All-Time Highest Rated Games Tagged 'NES' on The Great Games Experiment All-Time Highest Rated Games Tagged 'NES' on The Great Games Experiment http://www.greatgamesexperiment.com/css/logo.jpg All-Time Highest Rated Games Tagged 'NES' on The Great Games Experiment en-us Chrono Trigger The 32-meg Chrono Trigger utilizes time travel, science-fiction, and fantasy adventure to create one of the best role-playing games ever. The game's hero, Crono, is transported into the past and ends up altering the course of history, and with it the future as well.

The integral time travel element of the game enables players to alter the game by changing the past, give players multiple endings and excellent repeat game play value. There are mini-quests, a huge cast of characters, realistic time travel, non-linear game play, and more active and interactive battle scenes than Squaresoft's 1994, highly acclaimed, role-playing game Final Fantasy III.
]]> 06 Dec 2006 11:26:30 The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time After a nightmare involving a certain young princess and the evil thief Ganondorf, series hero Link wakes up in his home village tucked away behind the mysterious Lost Woods. The only Kokiri without a fairy, Link soon meets up with his new traveling companion, the winged Navi, and sets out on the adventure of his life. The quest, which inevitably turns into a rescue mission for Princess Zelda, leads players through dark dungeons, picturesque villages, into the heart of a volcano, to the bottom of a lake, through a haunted desert, deep into a magical forest, into a giant tree, the belly of a beast, and even through time.
]]> 25 Nov 2006 10:02:58 The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past Arguably the finest example of two dimensional gaming goodness, the Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is the true inspiration behind the masterpieces that are Ocarina of Time, and Twilight Princess. The fine soundtrack is but one of the seminal areas of inspiration;in fact, a majority of the most prominent Zelda themes -such as Zelda's Lullaby and Kakariko Village tunes; even the name entry music-were directly lifted from A link to the past's musical score.

Between the environmentally based dungeons, two distinct realms, hookshot and punt-able chickens, it's clear to see that the original Legend of Zelda merely provided the canvas and a rough sketch of the series whereas A Link to the Past served as a the charcoal and oil paints.

Yes A link to the Past is truly a Bob Ross inspired happy little tree in the corner of the masterwork that is the Legend of Zelda series.
]]> 28 Nov 2006 11:36:44 The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening Link, after setting sail for new experiences and adventures, finds himself caught in a squall at sea. Helpless in spite of his valiant efforts to last through the storm, he is overwhelmed by vicious waves and lightning...

Some time later, a gentle girl named Marin discovers him washed up on Toronbo Shores.. the beach of Koholint Island. She finds a way to get him home and takes care of him until he finally awakens. Marin and her father, Tarin, explain to him where he is, and after he sets out to reclaim his sword, he encounters a mysterious owl... The owl cryptically warns Link about the perils this island faces should the Wind Fish be disturbed from his slumber, and thus Link decides he must do something to save them.

This owl guides him throughout the rest of his journey, slowly helping him uncover just what exactly is going on. Link learns that, unfortunately, in order to save the islanders he had grown to love, and to set himself free, he must also end a dream, a romance that he might not want to... To save all those people he had come to know and cherish from the Wind Fish's Nightmares, he would also have to end the illusion that caused them to exist in the first place.

It's a heart wrenching choice to confront, one that Link no doubt regrets with every deep ache of his very soul.. but the only alternative was to let the Nightmare take over and destroy everything.. This was the only fate he could offer them...

A tragic, touching tale that is told in the simplest way, Link's Awakening is a dream that I'll always hold dear to my heart...
]]> 08 Feb 2007 11:34:05 Super Mario Bros. 3 One of the most respected games in Nintendo's Mario Bros. series, Super Mario Bros. 3 introduced new moves and abilities to the tried-and-true sidescrolling platformer franchise. After the vastly different gameplay of Super Mario Bros. 2 (which was based on the Japanese Doki Doki Panic), the third game in the series gets rid of Mario's turnip-pulling abilities and replaces them with new feats like flying via the raccoon suit, and hammer throwing with the Hammer Bros. suit. The idea is once again to thwart Bowser's evil plans and battle your way across eight different themed worlds to win a kiss from the Princess.
]]> 07 Feb 2007 02:17:39 Caveman Ugh-lympics
Before corporate sponsors and fashion gear, there were Cavemen. Competition was ugh-ly. Athletes won by bashing the other guy first. pick your favorite Ugh-lympian. Club your way through six pre-hysterical events. Beat your friends to the Caves Of Fame.

Caveman Ug-lympics was Dynamix's 1988 entry into the realm of the sports game, caveman style.

The prehistoric olympiad consisted of: The Mate Toss, Clubbing, Dino Vault, Dinasaur Race, Firemaking, and the Sabertooth tiger Race. Plus athlete interviews and profiles.

Originally published by Electronic Arts and available for Commadore 64 and DOS. Later it was released for the NES under the title "Cameman Games."

Play Now @ nintendo8.com
]]> 08 Dec 2006 11:15:02 Ultima V: Warriors of Destiny Ultima V continues the story of the Avatar begun in Ultima IV. The game begins with Lord British captured on a mission of exploration in a newly discovered Underworld. The Avatar (player) is called back through a portal to Britannia, where tyrant Lord Blackthorn rules with an iron fist and is backed by 3 mysterious "shadow lords".

With a deep plot and rich interactive world, Ultima V substantially raised the bar for RPGs of the day.
]]> 06 Jan 2007 10:26:41 Bubble Bobble
]]> 02 Aug 2007 12:42:25 Super Mario Bros. Super Mario Bros is a classic game of Nintendo. It revolves around rescuing a kidnapped Princess by an evil creature named Koopa. Mario and Luigi must help each other to succeed in their mission and save the Toadstool Kingdom.
]]> 30 Dec 2006 07:27:55 The Legend of Zelda Ganon, the King of Evil, breaks free from the Dark World and captures Hyrule's beloved Princess Zelda. Before she is caught, Zelda manages to shatter the Triforce of Wisdom and scatter its eight pieces throughout Hyrule. Link swears to recover the Triforce pieces and rescue Princess Zelda from Ganon's clutches.

With Zelda, Miyamoto wanted to take the idea of a game "world" even further. In his own words, the intent of the original Zelda game (and every Zelda title since) was to give players a "miniature garden that they can put inside their drawer." His inspiration came from the fields, woods, and caves outside Kyoto that he had explored as a boy, and he has always tried to impart this sense of exploration and limitless wonder to players through his Zelda titles.
]]> 25 Nov 2006 08:08:47 Contra Playing with fire and murder in the eyes.
Keep squeezing that trigger and never let go.
If it moves, shoot it.
If it doesn't move, shoot it anyway just to be sure.
]]> 09 Dec 2006 09:14:23 Terranigma Terranigma is a 1995 action role-playing game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System developed by Quintet and published by Enix. It is the story of the resurrection of the world (as we know it), and its progress from prehistoric times to the near future.

Terranigma keeps a constant top-down view of the world. Instead of turn based battles, which were common in most RPGs at this time, Terranigma utilizes a combat system that allows the player to perform different attacks based on whether or not the player is running, in a jump, tapping the attack button, or a combination of the three.

(source en.Wikipedia)
]]> 08 Feb 2007 03:07:38 Little Nemo: The Dream Master
]]> 02 Aug 2007 05:28:39 Gauntlet Gauntlet, the original arcade smash hit, is a fighting game where you choose a character and let rip into the hordes of enemies that assault you on you way to the end of the level. One or two players must make their way through 100 levels of mayhem and magic.

It featured a choice of four characters to play with, each with different weapons. Thor the Warrior, has a bludgeoning battle axe, Thyra the Valkyrie, has a close range sword, Questor the Elf has his long range bow, and Merlin the Wizard has magical bolts.

Ghosts, goblins and even the life draining Death are your enemies. Enemies stream out of generators, so destroy these before tackling the rest.

Keys are needed to open the many doors within the levels, and in some situations a door will contain only bonus items, not a progressive route. Scattered magic potions act like smart bombs and clear the screen of all enemies. Beware of poison though, this reduces your energy level. Treasure is abundant throughout the levels and adds to your score.
]]> 30 Jun 2007 11:43:12 Castlevania Enter At Your Own Risk!
]]> 01 Dec 2006 01:34:44 Final Fantasy Hironobu Sakaguchi's Final Fantasy... the first of one of the longest role-playing game series known to mankind. Final Fantasy is the game for the NES console that started it all.

The world is veiled in darkness. Winds don't blow, the seas are stormy, and the earth rots. All people can hope for is that the ancient prophecy will be finally fulfilled. "When the world is veiled in darkness, four warriors will come..." And indeed, they come - the four characters you have previously chosen. Their first quest is to free a princess from the evil Garland.

Final Fantasy uses a turn-based combat system. The enemies wait until all of your party members have performed their moves, and the ATB (active-time battle) system is not used. You can buy weapons and rest in the towns, and the world map is populated by monsters, with which you will be engaged in random fights.

Before the game starts, you choose four characters from six different classes: Fighter, Thief, Blue Belt, White Mage, Red Mage, and Black Mage. Which four classes you choose for your character is entirely up to you. You also give the characters names. And then the classic quest for the orbs begins....
]]> 22 Jun 2007 03:45:49 Sid Meier's Pirates! (Original)
]]> 10 Sep 2007 02:28:50 Metroid It's Metroid. If you don't know this game by now, shame on you.
]]> 11 Feb 2007 02:36:33 The Bard's Tale Developed by Interplay Productions and distributed by Electronic Arts, The Bard's Tale is considered by many to be one of the pillar classics of computer fantasy role playing games.

The Bard's Tale allows players to create characters, form parties and adventure through Skara Brae. Combat is turn based and players can choos ethe actions of every member of the party.

From the box text:

"Long ago, when magic still prevailed, the evil wizard Mangar the Dark threatened a small but harmonious country town called Skara Brae. Evil creatures oozed into Skara Brae and joined his shadow domain. Mangar froze the surrounding lands with a spell of Eternal Winter, totally isolating Skara Brae from any possible help. Then, one night the town militiamen all disappeared. The future of Skara Brae hung in the balance. And who was left to resist? Only a handful of unproven young Warriors, junior Magic Users, a couple of Bards barely old enough to drink, and some out of work Rogues. You are there. You are the leader of this ragtag group of freedom fighters. Luckily you have a Bard with you to sing your glories, if you survive. For this is the stuff of legends. And so the story begins..."
]]> 10 May 2007 02:08:39 The Guardian Legend "Long ago, in a distant galaxy, an alien race sent a huge world-called Naju-hurtling toward Earth, loaded with a cargo of mysterious life forms.

During the long journey, these creatures have multiplied and become increasingly evil-and now Naju teems with evil. However, deep within this complex globe are self-destruct mechanisms that can be activated to destroy it before it reaches Earth.

Now, you must battle your way deep within Naju's labyrinths to destroy the alien world. You are the guardian of Earth and your saga will become The Guardian Legend."

The main character is anonymous, because their identity doesn't matter. What does matter are your actions, which include saving the world. It contains top down adventure action much like in Master Blaster and it has top down shooter sequences, which provides for a nice balance and variation in the action.
]]> 29 Dec 2006 09:31:35 Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom The saga continues with the final tale of battle for our brave hero. After Ryu's victorious duel with Jaquio, Ashtar returned to the bowels of darkness and bided His time. But another evil creature was already on its way as another adventure awaits the unsuspecting Ryu Hayabusa...

... in this, the final chapter of Ninja Gaiden.
]]> 21 Jun 2007 05:50:17 Pac-man Control a yellow circle, eating dots in a maze while evading the four ghosts. When you eat a power pellet, you can eat the ghosts for a limited time. Clear out all of the pills in a maze to get to the next level.

Eat the fruit for bonus points, and use the transporters on either side of the maze to lose any ghosts on your tail.
]]> 19 Mar 2007 01:52:22 Crystalis Taken from GameFaqs.com, thanks to Masvega

It has been said that an ending is merely a beginning in disguise. And so it was that when the Great War engulfed the world, bringing civilization as we
know it to an end, it ushered in the dawn of a new era. An era in which science and technology were shunned - for they had proven to be mankind's
downfall - and the ancient arts of sorcery and magic were revived.

As the survivors slowly rebuilt their world, towns and villages began to spring up, and the wisest and most capable of the magicians used their power
to keep order. Peace reigned over the land for a hundred years... Until a powerful magician named Draygon, intrigued by the forbidden ways of science, began to study the principles of machines and flying. Realizing the power he might wield if he combined his magic with technology, his mind became twisted by the urge to control and dominate his fellow men.

Draygon created a computer capable of simulating his magic powers. He placed it in a floating, fortified tower; and from this airborne fortress, he built and controlled his growing empire, until the entire planet was threatened by his ever-spreading evil.

In an attempt to combat Draygon, the other magicians constructed a series of powerful swords, along with powerful items to use with these swords. Based on the basic elements of the land - wind, fire, water, and thunder - the four swords, if used together at full power, would transform into the next elemental stage - that of crystal. This would be the mightiest weapon ever created: the sword Crystalis.

Learning of their idea, Draygon seized the weapons; but they had made them too well, and he was unable to destroy them. Knowing they could only defeat him if used together, Draygon scattered the weapons throughout the land, and stripped the wise magicians of most of their powers.

In desperation, they began to study the writings from the time of the Great War, where they learned of a great magician, the most powerful who had ever lived. He had been imprisoned in a cave and frozen by the evil forces of the Great War, who had hoped to use his powers to control the world after the war. Searching the globe, the wise men found the cave, and were amazed to find that the mighty magician frozen within was a mere lad.

Though they knew it might destroy them, they pooled all of their remaining powers in an attempt to will him back to life. When the boy awoke - his mind a blank, even his name forgotten - they had vanished, leaving him to find his destiny in this strange new world.

In Crystalis, you play the role of the young magician, making your way through Draygon's hostile land in an attempt to locate the weapons you will
need to defeat him. Draygon's monsters and black magic will threaten you at every turn; but you must not falter - only you can deliver the world from his
scourge of evil!
]]> 01 Feb 2007 04:38:32 Star Tropics Nintendo's 1990 title Star Tropics for the NES played in a style similar to the original Legend of Zelda. However, the weapons (yo-yo, baseball bat, etc.) make it seem more like Earthbound. The most unique aspect of the game was a piece of parchment that was included with the manual. It contained a letter from one character to the main character, Mike Jones. The game actually instructed players to dip the paper in water, which revealed the hidden number "747," which was required to advance in the game. This, obviously, posed a problem for anyone who bought the cartridge second hand.
]]> 08 Feb 2007 05:51:38 Adventures of Lolo
]]> 02 Aug 2007 03:30:18 Mario Tennis Game is about You - You are a player, who starts from low level, getting experiences, playing tennis matches and in the end of the game playing with nintendo's characters like Mario, Peach, Bowser etc.
]]> 30 Jan 2007 03:18:33 Blades of Steel Blades of Steel is an ice hockey video game released by Konami for the arcade in 1987, and ported to the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in 1988. All teams are fictional but based out of real Canadian and American cities. The game is known for its fast paced hockey action and especially for the fighting. It is a one or two player game. When playing against the computer, there are three difficulty levels to choose from: Junior, College, and Pro (with pro being the most difficult and Junior being the easiest). Each team consists of three forwards, two defencemen, and a goaltender.

The Teams

There are a total of eight teams, four from Canada and four from the United States. The four Canadian cities are Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, and Edmonton. The four American teams are from New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Minnesota. Each team sports a different coloured sweater, but some team colours are very similar making it difficult to distinguish between them. Presumably this is because of the limited capability of computer graphics in 1988.

The game

At the beginning of the game, the gamers can select either "Exhibition" or "Tournament" matches. An exhibition match is just one game played against either the computer or another player. Tournament matches are similar to the NHL playoffs. It starts out as one team of the player's choice going against other teams in a playoff style tournament. The team that is successful in beating all of the opposing teams is awarded the Konami Cup.

Fighting in the game occurs whenever two players bump into each other three times in a row without hitting another player. The fight screen appears and the gamers take control of their players. The loser is given the penalty and sent to the penalty box. If a fight occurs close to one of the nets, the referee may break up the fight and call a "penalty shot".

During the second intermission, either a video game will appear for Player One to play or a Konami ad will appear featuring a bear shooting the puck into a net mouthing the words "Nice Shot!" The video game is modelled off an old arcade game, Gradius, in which a little spaceship is trying to destroy a much larger spaceship.

If the score is tied at the end of the game, a shoot out (similar to a penalty shot) is used to determine the winner. Each team gets five shots. The team with the most goals after five shots is the winner. If, after that, the game is still tied, each team keeps getting one more shot until a winner is determined.
]]> 22 Feb 2007 01:47:22 River City Ransom "River City Ransom has been described as a cross between a beat 'em up and a role-playing game. The game follows a more or less linear path from start to finish, and fights take place in the style of Double Dragon (another Technos hit), with the player moving Alex (Kunio) or Ryan (Riki) around the screen using the directional pad, and pressing buttons to punch, kick, or jump. However, the characters' effectiveness in battle is determined by several statistics and their knowledge of fighting techniques, such as Acro Circus, Stone Hands, and Dragon Feet, which are purchased like items in shops throughout the city using funds recovered from defeated gang members. This loot may also be spent on various food items and spa treatments which serve to revitalize the player's stats while displaying a funny animation." ~Wikipedia

While playing the actual game is fun enough, other activities such as playing stickball in the park or simply beating each other up in a 2-player game add to the charm of this relatively unknown NES title.
]]> 10 Jan 2007 12:26:17 Animal Crossing: Wild World For a lot of people there's quite a bit of appeal to games like The Sims. One can play make believe in a reasonably realistic world, without having to deal with the crap that comes with real life. Buy into consumerism, and forge relations all you want, and if you make a mistake, just start a new game. Simple. However, these games couldn't really be enjoyed by younger people, or be played together by families since the games have content more suited toward an older audience. A few years ago, Animal Crossing took the core elements of these sorts of games, and slapped them into a fantastical world full of talking animals, cute goodies to collect, and let people play at a leisurely pace, just enjoying the environment, and doing things as quick or slow as they liked. It worked on the Gamecube, and it works again now on the DS with Animal Crossing: Wild World - assuming you don't have a firm anti-consumerism stance.
]]> 25 Nov 2006 08:27:58 Solomon's Key Overview

Solomon's Key is generally recognized as one of the most difficult games to appear on the NES or any other platform for that matter. The player must overcome unlimited enemy spawning, challenging level designs, a countdown timer, Dana's fragility, and limited ways to dispatch enemies. In addition, it's easy for players to unintentionally make levels impossible to clear while playing them.

Solomon's Key also has many hidden items and secret levels that are hard to find which enhances the reward for playing. The ending also slightly changes depending on which secret levels the player finds and completes, if any.

Gameplay

The main character, Dana is sent to retrieve "Solomon's Key" to restore the world to light from demons that were accidentally released. The object of the game is to advance through the 50 rooms of "Constellation Space" by acquiring a key to the door that leads to the next room before a timer runs out. The game incorporates elements of the platform shooter genre. Dana can run, jump, create or destroy orange blocks adjacent to him as well as create fireballs to destroy demons. The orange blocks can also be destroyed by jumping into them twice. Along the way Dana can acquire items to upgrade his firepower and extra lives as well as item that award bonus points and unlock hidden rooms. With certain items, Dana must make, then break blocks (sometimes in a certain manner) to make these appear.

Levels

There are 64 levels in total with 15 being secret. The main levels are divided into groups of 4 with one group for each Zodiac constellation. The final level is called Solomon's room. Each constellation has a secret bonus room which can only be accessed by finding a seal for the constellation in the last room of the group. The other three levels are Page of Time, The Page of Space, and the Princess Room which occur only if the player has acquired the hidden Seals of Solomon.


Notes

There is a way to continue at the game over screen on the NES version. Hold UP along with the A and B buttons. Dana will start over from scratch (no scroll upgrades) at the last level completed, however Solomon's Seals will be retained. If a player gets a game over after room 40, the game will restart at room 40 if this cheat is used.

At the Game Over Screen a "GDV" score also appears. The score uses a weighted composite of several factors (like levels completed, items found, time and points) which gives the player a good idea of how well the last game was played. The higher the GDV the better the game.

In 1993, a sequel was released for the NES named Fire 'N Ice in North America but called Solomon's Key 2 elsewhere. A sequel for the original Game Boy entitled "Solomon's Club" was released in 1995. The 1999 Game Boy Color release Monster Rancher Explorer (called simply "Solomon" in Japan) by Tecmo is an updated port of Solomon's Key. The game was released for the Wii's Virtual Console on November 19th, 2006 in North America.[1] and on December 15, 2006 in Europe.

This description is from Wikipedia
]]> 13 Jan 2007 03:06:32 Mappy Game play

The player guides Mappy the police mouse through the mansion of the cats called Mewkies (Meowky in the U.S. version) to retrieve stolen goods. The mansion has six floors of long hallways in which the items are stashed. The items come in pairs; should Mappy get the same items twice in a row, the player earns more points. In addition to Mewkies, the boss cat Nyamco (Goro in the U.S. version) also roams around. He is faster, but less clever, than the Mewkies. Should Mappy get an item wherein Nyamco is hiding behind, the player gets a bonus of 1000 points. He only hides behind an object for three seconds, though.

Mappy and the cats move between the floors by bouncing on trampolines at the ends and middle of the hallways, and landing on a floor in the way up, but not on the way down. The trampolines will break if Mappy bounces on them continuously. When they pass in the air, Mappy is unharmed by the cats, but should Mappy run into a cat anywhere else, he will lose a life.

If Mappy tarries too long, a "Hurry" sign appears and the music and the cats are faster. A level is completed when all the loot is retrieved. If the player waits too long after this, the cat coin "Gosenzo" will drop onto the top-middle platform and chase Mappy in a manner similar to the Mewkies.

Many of the hallways have doors which Mappy can slam open or shut to temporarily knock out the Mewkies or Nyamco. Some of these are special "microwave doors" which release a wave which sweeps away any cat in its path (even off the edge of the screen). Every Mewky is 200 points; Nyamco is a multiplier of 200 points times 2. Any cat that is swept away reappears after a short while, jumping from the top center opening in the roof.

The third level and every fourth level after that is a bonus round. Mappy, unbothered by the cats, must bounce across a series of trampolines, popping suspended balloons along the way. A bonus is awarded if all the balloons are popped before the music ends. It is possible to pop the Nyamco balloon even if there is one balloon above him, because Nyamco will break any trampoline and will grab one balloon above him for Mappy.

The eighth to tenth levels have bells, which Mappy can hit so that it temporarily knocks out any cats below. Starting from these stages, the "Hurry" sign will also appear earlier, and there are more Mewkies.

The player uses a left-right joystick to move Mappy and a single button to operate the doors.
]]> 30 Jun 2007 11:52:44 Joust Joust's simple controls, and the fact that it was one of the few games two players could play together, helped make this arcade game a hit.

You play a knight mounted on an ostrich. You must use your lance to joust against wave after wave of enemies. The only controls you have are to flap your wings and to move left and right, making it quite easy to get into the game. You may defeat an opponent by colliding with them with your lance higher than theirs.

When you beat an enemy, they drop an egg. If you let it hatch by not collecting it, it will spawn a tougher enemy than the one who dropped the egg.

Other dangers include a lava pit at the bottom of the screen, a lava troll which tries to drag you into the lava pit, and a very tough-to-beat pterodactyl which appears if you take too long on a level.

Designer: John Newcomer
Released: 1982
]]> 13 May 2007 09:11:30 Final Fantasy III Final Fantasy III is the third game in the popular Final Fantasy Series. As with the rest of the games, this is an RPG. Four light warriors go and save the world from evil, similar to the story of the original Final Fantasy game. It has a job system where you can give a character a job, and then they gain the unique advantages and disadvantages of that job. It was recently released on the Nintendo DS as an enahnced remake, including new jobs, expading the storyline, 3d graphics, and being released outside of Japan for the very first time.
]]> 29 Jan 2007 09:19:47 Maniac Mansion At the start of the game, the hero, Dave Miller, finds that his girlfriend, Sandy Pantz, has been abducted by Dr. Fred Edison, and sets out to save her, with two of his friends. The player could select the friends from a group of six, and the game would play somewhat differently depending on which friends were selected.
]]> 30 Dec 2006 08:02:38 Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse Castlevania 3 took a step away from the RPG elements of Castlevania 2, returning to the original game's style. Set about 100 years after Castlevania 2, Trevor Belmont is the protagonist in this adventure. Trevor sets off to combat evil once again. The other main addition in this game were the three "Spirit Companions," each having its own abilities.
]]> 11 Feb 2007 01:46:51 Call of Duty 2 Call of Duty 2 redefines the cinematic intensity and chaos of battle as seen through the eyes of ordinary soldiers fighting together in epic WWII conflicts. The sequel to 2003's Call of Duty, winner of over 80 Game of the Year awards, Call of Duty 2 offers more immense, more intense, more realistic battles than ever before, thanks to the stunning visuals of the new COD engine.
]]> 25 Nov 2006 06:37:45 Lode Runner The Bungeling Empire has stolen a huge cache of gold from its rightful owners, and your mission is to infiltrate its treasury and recapture it. This entails progressing through 150 screens of platforms, ladders and ropes.

The Empire has sent robotic guards down to protect the gold, and contact with any of these will cost you a life. Your method of escaping them is to press fire to dig a hole in their line of movement, thus causing them to fall in briefly, allowing you to move across the gap safely. Once all the gold has been collected, a ladder allowing you to move onto the next screen is added. Completing these screens often requires forward planning and precision.
]]> 09 Feb 2007 06:28:37 Shadowgate Adventure in Castle Shadowgate and solve the many puzzles to defeat the evil Warlock Lord. Some puzzles if not done correctly lead to your death.
]]> 19 Apr 2007 11:14:43 Kid Icarus The all time classic, Kid Icarus.

In Kid Icarus players take on the role of Pit, who is on an epic, Metroid inspired, quest to save Angel Land from the evil Medusa and, in a Zelda style, save the goddess of light, Palutena.

Kid Icarus was one of the first games to feature multiple endings based upon how it was completed.

Kid Icarus has been re-released for download on the Wii as of 2/12/207.
]]> 07 Feb 2007 05:15:08 F-Zero F-Zero is a futuristic fast-paced racing game developed and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It was first released in Japan on November 21, 1990 and later in North America on August 13, 1991 and in Europe on June 4, 1992. Its success led to a series of games for multiple Nintendo consoles, handhelds, and arcade. This game has been confirmed to be downloadable for the Virtual Console service for Wii.[1] Like all Virtual Console games, Nintendo has confirmed that F-Zero will be faithfully reproduced in its original form.[2]

F-Zero was the first SNES title to pervasively use a special hardware feature of the SNES called Mode 7 that allowed different kinds of scaling and rotation effects, which F-Zero used to simulate 3D environments. Such techniques in games were considered to be revolutionary in a time when most games were restricted to static/flat backgrounds and 2 dimensional (2D) objects. A direct sequel for the SNES was cancelled due to the impending release of the Nintendo 64. The unfinished game was instead released for the Satellaview attachment of the Super Famicom in Japan under the name BS F-Zero Grand Prix.[3]
]]> 13 Jan 2007 02:58:18 AD&D: Pool of Radiance The game takes place in the Forgotten Realms setting, in and around the Moonsea region and the City of Phlan, which has been overrun by forces of evil. The city had originally held off many attacks, but the forces were marshalled by a bronze dragon which was believed to be possessed by a powerful spirit named Tyranthraxus. The object of the game is to have the party clear the old city of its marauding inhabitants, so the people of Phlan can rebuild and repopulate the areas.

The party begins in the civilized section of "New Phlan" that is governed by a council. This portion of the city is a place for the party to buy equipment at the shops, rest up in the inns, listen to rumors in the pub, and contract with the clerk of the city council for various commissions. The party can also go to the hiring hall and hire an experienced adventurer to accompany the party.

Beyond this region the party enters the area of the slums, which have been overrun with low-level monsters such as goblins and orcs that the party must clear out (gaining experience in the process). Further into the slums, the going gets tougher, with ogres and trolls for opponents.

The next commission is to clear out Sokol Keep, a fortified area located on an island. This is filled with undead, among other opponents. Inside the keep is a specter who suffers under a curse. When you remove this curse, the keep is cleared and the shipping lanes to the city are finally opened.

There are a variety of other locations that are encountered as the party ventures further into the city, including Kuto's Well, catacombs filled with a bandit horde, a thieves' guild, Podol Plaza, and a buccaneer bar called the Pit. With the party making impressive progress, they are next contracted to go to the old Textile House, to recover the treasure of a council member. Pressing onward, the party can enter Mendor's Library, a temple of Bane in the wealthy section, Kovel Mansion, and the deadly Valhingen Graveyard.
Encounter with Tyranthraxus, before the final battle.
Encounter with Tyranthraxus, before the final battle.

Eventually the party ventures outside the city by boat, where they encounter a silver dragon. Various side treks and adventures occur, including visiting an encampment of the Zhentarim, as the party continues to build up experience and aid the city by defeating the plans of the mysterious "Boss".

Now the more difficult endgame begins. The party reveals a traitor in the city council, and is commissioned to hunt him down. At some point the party will have to assault Stojanow Gate, a difficult task against bugbears and ettins. The party then enters Valjevo Castle and its inner sanctum, descends a stairwell to encounter some guards of the impostor Tyranthaxus (who assumes the form of a bronze dragon). After defeating his guards, the party refuses his offer to join his side and engages the dragon boss in a deadly battle, emerging victorious.
]]> 28 Jun 2007 10:56:44 Tiger Heli Players pilot a helicopter in this top-view scrolling shooter. Little side or forward firing helicopters may be picked up and will fly alongside the main helicopter, shooting at enemies.
]]> 03 Dec 2006 07:55:12 Deja Vu: A Nightmare Comes True A point-and-click adventure game released for the Mac in 1985 by MindScape. It was developed by ICOM Simulations, who pioneered the move from text-based interaction to point-and-click adventure games.

The story is set in the 1940s and you play a private eye who wakes up in a bar's bathroom stall. You find a body in the bar's office and have to track down the murderer to clear your name.

Developer: ICOM Simulations
Released: 1985
]]> 10 Dec 2006 12:12:33 Wario's Woods Wario's Woods, the last game made for the NES in 1994, is a puzzle game starring Toad.
]]> 09 Feb 2007 03:39:57 Ikari Warriors Overview

The player (or players: see below) takes the role of a commando-like warrior, who must try to reach the village of Ikari. Enemy units attempting to kill the player include tanks, enemy soldiers and helicopters. A number of power-ups along the way help the player to achieve victory.

Ikari Warriors was the first to use rotary joysticks: those which could be rotated in addition to being pushed in eight directions. The game also featured two buttons, one for the standard gun and another for lobbing grenades. It allowed two players to play cooperatively, side by side - one of the few games to do so at the time. The game cabinet was a standard upright.

Description

The player begins as one of two commando-type warriors, garbed in red (Ralf) or blue (Clark) (depending on whether they are player one or two). They must proceed from the bottom of the screen upwards, towards the village of Ikari. Trying to prevent them from reaching the village are enemy soldiers and other units with a frightening arsenal of firepower. Along the way, players may commandeer enemy tanks to help fight their way through the enemy personnel. The tanks are immune to enemy bullets, but have a limited supply of fuel and will sustain damage when it runs out or the tank is caught in an explosion, taking the player with it unless he can exit the tank and get clear before it blows up.

Ikari Warriors was the first 'Commando' style game to give the player a limited amount of ammunition (99 bullets and 99 grenades, not actually a great handicap) as well as power-up and bonus icons to improve your firepower, dropped by red soldiers. These are listed as follows:

  • Gun: restores machine gun ammo to maximum.
  • Grenade: restores grenade ammo to maximum.
  • Gas: restores all ammo to maximum and refuels the tank if the player is driving one.
  • K: Kills all enemy troops on-screen, except ones hiding underwater.
  • S: Gun and tank shots are sped up.
  • L: Long-range shot. Bullets travel the entire length of the screen.
  • F: Bullets turn red and can destroy trucks, gun emplacements and bases. Pierce shot. Bullets pass through rocks and other barriers without being blocked. Tank shots become rockets.
  • B: Blast grenades. Grenades turn red and produce giant-sized explosions. All tank shots become blast grenades as well.

    • The game's joysticks could be rotated in clockwise and counter-clockwise directions. Turning the joystick changed the direction the character faced independent of the direction the character might be moving. This gave the player freedom to attack or walk in eight different directions. This made it generally easier—but sometimes harder—to take out enemy units. Aiming must also be taken into account by the warrior using the machine gun in his right hand, while throwing grenades with his left; no shot is fired from directly in front of the player.

    Because of its innovative controls, this game was initially very popular. However, the joysticks proved somewhat fragile, especially when played heavily as this game was. They need to be repaired often since being unable to turn makes the game almost unplayable.
    ]]>     30 Jun 2007 11:48:08     Magic of Scheherazade A little known classic of the NES era, Magic of Scheherazade was created in a style very similar to the original Legend of Zelda. Th plot was enjoyable, and involved a bit of time travel. The main difference to the Zelda titles was the implementation of a password system rather than a battery save system.
    ]]>     08 Feb 2007 05:42:11     Metroid II: Return of Samus After the events on planet Zebes (alternately known as 'Zebeth'), the Galactic Federation decided that the Metroids must be eradicated to prevent anything similar from happening in the future. The danger was simply far too great. An extermination squad was sent to the Metroids' homeworld: SR388. Mysteriously, they were never heard from again...

    Samus Aran was considered the only one capable of completing this mission, and so she was called on once again, to wipe out the entire Metroid species by herself. In spite of the disturbing disappearance of the special squad sent in before, Samus ventures into the depths of SR388 alone, collecting upgrades to her Power Suit and hunting down these dangerous, yet curiously fascinating, creatures.

    However, the Metroids aren't simply the floating green parasitic jellyfish she encountered before... No, here in their home world, they grow beyond that and evolve into far more unnerving and powerful creatures, becoming increasingly tougher to kill. These creatures are defined by the stages of their evolution: Alpha, Gamma, Zeta, and Omega. Finally, the source of all Metroids, the Queen, lurks at the climax of the game.

    Thoroughly scouring the murky depths of SR388, finding herself frequently lost in it's maze-like catacombs, and barely struggling her way out of some frightful close encounters with the Metroids, Samus clearly has her work cut out for her. However, with the help of conveniently hidden Missile and Energy Tank expansions, as well as the Varia Suit and arm cannon upgrades (the Ice Beam in particular was helpful - those savvy with the series will understand why!), she manages to battle through this challenge and arrive at the Queen Metroid... A massive, freakish monster that is so advanced in her mutated evolution she barely even resembles her own offspring...

    The Queen, outraged at Samus for destroying her children, bursts through a wall and -eats- Samus! With some quick thinking, Samus curls into her Morph Ball and sets off as many bombs as she can inside the beast's stomach. After being consequently expelled out in result (and likely covered in some sort of mucus or slime), she's immediately attacked again! Narrowly scraping the surface of death, Samus leaps away from the lashing maw of the Queen, and frantically plugs her with every Missile she's got.

    After suffering enough concussive blasts, the Queen is reduced into nothing but withering ash... Victorious, Samus makes her way through the giant tunnel the Queen had occupied during the battle, and heads for the planet's surface, where her ship waits for her. But wait.. what is this pulsing mass in the dark..? An.. egg..?

    Samus witnesses the birth of the last Metroid as it breaks free of it's shell... The hatchling is immediately drawn to Samus - yet, it doesn't attack her. In an alert, confused analysis, Samus decides that since she was the first thing it saw after being born, it must see her as it's mother..! The little hatchling eats through obstacles in Samus' path as she treks for her ship to finally leave SR388, exhausted, her mission complete. Seeing this kind of behavior in the creature causes Samus to take the last survivor of the species back with her to the headquarters of the Federation...

    This bizarre turn of events on SR388 results in the next compelling chapter in the franchise: Super Metroid. It's an underrated and misunderstood gem in the series, one that definitely deserves a chance, especially considering that it's the story that defines the rest that follow it.

    Give it a play, you might be pleasantly surprised...

    See you next mission!
    ]]>     08 Feb 2007 01:39:50     Excite Bike The Nintendo EAD-developed 2D racer was one of the first to stick you on the steep hills of the off-road biking bracket. Forced to worry about overheating and launching off each jump at just the right angle, players were privy to a very unique and demanding gameplay experience. Not only that, but it also offered up a rare create-a-track mode. Not only has this highly respected classic endured the test of time, but it went on to see a warmly received 3D follow-up, Excitebike 64.
    ]]>     08 Feb 2007 07:24:10     Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! Classic 8-bit NES boxing game, pitting you (Little Mac) against a colorful cast of the worlds greatest fictional heavyweight champions. After a long 13 man battle to an epic 8-bit sound track, and across 3 ranked circuits, Little Mac must ultimately come face to face with Mike Tyson/Mr. Dream in The Dream Fight. With a little help from Doc, your insightful trainer, you might indeed become the heavyweight champion fighter!

    Use the D-Pad to dodge left and right, to aim high or duck down low to block oncoming punches. A and B jabs left and right, while pressing Select makes use of your Star-powered uppercut!
    ]]>     31 Jan 2007 06:18:35     Spy Hunter Spy Hunter is an action/driving game. It places the player as the driver of a "spy" vehicle. The object of the game is to travel the freeways and hunt down and destroy as many enemy vehicles as possible, while protecting and not harming innocent civilian vehicles.

    The view is aerial, much like a helicopter vantage point. The screen scrolls vertically underneath the player's car. An arrangement of the Peter Gunn theme music plays throughout.

    The game begins with the player driving a vehicle, the G-6155 Interceptor (fictitious, but modelled on a 1983 Z28; its name derives from the date of birth of game designer George Gomez). Soon, the player starts to encounter enemy vehicles which try to force the player's car off the road and crash. Each enemy vehicle has its own special feature, such as tire slashers or bulletproof armor.

    Points are scored for distance travelled (a counter increments the score while the player is driving) and destroying enemy vehicles, however these points are not added for several seconds should an innocent civilian car be destroyed. There is a lead-in time where the player has an initial endless supply of cars. After the lead-in time expires, the player must earn extra cars with high scores. The first extra car is earned at a default value of 30,000 points, but this value can vary depending on settings; up to 3 additional cars are awarded at similar increments.

    The player must be careful to avoid harming innocent civilian vehicles. There are three types of such vehicles — two automobiles (one pink in color, the other light blue) and a motorcycle. Destroying these vehicles causes the score meter to halt for a few seconds (in effect subtracting points from the player's score) and will result in the weapons van (see below) arriving only once instead of twice in that sequence (it is also possible to inadvertently destroy the weapons van itself; doing so produces the same consequences as destroying a civilian vehicle). A very hard, direct crash with a civilian vehicle can result in the player losing a car.

    Initially, the only weapons the player's car has available are two front-mounted machine guns with an endless supply of ammunition. Early on, these guns and the player's driving skill (the player can attempt to force or ram enemy cars off the road) are his only means of defense against the "bad guy" hordes. Eventually, however, the player encounters an ally, the Weapons Van. The player drives past the weapons van — which is bright red in color — parked on the side of the road. The van accelerates past the player's car and drops a ramp. The player can then drive up the ramp and enter the back of the van. The van then pulls to the side of the road and the spy car is equipped with a new weapon. A symbol atop the weapons van indicates which type of special weapon it carries. The weapons van appears twice in each sequence, or "territory" (forks in the road, where the player must bear either to the right or to the left, marking the boundary between one territory and the next). The player is not compelled to use the weapon supplied by the van; if uninterested, the player can simply ignore the van and drive past it.

    There are three special weapons in all and they can all be equipped simultaneously (though this is rare). The special weapons consist of an oil slick, a smoke screen and missiles. Each special weapon has a limited number of uses, for example, the smoke screen can be used four times (three times in some game versions). The special weapons are activated via dedicated buttons on the steering wheel. Once weapons are depleted, the car can be refitted with a new supply from the weapons van (the ammunition can be refilled in this manner before it is totally depleted, and entering the weapons van and receiving the same type of weapon twice in the same territory results in the supply of ammunition being doubled - this does not apply for all game versions). If the car is destroyed, either by being forced off the road or shot, all weapons other than the machine guns are lost when the car returns to the road.

    There are four enemy vehicles in all, each dark blue in color and possessing its own special characteristic:

  • Switchblade (subtitled Never To Be Trusted) with tire slashers (knives pop out of this car's tires and can force the player's car to crash if they touch his tires)
  • The Road Lord (subtitled Bullet Proof Bully) with bulletproof armor plating (the machine guns are ineffective against these cars)
  • Limousines called The Enforcer (equipped with Double Barrel Action) featuring a shotgun-toting thug who attempts to shoot the player's car
  • Helicopters called The Mad Bomber (subtitled Master Of The Sky) which attempts to take out the player with bombs. This enemy can only be destroyed with missiles (these can also unintentionally destroy the other enemies — and conceivably, the player's car itself — if they miss the helicopter, as missing shots can fall back onto the roadway - Missiles do not fall back in some game versions).

    • It is possible for the player to convert his car into a boat by voluntarily driving through a special boathouse located infrequently alongside the road; or at certain intervals the player will be compelled to enter the water, with the words "Bridge Out" appearing on the screen a few seconds before such forced entry. The boat driving sequence is very similar to the normal driving sequence, but provides a break from the regular action. In the water, the three enemies besides the helicopter are replaced by two others: The Barrel Dumper, which travels ahead of the boat and throws barrels into the water which must be evaded, and Doctor Torpedo, which shoots projectiles at the boat (using the oil slick on either of these characters results in their destruction by burning). At the end of this sequence, the player drives through another boathouse and his vehicle is instantly changed back into a car.

    Also, at irregular intervals the words "Icy Road Ahead" will appear on the screen; a few seconds later the scene changes to a "Winter Wonderland," and driving becomes more treacherous; however, some of the weapons — particularly the oil slick — will become more effective in destroying the enemy vehicles.
    ]]>     13 Jan 2007 03:17:18