Video Game Search

showing 15 games

name	publisher(developer)	year	description
Chack'n Pop	Taito (Tose)	1985	Chack'n Pop is the unofficial precursor of [game=#28]Bubble Bobble[/game], but by far inferior to its famous sequel. You have to destroy monster eggs with timed bombs as well as recover a stolen heart from a cage. Problem with this game are the bad controls and stupid aiming of the bombs. Combine this with a harsh time-limit and you get a game that is infuriatingly frustrating. Graphics and sound are also on the weak side.
Warpman	Namco	1985	Simple single-screen shooter where you have to kill a certain amount of aliens to finish a stage. Warpman is basically an improved version of the 1981 arcade game [game=#763]Warp Warp[/game]. There are two different playing fields. The one is in space and has very straightforward shooting gameplay, the second one is in a Bomberman-style maze where you have to leave bombs on the ground to kill nearby enemies.
Bomberman	Hudson Soft	1985	The Famicom/NES version of Bomberman is technically not the first Bomberman, the MSX and other computer versions were a bit earlier. But it is the first Bomberman with the typical Bomberman character and general graphical look that so many subsequent games in the series would borrow from. Sadly this Bomberman version doesn't have the best and main fun feature of later sequels, namely the multiplayer part. So you just run around the (scrolling) maze solo, bombing enemies and stone blocks in search of the exit door. Slightly above average game, but missing the fun factor of the better sequels.***published 1985-12-19 in Japan NES-BM-USA published 1987 in the USA 1 player only. Bomberman is a robot who dreams of freedom from his task of bomb making in the underground explosives factory. He's told a rumor that if a Bomberman reaches the surface he is granted one wish. He intendeds to escape, his wish will be that all Bombermen could become humans. Bomberman can drop timed bombs, that's it. But he can grab powerups to increase his bomb range and carrying capacity. The factory is full of guards who will stop Bomberman at all costs. They can be destroyed with bombs, but so can Bomberman, so Bomberman must becarful to stand in the right places. Each floor has an exit to the next floor that is hidden behind bombable walls. Bomberman is 50 floors underground. A password system allows Bomberman to continue from any level he knows the password for. The password also stores score, carrying capacity, and bomb range.[spoiler=secret powerups;secret powerups]The remote detonator & flameproof suit do exist in this game. The only known way to get them to show up in the world is with hacked passwords or cheat device[/spoiler] [Zerothis]
The Goonies	Konami	1986	[media=youtube]https://youtu.be/_VujmV_fkeI[/media]* [17]This was the second 8-bit Nintendo game based on a movie. And this on was actually created to be based on a movie (not a re-branded version of another game). Quite odd, its based on a North American movie and yet never released outside of Japan for the NES.The Goonies is a maze-like platform game based on the movie of same name. Your task is to find and rescue all your friends, who are behind closed doors which have to be opened with bombs that can be found from killed enemies. You also have to find key parts, which are also behind said doors. The game's difficulty level is low. Once you know your way through the rather small mazes the game offers not much challenge. Nevertheless it is maybe the second-best platform game for the NES at the time of its release (only beaten by Super Mario Bros.), due to its good playability and controls. Music is also well done when compared to the usual high-pitched noisy music of other early NES/Famicom games.*Released only in Japan, Americans had to settle for the playchoice-10 or Vs. System arcade versions [Zerothis]
Space Hunter	Kemco	1986	Space Hunter is an action game by Kemco with a similar setting and protagonist as [game=#8012]Metroid[/game]. You freely visit a couple of planets with the goal to kill the boss enemy. Each planet consists of many rooms with a maze-like structure. With your jetpack you fly through the non-scrolling screens and kill monsters mostly by using bombs. Other extra weapons and items can be found in little dungeons. When you enter a dungeon the screen switches to a top-down view and after killing all the monsters in the mini-dungeon you are awarded with a hint or a special item. Bosses can only be killed by special items which are often found on different planet so you have to constantly switch between them. Once a boss is beaten the planet explodes and after beating all planets a hidden last planet appears which houses the final boss enemy. Slain enemies leave power ups for your extra weapons or refreshing your health meter. Graphics are average, playability is soso. The music is quite nice, but in the end its too short and there are only two tunes in the whole game. What I disliked most is the search for the necessary extra weapons. Often they are too well hidden behind invisible doors. And killing monsters is really frustrating with your standard bomb.
Hottaman no Chisoko Tanken	Use	1986	In "Hottaman no Chisoko Tanken" the goal is to reach the exit door of each level. The exit door appears after collecting all four keys hidden in the level. Controls and gameplay are similar to [game=#153259]Dig Dug[/game], the levels are much bigger though with more elements, like collecting and placing bombs to reach treasure/keys. Teleporter fields can be used to teleport yourself to different locations. However the teleporters destination is random, you could possibly land at every teleporter in the level. Also, killed enemies reappear very fast at the very same location where you have killed them. All this, amongst the not so good graphics and music, make this game rather unattractive for action gamers and too much based on randomness for puzzle gamers. The game only features about 15 levels, eventually starting over at level 1. Not very much content when you compare it with similar games of its time.
The Legend of Zelda	Nintendo;Hyundai;Playtronic (Nintendo)	1987	[83]* [4]* [33]* [22]* [52]* [49]* [47]* [27]The NES version of the first Zelda game appeared roughly a year after the Famicom Disk System version and is of course nearly identical. Fine graphics and music, a huge overworld and many tricky dungeons. Complexity combined with good playability makes it a genre defining masterpiece and started one of the most popular game series ever. The Japanese cartridge version was released way after the original release in February 1994, most likely due to the fact that even in Japan nobody used a Disk System anymore at that time. It was also one of the very last Famicom releases.Gather the Triforce Fragments, collect the weapons needed to defeat Gannon (its says "GANNON" in the game).Rescue the princess. Then do it again (1st Quest, 2nd Quest). This is an appropriately difficult action-adventure with minor puzzle elements and maze like dungeons. There are enemies on nearly every screen to be dispatched by sword, boomerang, arrow, bomb, flame, recorder (flute), and/or magic. Originally released 1986 on the Famicom Disk System, the game was "ported" to cartridge and brought to the western world a year later. In 1994 a cartridge version was created for Japan also. Suggested simple instructions: Kill anything that moves; burn, blow up, feed, and/or steal anything that doesn't; in proper order. You can stop and save your game at anytime without dying. Press start to go to the sub-screen menu. Then on controller 2 press ↑+A. This is often incorrectly regraded as a 'secret'. But in reality, its written in the game instruction booklet. North American (English), European (English), and Japanese (Japanese based with English text also) versions of this cartridge were officially published in 1994. It has been unofficially translated, via ROM patches, to the follow languages: Croatian, Danish, Dutch, Esperanto, French, German, Greek, Italian, Latin, Lojban, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish and Turkish. 젤다의 전설 NES-LZ-KOR published 1987 by Hyundai Electronics Industries Co., Ltd. in Korea. ????????? NES-LZ-HKG Gold cartridge published 19?? by Hi-Tech Expressions in Hong Kong A Lenda de Zelda (NES-LS-BZL not printed on product) Grey cartridge published 19?? by Playtronic localized by Hi-Tech Expressions Tags: The first game in the Legend of Zelda series. Miyamoto has stated that Mario and Zelda titles were intended to be playable animated cartoons. A character in the game, Zelda, is kidnapped by the antagonist in the hopes of forcing her to reveal a secret. One of Link's goals is to rescue her. Link can obtain a bow and shoot arrows at enemies. Damaging an NPC causes balls of energy to be launched at Link from out of fires. Miyamoto is a Shintoist and has publicly acknowledged incorporating Shinto into the Zelda games. This cartrige include 3 save slots via battery backed Save RAM. When played on a NES deck modified for stereo or an emulator with stereo, many have noticed that this game seems to have been designed for it. Their are Christian Crosses on Link's shields and on gravestones which has been shown to be against Nintendo's Content Guidelines by other games which have had Christian Crosses censored. [Zerothis]*Zelda. What more is there to say? Now that the N64 version is out, I hope this one isn't forgotten. I bought this when it came out and it is probably THE best game ever. Out of the NES versions, SNES versions, and this one, this one is probably my fave. The gameplay is amazing, the challenge is kick-ass, the storyline is pretty sweet, and it will keep you glued to your NES from start till finish. Trust me, this one is as good as the N64 version. Even though it doesn't have fancy graphics, the gameplay is unlike any other. You won't be disappointed!!!!
Booby Kids	Nichibutsu	1987	"Booby Kids" (yeah that title is great) is a typical "collect all items to open the exit door" game. It is an arcade port, but the levels are all new and the gameplay adds something here and there (the TG-16 version [game=#10564]Cratermaze[/game] is a much more faithful port). You can trap enemies by digging holes. There are some extra items that slow down enemies or make you invincible for a short period of time. Sometimes you must bomb your way free to open up ways and find hidden items. The levels consist of different times zones, starting with a prehistoric-theme and ending with a futuristic setting. While the graphics change in each time zone the general gameplay elements stay the same. "Booby Kids" is worth to check out if you like maze / action games.
Robo Warrior	Hudson Soft;Jaleco USA;Jaleco (Hudson Soft)	1987	[103]* [49]* [62]* [33]You're Zed, half man, half cyborg. The one-man battalion with a human heart and a computer's brain. Can you blast your way alone through 27 battle zones to liberate the desperate people of the planet Altile from the evil invader Xur? Xur has seized the weather control station; it's bitter cold, and the people have fled underground. He knows you've landed. No turning back. You must recover an arsenal of 12 different weapons and 6 powers hidden on Altile. Megaton bombs, life vests, hyper missiles, super boots, cross-fires, super bombs, energy capsules, life pods, power balls... Master each to save yourself from a continuing barrage of 20 deadly enemies. Wisps, Wanes, Tracers, Strinkers, Skraugs, the Globula, Gholem, Viripides... They're mean, they're ugly, and they're after you. Flying. Dive-bombing. Writhing. Grabbing. Find the keys, or you're blocked in a battle zone forever. Find the hidden chalice and be saved from eternal doom. Hit the switch. This is war! [52]* [37]***"Robo Warrior" (or "Bomber King" in Japan") is a kind of spin-off to Hudson's earlier "Bomber-Man" game. It enhances the gameplay by various elements and it is a mixture of the first solo-only Bomberman gameplay and Action-Adventure type game. The premise is simple. Walk from left to right, find the hidden key at the end of the level which opens the exit door. However, while the game plays rather well there are some annoying typical old-school gameplay elements in place. First a super-harsh time-limit. Your energy goes constantly down except you find hidden energy/battery symbols. Many bombable blocks are hidden as normal non-destroyable blocks. Some stages loop endlessly unless you find a certain item etc. Virtually necessary extra items are often too well hidden. Many secrets are not necessarily bad for a game, but only when they are more or less optional, not when they become essential and when your constant low energy level makes you fear to explore the levels slowly. Could have been really good with a fairer difficulty level. Graphically its simple but ok. Not many different graphical layouts and quite a lot of color-swapping. The music is catchy enough.
Karnov	Data East;Namco (SAS Sakata)	1987	Karnov is a decent platform/shooter arcade port with nine quite varied levels. Except the unusual hero (a russian bodybuilder-type guy) the game lacks outstanding features though. It has a little bit of everything but nothing very memorable. Strangely they removed all the little cut scenes between levels from the US version and seemed to change the overall story. Not that it affects gameplay itself but I generally dislike such actions.*Karnov, a big fat Russian man, is on a quest to find treasure, and who can really blame him? Not me! But there's enemies that are standing in his way, but he can use his firepower to keep some odds in his favor.*Noticeably altered version of the arcade game. Although superficially the same game, there's significant changes to it.
Donald Land	Data East	1988	"Donald Land" wasn't the only game based on the McDonalds brand, but it was the first one for a videogame console and only released in Japan. It is a straightforward platform game. I kinda liked it more than I first expected that I would. Controls are ok, difficulty level just right and the levels are varied enough. Gameplay-wise the only thing I did not like was the attack method with bombs. You can't shoot forward in this game, but only throw bombs in a certain angle. Quite often its hard to aim correctly to hit enemies. I also really dislike the Ronald McDonald character, which you control as the hero. That guy is creepy and ugly. But doesn't change the overall good impression the game left with me.***[media=youtube]u_VILmI6kT8[/media]
8 Eyes	Seta;Taxan (Thinking Rabbit)	1988	After hundreds of years of chaos, mankind has finally emerged from the ruins of nuclear war. This world of the distant future has once again flourished under the guidance of the Great King, who harnessed the power of the 8 Eyes to rebuild the planet. These strange jewels of power were formed at the eyes, or center, of the eight nuclear explosions which nearly destroyed the Earth. In the wrong hands, the 8 Eyes could cause untold destruction... And now, they have been seized by the Great King's eight Dukes, in a desperate bid to gain control of the world for themselves. They have banished the King to the nuclear wastelands, and already their squabbling threatens to plunge the world into war once again! The task of retrieving the 8 Eyes falls to you, Orin the Falconer, the bravest and mightiest of the King's Guardsmen. With your fighting falcon, Cutrus, you must penetrate each of the 8 Dukes' castles. There you will face the Dukes' soldiers, and battle strange nuclear mutants such as living skeletons, giant wasps, and mud men. You must defeat the monstrous Boss of each castle to retrieve the Jewel of Power he guards. Then, to complete your quest, return the 8 Eyes to the Altar of Peace to await the return of the Great King, so that he may finish the rebuilding of Earth. Your reward will be the eternal gratitude of all mankind!* [49]NES-8E-USA エイト・アイズ literally reads `[code]eito aizu[/code]´.**Great Castlevania-type sleeper.
Crystal Mines	Color Dreams	1989	You will be wonderfully surprised once you take over the controls for this hi-tech robot. Endless levels of cleverly designed worlds stimulate even the most demanding players! Your object is to mine the valuable "Starla" crystals by learning to use the ingenious devices in the mines. You can blast your enemies with energy balls and explosions or crush them by setting off avalanches. But watch out for unexplained chain explosions, for they can easily blow your robot to bits! After meeting the quota of crystals, another whole new world awaits your challenge. Only by discovering new strategies and adapting to the ever-shifting mines can the player overcome this dynamic puzzle.* [52]* [37]***Reviewed as "Crystal Games". [36]
Bomberman II	Hudson (Hudson Soft)	1991	HFC-2X Bomberman II published and developed by Hudson Soft 1991-06-28 in Japan NES-49-NOE Dynablaster published and developed by Hudson Soft 1991 in Europe NES-BW-USA Bomberman II published and developed by Hudson 1992 in the USA The main game is 1 player. The battle mode is 1 player, 2 players, or 3 players simultaneous. [Zerothis]
Mig-29 Soviet Fighter	Codemasters;Camerica (Codemasters)	1992	1 player or two players in hotseat cooperative play. Fly your MiG-29 in missions against spy, traitors, & thieves bent on helping enemies of the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Weapons include missiles, guided bombs, and tactical nuclear weapons. Should you be shutdown in 2 player mode, your comrade (player 2) will take your place in his MiG-29 without interruption to gameplay. Player 1 will takeover after player 2 is shutdown continuously until someone is out of lives. Dispite displaying a 1989 copyright, the NES version was not published until 1992 [Zerothis]

permalink