards, helicopters, and other commonplace enemies. To toggle between Murtaugh and Riggs, gamers must walk off the left side of the screen, which is strange. Even stranger is that punching and kicking causes more damage than shooting. Also released for the Game Boy and Super NES.

This Gradius spin-off is similar to its progenitor (complete with manual power-up system), but alters the formula by adding vertical scrolling and two-player simultaneous action. Gamers fly their starship through the insides of a galaxy-eating space monster (which is replete with cities and volcanoes), shooting bullets, missiles, and lasers at alien vessels, space rocks, a sphinx, a giant brain, and other enemies (including the terrain itself). Although it suffers from slowdown, Life Force is a nice port of Konami’s 1986 arcade game. The tough-as-nails gameplay and colorfully detailed graphics will thrill shooter fans.

Part point-and-click adventure, part side-scrolling platformer, this is the second game to feature Linus Spacehead (the first being Linus Spacehead from the Quattro Adventure multi-title cartridge). Using five commands (look, pick up, talk, give, and use), players, as Linus, will interact with the alien environment in a number of ways, including: using a teleport machine; finding the correct keys to enter various areas; mailing a letter; acquiring a passport; riding a surfboard; and much more. Items to use include an anti-gravity slide, a bridge, gunpowder, a missile targeting device, and more. There are mini-games as well, such as a bumper car race and a slot machine. In the platform stages, the mission is to grab candies to earn extra lives. Released on the Genesis as Cosmic Spacehead , which has better, more stylized graphics and a two-player Pie Slap mode. Unlicensed.

The Aladdin rendition of Linus Spacehead’s Cosmic Crusade looks and plays like the standard version, but was produced in a compact cartridge format. Requires the Aladdin Deck Enhancer. Unlicensed.

Developed by the company responsible for the super popular Baseball Stars (NES), Little League Baseball offers the same type of fun, arcade-style action, but with juvenile players and less emphasis on team management and stats. In addition, the game follows official Little League Baseball rules, such as six-inning games. There are 16 different international teams, each ranked according to pitching, batting, defense, and running. And there are two modes of play: Exhibition and Championship Series. Gameplay is simple and intuitive, and some cool cut scenes add to the game’s already top-notch presentation, which includes nice animation and large characters with distinctive traits (chubby, short, lanky, and the like).

The Little Mermaid for the NES takes place after Disney’s 1989 feature film. The evil octopus/witch Ursula has taken over the ocean, prompting Ariel to turn back into a mermaid, say goodbye to her beloved Eric, and return to the water to save her friends, Flounder, Sebastian, and Scuttle. Ariel must swim through five levels (Sea of Coral, Sunken Ship, Sea of Ice, Undersea Volcano, and Ursula’s Castle), avoiding or throwing bubbles at ghosts, eels, sharks, spineballs, and halibut. In addition, she will search for dinglehoppers (forks), snarfblatts (pipes), hearts (extra health), and shells (for opening treasure chests and knocking out enemies). Opening treasure chests releases pearls that make Ariel faster and stronger, the latter of which enables Ariel to push rocks and barrels for gaining access to certain items. Cute visuals, charming music, fun action, and easy gameplay (despite exploration elements and a non-linear final level) make The Little Mermaid ideal for younger gamers.

Based on Windsor McKay’s early 1900s comic strip (Little Nemo in Slumberland ), and on the 1989 feature film (Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland ), Little Nemo: the Dream Master finds the title character on a mission to rescue King Morpheus and restore peace to Slumberland. The surrealistic platforming action takes Nemo (who can run, jump, and duck) through eight colorful, dream-induced levels: Mushroom Forest, Flower Garden, House of Toys, Night Sea, Nemo’s House, Cloud Ruins, Topsy-Turvy, and Nightmare World. The objective in each area is to collect all the keys so Nemo can exit to the next level. Nemo will meet numerous animals through his adventure. To tame them, ride them, and gain their powers (fly, dig, throw punches, swim, and more), Nemo can feed them candy, making for a fun and varied adventure.

The sequel to Kung-Fu Heroes , Little Ninja Brothers is an oddly humorous cartridge that separates itself from the average RPG by giving its two playable characters (Jack and Ryu) the ability to punch and kick, making for an action-heavy game. The overhead view, real-time battles are against pigs, ghosts, gargoyles, frogs, bosses, and other enemies. Throughout Chinaland, the world our heroes must explore, there are a number of upgradeable items to grab, including swords, shields, talismans (for slowing down enemies), and throwing stars. Other helpful items include a skateboard, a whirlybird, and a dragster. In addition to the standard game, there’s a Field Meeting Mode featuring six different events: 50 Meter Dash, Balloon Popping Race, Athletic Race, Treasure Hunt, Eating Race, and Shooting Race. Includes password feature. Followed by: Super Ninja Boy (SNES).

In Little Samson , players must guide four fearless adventurers through castles, ruins, forests, jungles, mountains, and other nicely illustrated, monster-ridden areas. Each running, jumping, battling character—Little Samson, Kikira the Dragon Lord, Gamm the Rock Lord, and K.O. the Enchanted Beast (The Lord of the Mice)—has his or her own special skills, such as climbing walls, throwing bells, dropping bombs, flying, breathing fire, walking across spikes, walking through small areas, and/or punching. Levels are designed in such a way that players must determine when and where to switch between characters, making for a good, strategic challenge. As in Mega Man , there’s lots of horizontal scrolling. A relative obscurity, Little Samson is a quality game that deserves a larger audience.

Based on Irem’s 1984 arcade game (which, itself, was based on the 1983 computer classic), Lode Runner for the NES has players guiding a Galactic Commando up and down ladders, over brick platforms, and across ropes while collecting gold and dodging enemy robots. After collecting all the gold, players should climb a ladder to the top of the screen to exit to the next level. The Galactic Commando is equipped with a laser drill pistol for drilling holes in the brick, which lets players trap enemies or send them falling through the brick floors. Most versions of Lode Runner feature 100 or more levels, but the NES rendition contains just 50. Also, players can’t save the game boards they have edited. Unlike the original computer game, the NES rendition scrolls to the left and right, meaning it’s easy to walk into a trap or get blindsided by an enemy. Despite these weaknesses, smooth controls and classic challenges make the game loads of fun. Followed by: Hyper Lode Runner (Game Boy), Lode Runner (PlayStation), and Lode Runner 3-D (Nintendo 64).

A very nice looking and playing take on the classic television series (1949–1957), The Lone Ranger puts players in the role of a former Texas Ranger out to avenge his brother’s death and rescue the president, who has been kidnapped by the evil Butch Cavendish. The game employs a staggering array of genres and viewpoints, from top-down action to light gun shooter to side-scrolling combat/platform to role-playing adventure. Aided by scouting reports from Tonto, “Kemosabe” must: search buildings, caves, and mountain hideouts; ride his faithful horse, Silver; play poker; make friends with Indians; talk to townsfolk; shoot or punch bad guys to release money, extra bullets, and health hearts; and much more. The masked hero begins the game armed with his fists, a short range pistol, and a supply of bullets, but he can purchase extra bullets, silver bullets, TNT, and medium and long range guns. Compatible with Nintendo’s Zapper gun and Konami’s LaserScope Voice Command Optical Targeting Headset.

In Loopz , random puzzle pieces appear one at a time over a grid-like board (there are 50 boards in all), and it is up to the player to place them on said board. Each piece is either a straight line or a shape containing perpendicular lines (L-shapes, T-shapes, U-shapes, and the like), and each piece can be rotated. The objective is to connect pieces in order to create loops (enclosed sections), thus making the pieces disappear. Bigger loops net more points, and pieces that are not in the loop (so to speak) stay onscreen. Unlike the similar Pipe Dream , pieces cannot overlap, and there are no clues given for the pieces that will appear next. A separate mode of play begins with the computer removing pieces of an already formed loop. Once the pieces have been taken off the board, the player must put them back into place. Also released for the Game Boy.

Hostile aliens have programmed robots for war against humankind, prompting the Low-G-Man to take action. The high-jumping hero battles through 15 sectors (including mines, the ocean, mountains, a tower, a submarine, and industrial areas), using a freeze gun to halt enemies in their tracks and an armor-piercing spear to kill them. Low-G can also acquire a boomerang, bombs, fireballs, and a wave. Other helpful items include invincibility, double shot, healing potion, and low gravity (for even higher jumps). By killing the drivers of certain vehicles, Low-G can commandeer a robot suit, a hover craft, and a spider, the latter of which can crawl on walls. A game action fans should enjoy, Low G Man has huge bosses, detailed backgrounds, and fast music. Includes password feature.

Viewed from overhead, each of the 60 tables in Lunar Pool is displayed horizontally. Unlike regular billiards, there are tables of varying layouts, such as an arrow, an L-shape, and a V-shape. In addition, table friction can be altered, determining (at least in part) how far a ball will roll when hit. The objective is simple: set up the electronic cue stick, take aim, select shot power, and shoot the cue ball into various numbered balls in hopes of knocking them into side pockets. Some of the pockets, depending on the table, are obscured by bumpers, adding to the futuristic nature of the game.

Viewed from behind (and a little above) the titular motorcycle, Mach Rider has players careening down winding highways in the year 2112, firing a machine gun at enemy vehicles while avoiding rocks, oil spots, oil drums, water, tacks, and bomber balls. The enemies all have the same design (post apocalyptic three-wheelers), but they do come in six different colors and strengths. Using 37 different course parts, players can design (but not save) their own tracks (ala Excitebike ). Despite spotty collision detection and choppy graphics, the game is fast and fun. A system launch title.

Mad Max for the NES takes place in a post-apocalyptic, war-torn future. Players, viewing the action from an angled/overhead view perspective, take on the titular role, a leather-clad nomad driving around wastelands, dodging oil slicks, barricades, gangs, and pits while lobbing dynamite and shooting bullets at various enemies and obstacles. The overall objective in the roadway segments is to reach the demolition arena, where cars knock each other into pits. Such helpful items as ammo, fuel, and dynamite can be found in mine shafts or purchased in service stations. Based on the films The Road Warrior (1981) and Beyond Thunderdome (1985), both of which were sequels to 1979’s Mad Max (starring Mel Gibson).

The sequel to Golgo 13 , The Mafat Conspiracy once again puts players in the role of Duke Togo (a.k.a. Golgo 13), a sharp-shooting secret agent. Duke has been assigned by the CIA to eliminate the leader of the Mafat Revolutionary Group, which is threatening to bring down all American and Soviet satellites. The action is divided into five different types of gameplay scenarios: side-scrolling (shoot and kick scorpions, dogs, and armed men); stationary (punch and kick enemies); sniper (aim and fire, taking wind speed and direction into account); Ferrari (drive, shift gears, throw grenades at other cars); and first-person maze (walk down hallways, shoot bad guys, use infrared scope to see). The maze sequences are redundant in terms of gameplay and visuals (the walls are a consistent gray), but the rest of the game is nicely illustrated and more fully realized. As in Golgo 13 , cinematic cut scenes tell the involved storyline.

Boasting 10 playable characters (including a monkey, an alien, a ninja, and a robot) and three different dart weights, Magic Darts lets gamers compete in six different versions of the popular bar room sport: 301, 501, 701, Count Up, Round the Clock, and Half It. The bottom ¼ of the screen shows the player, who is positioned on the right, throwing darts at a side-view board, which is positioned on the left. The top ¾ of the screen depicts a large, traditional, black and red dart board, viewed from the front. To set the position, curve, angle, and power of a dart throw, golf-like meters are used. Magic Darts joins the computer title 180 (circa 1986) as one of very few video or computer games based on darts.

The first basketball cartridge compatible with the NES Satellite, Magic Johnson’s Fast Break lets one, two, or four armchair athletes engage in a simple, yet fast and fairly enjoyable game of two-on-two action (seen from an elevated side-view perspective). There’s no tournament or season mode, but gamers can select from five different difficulty levels. Other elements include three-minute quarters, an animated crowd, fouls, free throws, dunks (but no Double Dribble -like cut scenes), steals, stats, salaries, and a 24-second clock. After players make a three-pointer (a fairly easy thing to do), a close-up of Magic Johnson will appear. Unfortunately, the NBA legend is not a playable character. Based on Arcadia’s 1988 arcade game.

The Magic of Scheherazade is an unusual (not to mention high quality) RPG, offering turn-based fights (strategically select two characters to engage in battle) as well as Zelda -style action (battle enemies to gain experience and cash). There are three character classes—Saint, Fighter, and Magician, each of varying abilities and weaponry—and five Arabian worlds to conquer: Water, Desert, Winter, Flower, and a mystery level, the latter of which finds players battling the evil wizard Sabaron, who summoned demons to Arabia in the first place. As in most RPGs, visiting shops and casting spells (killer winds, thunder, fire, and star attacks, turning enemies into fireworks, etc.) play prominent roles, as does using such items as swords, magic rods, and magic carpet. Players can even go to casinos and attend Magic University. Includes password feature.

In Magician , players, as a wizard named Paul, must journey through the kingdom of Merlwood (which consists of towns, wilderness, lakes, forests, caverns, dungeons, castles, and towers), engaging in real-time battles with creatures (rats, skeletons, dragons, and the like) beset upon the land by Abadon, an evil magician. The action scrolls vertically, horizontally, and diagonally, and Paul can run, jump (over gaps and onto moving platforms), and even fly. As with most RPGs, there are plenty of puzzles to solve, including overhead view areas where Paul must use holes to make stones shift. Other activities include talking to townsfolk to garner clues, casting spells, and finding or purchasing keys, shields, staffs, lightning, food, and other items. A fairly obscure title, Magician is easily one of the most complex games in the NES library. Includes battery backup.

Despite missing certain graphical flourishes (the robot enemies near the beginning of the game don’t bob up and down, for example) and the inclusion of a reworked soundtrack, MagMax for the NES is a solid port of Nichibutsu’s enjoyable (if unspectacular) arcade game (1985). The action begins on the surface of a planet, with gamers guiding a small, tank-like robot body part over simple brown pathways and solid green grass, shooting at more than 30 different types of mechanical enemies and dodging their fire. As play progresses, MagMax (who began as the aforementioned body part) can add to his form, ultimately becoming a full-sized robot. He can also maneuver underground, where he will fly. Areas to battle through include: Forest, Desert, Sea, and Automated City. The transformative nature of the titular robot sets the game apart, at least to some degree, from the plethora of NES shooters.

The first NES game backed by the big leagues, Major League Baseball includes all 26 teams from the 1987 season. The game lacks an MLPBA license, but real players are represented by their jersey number, abilities, throwing arm, and batting order placement. All the staples of the genre are included, such as pitching, catching, hitting, bunting, pitch outs, base stealing, fielding, and errors, and players can make such managerial moves as bringing in relief pitchers, changing the batting lineup, and using pinch hitters. Modes of play include Regular Game, All Star Game, and World Series.

Sporting a side-view perspective, Maniac Mansion has players guiding three (of seven) teenagers of varying abilities through a large haunted house in order to rescue a girl. This requires using an arrow cursor to select verbs (get, open, close, use, push, pull, turn on, turn off, and the like) that appear in a list on the lower portion of the screen, and then applying said verbs to various household objects within the mansion. Puzzle-laden activities include fixing a phone and a shortwave radio, draining a swimming pool, opening mail, escaping from a dungeon, and much more. Certain elements found in the 1987 computer classic are missing, such as a nude statue and suggestive text, but the game remains an engrossing and challenging adventure. Includes battery backup.

The console exclusive sequel to Namco’s Mappy (arcade, 1983), Mappy-Land has similar gameplay (run across platforms, bounce on trampolines, grab items, avoid enemies), but expands upon the concept with climbable ladders and vines, an actual jump button, and eight themed levels: Railroad Town, Western World, Tropical World, Jungle World, Pirates World, Ghost Town, Seventh Avenue, and Muky Town. The game also adds a variety of relatively ineffectual (and oftentimes indirect) weaponry, including fish, bowling balls, punching bags, and fireworks. Visually, Mappy-Land falls flat, but Mappy fans should enjoy the game’s distinctively bouncy challenges.

Though the coin-op classics Mappy , Dig Dug , and Centipede weren’t released for the NES, their sequels, Mappy-Land , Dig Dug II , and Millipede , did appear on the 8-bit console. The Mafat Conspiracy is the sequel to Golgo 13 .

Like the Genesis port, Marble Madness for the NES offers two controller options (horizontal and diagonal), compensating, at least in part, for the lack of trackball control. One or two players race a marble through six short, timed, Escher-esque mazes, using gentle, precise, balanced touches of the control pad to keep the ball from falling into a chasm or off the side of the pathway. Marble munchers, steelies, vacuums, acid slime, and other obstacles impede the marble’s progress, but players can get bonus points for finding short cuts and battling certain enemies. The pseudo-3D look of Atari’s 1984 coin-op classic remains largely intact. Also released for the Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance (via Marble Madness/Klax ), and Game Gear. Followed by: Marble Madness 2: Marble Man (arcade, 1992).

An excellent port of Nintendo’s 1983 arcade classic (which featured the debut of Mario’s brother, Luigi), Mario Bros. is a much different game than the more elaborate, more famous Super Mario Bros. Players guide the titular Italian plumber as he runs across water pipe platforms and jumps under those platforms in order to knock over turtles, crabs, fighter flies, and freezies. Once knocked over, the creatures can be kicked off the screen. There are also coins to grab, fireballs to dodge, and a POW button for knocking over all the creatures at once. Although simplistic in design, Mario Bros. is a blast to play, especially with a second gamer joining in as Luigi. Players can team up or, for huge laughs and a better time, compete against one another. Also released for the Atari 2600 and Atari 7800. Followed by: Super Mario Bros. 2 (NES), Super Mario World (SNES), and other sequels and offshoots.

Two of the best, most accurate arcade ports in the NES library: Mario Bros. and Donkey Kong 3 .

A lesser entry in the Mario franchise, Mario is Missing! puts players in the role of Luigi, who must rescue his brother from Bowser and his Koopa buddies. This is done by exploring 14 cities, jumping on Koopas to retrieve stolen items, and answering questions pertaining to Tokyo, London, Cairo, and other locales. Trivia examples include: “How tall is the Empire State Building?” and “Where is the Sistine Chapel located?” To help Luigi, he can use such tools as a computer, a map, a globe (for riding Yoshi), and a question mark (for asking people questions). The educational value is marginal, and the action is limited in nature (Yoshi can’t use his tongue, for example). The Super NES version of Mario is Missing! , which includes 15 cities, is more colorful and has richer graphics.

In this sequel to Mario is Missing! , Bowser has stolen historical artifacts and placed them in his museum. Each of the seven rooms in the museum is a drastically simplified rendition of the non-scrolling platform game Mario Bros. In each room, Mario must knock over three Koopa Troops (by head-bopping them from below) and kick them off the screen. This produces an artifact, which must be taken via time machine to the correct place within the correct time period (there are 14 periods in all, ranging from prehistoric times up to 1989). Each period is a short, side-scrolling level containing I-blocks that release historical facts (which should be read and memorized) when bopped. Though nothing special, the NES version of the game, which includes a Yoshi-gets-kidnapped subplot, is actually preferable to the Super NES rendition, which is plagued by dull sequences in which Mario must surf across the ocean and collect mushrooms.

In the oddly titled Master Chu and the Drunkard Hu , the legendary Siamese-Twin Shiva (a.k.a. the God of destruction) has cursed the village with evil spirits, meaning numerous enemies abound in the palaces and temples, including serpents, tarantulas, jaws of steel, great balls of fire, vampire bats, fire demons, and flowers of destruction. Chu and Hu, the latter of whom becoming a drunk after repeated failures to drive out Shiva’s evil forces, must thwart this onslaught by running, jumping, and shooting (fireballs) their way through 10 hostile worlds. Collecting various items (symbols of harmony, scrolls, amulets, keys, and the like) lets players battle bosses, become temporarily invulnerable, double or triple their firepower, unlock secret passages, and more. The baby blue cartridge screams Color Dreams, as does the poorly programmed game, which is plagued by shoddy collision detection, cheap looking graphics, and repetitious music. Unlicensed.

Maxi 15 contains 13 previously released games: Chiller , Deathbots , Double Strike , Dudes with Attitude , F-15 City War , Krazy Kreatures , Menace Beach , Puzzle , Pyramid , Shock Wave , Solitaire , Tiles of Fate , and Venice Beach Volleyball . In addition, the cartridge contains two previously unreleased games: Rad Racket—Deluxe Tennis II and Stakk’m . The tennis game features six playable characters, three court surfaces (hard, grass, and clay), singles and doubles action, and a traditional elevated viewpoint from behind the court. Stakk’m is a Tetris -inspired game in which numbered blocks fall one at a time from the top of the screen, with players making them disappear by placing them in vertical, horizontal, and diagonal rows. For a row to disappear, it must consist of similar or consecutive numbers. Treasure blocks, which act as wild cards, can be helpful while death blocks simply get in the way. Unlicensed.

M.C. Kids is a surprisingly fun, surprisingly challenging game that is much more than a commercial for the McDonalds restaurant chain. Mick and Mack must make their way through McDonaldland, picking up and throwing blocks at rabbits, beavers, birds, and other creatures, making sure to collect a specific number of cards (some of which are hard to find) in each stage. Gathering 100 golden arches initiates a bonus game, and there are a variety of activities throughout, including crossing icy bridges, bouncing on springboards, throwing snow at enemies, riding a boat, floating on clouds, and more. Super Mario Bros. fans should enjoy the game, though Mick and Mack (who also starred in Mick & Mack as the Global Gladiators for the Genesis) cannot jump on enemies.

Based on SNK’s 1988 arcade game, which boasted a pair of replica machine guns and two-player simultaneous action, Mechanized Attack has gamers, armed with an assault gun, a rocket launcher, and grenades, guiding a cursor around the screen (or aiming with the Nintendo Zapper), shooting at robots, rebel soldiers, helicopters, frogmen, gunboats, destroyers, attack dogs, and other enemies. There are no innocents, meaning players should feel free to fire away at anything that moves. The action scrolls automatically left and right through a variety of areas, including forests, airfields, seas, caves, and a train. Shooting boxes replenishes ammo and health. When it gets dark, shooting flares lights up the night. Similar to: Operation Wolf (arcade, NES).

The first game in a popular series that would spawn five NES sequels, plus games for the SNES, PlayStation, and other systems, Mega Man puts players in the title role of a small, humanoid robot (created by Dr. Wright) clad in a round helmet and blue costume. Mega Man’s job is to run, jump, shoot (left and right only), and climb his way through six obstacle-filled levels, each ending in a robot-gone-bad boss: Cutman, Gutsman, Iceman, Bombman, Fireman, or Elecman. After defeating a boss, Mega Man will acquire that character’s weaponry, such as fireballs or boomerangs. After beating the first six levels, Mega Man must enter the last stage to face Dr. Wily, who is responsible for reprogramming the aforementioned robots to become evil. The game scrolls vertically as well as horizontally, and Mega Man poses a formidable challenge (thanks in part to disappearing platforms and tough-to-dodge projectiles), but the health meter is long, and continues are unlimited. Selectable levels and weapons, sharp (if somewhat simplistic) visuals, and compelling gameplay make Mega Man an all-time classic.

Arguably the best game in the series, Mega Man 2 improves upon the already winning formula established by the original game. Improvements include: crisper controls; superior sounds; Genesis-quality graphics; two difficulty levels; a password feature for saving progress; a nifty introductory sequence; larger, more detailed enemies (with such names as Atomic Chicken, Robo-Rabbit, and Lantern Fish); and larger, more imaginative level designs. There are eight bosses (as opposed to six in the original Mega Man ), each created by (instead of just reprogrammed by) Dr. Wily: HeatMan, AirMan, WoodMan, BubbleMan, QuickMan, FishMan, MetalMan, and CrashMan. Once again, by defeating a boss, players will gain a new weapon, such as the ability to freeze enemies or throw tornadoes, metal blades, or bubbles. In addition, Dr. Light (formerly Dr. Wright) is on hand to provide three transportation items: a levitation platform, a jet sled, and an elevator. Scoring has been removed, but this is no great loss.

Sticking closely to the format of Mega Man 2 (which, in terms of basic gameplay, was very similar to the original Mega Man ), Mega Man 3 features eight new bosses (Magnet Man, Snake Man, Needle Man, Hard Man, Top Man, Gemini Man, Spark Man, and Shadow Man), each thematically fitting of the level they are in. As in the first Mega Man , battling the robots in the correct order (stages are selectable) is important for acquiring the weapons (lasers, needles, magnet missiles, and the like) needed for the next battle. New to the series is Mega Man’s helpful dog, Rush, who, when his weapons box appears, can be turned into one of the following machines: a springboard for high jumps, a submarine to keep Mega Man alive underwater, or a jet for flying. In addition, Mega Man can now pull off a sliding maneuver.

Though it features a new villain (Dr. Cossack) and an introductory origin sequence, Mega Man 4 plays a whole lot like the first three games in the series. As in Mega Man 2 and Mega Man 3 , there are eight new robot masters to battle: Pharoah Man, Toad Man, Bright Man, Dive Man, Ring Man, Drill Man, Dust Man, and Skull Man, each of whom, when defeated, releases a selectable weapon for Mega Man to take, such as a rain flush, a dust crusher, a skull barrier, or a dive torpedo. Rush returns from Mega Man 3 , offering Mega Man the same helpful tools: a springboard, a submarine, and a jet. New to the series is Flip-Top, Dr. Light’s cybernetic assistant who appears from time to time offering power-ups. Also new is a mega buster weapon (which is basically the standard weapon charged up), a balloon adaptor (for creating small floating platforms), and a wire adaptor (for pulling up on a wire to ledges and ceilings).

By the time Mega Man 5 was released, most NES aficionados were firmly entrenched in the Mega Man formula: run; jump (on platforms, some moving, some disappearing); slide; climb up and down ladders; shoot (left and right) enemy robots; dodge obstacles (lasers, fire, enemy projectiles, and the like); and grab tanks to replenish energy. Bosses in MM5 include: Charge Man, Napalm Man, Gyro Man, Stone Man, Crystal Man, Wave Man, Star Man, and Gravity Man, each with a different selectable weapon to take and use. Flip-Top and Rush make return engagements, but this time Rush can only turn into a springboard and a jet. The mega buster weapon returns from Mega Man 4 , but it can now be used to blast through walls to find hidden power-ups and secret passages. In addition, Mega Man can ride a super arrow to scale high walls, and he can search for letters spelling out MEGAMAN V to unlock a powerful new ally: an attack robot bird named Beat.

Although published by Nintendo, Mega Man 6 sticks to the tried and true formula of the previous games in the series. In a new storyline, the mysterious (if familiar looking) Mr. X employs a robot fighting tournament to unleash upon the world eight killer robots: Blizzard Man, Wind Man, Knight Man, Plant Man, Centaur Man, Flame Man, Tomahawk Man, and Yamato Man, each of whom Mega Man must defeat in order to beat the level and gain a new weapon. As usual, each boss fits the theme of his level, such as Blizzard Man’s frozen terrain and Plant Man’s jungle surroundings. In addition, there are now mini-bosses. Rush is back, but this time he can transform into a jet pack for launching Mega Man into the sky and body armor for enabling Mega Man to punch through walls. Beat is back as well (unlockable by finding the letters BEAT), and so is Flip-Top. Followed by numerous sequels and offshoots, including Mega Man X (SNES), Mega Man 8 (PlayStation, Saturn), and Mega Man 9 (PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox 360).

Menace Beach finds a cool dude named Scooter riding a skateboard from left to right, jumping over obstacles and battling such enemies as ninjas, Elvis impersonators, and evil clowns. Bad guys throw bottles and bombs from windows and manholes, but these items can be picked up and used as weapons. Scooter can also punch, do spin kicks, grab balloons (for floating), and get boosts from Squirt the fire hydrant and a frog named Froggy. Scooter’s job is to rescue his chained up girlfriend, whose clothes rot off as the game progresses (creating some controversy at the time). In 1995, Wisdom Tree retrofitted the game with a religious theme and released it as Sunday Funday .

With its non-scrolling screens, pastel colors, and simple, yet addictively challenging gameplay, Mendel Palace offers a distinctly old-school experience. Players walk around a 5x7 grid of tiles, shuffling the tiles in order to shove enemies into walls (the storyline revolves around a girl who is being held captive by her dolls in the titular palace). Shuffling tiles also reveals treasures and power-ups, such as suns that shuffle all the tiles on the board or time panels that put extra time on the clock. Many tiles contain stars, and grabbing 100 stars grants players an extra life. There are eight types of enemies (swimmers, dancers, girl scouts, and the like), each of which behaves in a different way, such as spinning, sliding, or jumping. Developed by Game Freak, a key company in the origination of Nintendo’s Pokémon franchise. Pengo fans may want to check this one out.

Mermaids of Atlantis is a sanitized version of Panesian’s Bubble Bath Babes . The naked woman at the bottom of the playfield has been change to a mermaid, the between-level nudie screens are now storyline cut scenes, and the difficulty level has been turned down a notch or two, making for a more accessible game. Unlicensed.

Despite the fact that players pilot a bulky fighter ship that looks like a baby chick with a giant head, Metal Fighter is a decent side-scroller that is more playable than most Color Dreams games. The titular ship walks and jumps along the ground, shooting at an odd assortment of colorful bionic mutants, which frequently make the screen very crowded. By grabbing an “F” power-up, the ship can fly, which is unusual since in most side-scrolling shooters the ship can fly from the get-go. Other power-ups offer speed, extra plasma balls, double lasers, multi-angle fire, and circular fire. Unlike most shooters with forced scrolling, Metal Fighter lets players turn back and shoot to the left. Unlicensed.

The forerunner of Metal Gear Solid (PSX), Metal Gear puts players in the role of Solid Snake, a stealthy marine who must infiltrate five heavily fortified, overhead-view strongholds located throughout Outer Haven, which is a South African nation ruled by ruthless dictator Colonel Vermon CaTaffy. Snake can acquire guns, a rocket launcher, plastic explosives, and other weapons, but hiding and sneaking past guards and soldiers is his primary strategy. Certain areas require number-coded key cards to enter. Other helpful items in this complex, though popular game include body armor, binoculars, a transceiver, a mine detector, a flashlight, a compass, rations, an oxygen tank, and more. Followed by: Snake’s Revenge (NES), Metal Gear Sold 2: Substance (PS2, Xbox), and other sequels.

In Metal Mech , the intrepid Tony Martin must single-handedly thwart an alien invasion. The invaders in question are mechanical in nature and include such creatures and vehicles as skull tanks, dragonflies, dogs, ninjas, blowfish, blobs, hovercrafts, and top-walkers, the latter of which hang upside down and walk on the ceiling. Tony pilots a slow-moving Metal Mech, which can stomp on or shoot enemies, but sometimes he must exit the alien vehicle to navigate tight spaces. Tony blasts his way through six levels: City, Towers, Sewers, Atlantis, Alien City, and Alien Queen’s Mothership (where Tony dons a jetpack and wields a sonic boomer). Each level has things to discover and collect, including smart bombs, extra lives, shields, a spacesuit, fuel, a cannon, and keys (for exiting the levels). Similar to (but not as good as): Blaster Master .

In the year 2501, a defense mechanism stationed on Pluto has malfunctioned and is systematically destroying all the planets in the Solar System. To reach the rogue weapon’s self-destruct device, players, at the helm of an M-308 Gunner battlemech, must walk, jump, and shoot their way through four stages of tanks, surveillance robots, defense gates, laser beams, and other enemies and obstacles. Armor, extra time, shields, power beams (which increase the width of the player’s laser), and other items to pick up make this challenging task manageable. One unusual aspect of the M-308 Gunner is that it allows players to strategically reverse gravity, sending the mech upward to walk on the ceiling. Other notables include multi-layered backgrounds, nice animation, fun gameplay, a peppy soundtrack, and a garish color scheme consisting of various shades of purple, peach, orange, yellow, red, green, and blue. Includes password feature.

Metroid is a tough, non-linear game in which a space suit-wearing cyborg named Samus Aran must explore the dark, yet beautiful caverns of an alien planet, using beams (short, long, ice, and wave), bombs (which can uncover hidden areas), missiles, and a screw attack to battle a variety of creepy creatures, including mini-bosses and the vaunted Mother Brain. To access narrow passageways, Samus can roll up into a ball. The action scrolls vertically and horizontally, and it’s easy to get turned around in the vast, interconnected world (backtracking is inevitable). Metroid spawned numerous sequels, including Metroid II for the Game Boy and Super Metroid for the SNES, and has a famous surprise ending—SPOILER ALERT!—in which Samus is revealed to be a woman. Along with Kid Icarus , Metroid was the first video game cartridge to include a password feature for saving progress.

Viewed from behind the vehicle, Michael Andretti’s World GP lets players select from four different four-speed cars (Chevy Lola, Honda V10, Ferrari V12, or Mugen V8) for racing on 16 twisting, turning, international tracks, each of which is visually sparse. Andretti himself is on hand to offer advice (which is actually useful) prior to each race, and gamers can select from three modes of play: Practice, Two Player (split screen), and Grand Prix (which is really long). Turning is done incrementally, meaning the control pad must be pressed several times for each turn. Tires will wear out, making pit stops necessary, but fuel is not a factor. Similar to: Michael Andretti’s Indy Car Challenge (SNES). Includes password feature.

The first Disney-related game for the NES, Mickey Mousecapade has players guiding Mickey Mouse through five levels of play (Fun House, Ocean, Woods, Pirate Ship, and Castle), with Minnie tagging along, echoing Mickey’s moves. Both characters run, jump, climb, and shoot stars at enemies, but Minnie, who cannot be left behind, must occasionally be rescued (by finding a hidden key) after being kidnapped by the Crow, making her something of a nuisance. Peg Leg Pete, Crocodile, and The Wizard are also on hand to make Mickey’s task a challenge. Although playable, Mickey Mousecapade would be a much better game if it had a two-player simultaneous mode.

Big Bad Pete has stolen Numberland’s magical number molds, prompting Sheriff Donald Duck to employ Mickey Mouse to retrieve them. As Mickey, players must run, jump, avoid obstacles (including falling crates, trap doors, bouncing flour sacks, and ringing telephones), enter doors, ride conveyor belts, and collect the correct numbers through five side-scrolling levels: City, Number Factory, Space Research Center, Number City Museum, and Big Bad Pete’s Hideout. At the end of each level is a bonus round in which players must solve a simple math problem. Mickey is nicely animated and speaks the numbers and a variety of phrases in his patented, high-pitched voice. The follow-up to Mickey’s Safari in Letterland , Mickey’s Adventure in Numberland is designed to teach younger gamers number recognition (1–10), counting, and rudimentary addition.

In Mickey’s Safari in Letterland , Mickey Mouse must run, jump, and grab letters (with a butterfly net) through six levels of play: Yukon, Swamp, Forest, Pyramids, Jungle, and Caribbean. The objective in each stage is to retrieve three letters, spelling a word in the process. There are enemies to dodge, such as a seal, a turtle, and a hippo (like the one in Fantasia ), but Mickey never loses a life. As in Mickey’s Adventure in Numberland , there are three difficulty levels, all of them very easy. Mickey speaks letters and phrases clearly, and Mickey’s pal Goofy is on hand to drive Mickey to each level. Cartoon-like graphics add to the fun. Followed by: Mickey’s Adventure in Numberland .

Viewed from an overhead perspective, Micro Machines is a nicely detailed, wildly inventive game that lets players select from nine miniaturized vehicles (including sports cars, a helicopter, a power boat, and a combat tank) and nine different racing environments (including a kitchen, a pool table, a sand pit, and a bathtub). There are 32 tracks in all. One-player races are against three computer-controlled cars, and there are 11 characters to compete against, each with his or her own skill level. The controls are simple, the racing action is fun and variety-filled, and the game makes creative use of rubber ducks, Cheerios, sand castles, and other commonplace items. Includes Tournament mode. Based on the line of Galoob toys. Also released for the Game Boy, Game Gear, SNES, and Genesis. Followed by numerous sequels, including Micro Machines 64 Turbo (Nintendo 64) and Micro Machines 1 and 2: Twin Turbo (Game Boy Color). Unlicensed.

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

One of the better unlicensed NES games, Mig 29 Soviet Fighter does a good job alternating between two distinct types of airborne shooting: behind-the-plane/third-person and overhead view/vertical scrolling. The Mig players control begins with one weapon, but completing missions adds double missiles, spiral missiles, cluster spread (triple firing), and optimum (a combination of the other three weapons). Enemies to avoid or blow out of the sky include bombers, fighter planes, guided missiles, and more. There are ground-based targets as well, such as tanks, artillery shells, and rocket launchers. Refueling and landing sequences add to the challenge. The action takes place over forests, oceans, deserts, arctic landscapes, and a chemical factory. In two-player “Share” mode, gamers pick up where the other player left off (which is different than most alternating games, in which players each have their own separate level progression).

Secret of the Inner Sanctum lets players pick a party of six adventurers (fighters, clerics, robbers, wizards, paladins, and archers) for use in exploring the enchanted Land of Varn, which is a vast, non-linear world of caverns, castles, forests, and islands. To aid players in their search for the Inner Sanctum, which involves plenty of monster battling, there are more than 250 weapons and other items, plus 92 mystical spells. The bottom half of the screen displays the many text-based commands while the top half shows the creatures (which are non-animated) and first-person rooms, hallways, and other areas. In comparison to the original 1986 Apple II computer game (Might and Magic: Book One ) the NES version is easier, but has better graphics and sound. Includes battery backup. Followed by numerous sequels, including Might and Magic III: Isles of Terra (Genesis, SNES) and Heroes of Might and Magic (Game Boy Color).

Mighty Bomb Jack for the NES is a port of Tecmo’s 1986 coin-op classic, which was the sequel to Tehkan’s Bomb Jack (arcade, 1984). Mighty Bomb Jack is similar to Bomb Jack , but with side-scrolling action and “mighty powers” added to the already fun formula. Players guide Jack as he runs and jumps (extremely high when necessary) on platforms, collecting bombs and treasures (extra time, hidden doorways, gold coins, and the like) while avoiding zombies, birds, skulls, and other enemies. Grabbing mighty coins (for mighty powers) lets Jack open special treasure chests and briefly transform enemies into collectable gold coins. In addition to the labyrinthine side-scrolling areas, players will frequently enter royal palace rooms, which evoke the non-scrolling stages of Bomb Jack . Also, if Jack collects too many mighty coins, he will be sent to the aptly named torture room, in which he must jump around avoiding enemies for a set amount of time. This latter feature is a little annoying, and some gamers will wish Jack could shoot or jump on enemies, but Mighty Bomb Jack is a challenging good time nevertheless. Followed by: Bomb Jack Twin (arcade, 1993).

Released late in the life of the NES, Mighty Final Fight is a cartoonish take on the 1989 arcade game, Final Fight . Players guide small, super deformed versions of Cody, Guy (who was missing from Final Fight for the Super NES), or Mike Haggar through five levels of slums, factories, and city streets, using drop kicks, knee bashes, head butts, super kicks, throws, shurikens, knives, and other moves and weapons to fight bad guys (including bosses Thrasher and Katana). There is no two-player mode, but the game does add an experience points system that gives it some degree of depth (at least for a brawler). Flickering is abundant, and the game is short and somewhat repetitive, but Mighty Final Fight makes for an interesting addition to the popular franchise (which includes such games as Final Fight 2 and Final Fight 3 for the SNES and Final Fight CD for the Sega CD).

This super fun game is based on Nintendo’s Punch-Out!! (arcade, 1984), but adds a final match against controversial boxing legend Mike Tyson. The perspective is from behind the player’s pugilist, but he is short, giving gamers a good view of the action. (In the arcade original, the player’s boxer is a translucent green). Boxers can block, duck, dodge, throw uppercuts, and punch left and right to the face and body. There are 10 different opponents of varying fighting styles, and it takes strategy and technique to beat each one of them (as opposed to simple button-mashing). Re-released in 1992 (sans Mike Tyson) as Punch-Out!! Followed by: Super Punch-Out!! (SNES).

The coin-op classic Centipede didn’t make it to the NES, but its less-well-known (though still popular) sequel, Millipede , did. When compared to the arcade original (Atari, 1982), Millipede for the NES adds title music to the formula (ala Joust for the NES), but takes away something even the Atari 2600 port managed to get right: the ability to start the game at the 15,000 or 30,000 point level. In addition, the visuals aren’t as sharp (despite retaining the rippling screen effect), and firing arrows sounds annoyingly scratchy. Gameplay remains largely (and enjoyably) intact, with gamers guiding a firing mechanism around the bottom ¼ or so of the screen, shooting upward at segments of a giant millipede as it works its way, snake-like, down an enchanted mushroom forest. Other bugs to shoot include spiders, mosquitoes, dragonflies, mayflies, caterpillars, ladybugs, and “longicorns.” Destroying mushrooms alters the millipede’s pathway, and shooting any of several DDT bombs stationed about the forest wipes out nearby enemies. Also released for the Game Boy Advance (via Millipede/Super Breakout/Lunar Lander ).

At first glance, Milon’s Secret Castle appears to be a Super Mario Bros. wannabe, but with mediocre graphics and a Little Nemo-like protagonist who shoots bubbles instead of jumps on enemies (bubbles are shot at a downward or upward angle, but not straight ahead). However, Secret Castle is more difficult (and more frustrating) than Super Mario Bros. , thanks to re-spawning enemies, tough bosses, and hidden items that must be found in order to complete the quest. Finding hidden items requires lots of random shooting at bricks that all look alike, which is a tactic that now seems hopelessly dated. Items to search for include: keys (for opening doors); protective shield bees; energy-rich honeycombs; coins (for purchasing items in shops); umbrellas (for rapid fire bubbles); and music boxes (for advancing to bonus stages). When the running, jumping Milon gets hit be an enemy, he does not become invincible for a few seconds, adding to the difficulty. Thankfully, there is a continue feature, which is achieved (only after the collection of the first crystal ball) by holding down the left arrow on the control pad while pushing start. Also released for the Game Boy.

Packed-in with a full-sized electronic piano keyboard, which is enhanced with two speakers for stereo sound, Miracle Piano Teaching System teaches gamers how to play the titular instrument. As players pound away at the pressure sensitive keys, onscreen keys flash to mimic the movements of the real keys. A variety of drills, musical numbers, and games (such as shooting ducks and making robots jump) enable players to practice music notation, fingering techniques, pedaling, and more. In addition, the keyboard is equipped with more than 100 virtual musical instruments and other sounds, including guitars, drums, and voice effects.

In Mission Cobra , players pilot a helicopter over land and sea while shooting choppers, sonic jets, flying saucers, and other enemies, some of which drop power-ups when destroyed. Said power-ups include double missiles, triple missiles, and angled triple missiles, as well as circular fire, invincibility, and energy, the latter of which is extremely important since mere flying drains energy at a steady pace. At the end of each level, players must battle a mother ship boss, such as a chopper carrier, an eagle destroyer, or a double-winged fighter. The standard enemies move in boring, unimaginative patterns (mostly in straight lines), but there are enough of them to put up a challenge. The backgrounds are flat and lacking in detail, and the constant noise of the helicopter blades gets annoying in a hurry. Unlicensed.

Based on the late 1980s TV show (as opposed to the original series, which aired from 1966 to 1973), Mission: Impossible for the NES lets players control three IMF agents, each of whom is outfitted with different weapons and skills, such as guns, bombs, boomerangs, and/or sleeping gas. One character can even don disguises that make enemies steer clear. The mission, for those who choose to accept it, is to rescue Dr. O and Shannon from the Sinister Seven. This involves traversing sewers, avoiding bomb-throwing enemies, battling robots, disabling alarms, flipping switches, skiing down the Swiss Alps (using ski poles as weapons), killing machine gunners, and much more. This is a long, involved game with lots of variety and graphical detail, but it’s very difficult. Fans of the franchise will miss the theme music. Includes password feature.

Monopoly for the NES does a nice job recreating the popular board game, letting up to eight players take turns rolling dice, moving a token around the board, earning money, drawing Community Chest and Chance Cards, and trying to bankrupt the other players by purchasing, renting, and selling houses, hotels, railroads, and other properties. The advantage of the video game lies in the computer handling all the accounting and money management tasks, giving the game a faster pace than its more tangible, more tactile counterpart. Animated tokens, a game editor (for giving players cash and properties before the game even begins), a timed mode, and a human looking hand rolling the dice add to the fun. When compared to the SMS version, the NES game has better sound effects (including digitized voices), but the Sega game benefits from battery backup and up to 10 contestants. Also released for the Genesis, SNES, and numerous other systems.

Based on the Matchbox toy line, Monster in My Pocket for the NES will delight fans of the small, soft, squishy playthings. Gamers guide The Vampire or The Monster (i.e. Frankenstein) through six nicely drawn, human-sized levels (including Jack’s room, a sewer, a construction site, and an oriental palace), battling a nice assortment of familiar creatures, including Bigfoot, Medusa, Cerberus, Cyclops, zombies, ghouls, ogres, and gremlins. The Vampire and The Monster can punch their enemies and throw various objects at them. They can also climb stairs, run across rooftops, jump over fences, scale steel girders, ride a large hook, dodge huge golf balls, and much more. No matter how far either creature falls, the drop will not kill them, which is a nice change of pace from the typical side-scroller. Monster in My Pocket is easy to beat, but gorgeous graphics, fast-paced gameplay, and two-player simultaneous action make it a winner.

Monster Party is an average platformer in terms of gameplay (hit enemy with bat, step back, hit enemy again), but distinguishes itself with a goofy storyline, nice box art (Famous Monsters of Filmland fans will be pleased), atmospheric visuals (including blood-soaked skulls), and a cool mix of traditional and highly original monsters. Players guide a boy named Mark through eight levels (including dungeons, castle ruins, and a haunted house), battling (batting, actually) such creatures as Medusa, spiders, ghosts, a kitten-throwing cat, walking pants, and a legless punk rocker. Mark can also transform into a flying, eyebeam-shooting gargoyle. To clear each level, Mark must find and enter all the doorways and defeat the bosses contained therein. Each boss leaves a key to an exit that Mark must also find.

Published by INTV, the company that kept the Intellivision going after the Great Video Game Crash of 1983/1984, Monster Truck Rally offers nine events: Hill Climb, Drag Race, Bog, Car Crush, Tug-O-War, Sled Pull, Draw Bridge, Donuts, Combo Course, and Custom Track, the latter of which lets players race on tracks of their own creation. Unfortunately, the racing action is marred by the following: a slow truck (the computer’s vehicle is prohibitively faster); confused obstacle placement (it’s easy to run into stuff you can’t quite see); shoddy physics (jumping is especially pathetic); and horrible controls (pressing a single button controls both acceleration and gear shifting). The ¾ perspective evokes R.C. Pro-Am , but the game is nowhere near as good. Multi-player adapter compatible. Similar to: Stadium Mug Buggies (Intellivision).

Moon Ranger has players guiding a ship through space, firing plasma bolts at asteroids, frogs in bubbles, spinning aliens, claw-shaped cruisers, pairs of eyes, and other enemies. To increase the power of their weaponry, players can analyze and adapt the aliens’ equipment, which includes wave rider beams, plus shots (which travel in loops), lightning blasts, flam (which travel like boomerangs), and “it” (the most powerful alien weapon). Players will also don a space suit and clumsily walk along shooting enemies and jumping on platforms and over spike pits and other obstacles. The Moon Patrol -like sixth level (of seven) has players driving an all-terrain vehicle across the surface of the moon, jumping over obstacles and shooting at robots, space crabs, and bulb monsters. Other activities include recharging the suit’s armor, recharging the all-terrain vehicle’s shields, collecting four pieces of a gamma bomb, and destroying an element converter cannon. Unlicensed.

In MotorCity Patrol , players take on the role of a cop, driving around city streets, patrolling five crisply drawn precincts: Financial District, Suburbs, Parks, Downtown MotorCity, and Waterfront. Objectives include arresting four types of people: citizens and speeders (by using the siren and giving chase); and robbers and public enemies (by shooting their tires or blocking their pathways). Vehicles to pursue include Matchbox versions of red vans and blue sports cars. At the end of each shift, players can use merit points earned to purchase bullets, car repairs, or the following car upgrades: super steering, turbo acceleration, higher top speeds, and super brakes. Although ambitious conceptually, MotorCity Patrol , which was the only Matchbox release for the NES, suffers from repetitious gameplay and the disruptive necessity of switching back and forth between the playfield and the map screen (the latter view courtesy of an “eye in the sky” police helicopter).

The Namco version of Ms. Pac-Man for the NES is an excellent, straight-up take on Midway’s oft-ported arcade classic (1981), but nitpickers will find some differences. The playfield is square (as opposed to rectangular) to accommodate the shape of television screens, the coloring isn’t quite as rich, the introductory animation is missing, and the little clapperboards are absent from the intermissions (nitpicking indeed). The simple, yet addicting and fun gameplay remains, with players guiding the titular femme (Pac-Man’s best girl) around four different mazes, gobbling up pellets while avoiding color-coded ghosts Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Sue (actually, the ghosts in this version are unnamed). Eating bouncing fruit grants bonus points while gobbling Power Pellets lets Ms. Pac-Man temporarily turn the tables on the ghosts. Unlike the unlicensed Tengen version of Ms. Pac-Man , the Namco rendition does not include such tricked-up features as the Pac Booster, Strange mazes, vertical scrolling, or two-player simultaneous action. The sequel to Pac-Man , Ms. Pac-Man had numerous follow-ups, including Super Pac-Man (arcade, Atari 5200) and Jr. Pac-Man (arcade, Atari 2600).

The Tengen version of Ms. Pac-Man includes a straightforward port of Midway’s 1981 arcade classic, but it also offers a host of unconventional features, including the use of a Pac Booster, which makes Ms. Pac-Man and Pac-Man (the character player two controls in simultaneous mode) move faster and leave speed streaks in their wake. Other unorthodox options include: a pair of two-player simultaneous modes (Cooperative and Competitive); four different difficulty levels (Normal, Easy, Hard, and Crazy); and a whopping 36 different mazes, including Big, Strange, Arcade (standard), and Mini (to cut down on vertical scrolling). Unlike in the more conventional Atari 7800 version, players cannot level select. The Tengen version of Ms. Pac-Man was also released for the Genesis and SNES, with both games incorporating the same extra features. Unlicensed.

A port of the 1983 computer game, M.U.L.E. (which stands for Multiple Use Labor Elements) is an intriguing game of strategy and economics set on the distant planet of Irata (which is Atari spelled backwards). The goal is to amass wealth, which requires purchasing land, producing crops, mining minerals, making trades, bidding at auctions, and even going wumpus hunting. Mechanical donkeys perform the dirty work (growing food, mining, and producing energy) while earthquakes, acid rain, pirates, pest attacks, and other such calamities randomly disrupt player progress. There are three modes of play: Beginner, Standard, and Tournament, the latter of which includes crystite, which is a particularly valuable mineral, and collusion, which allows players to make private deals. Multi-tap adapter compatible.

The acronym for “millions of unusual small creatures lurking everywhere,” M.U.S.C.L.E. for the NES is based on a Japanese comic book and cartoon called Kinnikuman, and on the resultant line of tiny, rubbery toys (which was released in the U.S. by Mattel). Players select from eight different wrestlers: M.U.S.C.L.E. Man, Robin Mask, Ashra Man, Terry Man, Geronimo, Larmen Man, Buffalo Man, and Wars Man, each of whom can pull off a special move, along with the following standard moves: punch, kick, jump, back drop, push, dropkick, clothesline, and flying body attack. The elevated view of the ring is from the side, and the screen scrolls a bit horizontally. With its blocky fighters, lack of detail, and washed out colors, M.U.S.C.L.E. looks primitive compared to other wrestling titles of the era, such as Pro Wrestling and Ring King , but fans of the franchise may want to check it out.

Although it borrows a key element (shrink down in size to battle an infestation) from the feature film Fantastic Voyage (which was made into an Atari 2600 video game), Mutant Virus has more in common in terms of gameplay with the coin-op classics Asteroids (1979), Space Dungeon (1981), and Robotron (1982). Armed with a jetpack (which rotates and thrusts similar to the ship in Asteroids ) and a vaccine blaster, players fly around a series of single-screen rooms, shooting computer virus clusters while trying to avoid virus-infected areas. The blaster has three types of charges: automatic, short fuse, and long fuse. In addition to viruses, the infected computer has bits of code (in the form of capsules) that act as power-ups. These include shields, super guns (bullets bounce off walls), and countermeasures (clusters of antibodies). Regrettably, despite its old-school sensibilities, Mutant Virus lacks the fun, intensity, and excitement of the aforementioned arcade games.

On a quest to find four magic talismans (wealth, wisdom, happiness, and peace), a young boy named Hao must explore in and around four mystery castles, each riddled with mazes, underground passages, and such creatures as snakes, gophers, wasps, bats, and dragons. To battle the various enemies, the boy can shoot magic in the form of round projectiles that can be upgraded (doubled) by finding a scroll. Other helpful items to pick up include: vitality for maintaining energy; an SOS raft for swimming; keys for opening doors; arrows showing which direction to go; and power boots and a power helmet for breaking blocks. Castles are made of blocks, some of which contain springs for jumping higher. The mountains, chimneys, clouds, and other objects to jump on have a primitive look, matching the clunky gameplay. Fans of the genre should stick with Super Mario Bros .

Based on Williams’ 1988 arcade game, NARC for the NES was approved by Just Say No International, which was a product of the Reagan-era War on Drugs. Players, as Max Force, must battle their way through nine side-scrolling levels, using a machine gun and rocket launcher to blow away thugs, dealers, pushers, gangsters, terrorists, and other minions in drug kingpin Mr. Big’s employ. In addition, players must dodge land mines, destroy helicopters, battle pit bulls and mutant bugs, confiscate cash, open locked doors (with color-coded safe cards), destroy vats of drugs, and drive a Porsche 911 Turbo Carrera NarcMobile. There are nine seedy sectors to battle through, including Junkyard, K.W.A.K. Street (called K.R.A.K. Street in the arcade version), Sunset Strip, and Skyhigh’s Nursery. The arcade original, which benefited from digitized graphics and sound effects, unlimited continues, and faster, more intense gameplay, was designed by Eugene “Defender ” Jarvis.

Like many later Nintendo sports games, such as Mario Tennis (various) and Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour (GameCube), NES Open stars the company’s famous mascot, the every-lovable Mario. The Italian plumber competes for top ranking against 36 computerized golfers, including his brother Luigi. There are three modes of play (Stroke, Match, and Tournament), three courses (U.S., U.K., and Japan), and a trio of three-tap swing meters (slow, medium, and fast). Ball spin, wind speed, club choice, hazards, and other factors come into play in this agreeable, finely tuned golf title. Includes battery backup and typical overhead and behind-the-golfer viewpoints.

This flawed, but ambitious football game has numerous features, including: eight teams; NFLPA licensing (meaning real players are used); cooperative play against the computer; a halftime show; replays; diving tackles; good controls; voice effects (however terrible); injured players hauled away on stretchers (and the resultant player substitutions); and line judges who bring out chains to measure close calls. The view of the field is from a diagonal/overhead perspective, which is highly unusual for a football title, and the game begins with a nice rendition of the “National Anthem.” Unfortunately, gameplay is terribly slow. Multi-tap adapter compatible.

The first NES football game licensed by the National Football League (though not by the NFLPA, meaning real player names aren’t used), NFL Football lets gamers play as any of the 28 teams from the 1988 season. The side-scrolling action is viewed from overhead, with the camera zooming in when a pass approaches a receiver. Players can enhance their team with two upgrades, but this increases the chance of random penalties and fumbles. Other features include: coin toss, sacks, kickoffs (including onside kicks), and lots of offensive and defensive plays (including audibles). Regrettably, poor controls ruin the fun.

World Championship Racing for the NES is roughly patterned after the Super NES version (complete with in-the-cockpit perspective), but the in-game information (lap time, mph, and the like) is placed in a strip along the bottom of the screen (as opposed to varying locations around the top), making the data less accessible. Also, though the game is certainly playable, the courses are more simplistic in design, the graphics aren’t as sharp, and the animation isn’t as smooth. On a more positive note, the game does have some nice features, including selectable gears (automatic and manual), selectable tires (hard, soft, and wet), pit stops, qualifying laps, Full Season mode, and tips from Mansell himself. Includes password feature. A surprisingly good version of the game was also released for the Game Boy.

This 8-bit take on the Nightmare on Elm Street film franchise (which began in 1984) offers more than typical running, jumping, monster-punching action (though there’s plenty of that). Players, as Dream Warriors, must enter buildings to gather bones and battle the ultimate nightmare himself—Freddy Krueger—in his various horrifying forms. If the player’s sleep meter gets too low (by inactivity or not drinking enough coffee), he or she will enter the Dream World, in which Dream Warrior icons can turn players into a shuriken-throwing Shadow Warrior, a javelin-throwing Acrobat, or a magic-firing Necromancer. Enemies to battle include skeletons, hounds, bats, zombies, and more. Multi-tap adapter compatible.

Modeled after such comic book heroes as Dick Tracy, Batman, and The Spirit, Nightshade is an encyclopedia researcher by day and a hero by night. Outfitted in a trench coat, fedora, and shades, Nightshade must stop crime lord Sutekh and his evil minions. This requires guiding a cursor around the screen, examining clues, interrogating townsfolk, and finding and using gas masks, whistles, food, screwdrivers, keys, bombs, crowbars, and other strategically important items. There are obstacles to jump over and some lackluster fighting, but the appeal of this slowly paced game lies in using your brain to solve mysteries and escape death traps.

A too-easy port of Capcom’s highly playable arcade game (which was released in 1984), 1942 for the NES has players piloting the World War II-era Super Ace over land and sea, shooting enemy planes while dodging their bullets. Destroying complete red formations emits POW power-ups, which can be grabbed for double machine guns, triple firepower (via an ally on either side of the plane), extra points, or an extra “loop the loop.” The looping maneuver, which is useful when the screen gets overly crowded, temporarily removes the plane from the heat of battle. NES owners who are fans of the “194x” series should stick with 1943: The Battle of Midway , which is 1942’ s more challenging, more versatile sequel. 1942 was also released for the Game Boy Color.

Despite the exclusion of the two-player simultaneous mode, 1943 for the NES is an expertly programmed port of Capcom’s own 1987 arcade game and is a nice upgrade over 1942 . Players pilot a P-38 fighter plane over Pacific waters, shooting bombers, aircraft carrier gun sites, and other enemies. As in 1942 , the plane can loop out of harm’s way. Power-ups to grab include super shells, three-way shots, energy tanks, and more. Exclusive to the NES version is a password feature for saving progress and the ability for players to distribute points to power-up their plane’s offensive power, defensive power, energy level, special weapons, and the time limit for those special weapons. Followed by: 1944: The Loop Master (arcade), Strikers 1945 (arcade, PlayStation), and other sequels.

Ninja Crusaders looks and plays enough like Ninja Gaiden to call it a clone or a copycat, not a mere homage. However, Ninja Crusaders does offer two-player simultaneous action (ala Shadow of the Ninja ), and it lets players transform their ninja into one of four different animals: a tiger (claw swipe); a scorpion (tail whip); an eagle (no attacking ability); or a flying dragon (waves of fire). Standard weapons include shurikens, a whip, a bo staff, and a sword. The mission is to battle robots, bats, drones, wraiths, and other enemies through 10 levels: Civilization’s Ruin, Watery Grave (adding swimming to the running, jumping formula), Canyon Trap, Lake of Chaos, Devil’s Forest, Ironfist Castle, Hurricane Cruser [SP], Wraith’s Lair, Shadow Village, and Temple of the Cursed. One-hit kills make the game a challenge.

Infused with style, flair, and hard-as-nails, hack-and-slash gameplay, Ninja Gaiden kicked off what would quickly become one of the most revered series in the NES library. Ryu Hayabusa, the agile ninja players control, moves with fluidity, speed, and grace as he runs, crouches, climbs (ladders), flips, and jumps (including wall-spring jumps and wall-spring climbing jumps) his way through six levels of caves, icy cliffs, temples, and other venues of non-stop action. Ryu dispatches enemies with quick sword-thrusts, and he can slash lamps and other objects to reveal such pick-ups as points, spiritual strength, and the following weapons: throwing stars, windmill throwing stars, time freezes, a jump & slash technique, and an invincible fire wheel that rotates around Ryu. A powerful musical score and cinematic cut scenes complement the kill-or-be-killed action. Also released for the Game Gear and Atari Lynx. The arcade rendition of Ninja Gaiden (Tecmo, 1988) was a two-player combat game somewhat similar to Double Dragon .

Like its progenitor, Ninja Gaiden II offers up a heaping helping of hack-and-slash action, supplemented by killer platforming, dramatic music, and sweeping, anime-style cut scenes. Gameplay is similar—defeat enemies with quick sword-thrusts, turn flips, jump off walls and over fire, spikes, and other obstacles—but this time Ryu can throw fireballs, climb on walls (as opposed to just ladders), and split his body into three for a multiple attack (which is a cool and powerful effect). In addition, the game has more detailed backgrounds, new characters (including Ashtar, who wields the titular Sword of Chaos), and some fresh (if frustrating) environmental hazards, such as mountain winds that can blow Ryu into deadly chasms. Followed by: Ninja Gaiden Shadow (Game Boy).

Ninja Gaiden III begins with a cut scene of a Ryu impersonator sending the beautiful Irene Lew plummeting off a cliff, effectively setting the stage for the final game in the NES Ninja Gaiden trilogy. Players once again guide a crisply controlled Ryu Hayabusa as he runs, jumps, flips, and battles his way through gorgeous levels (jungles, caves, the desert) and a variety of enemies (lots of robots and monsters in this case). The weapons of the previous two games return, but Ryu does have some new attack methods, including vacuum wave art, which is a blade that can be thrown up and down, and a dragon spirit sword upgrade, which increases the range of Ryu’s standard attack. Ryu can also attack while hanging from a wall, climb to the top of a wall (as opposed to having to jump to the opposite wall first), and move hand-over-hand via pipes and jungle ivy. Also released for the Atari Lynx. Followed by: Ninja Gaiden Trilogy (compilation for the SNES), Ninja Gaiden (3D remake for the Xbox), and numerous sequels and offshoots.

In Ninja Kid , players control a “junior defender of human rights,” who nimbly runs, jumps (over holes), and shoots his way through the monster-filled Demon Island. Ninja Kid’s standard weapon is daggers, but he can acquire iron stars, boomerangs, feathers (for invincibility), and fire flames. From time to time, he will be assisted by Pegasus (acts as a shield), Big Eagle (stops enemy movement), and Old Witch (throws sand at enemies). His ultimate goal is to destroy Demon Castle, but he must first conquer four objective-specific “fighting fields,” including: Dog Fight (fly on a kite, kill 10 demons); Poison Fields (collect 10 demon spirits); Blazing Inferno (light 10 candles); and Guerilla Warfare (kill 10 demons). Each fighting field is accessible via a Demon Island overworld map. Ninja Kid will also face the ruler of Demon Hell, which features vertical scrolling action.

Created for the 1990 Nintendo World Championships, this specially produced cartridge contains modified versions of three NES classics: Super Mario Bros. (collect 50 coins), Rad Racer (race on a special NWC course), and Tetris (earn the high score). During the official competition, gamers had 6:21 to play all three mini-games, but the cartridge itself contains dipswitches that can alter the time limit. Often considered the holy grail of 8-bit gaming, Nintendo World Championships 1990 is extremely rare. When it shows up for sale on the collector’s market, it commands thousands of dollars. Only 116 were produced: 90 cartridges in the traditional gray format (given to NWC finalists) and 26 housed in Legend of Zelda -like gold casing (given to winners of a Nintendo Power contest).

Nintendo World Cup offers 13 selectable teams, each rated according to such attributes as speed, passing, and defense. Each team is granted five super kicks per half, and the players look like the guys from River City Ransom (a brawler published and developed by Technos). The overhead view action displays a horizontal field and scrolls in all directions, and there are six different field types: grass, soil, sand, bumpy, concrete, and ice. Interestingly, gamers have direct control over just one of the players on their team, but can order other members of the team to pass, tackle, shoot, and dive. Prior to each match, players of this fun, innovative game must set their team’s offensive and defensive strategies, further differentiating the cartridge from other soccer titles. Multi-player adapter compatible. Includes password feature.

Set during the Warring States period of 16th century Japan, Nobunaga’s Ambition puts players in the role of Nobunaga Oda, a daimyo (feudal lord) with ambitions of becoming a Shogun and ruling the entire nation. Actually, there are several historical daimyos to choose from, each rated according to age, health, drive, luck, charm, and intelligence. Daimyos rule a single fief, but can conquer more as the game wears on. This is achieved by recruiting soldiers, training an army, buying weapons, negotiating with other daimyos, hiring ninjas to attack enemies, increasing peasant morale, dealing with natural disasters, and much more. Battles take place on a top-down hex map (consisting of plains, mountains, hills, water, towns, and castles), with each player taking turns selecting from 21 different commands, including move (soldiers or the daimyo), tax, marry, build, view, bribe, and trade. Includes battery backup. Also released for the Genesis and SNES.

Thanks to enhanced graphical detail and the introduction of samurai, Nobunaga’s Ambition II is an improvement over the first game in the series. Four hundred different samurai are available for sending into battle, each with distinct abilities and personalities. Only four players can go at it this time around, but the game does offer five skill levels, 38 battle maps and castles, and two scenarios: Warlord Rivalry (starts March, 1560) and Nobanaga’s Ambition (starts March, 1582), the latter of which finds Nobunaga Oda already in control of central Japan. Gameplay consists of selecting commands from the main display, with the view switching to a top-down hex map whenever war breaks loose. The objective is to control more and more fiefs, each of which varies according to such data as gold, food, land value, trade, culture, castle defense, soldiers, and more. Includes battery backup. Similar to: Romance of the Three Kingdoms . Followed by: Nobunaga’s Ambition: Lord of Darkness (SNES).

In North & South , players can relive the Civil War and, as the Union or the Confederacy, even re-write a portion of American history, namely the years 1861–1864 (1865 is unavailable as a starting year since the South was largely decimated by that point). Gameplay consists of the following: moving troops from state to state (around a map of eastern U.S.) in order to capture towns; combining units to strengthen weaker ones (the maximum is 3 cannons, 9 cavalry, and 18 infantry); evaluating the strength of opposing armies; robbing a moving train (during special side-scrolling stages); and attacking opposing armies. Battle scenes take place via an overhead perspective, making the horses, soldiers, bridges, and other items look very small. Selectable factors include Indian and Mexican attacks, storm clouds, and European reinforcements. Despite the wartime theme, the game is lighthearted in tone and appearance.

It’s obvious from the beginning that Operation Secret Storm is an unlicensed game, and not just because of its terrible music, sub par graphics, and shoddy gameplay (collision detection is miserable, and the protagonist slides when he stops). Saddam Hussein is pictured on the front of the box, with the word “Dick Tator” written on his partially obscured nametag (something Nintendo would never have allowed). Players guide a CIA agent named George as he runs, jumps, and battles his way through 10 areas, including oilfields, an oil refinery, scud missile sites, a village, and a desert airstrip. Enemies to punch, kick, shoot, and throw grenades at include trigger happy soldiers, chemical warfare specialists, guards wielding lead pipes, mutated animals (some of which look ridiculous), and even Saddam himself. Ironically (considering the fact that George fights for America), the first boss is an eagle.

Sporting four side-scrolling levels of play (each with six missions), Operation Wolf has players pointing the Nintendo Zapper at the screen, firing a machine gun and launching grenades at helicopters, gun boats, armored cars, evil generals, and terrorist soldiers while being careful to avoid killing hostages, children, nurses, and prisoners. Shooting vultures, pigs, chickens, and magazines grants additional ammo while dynamite blows up all on-screen enemies. Other items provide reduced levels of injury, extra fire power, and rapid fire. This is a nice port of Taito’s 1987 arcade game, which was equipped with a mounted, positional gun.

More arcade fun on the NES: Operation Wolf , Super Sprint , and Gyruss , each complete with box, cartridge, and manual.

Packaged with a cheaply produced pair of 3D glasses, Orb-3D is sort of like a one-player version of Pong , but with puzzles to solve. The player controls a pair of paddles (called force shields) placed on the left and right sides of a grid-like playfield. As a Millennium Orb spacecraft moves in a spherical pattern (giving the game its 3D visual effect) back and forth across the screen, gamers must keep the orb in play by bouncing it off the paddles. In addition, a button must be pressed to make the orb dive into various targets on the grid. Hitting the targets, usually in a particular order, is how each of the game’s 30 “enigma chambers” is beaten. Each chamber is a puzzle of sorts, including challenges based on tic-tac-toe, bowling, and dice. Orb-3D is a port of the computer game Beyond the Black Hole (1989), which boasted 35 levels.

A solid rendition of the classic board game, Othello has player taking turns placing round pieces on a green 8x8 grid of squares, trying to trap the other player. When one piece is trapped between two opponent pieces (horizontally, vertically or diagonally), it will turn the other color (one player uses black pieces while the other uses white). The objective of the game is to have more of your color on the board than the other player. Games can be timed (20, 30, or 40 minutes) or played with no clock, and the one-player mode offers four difficulty levels, some of which allow for taking back moves. Unfortunately, unlike certain computer versions, there are no beginner-friendly options for showing all possible moves or having the computer suggest moves. The first video game rendition of Othello was released in 1980 for the Atari 2600.

In Overlord , players are sent by the Galactic Federation to become supreme ruler of four planet systems, defeating Rorn (leader of an evil alien race) and his trio of allies in the process. By pointing and clicking on various icons, players, in real time, can do the following: set up farming stations; mine for minerals; adjust taxation rates; build a fleet (with a maximum of 32 ships); purchase an atmosphere processor, a solar satellite, weapons, and other items; monitor economic information; load and unload cargo ships; launch, land, and fuel battle cruisers; attack and colonize planets; transport food, people, fuel, and energy between colonies; attack enemies with hovertanks; fire missiles at planetary shield installations; and much more. The busy screen displays running text, outer space, planetary surfaces, the aforementioned icons, and more. Based on the 1990 computer game.

Although it lacks the introductory animation denoting ghost names and point values, Pac-Man for the NES is an excellent port of Midway’s 1980 coin-op classic (which, in 2005, was dubbed “the most successful coin-operated game in history” by the Guinness Book of World Records ). Players guide the famous pie-shaped fellow around a maze, munching pellets and fruit (two pieces of fruit per screen) while avoiding four color-coded ghosts (in the arcades, the ghosts were nicknamed Inky, Blinky, Pinky, and Clyde). By eating one of four Power Pellets, Pac-Man can temporarily turn the tables on the ghosts. Gobbling ghosts grants progressively higher points, and a gobbled ghost will return to its home in the middle of the maze, only to return shortly thereafter. Sequels to Pac-Man , such as Ms. Pac-Man and Jr. Pac-Man , would introduce maze variations and other upgrades, but Pac-Man remains a timeless classic.

Unlike the Tengen version of Ms. Pac-Man for the NES, which introduced a variety of unorthodox features to shake up the dot-munching gameplay, the Tengen rendition of Pac-Man (which was first released as a licensed game, and then as an unlicensed game) is identical to the Namco-published Pac-Man for the NES. Naturally, the packaging is different, most notably the Tengen release (which was unlicensed) naming the ghosts on the back of the box (the Namco version ghosts are unnamed, even in the manual). One of the most famous video games of all time, Pac-Man was ported to the Atari 2600, Intellivision, Atari 5200, Game Boy, and numerous other systems.

An excellent port of Namco’s thoroughly entertaining (if underrated) arcade game (1987), Pac-Mania is a lot like Pac-Man (guide the pie-shaped icon around mazes, gobble dots while avoiding ghosts), but with some interesting differences, including: pseudo-3D graphics; themed mazes (Block Town, Pac-Man’s Park, Sandbox Land, and Jungly Steps); scrolling playfields; a pair of new ghosts named Funky and Spunky; an isometric perspective; and, most importantly, the ability for Pac-Man to jump. In addition, there are two new power pills: green, which provides a temporary speed boost, and red, which gives double points. The clapping and cheering sounds have been removed, and the graphics aren’t quite as polished (an understandable difference), but this hard-to-find game is one of the best arcade ports in the NES library. There’s even a new feature: the ability to level select. One of many Pac-Man sequels, Pac-Mania was also released for the Genesis. Unlicensed.

Palamedes borrows from the “falling block” formula established by Tetris , but alters gameplay considerably. As rows of color-coded dice descend from the top of the screen, players, guiding a little guy who runs back and forth along the bottom of the playfield, must make them disappear by shooting them. The little guy’s ammo is a die, and the player can cycle through the colors/numbers on that die at any time. For a descending die to disappear, players must shoot it with a die of the same color/number. By eliminating dice in a particular order (1–6, for example), players can make entire rows of dice disappear. Like its coin-op counterpart (Taito, 1990), Palamedes for the NES offers two-player split-screen action. However, the arcade game has more realistic looking dice. Both offer great, strategic fun. Also released for the Game Boy.

Panic Restaurant puts players in the role of a chef named Cookie, who must run, jump, duck, climb, and battle enemies (pizzas, hotdogs, toast, food-themed bosses, and the like) through six pastel-colored, obstacle-ridden levels of play: Appetizer, Soup, Salad, Fish, Meat, and Dessert. Cookie’s standard weapon is a frying pan, but he can pick up a large spoon, Frisbee-like plates, eggs (for throwing), a huge skillet (which grants temporary invincibility), and a pogo stick-like fork. Other items to grab include candy (for health, ironically enough) and coins (for use in bonus stage slot machines). Mega Man fans should enjoy Panic Restaurant to some degree, but it’s short and easy to beat.

Based on the wildly popular 1984 Atari arcade game, which stood out thanks to amusing voice effects, unusual gameplay, and a handlebars controller, Paperboy for the NES has players riding a bicycle up a narrow pathway consisting primarily of a sidewalk and the left side of the road, throwing newspapers at houses lining the left side of the screen. Hitting the windows of non-subscribers nets points, as does hitting the porches and paperboxes of subscribers. There are other targets as well, such as bushes, tombstones, and garbage cans, but numerous obstacles (including motorcycles, tornados, breakdancers, dogs, and cars) make things difficult. Aiming is tough, due in part to the game’s isometric perspective. The game plays okay, but is a huge disappointment visually, especially when compared to the more colorful, more detailed, more faithfully ported Master System version. The NES game does add a two-player mode, but it lacks the trio of difficulty levels found in the arcades and Master System. Also released for the Game Boy, Atari Lynx, Genesis, Nintendo 64 (remade in 3D), and other systems.

The console sequel to the arcade classic Paperboy (Atari, 1984), Paperboy 2 features similar gameplay, but adds the following fresh wrinkles: new obstacles (including gargoyles, ghosts, and sewer monsters); new types of houses (including mansions, haunted houses, and kids’ clubhouses); the choice to play as a female cyclist; and, most importantly, obstacles and houses on both sides of the road. As in Paperboy , levels are set up like days of the week, with each level ending in a bonus round. If the player misses hitting the porch or paperbox of a subscriber’s house, that house becomes a non-subscriber. If the player hits every subscriber house in a level, a former subscriber will re-subscribe. Hitting non-subscribers’ windows, runaway baby carriages, burglars, and other such targets nets extra points. Also released for the Genesis, SNES, Game Gear, and Game Boy.

Paperboy is based on Atari’s 1984 arcade game, but Paperboy 2 was only released for home systems, including the NES.

One of three adult games produced by Panesian for the NES (Hot Slots and Bubble Bath Babes are the other two), Peek-A-Boo Poker is a poorly programmed, hard-to-find strip poker simulator that lets players select from three different 8-bit babes: Full House Francine, Pok-er Penny, and Double Dealing Debbie. For every $1,000 the player wins (up to $5,000), a picture of the girl in question appears on screen, each time more scantly clad, meaning the game does contain nudity. Unlicensed.

Like all Color Dreams-published games for the NES, Pesterminator is unlicensed, meaning the company produced the game without agreeing to Nintendo’s Machiavellian licensing fees. Amusingly enough, however, the game does star a licensed character: Kernel Kleanup, who is the black-and-white, top hat-wearing mascot for the obscure Western Exterminator Company. Players guide the slow, poorly animated Kernel across the interconnected floors and up and down the stairs of such two-story constructs as a house, a hotel, and a warehouse, bopping badly drawn bees, beetles, spiders, flies, and other creatures with a hammer in order to complete the area. Mixing up the action a bit is a pair of shooting levels in which gamers pilot a helicopter and swim in the sea. Clumsy controls, repetitious music, and hideous coloring help make Pesterminator a typical entry in the Color Dreams library.

In Phantom Fighter , players are thrust into the role of Kenchi, a Chinese martial arts expert who must rid eight towns of zombie-like Kyonshies, who come in a number of shapes, sizes, and colors. As these undead baddies jump around scratching with their claws, players must dodge, punch, and kick them. Progressing through the game grants players a nice variety of new martial arts skills (jump kicks, windmill jumps, better punches, the ability to run faster, and the like) and such special weapons as a sacred sword, a tonten, and an enemy-freezing talisman. Thanks to detailed graphics and fitting music, the game does a nice job of immersing players in a distinctly Chinese environment. The combat system gets the job done as well. This is a much better game than FCI’s more well-known (i.e. infamous) Hydlide .

Based on the once-popular board game, Pictionary has players using the NES control pad to try and draw a picture based on a particular word. To advance his or her piece on the board, the drawing player’s own team must guess what is being drawn. Clunky drawing controls and the necessity for players to close their eyes or look away when a word is being given make this an awkward process. In addition to drawing, there are four arcade-style mini-games: Attack of the Paint Zombies (upside down Space Invaders ); The Warehouse Shuffle (move and stack crates); Four Alarm Rescue (similar to Circus Atari ); and Leapin’ Energy Capsules! (jump on platforms to catch energy balls).

A video version of Williams’ 1986 pinball machine, Pin Bot for the NES does a nice job incorporating most of the elements found in the arcade original, including: the robotic voice (which, admittedly, is a bit choppy); the solar system theme; multi-ball play; jet bumpers; and the mysterious robot visor. In addition, there are a number of new features well-suited to the video format, such as different ball shapes, six progressive levels of difficulty, and enemies that attack the flippers and steal the ball. The playfield scrolls vertically, but contains a split to show the flippers at all times. For those wanting a more accurate port of the game, it was included in Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collection for the PS2, PSP, and Nintendo Wii.

Despite the lack of a nudge button for shaking the table, this NES launch title plays a pretty realistic game of pinball, especially in terms of sound effects, flipper movement, and ball physics. The table, which features bumpers, playing cards, seals, baby chicks popping out of eggs, spinners, and other targets, is basic in design and extends vertically over two non-scrolling screens, each of which has a pair of flippers. There’s also a bonus stage screen where players guide Mario as he walks back and forth along the bottom of the playfield, using a construction girder to rebound the pinball back up into a playfield containing 12 bingo lamps, two bumpers, and a lady who walks back and forth along the top. When the damsel in distress falls, Mario should save her.

Pinball Quest features four different tables, the foremost of which—RPG Mode—is a vertically scrolling castle comprised of the following stages: Graveyard, Witch, Mines, River, Throne Room, and Final Battle. Targets to aim for in RPG Mode include tombstones, ghosts, knights, skull bumpers, turtles, and candles (among other items), and players can earn gold to shop for stoppers and stronger flippers. The storyline, which is told via text pop-ups, involves rescuing a princess kidnapped by goblins. The other three tables in this cartridge are more traditional. These include: Pop! Pop!, which has a bowling and billiards theme; Circus, which includes slot machine bonus levels; and Viva! Golf, which features sand traps, gophers, and water hazards. Ball physics are loopy, but Pinball Quest offers varied objectives and loads of fun.

A nice port of the addictively challenging computer game (1989), Pipe Dream has players placing pipe pieces of varying shapes strategically on a grid. As play begins, a pipe piece appears, and that piece must be positioned on the board. And then another appears and so on. To remove a previously placed pipe, a new one can be placed on top of it. The objective is to construct a continuous pipe, enabling a substance called “flooz” to flow unobstructed through said pipe. Level progression requires flooz to pass through a certain number of pipes. Also released for the Game Boy. Followed by: Pipe Dreams 3D (PlayStation).

An excellent version of the computer game, which was called Sid Meier’s Pirates! (1987), Pirates! for the NES is an elaborate adventure in which players portray one of four different swashbuckling scoundrels: an English Buccaneer, a Dutch Adventurer, a Spanish Renegade, or a French Explorer. Gameplay consists of the following: bartering with enemy merchants; plundering towns; laying siege to forts; sword fighting with garrison commanders (from a side-view perspective); firing cannons at an armada of naval foes (from an overhead perspective); negotiating with crooked governors; getting married (aarrr!); visiting taverns; and much more. Like its Genesis cousin (Pirates! Gold ), Pirates! includes battery backup. Followed by: Sid Meier’s Pirates!: Live the Life (Xbox).

Based on Oliver Stone’s 1986 war movie, which won the Oscar for best picture, Platoon for the NES has players guiding an American soldier through the heart of a confusing, dead end-laden, Vietnamese jungle, dodging air strikes, booby traps, and other obstacles while shooting (with an M-16 rife) and bombing (with grenades) guerillas and snipers. Innocent villagers should not be killed or it will lower the player’s morale—six dead innocents equals game over. The Jungle & Village stage features a side-view perspective while Tunnel System and The Bunker have players guiding a crosshair targeting sight. The final stage, 3-D Jungle, shows the soldier from behind. In addition to shooting and getting shot (cheap hits are plentiful), players will search for such helpful items as a torch, a map, flares, a compass, and medical supplies.

Despite missing a few relatively minor flourishes, Popeye for the NES is an excellent port of Nintendo’s own 1982 coin-op classic. Players guide the beloved Sailor Man as he walks across floors, climbs ladders and stairs, and catches floating objects (hearts, musical notes, or letters spelling out HELP) tossed down by Olive Oyl. While Popeye gathers objects, he must avoid Bernard the vulture, the Seahag’s bouncing skulls, and a bottle-throwing Brutus in hot pursuit. Popeye can punch the skulls and bottles, and, after eating a can of spinach (one per screen), he can punch Brutus and the vulture. The aforementioned absences in the NES port include: the “Popeye!! Catch” text and Popeye holding out a flower at the beginning of the game; the celebratory giant Popeye face that appears after the third screen; Wimpy eating hamburgers during the second screen; and various other nitpicks. A must-own for Donkey Kong fans. Also released for the Atari 2600, Atari 5200, Intellivision, and ColecoVision.

Other than missing the two-player simultaneous mode found in the arcade original (SNK, 1988), P.O.W. for the NES plays pretty well. As special forces agent Bart, gamers must walk (somewhat slowly) and climb their way through four nicely illustrated levels (Escape from Prison Camp, Attacking the Industrial Area, Guerilla Attack in the Jungle, and Destruction of Communications Headquarters), punching and kicking (including jump kicks) commandoes, frogmen, bike soldiers, green berets, and other enemies along the way. By entering huts and vehicles or defeating certain bad guys, Bart can obtain grenades, brass knuckles, a bullet-proof vest, a combat knife, and a machine gun.

Thanks to the all-powerful Master Computer, Earth of 2191 has become a veritable utopia. Unfortunately, alien terrorists attack, taking the computer off-line. It is up to the player, as Nova (the computer’s chief security officer), to restore systems control. To achieve his objective, Nova, who looks like the Terminator, must run, jump (on platforms and over gaps and other obstacles), climb, and fire a boomerang-like weapon through six sectors, destroying such enemies as ghosts, soldiers, bats, and spaceships. The boomerang can be powered up considerably, and Nova can also hurl grenades and don a metal, shield-like suit. In each of the game’s six selectable sectors (each of which are timed), Nova must find the agent assigned to that sector. Completing all six sectors grants Nova entrance to the control center. Mega Man fans should enjoy this high quality game.

As in the original Power Blade , Special Agent Nova wields a formidable, upgradeable, boomerang-like blade. However, Nova has learned a few new tricks, including the ability to slide under low obstacles and enemy fire (ala Mega Man 3 ). In addition, each of the game’s four selectable stages contains a special power suit: the Newt Suit allows Nova to cling to and move along walls and ceilings; the Wet Suit lets him move quickly under water; the Rocket Suit enables him to fly; and the Patriot Suit has twin orbs that circle around Nova’s body and absorb enemy fire. While Nova is wearing one of the suits, the weapon becomes the Power Blade, which is more powerful than the boomerang-like blade, but doesn’t return. Enemies to destroy include wall cannons, robots, fish, slime monsters, caterpillars, and more.

Power Punch II was originally intended to be a follow-up to Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! , but Tyson’s legal difficulties (i.e. the trial for the rape of Desiree Washington) during the production of the game caused Nintendo to back out of the project and Beam Software to change the principal boxer’s name to Mark “Tough Guy” Tyler (his appearance was altered as well). Gameplay evokes Punch-Out!! to some degree (the view is behind the player’s fighter), but a variety of features were added, including: cut scenes; a side-view training mode (which takes place on an intergalactic transport shuttle); and 12 alien opponents, including 9763 Borg, Helmet Skull, Grathnox 4 (who’s a tank from the waist down), and “Fighting” Fly-Mo (who’s a flying saucer from the waist down). Despite these additions, Punch-Out!! is a far superior game. Power Punch II was initially produced under the working title of “Mike Tyson’s Intergalactic Power Punch.”

The space vessel in P’radikus Conflict rotates and thrusts like the ship in Asteroids , but the screen scrolls in all directions, making the game more like Bosconian or Sinistar . Unlike the comparative arcade classics, however, P’radikus Conflict has slow, unresponsive controls, is far too easy (thanks to dumb enemies that fire slow projectiles), and is a bit more complex. While blasting ships out of the sky, P’radikus pilots will earn credits to purchase fuel, armor, shields, warp drive, and such weapons as shock waves, mines, missiles, atomic cannons, and clocking devices. The mission-based action has players orbiting planets, destroying outposts, freeing aliens, and more. Somewhat similar to: Star Control (Genesis). Unlicensed.

Disappointingly mediocre, Predator puts gamers in the role of Dutch Schaefer, the character played by Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 1987 sci-fi/action flick. Dutch begins with nothing but his fists, but can pick up a machine gun, a laser rifle, and grenades as he runs, jumps across chasms, avoids rolling boulders, and otherwise makes his way through a scorpion- and guerilla-infested South American jungle. He can also acquire different types of bullets, including boomerang, continuous, shotgun, and reaction. Depending on which caves players enter, the action consists of 20–30 levels, with Predator himself showing up infrequently.

A scaled down port of Jordan Mechner’s popular computer game (which Broderbund released in 1989), Prince of Persia puts players in the role of a young adventurer who has been thrown into a dungeon by the evil and traitorous Jaffar, Grand Vizier to the Sultan of Persia. The nicely animated hero has escaped his cell, but he must brave 12 levels of the obstacle-filled (spikes, chasms, slicers, poisonous potions, moving platforms, multi-story falls) dungeon to rescue the proverbial princess, and he’s only got an hour in which to do it. Gameplay consists of the following: running from room to room; executing tricky jumps; climbing up and down ledges; sword-fighting against dungeon guards; stepping on pressure plates to open exit doors and open and close gates; and more. When players go from one room to the next, the screen briefly goes black, and the player suddenly appears in the next room. However, unlike other versions, the NES game scrolls just a little to the right and left. Also released for the Genesis, SNES, and numerous other systems.

Princess Tomato has been kidnapped by the evil Minister Pumpkin, and it is up to Sir Cucumber, a Knight of the Realm, to rescue her, restore King Broccoli to the throne, and bring peace to the formerly blissful Salad Kingdom. The fanciful setting of the game will appeal to younger, Veggie Tales -era gamers while the old-school formula (read text, click on commands to interact with surroundings, view static imagery) will resonate with those who recall the early days of personal computer adventure games. There are 14 commands from which to choose: move, look, check, talk, take, use, give, buy, hit, fight, praise, dump, item, and Percy. Battles take the form of “finger wars,” which are basically games of rock-paper-scissors. The trial-and-error gameplay of Princess Tomato in the Salad Kingdom can get tedious, but the unusual (for this genre), semi-charming theme does set it apart from the proverbial pack.

Viewed from an overhead perspective (the hockey rink scrolls vertically), Pro Sport Hockey lets gamers select from 24 teams comprised of 288 NHLPA players, each rated according to speed, shot speed, quickness, defense, and power. There are three modes of arcade-like play: Super Cup (a seven-game series), Exhibition, and Training. On offense, players can aim the puck, but if the goal is in sight, the puck will automatically travel toward the goal no matter what direction the player is facing. Holding the button down creates a more powerful shot. On defense, players can check, stick check, and select auto or manual goalie control. Several features can be turned on or off, including offsides, overtime, icing, and penalties, the latter of which consists of hooking, tripping, elbowing, and charging. The SNES version has a Season mode and better graphics and sound effects, but both lack crowd noise.

Pro Wrestling offers enjoyably simple gameplay and nice visual detail, including a referee, a cameraman, and an animated crowd. There are six selectable wrestlers (including a judo expert and a football star), each capable of such outrageous wrestling techniques as The Amazon’s piranha bite, Fighter Hyabusa’s back brain kick, and Kin Corn Karn’s Mongolian chop. Players engage in a series of five-minute matches, culminating in a fight against the mysterious Great Puma, a.k.a. “the perfect wrestler.” Throws, top-of the-ring jumps, and fighting outside the ring are all part of the fun. Simultaneous action offers two-out-of three fall matches with no time limit.

Punch-Out!! is the same game as Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! , but a character named Mr. Dream replaces the troublemaking Tyson (now a convicted felon), whose contract with Nintendo had mercifully expired. Followed by: Super Punch-Out!! (SNES).

In The Punisher , players maneuver Marvel Comics’ skull-chested vigilante (who is viewed from behind) left and right along the bottom of an automatically scrolling playfield (which moves left to right), aiming a cursor around the screen while shooting at thugs, hoods, felons, and other targets, including background objects and such comic book criminals as Hitman (who flies around in a helicopter) and the Kingpin (who must be defeated in hand-to-hand combat). The Punisher is armed with an automatic machine pistol and grenades and can pick up an automatic assault rife, a rocket launcher, and a Kevlar vest. The action takes place in the streets of New York City, and Punisher can take alternate routes by entering the subway, manholes, and doorways. The Punisher and the cursor move in unison, making for an awkward control scheme, but holding in the A button while pressing the control pad does give the cursor independent movement.

Sent back through time and across the world by Count Gruemon, Pero (a.k.a. Puss N Boots), who committed the Cat Kingdom crime of befriending a mouse, must locate and defeat Grueman and the mad Dr. Gari-gari and use their time machine to get home. Much of the game plays like a traditional platformer, with Pero running, jumping, and battling (with a pistol, bombs, and a boomerang) his way through The [Old] West, London, and New York. However, four of the game’s seven stages (The Ocean, Arabia, Space Wars, and Liberty) put Pero at the helm of a vehicle, such as a submarine, a car, an airplane, or a hot air balloon, firing missiles, a machine gun, and/or torpedoes. Enemies and obstacles include barrels, shooting stars, sharks, pirate ships, buzzards, jellyfish, airplanes, and more. The jumping controls could use a little polish, but this is a solid (if short) game. Similar to: Felix the Cat .

Puzzle is similar in concept to those plastic handheld games where the user slides little tiles in place to form a picture. There are 10 different images in this video version, beginning with a tiger and progressing to more advanced designs. After the player selects a puzzle, the computer scrambles the picture randomly, and the player must reassemble it. For assistance, players can view the completed picture (up to five times) or challenge the computer to a game of rock-paper-scissors. The latter subtracts 60 seconds, but lets winners exchange any two pieces on the board. Unlicensed.

A solid adaptation of Taito’s 1989 arcade game (which was a possible inspiration for Tetris Attack ), Puzznic has players guiding a cursor around the screen, using said cursor to move blocks of varying colors and designs (such as diamonds, spheres, pyramids, and plusses). Blocks are moved horizontally, but go downward when positioned above an empty space. Elevators make blocks go up. The objective is to clear the screen by getting matching blocks to touch. The cartridge also contains Gravnic , in which players move all the shapes simultaneously by shifting their gravity. Also released for the PlayStation.

In Pyramid , players must rotate and strategically fit together stones that fall down the screen (one at a time), trying to form solid lines to make the stones disappear. There are five stone types of varying shapes and sizes, each of which contains some component(s) of a triangle and/or a square. Completing two lines simultaneously rewards players with a bomb, which is useful when the screen gets crowded. If the stones pile to the top, the game will end. Pyramid plays a lot like Tetris , but the shapes are more angular, making it a tougher game. Unlicensed.

By the time Q*bert hit the NES, the simple four-way control and non-scrolling playfield seemed outdated. However, the game was still fun, with players hopping a round, orange, hose-nosed creature on the blocks of a pyramid. Jumping on a block changes its color, and Q*bert must hop on every block (thereby making all the block colors the same) to progress to the next pyramid. Later levels force players to change the color of each square twice. While Q*bert does his job, Ugg, Wrong-Way, Coily the snake, and Slick and Sam (who change squares back to their original color) get in the way. Hopping off the pyramid is lethal unless it’s on to a disc that transports Q*bert to the top of the pyramid. The original arcade version (Gottlieb, 1982) has crisper graphics and better controls, but the NES game does offer two different control schemes, both of which work reasonably well. Also released for the ColecoVision, Game Boy Color, and various other systems, Q*bert spawned a PlayStation remake and two sequels: Q*bert’s Qubes (arcade, Atari 2600, ColecoVision) and Q*bert 3 (SNES).

Six coin-op classics ported to the NES: Q*bert , Bump ’n’ Jump , Galaga (which was subtitled “Demons of Death”), Joust , Xevious , and Spy Hunter . Most of these games were released for previous systems, such as the Atari 2600 and the ColecoVision, but the more powerful NES was better able to mimic the arcade experience.

In Qix , players use a diamond-shaped marker to draw lines. As players draw, filling in the screen with boxes, rectangles, and other straight-line shapes, enemies in the form of Qix (an undulating, fan-shaped computer virus), Spritz (star-shaped objects), and Sparx make things difficult. Players should make sure the Qix and the Spritz don’t touch the Stix (the line being drawn) and that the Qix, Spritz, and Sparx don’t touch the marker. If players stop in mid-draw, a fuse can burn up the Stix, destroying the marker. The objective is to fill in 75 percent or more of the screen. During each game, players can draw fast and slow, the latter garnering more points for each percentage point completed. Trapping the Qix and Spritz while filling in space also scores extra points. Based on Taito’s 1981 arcade game, the NES version of Qix added a computer virus storyline, textured designs, and the aforementioned Spritz. Also released for the Atari 5200, Atari Lynx, and Game Boy. Sequels include: Qix II (arcade), Super Qix (arcade), Ultimate Qix (Genesis), and Qix Neo (PlayStation).

Quattro Adventure collects four previously unreleased games in one cartridge. Linus Spacehead finds a caped alien adventurer floating on bubbles to avoid rocks and sea creatures, running on a beach while avoiding falling coconuts, and more. In Super Robin Hood, the mythical anti-hero collects treasures and keys, climbs ladders, jumps on moving platforms, shoots arrows at bats and other enemies, and more. The titular boy in Boomerang Kid collects (but doesn’t throw) boomerangs while performing such activities as jumping on platforms (cliffs, trees, and the like) and avoiding snakes and koalas. In Treasure Island Dizzy, the egg-shaped star of The Fantastic Adventures of Dizzy explores a tree house village, gold mines, a dragon’s lair, and other areas while using items and encountering wizards, trolls, leprechauns, and other strange creatures. All four games are mediocre at best, and only Super Robin Hood gives players a weapon. Unlicensed.

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

Quattro Arcade consists of four previously unreleased, highly playable games. F-16 Renegade is a vertically scrolling shooter in which players fly over forests, deserts, and an arctic wasteland, firing bullets and bombs at tanks and planes, the latter of which move in patterns and release power-ups. Certain levels offer a third-person, behind-the-plane perspective. C.J.’s Elephant Antics is a cute side-scrolling platformer in which C.J. runs, jumps (over spikes and on moving platforms), throws bouncing bombs, and shoots peanuts through his trunk at such enemies as freaky frogs and savage snowmen. In Go! Dizzy Go!, the egg-shaped Dizzy and his pal Denzil maneuver around a series of themed mazes (Underwater, Forest, Pyramid, Mountain, and Castle), collecting fruits and power-ups (shields, smart bombs, the ability to move blocks) while avoiding enemies. Stunt Buggies is an overhead-view, Rally-X -style racer in which players drive around mazes, collecting bombs and avoiding or blowing smoke on a wacky assortment of enemy vehicles. Unlicensed.

Quattro Sports features four graphically challenged (actually, Baseball Pros looks decent) titles in one cartridge. The best game in the bunch, Baseball Pros is playable, but does have some flaws, such as regulation games lasting 10 innings and the apparent lack of a shortstop. Viewed from overhead, Soccer Simulation features throw-ins, penalties, and fouls, but moves much faster than the real sport. Played on three different court surfaces (grass, clay, and gravel), Pro Tennis features lobs, smashes, volleys, and other hits, but serving the ball in bounds can be tough. Similar to (but nowhere near as good as) Ivan “Ironman” Stewart’s Super Off Road , BMX Simulator offers 15 different tracks across three types of terrain: Dirt Biking, Desert Riding, and Quarry Racing. Unlicensed.