Video Game Search

showing 1 - 50 of 76 games

name	publisher(developer)	year	description
Titan Warriors	Capcom	?	This vertical shooter went unpublished because Capcom had already released 6 games in 1988 and that's all Nintendo allowed 3rd parties at that time. [Zerothis]
Xevious	Namco;Bandai (Namco)	1984	[49]* [33]* [52]*Yes, Xevious is a classic arcade title of some fame. And it is a title released early in the Famicom era. But that shouldn't be an excuse for an overall unenjoyable gaming experience. Gameplay could be considered well done, since the controls are decent and the fact that you must throw bombs on ground targets gives the game a bit variety. But it is exactly the boringness and the non-variety of all the rest with the neverending flight over very plain ground with dull colors, shooting waves after waves of the same, bad looking flying enemies and ground targets that makes this game so inferior to nearly all shooters that would follow. The sound is especially annoying.*Players control their Solvalou ship and destroy the XEVIOUS forces. Fire the zapper missiles against air-based enemies and drop the blaster bombs down upon ground-based targets. Destroy Andor Genesis to earn bonus points. Unique enemies, interesting background music, a variety of vertically scrolling background environments and many hidden game play features differentiated Xevious from the other shooting games released at the time. Are you devious enough to beat Xevious?
Formation Z	Jaleco (Hect)	1985	Taking place in the year 2701, the player controls a robot which can transform into an aero fighter on a mission to stop an alien super weapon from reaching the Earth. The robot may move forwards, backwards and jump, and the aero fighter may travel anywhere on screen but has limited fuel in which to do so. A combination of the two must be used to avoid obstacles, as well as to destroy any on-screen enemies for extra points. [i]Source: Wikipedia[/i]***A rather monotonous side-scrolling shoot'em up game. Prominent feature of this game is the ability to switch between a land-based robot form and air-borne fightercraft. Everything is standard, unspectacular shoot'em up gameplay with rather plain graphics and sound as well as too many loops regarding the level environments.
Star Force	Hudson Soft;Tecmo (Hudson Soft)	1985	Moving in the darkness of the cosmos is a evil and mysterious planet named GORDESS. Everyone gave up fighting against GORDESS because of it's awesome power, until one day a soldier riding a space patroller challenged GORDESS to fight! Join forces with STAR FORCE and travel across the galaxy in order to defeat GORDESS.***Still a simple and straightforward vertical scrolling shooter, but a few steps more advanced and varied than a game like [game=#8480]Xevious[/game]. The game is playable, has graphics according to it coming from 1985 and with its 24 levels is considerably large for its time. The US and EU versions of Star Force have some minor graphical and sound improvements over the Japanese Famicom version.
Astro Robo Sasa	ASCII (Bits Laboratory)	1985	Astra Robo Sasa is an early and rather obscure action title for the Famicom. What makes this game special is its control method. You are floating through each screen. Shooting your gun not only kills enemies but also pushes you in the opposite direction of where you shot at. Your goal is to collect all energy packs in each level. Often these cubes must be shot free to get to them. The game tries to have a good amount of different looking levels with different looking environments, which is a nice plus. The control method though needs getting used to and might not be everybody's taste.
Volguard II	dB-SOFT	1985	The game is pretty similar to its predecessor (which only appeared on Japanese computer systems). It's a horizontal scrolling shmup of average quality, where you have to shoot down myriads of more or less interesting enemies. You start the game with your flying ship, which can later transform into a flying mech. Graphics and sound underline that this game is from 1985 and don't compare well to later shooters with similar concept.
Choujikuu Yousai Macross	Bandai (Namco)	1985	Macross is a great license, but the result is merely an average standard shoot'em up experience. In each round you have to fly through space towards a Zentradi mothership. Once there you enter the mothership and destroy its reactor core. This repeats endlessly just with more difficult enemy waves. There is not much of a story, so the license is wasted here. At least there are nice enemy designs. You can switch your own mech vehicle into three different forms, each with some positive and negative side-effects regarding speed, maneuverability and rapid-fire. This gives some depth into the otherwise rather monotonous gameplay.
1942	Capcom (Micronics)	1985	[media=youtube]https://youtu.be/N7mDn_ceL2Q[/media]* [52]* [52]*The positive aspect of this classic vertical-scrolling shooting game are the good play controls. On the negative side stands the repetitive stage and enemy design. Over 30 levels is much for an old shooting game, but after a few stages you have virtually seen everything the game has to offer. And in later stages with many enemies on screen the game begins to flicker annoyingly. Still quite an improvement over other classic shooters like [game=#8480]Xevious[/game].*This game is great its just your plane and you fighting planes for 34 or so levels. Watch out for the sand and the planes that circle you and come out you from behiend [mouw]
Exed Exes	Tokuma Shoten (Micronics)	1985	Exed Exes is a poor Arcade conversion with rather plain and monotonous graphics and gameplay. The pace of the game is rather slow and it takes a few rounds until the on-screen action becomes a bit more hectic. A special warning has to be given about the music. That high-pitched sorry effort of music gave me the creeps.
TwinBee	Konami	1986	A colorful and well playable vertical scrolling shoot'em up game. Technically a few steps below the arcade version but still a well done conversion. Gameplay reminds a bit of [game=#8480]Xevious[/game] with switching between shooting airborne enemies and bombing ground targets, but TwinBee looks and sounds better and is more varied. Power ups are gained by finding and collecting bells in clouds after shooting them until they change to a certain desired color. The five implemented stages are rather short. Only the last two levels are relatively difficult. Beginners will like the easy first half of the game.
Gyrodine	Taito (Human)	1986	Commonly misspelled "Gyrodyne". But Box and Title screen are clear on the proper spelling "Gyrodine".*Unimpressive generic vertical scrolling shoot'em up game. You switch between shooting airborne or ground targets similar as in [game=#8480]Xevious[/game]. There is only one seemingly everlasting level and no extra weapons. Your helicopter also moves a bit too slowly and enemy projectiles a bit too fast making it a pretty hard game.*[media=youtube]N8fEi-fxTMQ[/media]
Baltron	Toei (Shouei System)	1986	Baltron is a horizontally scrolling shoot'em up game with similar gameplay mechanics as defender. You can fly to the right and left and have a radar, which shows incoming enemies. But it is not a Defender clone. You don't have to rescue anybody and ultimately only have to go to the right. The game scrolls faster whenever you steer your ship forward to the edge of the screen. You also have the ability to warp a little bit forward, but that costs precious fuel. Otherwise I couldn't make out any extra weapons. The controls are ok, but the game itself is pretty boring, has no levels and is continuously looping with just a few color changes .
Mag Max	Nichibutsu;FCI (Nichibutsu)	1986	It's up to you to save the human race by transforming mechanical parts into the ultimate robot warrior--MagMax. On land, on sea, and in outerspace you shoot deadly lasers from your beam gun to fight off the forces of the three-headed mechanical monster of Babylon. If you survive the undersea volcano, you come face to face with Babylon in the final battle of the giant space robots.***In Magmax you control a ship from left to right through two different kind of perspectives. The first one plays above the ground and is played from an insometric view. The other one is underground and played by from standard side-view perspective. You can switch between both types by entering holes that appear from time to time. You can upgrade your ship by collecting mechanical parts. Eventually you will become a huge robot with much firepower, but it will also be more difficult to evade enemies' shots. The game plays average as are the graphics and sound. In the NES/Famicom version I missed the cool ground scrolling effect of the overworld part from the arcade version.
Argus	Jaleco	1986	[media=youtube]OTLp349Xppw[/media]***Another really bland arcade port from Jaleco. Argus is a vertically scrolling shoot'em up game not much unlike [game=#8480]Xevious[/game], with undetailed graphics, much too high-pitched music and average playability.
Gradius	Konami	1986	[100]* [17]* [62]* [49]* [33]* [49]* [1]* [52]Although UPC 0-83717-11001-0 appears on the USA Gradius box, this is barcode with an invalid checksum and it is not in the UPC database (no invalid codes are). 0-83717-11001-9 is on the Federal Republic of German box and is most certainly the intended code for the USA version as well, and is the registered UPC code for USA Gradius. Gradius ArchiMENdes is a special edition given as a contest prize. Pills in the game are replaced with bowls of ramen noodles.Gradius is one or two steps beyond every other Famicom/NES shooting game released at its time. The game ends the time where shooting games would loop endlessly. Gradius features several very different designed levels with great graphics and music as well as a clever extra-weapon upgrade system and good playability.*Across the galaxy, there exists a distant planet known as Gradius. Gradius’ peaceful existence has been brought to an end by an intense space invasion by a race known as the Bacterion. To save the planet, the hyperspace fighter Vic Viper has been deployed to fight the Bacterion invasion. Players pilot the Vic Viper through seven stages, shooting and dodging through deadly obstacles, while using various power-ups, including missiles, lasers, options and shields. The Vic Viper’s target is the enemy fortress, Xaerous. The only way to end the war is to plunge deep through the enemy forces and destroy its very core.
Seicross	Nichibutsu;FCI (Nichibutsu)	1986	Seicross is a port of a rather unknown arcade shoot'em up game. You control a futuristic hovercycle on a planet's surface and avoid being shot by enemy projectiles, maneuver around obstacles and ram enemy hovercraft into the scenery or just shoot them down. Along the way you rescue persons to collect some extra points. Graphics and music are unspectacular. The whole game becomes boring after a short period of time. Many level elements are repeating itself and the game has no real end. The game didn't hold my interest for long.
B-Wings	Data East	1986	B-Wings is an arcade port and an overall below average vertical scrolling shoot 'em up game and Data East's first try on developing/porting a game for the Famicom themselves. The controls and the number of different extra weapons might be ok, but the whole package is just boring. Background graphics are especially uninteresting with just some color-swapping and some square-shaped somethings on the ground.
Star Soldier	Hudson Soft;Taxan (Hudson Soft)	1986	[media=youtube]JHeL1xoZfPI[/media]*Star Soldier is maybe the best vertically scrolling shoot'em up game at the time of its release and together with [game=#7839]Gradius[/game] amongst the best early shooters for the Famicom/NES. The game plays like an advanced version of Tecmo's early shoot'em up game [game=#8247]Star Force[/game], which was also ported to the Famicom/NES by Hudson Soft. Some graphical elements are repetitive, which is normal with a game from 1986. But the controls and playability are already top-notch and the game is surely a breakthrough for Hudson Soft to become a big player amongst shoot'em up developers.*The standard for vertically scrolling shooters, Star Soldier is the original game that spawned all of the titles in the long-running Soldier series. Go inside a floating space station inhabited by a giant computer known as Starbrain. Your mission: to stop Starbrain's galactic invasion by piloting Caesar, a new, compact space fighter through 16 deadly stages. Collect power capsules to increase three different attributes of your ship: firepower, movement speed and defensive shields. Blast wave after wave of approaching enemies or use the innovative Trap Zone feature to fly beneath a land mass and avoid incoming fire. Conquer each stage to make your way to the final confrontation with Starbrain.
Sqoon	Irem (Home Data)	1986	Sqoon is a horizontally scrolling shoot'em up game. The player controls a submarine where he not only has to shoot everything in sight but also has to rescue as many humans as possible from underwater farms (where they are held like cattle by hungry alien invaders cough). Only by delivering people or gold bars to the surface you can fill up necessary fuel. Without fuel or touching an enemy you die. The graphics are not very detailed, background graphics consist mainly of simple blue water. Controls are average. Worst part is the miserable hit detection and the boringness that comes as soon as you have seen two levels. There is virtually no variety in later levels. After the eighth stage the game starts at stage one with some more palette swapped backgrounds.***The proper name is "Sqoon", however, proper spelling would be Squoon. which is not the actual title of this game.
Alpha Mission	SNK	1986	Defend your home planet against the Seven Stars Alliance! In the galaxy of Tetranova, a firece war between seven stars has laid waste to their planets. Having destroyed eachother's homes, the seven stars have formed an alliance to seek a new home, where they can rebuild and regain their strength to go to war once again. You must pilot the fighter ship SYD against the deadly fleet of the Seven Stars Alliance. The fate of Earth rests in your hands!* [49]* [52]* [37]*Alpha Mission is the first game from SNK for the Famicom/NES system, a vertical scrolling shoot'em up game and an arcade port. Sadly, the game is really unimpressive with rather boring looking levels and enemies. Collecting letters along the way lets you upgrade your standard weapons. You can also collect energy for several special weapons, which - as long as in use - uses up the energy steadily. As a result you are most of the time shooting with your meager standard laser (for air targets) and missiles (for ground targets). The ship is extremely slow at the beginning, hopefully you will find a speed up bonus soon or you will be in major trouble. The games few levels are rather short and eventually repeat itself endlessly, which doesn't add for some extra motivation. The music is also dull.
Super Xevious: Ganpu no Nazo	Namco (Tose)	1986	[media=youtube]BgIUHdLnR50[/media]***This game is several steps better than the original Xevious game, which I didn't really liked very much to be honest. Graphics are better and more varied as are the enemies. Each stage repeats indefinitely until a certain winning condition is met. That could be flying at a certain spot or shooting/bombing certain enemies. An interesting concept, but not perfectly implemented, because it is very often not possible to guess right away what has to be done to finish the level. That and the again really horrible ingame music (except in the last two stages, which have actual melodies) are the negative points of an otherwise nice new interpretation of a classic shooting game.
Terra Cresta	Nichibutsu;Vic Tokai (Nichibutsu)	1986	'TERRA CRESTA' is a shooting game that was released from Nihon Bussan in 1985. Players recapture parts that have been left in the ground. Intercept the enemy in formation attack and aim to the space devil Mandora. 'Arcade Archives series' has faithfully reproduce the masterpiece of arcade games for PS4 system. Also support PS4 system features. Players can share play screens and video with the SHARE feature, and players can also compete with other players for score online ranking. Please enjoy the masterpiece that built a generation for video games.***Terra Cresta is an arcade port and one of those typical vertical shoot'em up games that were so popular in the 80's. Playability is good, but the game is rather repetitive and eventually loops endlessly, which I don't like to be honest. There is the element of upgrading your ship with extra parts similar to Nichibutsu's other 1986 Famicom/NES shooter game [game=#7980]Magmax[/game]. That results in more firepower but it is also harder to avoid enemies' shots, because your own ship becomes significantly larger. Graphics and sound are average (and I miss a super cool title screen music as in the C64 version).
Super Star Force: Jikuureki no Himitsu	Tecmo	1986	"Super Star Force" mixes classical vertical-scrolling shooting action mixed with Zelda-like dungeon exploration parts. In order to defeat the endboss you have to collect "Time Stones" from dungeons which are hidden in different time zones. With your space fighter you fly through the different time zones and shoot lots of enemies. With shooting down enemies you earn time pieces which can be used as currency in shops to upgrade your ship/man and buy extra items that are needed in some parts of the game. Time pieces also work as life bar, each hit by enemies reduces your amount of time pieces. You also have to find clues how to open up some dungeons. Often you have to shoot a certain object in a past time zone to open up a dungeon or hint in a later time zone. I liked the game more than the very similar [game=#176988]Ginga Denshou: Galaxy Odyssey[/game] that was released at the same time for the Famicom Disk System. Super Star Force has ok graphics and plays well. Although sometimes it is rather difficult and without a walkthrough you will hardly find some of the secrets that are needed to finish the game.
Tiger-Heli	Pony Canyon;Acclaim Entertainment (Micronics)	1986	[49]* [33]* [52]* [37]Tiger-Heli is a vertical scrolling shoot'em up arcade port. You control a helicopter and shoot everyhting in sight. The game suffers from sprite flickering. That the Famicom/NES can do much better with better programming was for example proved by Zanac, which was released at about the same time. On the other hand the game's background graphics actually resemble "realistic" landscapes and objects. You fly over towns with streets and fortified, big battleships on the sea. That is a nice variation from many other shooters of its time where the background graphics are just a conglomeration of shapes and objects. After four stages the levels eventually repeat themselves endlessly. With smoother programming this game could have been cool, but as it stands it is just an average shooter.The Mission: Shatter the enemy defense lines and destroy the military headquarters of a war-crazed nation. The Time: Sunrise. The Place: Classified information. The Weaponry: Tiger-Heli and you. Tiger-Heli. The result of a billion-dollar defense project. The ultimate stealth helicopter. Turbine powered. Forged from ebony metal and glistening chrome. Armed with heat-seeking missiles and impact bombs. Able to fly in the stratosphere or inches above the ground. With only enough fuel to get you to the heart of the mega-fortress. Getting out is up to you. It's a last-ditch effort to halt a war-crazed nation. Fanatics sworn to overrun any country they can conquer. And, in this war, they've been winning. They have rocket firing tanks, destroyers, and weapons never seen before. You have Tiger-Heli!*Tiger Heli is the name of your helicopter, according to the box the result of a billion-dollar defense project and forged from ebony metal and glistening chrome. Your goal is to defeat the country of Cantun, which is run by terrorists and has become completely power hungry with an aim to take over the whole world. You're shooting tanks, ships, aircraft carriers and trains while flying towards the impenetrable military base. You shoot crates to get pickups. If you shoot the crate when it is green you get a bomb pickup, if you shoot it when it is red you get a mini helicopter that attaches to one of your sides shooting sideways, and if you shoot it when it is white you get a mini helicopter shooting forward. If you shoot 10 crates with a yellow diamond shape you get an extra life.
The Adventures of Dino Riki	Hudson;Rixsoft (Hudson)	1987	[media=youtube]j_SbnwBD9U4[/media]***"The Adventures of Dino Riki" is a shoot'em up game similar to the earlier released [game=#7924]King's Knight[/game] from Square. Instead of controlling the typical spaceship or airplane you are in control of a caveman, throwing rocks and other weapons against prehistoric creatures. The gameplay is similar to every other vertical scrolling shooters, with the exception of some very difficult jumping sequences, which are actually the worst part of an otherwise overall interesting and well playable game. After four levels the game repeats itself continuously, which was normal in very early Famicom/NES games but not really acceptable anymore in 1987.
Starship Hector	Hudson Soft;Hudson Soft USA (Hudson Soft)	1987	In the Star Year of 2038, the 4th world war on Earth destroyed all of mankind. The Starship Hector was thousands of light years away on an exploration mission. Upon their return to what is now ancient Earth, the Starship Hector found Earth to be desolate and inhabited by gruesome bio-mechanical Creatures. Starship Hector must fight its way past many different empires of these bio-mechanical creatures to save Earth's future. This challenge will be the toughest battle the Starship Hector will ever face. You must skillfully change your battle strategies constantly. This is the ultimate challenge to your battle skills. The objectives is to help the Starship Hector to survive in Ancient Earth and to defeat the gruesome Bio-Mechanical Creatures. Earth's future is in your skillful hands!!*A good typical Hudson Soft-style shmup. The levels consist of horizontally and vertically scrolling levels, nice graphics and music and good playability. Sadly there are no power ups except some items, which replenish you life meter. The game is pretty difficult. More weapon power would be really needed. Thus at least auto-fire is nearly a must-have for this game.*ヘクター'87 / Hector '87 published and developed 1987-06-16 by Hudson Soft Company in Japan NES-HH-USA Starship Hector published 1990-06 by Hudson Soft USA in the USA [Zerothis]
Air Fortress	HAL Laboratory (HAL Laboratory;Live Planning)	1987	Each level of "Air Fortress" is split into two parts. The first one is a side-scrolling shmup. An important aspect of this part consists in collecting enough energy and bomb power ups for the longer second part of the game. In the second part you explore the inside of each air fortress to locate its reactor and blow it up. Then you have only a few minutes time to locate the exit before you will die in the wake of the air fotresses' destruction. The air fortress are maze-like structures, but in contrast to similar NES games of that time there is nothing "hidden" at insanely stupid places like in [url=http://www.uvlist.net/game-8028-Milons+Secret+Castle]Milon's Secret Castle[/url]. The game is generally well playable. However that doesn't mean its an easy game. Far from it. The game starts nicely and easy, but soon becomes very very challenging. Even with save states the later levels are a challenge. And on top of that you will only see the real ending when you finish the game twice, the "second quest" being basically the same layout as the first playthrough, but with harder and more enemies.
Spy Hunter	Sunsoft	1987	Spy Hunter... considered armed and extremely dangerous. You control the turbo charged race car/hydro spy boat. You control a deadly arsenal of missiles, machine guns, oil slicks and smoke screens. Multiple nerve-shattering spy-action screens. Sophisticated spy-challenging graphics. This is hardly a game. It's a high-speed test of your secret agent skills. Meet the challenge and survive SPY HUNTER!***Spy Hunter might be a real classic in the arcades, but the NES version doesn't appeal to me. It's fast, yes, but thats all good I can say about it. The graphics are not very pretty and the gameplay is not very varied. An endless street (or waterway), avoiding other vehicles or shoot them down. And on and on it goes without change. There are no levels and no end goal besides accumulating a high score. That might have worked for an 1983 arcade game, which drew its main attention from its steering wheel controls, but it does not for a 1987 NES game in my opinion. I turned my NES off with a big yawn after two tries.
Stinger	Konami	1987	[33]* [4]*Moero Twinbee was first released in Japan in 1986 and saw its release in the US under the name "Stinger" in September 1987 on cartridge. In 1993 Konami re-released the game on cartridge for the first time in Japan, which is now one of the rarer and more expensive Famicom games. Moero Twinbee is an original Famicom game and is not based on an arcade version. The game is similar to its predecessor, but instead of only vertical-scrolling top-down levels you will also fly through a couple of horizontally scrolling levels. The game didn't change its extra weapons upgrade system. You shoot bells, which lets them change their color and thus upgrade your ship. The levels and enemies are again really crazy and cartoony. Some enemies are even everyday items like shoes. The game plays really well and does not slow down. The difficulty level is on the easy side, so beginners will have their fun with it.
Defender II	HAL Laboratory	1987	One of 4 prototypes presented by Nintendo to Atari as part of their deal to partner with them to bring the Famicom to North America. The potential deal was forgotten and ignored moments later as Atari began to considered that the 1983-84 video game market crash was possibly the end of videogames rather than a long-term pause in the market. These prototypes are not under copyright but do contain trademarks. [quote]Nintendo will, in the interests of expediency for this Christmas season, program 4 Atari titles of our choice.[/quote]*Star date 7211, the distant planet Ligaras, is being attacked by alien marauders. The residents of Ligaras are being abducted and turned into mutants. You, as the top gun of the Defender team, must save those people. The aliens are mean and vicious. You must fight with Landers, Mutants, Yllabian Space Guppys, and more. There is a special gate in each screen which you can warp into the other side of the planet. You meet more enemies there to fight. You are the only one who can save the planet. Battle with aliens at the speed exceeding the speed of light, in dark, unknown space!*First of all, Defender II works well as a fast paced shoot-em up and is a pretty solid arcade conversion which plays well. It's fast and represents the original arcade version well enough. That said I would have expected such an old arcade game to be ported to the Famicom/NES much earlier. When released in 1987/88 the game already showed lots of aging in the audio-visual department. Graphics are very simple and there is not much music. The simple gameplay neglects all the improvements shoot'em ups got in the middle 1980s (bosses, powerups, diversion in level and enemy design). It is a shoot'em up representing the very early 80s and as such it works, but it is a bit dissappointing for a 1987/88 release.
Salamander	Konami;Playtronic (Konami)	1987	[37]*You've saved the innocent people of Gradius from the vile Bacterions. But now an even deadlier plague has slimed into the neighborhood. It's Zelos, an all-engulfing, planet-eating alien who's hungering to take a bite out of you! Only this time you don't have to rescue the millions of Gradians alone. You can call on a starfighter friend from the planet Latis, who'll fight beside you in his RoadBritish space destroyer. You'll both be gunning for max power-ups, with ripple lasers, plutonic missiles and impregnable force fields. But you better be on target. For this isn't your ordinary space scum. And to crush him you've gotta soar through his guts, blast past his death traps and ultimately blow out his heart. Good luck, Commander. The galaxy's counting on you!Technically impressive and well playable shoot'em up game. Improves on the original [url=http://www.uvlist.net/game-7839-Gradius]Gradius[/url] in nearly every aspect, although I liked the side-scrolling parts more than the vertically scrolling levels.** [27]
Zanac A.I.	FCI (Compile)	1987	About a year after the original Famicom Disk System version in Japan, FCI brought a cartridge version to the US. Zanac is an early shooter from developer Compile, the team that would eventually program some of the best classic shmups ever. And already they show their skills with this game. It is highly playable with a "modern" extra weapon system and very fast, fluent graphics that don't flicker at all. Only the background graphics are the typical nondescript shapes that many old shooters have. The music is also well done. Even after a year of its initial release Zanac stays to be a very good shoot'em up game.***ZANAC is a vertically scrolling shoot-'em-up game that was released in November 1986. Take control of the state-of-the-art fighter, ZANAC, with the objective of destroying the bases of the mechanized enemy forces. Use your full array of regular weapons as well as eight special weapons to clear the 12 intense areas of the game. Be careful, though, as the game changes the degree of difficulty in real time based on how well you play. This ensures that it feels like you're experiencing a new game every time you play.
Breakthru	Data East	1987	The NES version of Breakthru is a good deal better than the extremely unplayable homecomputer versions, but still not an enjoyable game. Hop and shoot your way through boring enemy and level layouts.***Two players alternating with no interactions (alternating single player). There is driving but no racing in this game. This is a side-scrolling vehicle shooter. You vehicle can maneuver in narrow space and jump on the mountains, bridge, plains, city, and airfield levels. [Zerothis]
Vindicators	Tengen	1988	The year is 2525. An attacking force of alien space stations approach Earth. Scanners indicate that a direct assault would be useless. You must infiltrate and destroy the invaders with the most powerful battle tanks ever created: Vindicators. For one or two gamers, Vindicators blows you away with incredible action and graphics as you blast your way through each station. Your mission: locate and destroy its control room. Power up your tank with special features such as enhanced speed, shot range, shot power, force field or even "Smart Shots." Keep replenishing your tank's fuel supply. Once you're out of gas, you're out! Destroy all the enemy stations and you'll face the evil Emperor of the alien empire in a final showdown. Win and the world cheers with you. Lose and kiss it goodbye.* [63]*1 player or 2 players concurrent interactive play. Game is designed for both cooperative and competitive strategies. [Zerothis]
The Guardian Legend	Irem;Brøderbund (Compile)	1988	"The Guardian Legend" is an enjoyable mix of Zelda-style overhead Action-Adventure and vertical scrolling shoot'em up stages. Both parts are technically very well done, the game never seems to slow down even with lots of objects on screen. Compile showed again that they knew how to make this work. The game has lots of content with over 10 areas to explore on foot and over 20 shoot'em up "corridors". Lots of upgradable extra weapons. Quite impressive especially considering they packed this all in just a 1Mbit cartridge. After some areas the whole procedure felt a bit like rinse and repeat. There were no real surprises any more and the game started more and more to throw the same color-swapped enemies at you. But altogether a very good game.*The gameplay alternates between shoot'em up and RPG for a lot of fun (not to mention the fun lightsaber weapon and a two-bladed one, 11 years before The Phantom Menace).Long ago in a distant galaxy, an alien race sent a huge world --called Naju-- hurling towards Earth, loaded with 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.Great gameplay and music track. Definitely the best game for the NES, not to mention that the main character is the first scantily-clad female. XD [Zhu-sama]*Broderbund merely brought this game to the West, they had no part in making it. Compile developed the game and Irem published it. Guardian Legend, or Guardic Gaiden, is sort of a sequel to the MSX game Guardic. Anyway, this is an awesome game--a true classic. The gameplay is fantastic, diverse and challenging. You owe it to yourself to play this game. I would rank this as one of the best games for the NES. [cjlee001]
1943: The Battle of Midway	Capcom	1988	[media=youtube]https://youtu.be/c1Yi8grH7cQ[/media]***The most crucial and decisive battle of World War II is about to be fought...by you! Enemy forces are descending upon Midway Island. Enemy bombers, dive bombers, and zeros are roaring over the island like a typhoon. The surrounding Pacific waters are teeming with enemy aircraft carriers. As the top gun of the Navy's most elite crew of fighter pilots, you must pilot your specially-outfitted P-38 into the very midst of the enemy squadron. Equipped with an array of secret weapons, only you can turn the tide against the formidable enemy fleet. The outcome of history's most fateful air/sea battle rests in your hands! Can you avenge Pearl Harbor?
Legendary Wings	Capcom	1988	NES-LE-USA Legendary Wings published 1988-07 in USA Ares no Tsubasa/アレスの翼 published in Japam 1 player or 2 players simultaneous cooperative. Those are not birdmen but rather soldiers wearing mechanical wings from the Greek Icarus myth. [Zerothis]
Gradius II	Konami	1988
Fantasy Zone II: The Teardrop of Opa-Opa	Sunsoft	1988
Airwolf	Kyugo Boueki	1988	Note that this is [i]not[/i] the same as the American 'Airwolf' by Acclaim. This game is actually pretty decent, Acclaim's Airwolf was a piece of crap. [cjlee001]
Fantasy Zone	Tengen	1989
Galactic Crusader	Bunch Games;Sachen (Sachen)	1989	Your starship is alive - a metamorphic creature that can transform from a huge flying insect into a metallic destroyer! Penetrate squadron after squadron of bizarre alien fortifications. March onward to a final confrontation against an all-powerful enemy!* [52]* [37]*** [36]
Mission Cobra	Bunch Games;Sachen;HES Interactive (Joy Van;Sachen)	1989	Searing gunfire inflicts heavy damage on both sides as you slice into a murderous squadron of enemy fighter jets. As the commander of a fast and powerful helicopter, you must face an intense struggle against a pair of patrolling choppers before you are allowed to turbo-boost through enemy defenses to reach the motherships. Only with fast reaction and uncanny accuracy can you defeat the motherships which launch a seemingly endless arsenal of weapons.***1 player or 2 players simultaneous cooperative. Cartridge has at least 13 versions and variants. There are piggyback versions where a licensed cartridge is plugged into the back for play. Dongle versions which are essentially the same function but used a cable dongle instead of a built in slot. And standalone carts. Published in Brazil, Australian, Taiwan, and North America. [Zerothis]
Dragon Spirit: The New Legend	Namco;Bandai (Namco)	1989	For years now the kingdom of Olympia had enjoyed a wonderful period of peace. Even the fearful tale of King Amru's heroic battle with the demon Zawel had been long forgotten by his happy subjects. And when Amru's marriage to Alicia was blessed with the birth of the royal twins, Lace and Iris, the kingdom took it as a sign that the Fates were looking favorably upon them. But little did they know that far to the east the wicked Galda had been amassing an army of evil the likes of which could not be imagined in the blackest thoughts of mankind. Even the fearsome Zawel had been resurrected from the dead to join the murderous cause. Suddenly, without warning, Galda had struck, kidnapping Princess Iris and her attending maids for a sacrificial offering in the Ceremony of the Dark. As Amru lay helplessly on his death bed he knew there was but one hope for rescuing his beloved daughter and saving the kingdom from total destruction. He must finally reveal the secret of the magical sword of Arlia to his son, Prince Lace. The mighty spirit of the Blue Dragon must rise again!
Twin Cobra	American Sammy;Sony (Micronics)	1989	You are the pilot of the world's fastest attack chopper, capable of firing four types of ammo, and dropping devastating bombs. You fly over enemy strongholds and evade hostile battleships. Tanks, planes, and defensive helicopters fight you all the way. Up ahead, you see the island's menacing main defenses waiting for you - if you survive. Now the excitement of the coin-op sensation, TWIN COBRA, can be had in your home. Join the Sammy assault force in the greatest invasion ever launched!!
Metal Fighter	Color Dreams;Sachen;Kinema Music (Thin Chen Enterprise;Joy Van;Sachen)	1989	Returning from three centuries of intergalactic missions, MCS-920 is surprised by an alien-infested planet. Whatever few lifeforms survived were driven underground or transformed into battling bionic mutants. You must escape the tentacles of these mutants, seek out and destroy alien ships, then overpower grotesque alien guards to steal their fiendish and bizarre weapons. From barren landscapes and colorful coral reefs to abandoned and frozen cities, you will yet come face to face with the alien tyrant in each world!* [52]* [37]* [36]*It is definitely known that Color Dreams published Metal Fighter in the US. Sachen published it in Asia. This also may have been one of the few games that Sachen actually published themselves in the USA. They made 72-pin NES carts in NTSC format but there is no definitive proof that they actually published them where NTSC NES consoles were standard. This game is thought to be more likely because Thin Chen Enterprise filed a US patent for it. Also, Thin Chen Enterprise Company, Ltd (Sachen?) registered a US copyright (TX-2-809-221 ) 1990-02-01 for "Metal Fight" and recorded that the work was published on 1989-08-05 (the Japanese publishing date) [Zerothis]
Sky Shark	Taito (Software Creations)	1989	Nobody ever said it would be easy... Deep in enemy territory, you've got to fly your P-40 on a dangerous top secret mission. The skies are thick with a deadly rain of armor-piercing fire. They chose you for one reason - you're the best there is! You know the score, so aim right and fly tight. The skies are anything but friendly tonight.
Chuka Taisen	Taito (Disco)	1989
Thunderbirds	Activision;Pack-In-Video (Pack-In-Video)	1989	Developed by Pack-In-Video Co., Ltd PAC-T5 サンダーバード/Thunderbirds published by Pack-In-Video 1989-09-29 in Japan NES-T5-USA Thunderbirds published by Activision 1990-09 in the USA 1 player only. This is a vertical scrolling shooter but it has a story. and a less than completely linear structure. Hood claims to have a way to bombard the Earth with meteorites. He will do so if the Thunderbirds do not give him their vehicles in 60 days. The Thunderbirds determine that he must have a very powerful energy source to backup his threat but it won't be finished for 60 days. Which is the reason for his demands and deadline first, rather than him announcing his threat with a meteorite. They set out to find his source of energy before the deadline it up. The player choose from several missions per round which is also a choice of which Thunderbird and corresponding vehicle to pilot. Completing a mission or combination of missions will unlock additional ones. There are no in-game clues to the unlocking pattern and it has to be learned by experience. their are (apparently) 12 possible missions. The missions themselves are pretty standard vertical scrolling shooting with powerups dropped from exploding enemies that are lost when the vehicle is damaged. Enemies with powerups glow red. The ship has 3 hit points that can be recovered (1 HP per powerup). You can gain better weapons and also wingmen to help blast an odd assortment of enemies. Should a ship lose all its hit points, it must be grounded for 3 days for repairs. That's 3 days closer to the deadline. Successfully completing a stage costs 1 day. Other than this deadline, all 5 pilots (and vehicles) effectively have infinite lives. [Zerothis]
TwinBee 3: Poko Poko Dai Maou	Konami	1989

permalink