showing 47 games
| name | publisher(developer) | year arrow_downward | tags | description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lode Runner | Hudson Soft;Brøderbund (Hudson Soft) | 1984 | claiming consoleclassix digging harmfultouch instantdeath ladders leveleditor lives loderunner monkeybars nofalldamage paniclike platformer robots score subterranean trapping walking wiiuvirtualconsole wiivirtualconsole | Lode Runner is an early classic title originating on homecomputers which cleverly mixes challenging puzzles with platform action. And while they left the basic concept untouched in the NES version I don't like it as much as the classic homecomputer versions. The main reason for this is the fact that the level is scrolling. You can't see the whole level on your screen, which makes planning in advance very difficult. And some extra difficulty is the least element the game needs. Success is not easy to obtain here.***This landmark action-puzzle game has been a worldwide fixture in video games from the moment of its inception until today, producing many sequels and related products along the way. The player controls the hero, or "Runner," who collects gold nuggets located around every stage, all the while avoiding capture by enemy robots. The action itself is simple, but the stages are designed as increasingly challenging puzzles, and none of the 50 stages is as easy as it seems. The Runner avoids enemies by digging holes in the floor to the right and left of his position - by doing this, he can clear a path to places that, at first glance, seem unreachable. Players must use their brains to collect all the gold nuggets in every puzzling stage if they want to escape to the next. In addition to normal play, this version of the game features an Edit Mode that allows players to design their own stages, adding a new level of enjoyment to the game. | labelimagesubject |
| Championship Lode Runner | Hudson Soft | 1985 | claiming digging hard harmfultouch instantdeath ladders lives loderunner lutris monkeybars nofalldamage paniclike robots savepassword subterranean trapping walking wiiuvirtualconsole wiivirtualconsole | Championship Lode Runner features the same graphics and gameplay as the original Lode Runner. However, while Lode Runner was a difficult, but playable game, the difficulty level of each of the 50 new Championship Lode Runner levels goes miles through the roof. Only experts, who know every trick from the original game, will stand a chance to beat a single level in this sequel. I bet many people who bought the game were unpleasantly surprised by this. | labelimageminimize |
| Dig Dug | Namco | 1985 | 3dsvirtualconsole digdug digging instantdeath lives maleprotagonist monsters score subterranean walking wiiuvirtualconsole wiivirtualconsole | A good conversion of an old arcade game.***Become Dig Dug, the champion of love and justice, as you drill up, down, left and right, defeating any enemies in your path. Avoid the persistent Pooka and the deep-dwelling but whimsical Fygar as you defeat all the enemies in order to clear each stage. Defeat enemies by hitting them with the harpoon and pumping air into them, or by dropping rocks on them from above. Receive bonus points by getting the vegetables that appear in the middle of the stage. Receive high points for defeating deep-dwelling enemies or by defeating Fygars from the side with the harpoon. Pass through inflated enemies or defeat enemies in an adjacent passage for an even higher score. Lure multiple enemies and defeat them with a single rock from above in this thrilling action game. | labelimagesubject |
| Portopia Renzoku Satsujin Jiken | Enix (Chunsoft) | 1985 | alternatesolutions asia asia-east city city-kyoto-jp communicator detectivemystery dialog-tree earth indoors interactivedialogs interrogating investigatorprotagonist japan lawenforcerprotagonist menus multipleendings naturalistic nosaves openworld subterranean | The first real adventure game for the NES (or any other console system) is a port from a popular game on Japanese homecomputer systems. Instead of typing in commands they changed the system to feature a command list in the rigt side of the screen which you could choose from. This control method set a standard among Japanese-style console adventure games. The game itself is only mildly interesting though. It doesn't have a save feature, neither via battery backup nor passwords. But that isn't really necessary, because the game is very short. The graphics of the few locations are not very detailed and in parts look like drawn by a six-year old kid. The game sold very well on the NES and paved the way for many successors with similar gameplay, but today the content feels rather shallow. The game didn't age very well. | labelimageminimize |
| Spelunker | Irem;Brøderbund (Irem) | 1985 | 3dsvirtualconsole chiroptera consoleclassix elevators falldamage instantdeath ladders lives spelunker-series subterranean titularcharacter walking wiiuvirtualconsole wiivirtualconsole | Spelunker could have been a really good game, but it has a huge problem. The play controls are really bad. Nearly every time you fall down something it feels more due to the controls than your because of your own fault. And regarding falling down: Falling down more than a few pixels results in death. All this makes the game ridiculously difficult. The cave exploring part could have been really fun, but not after so many deaths due to the sloppy controls. Graphics and sound are nothing special. They get their work done well enough for an early Famicom/NES game.***Wander through miles of uncharted caves in search of the legendary underground pyramid and its vast treasures. To complete your adventure, you will swing from ropes and ladders, run across unstable terrain and down ravines, operate elevators, mining carts and rafts. You will collect keys, bombs, flares, jewels, sacks of gold coins and other valuable items as you navigate the hazardous terrain. But beware of the scalding steam vents, poisonous bats and the avenging spirits of dead spelunkers that lurk in every corner of this massive underground labyrinth. | labelimagesubject |
| The Goonies | Konami | 1986 | bombs chiroptera city-astoria-or crabs earth fish ghosts keys ladders lives lutris mice movie oregon rescue score skeletons subterranean teenprotagonist timelimit unarmedfighting usa walking | [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] | labelimageminimize |
| Dragon Quest | Enix (Chunsoft) | 1986 | adv-perks adv-static alternatefailures amoeboids animateobjects axes bizarrecreatures blankprotagonist bludgeons bossbattles captives censored chiroptera combatmode consoleclassix dragonquest dragons encounters-random encounters-set encounters-unseen forest ghosts giantscorpions healthregen inventory knights langearlymodernenglish lightbridges meleeweapons menus monsters mystics neutralnpcs noalternatives playerprofiles premadeprotagonist protagonistnaming ruins savepassword saveram shopping singleencounterrespawn skeletons sorcery subterranean swords town toxins undead walking werewolves wolves xp-kills zombies | Mere finger speed and sweat are no match for the challenges of this game. You will be required to use deductive reasoning, not a quick sword to defeat your enemies.All is darkness. The Dragon-lord has captured the Princess and stolen Erdrick's powerful ball of light.You are Edrick's heir. To you has fallen the most dangerous task - to rescue the King's daughter and recover the mystic ball of light.Your mission is deadly, but it is your fate. Prophets have long foretold your coming.Three keepers await your journey, each ready to aid you with a mystic item of great power.Gather the three objects. Scribes will record your deeds. Use cunning and wisdom to choose your commands. Gain experience, weapons and armor as you battle your way through the world. Rest if you must.Search out the Dragon-lord's lair and face your destiny. In this role-playing adventure you are the Dragon Warrior!***"Dragon Quest" has its roots in the Ultima series, but rumour has it that Ultima was too complicated and complex for the Japanese videogaming market. So Dragon Quest, with its simple but very addictive structure, was an instant hit and the start for the most successfull RPG series in Japan. And it is pretty good. Not as non-linear and confusing than many early CRPGs. Nice graphics and music as well.***Product Number: NES-DQ-CAN NES-DQ-USA Dragon Warrior is called Dragon Quest in Japan. The Japanese version (1986) used passwords but the US (1990) and Canadian versions used battery backed save RAM A pen and paper RPG called Dragon Quest had already been published in the United States. For copyright reasons, the name Dragon Warrior was used. However, it turns out there was also Dragon Warriors RPG in existence at the time. The English version was translated and published by Nintendo and [u]strictly[/u] uses Early Modern English [i]in conversational dialogs[/i]. Often mistakenly called King James English or Shakespearian English, but those styles were in fact derived from the Early Modern style (King James style also borrows extensively from Middle English). Early Modern English is in fact a bit more understandable than King James or Shakespearian English, for those who understand the contemporary Modern English of the late 20th century. The Japanese names for the characters and locations were changed into English names that better fit with the Early Modern English and a northern Europeanish location. The changes are influenced by the Arthurian Legends. The Nintendo version also made significant improvement in graphics and game mechanics. The number of menus was reduced. The protagonist could face multiple directions (instead of south only). Direction of talking and actions was automatically based on the direction the protagonist was facing rather than needing to be manually specified. Shorelines looked a bit like breaking waves instead of abrupt hard edges into sea water. Original/English version: [list] Alefgard/Alefgard Bubble slimes/Babbles Garai/Garinhaim Gira/Hurt ?/Healmore Hoimi/Heal Hiomi Slimes/Healers ?/Hurtmore King Dragon/Dragonlord Lora/Princess Gwaelin Loto(Roto)/Erdrick Maira(Maila)/Kol Merukido/Cantlin Pafu Pafu girls/Puff Puff massage girls (actually removed from the US version) Radatome Castle(Ladataurm)/Tantegel Castle Radatome Town(Ladataurm)/Brecconary Domudora/Haukness Chimeras/Wyverns [/list] [Zerothis] | labelimagesubject |
| Super Pitfall | Pony Canyon;Activision (Micronics) | 1986 | ammomagazines blacksheep chiroptera consoleclassix deathpits electriceels elevators firearms frog goldbars instantdeath ladders lives moaifigures nofalldamage pitfallseries platformer ropeswinging score scorpions secrets snakes southamerica spiders subterranean superpitfallengine swimming walking | [media=youtube]https://youtu.be/3Ln9lRk5b3Y[/media]***Super Pitfall is a kind of remake of Pitfall II and widely considered to be one of the worst games for the Famicom/NES. It is not so much the quality of the graphics or controls that make this game so annoying and unpleasent to play. It is the fact that everything of importance is hidden until you jump around to trigger the appearance of the item. This goes so far that the programmers hid a necessary warp zone inside birds or walls. There are no hints in the game where something could be located. Without a walkthrough you will curse about this game design. There are also too many cheap deaths, mostly resulting by falling down into deadly animals or spikes which you couldn't guess they are beneath you. | labelimageminimize |
| Adventure Island | Hudson Soft (Hudson Soft;Westone) | 1986 | adventureisland birds bossbattles chiroptera consoleclassix did elevators fish forest frog island lives nofalldamage octopus platformer rescue score skateboard snails snakes spiders subterranean thrownweapons walking wiiuvirtualconsole wiivirtualconsole wonderboy | [media=youtube]https://youtu.be/dwxJ7QO3hlk[/media]*** [37]*** [29]*** [27]***Adventure Island is the NES version of Sega's [game=#158027]Wonder Boy[/game], only with having the main character and music changed. It is a simple and fun platformer with colorful graphics and really good gameplay and controls. Some later levels are rather hard to beat, especially when you die and must start the section again without a weapon. There is a life bar that functions as some kind of time limit. You refill the bar by collecting food. At the day of its (Japanese) release this might be the best Famicom/NES platform game since [game=#5128]Super Mario Bros.[/game] made its appearance.***A mysterious tropical paradise known as Adventure Island is the setting for this side-scrolling action game. The evil Witch Doctor has kidnapped Tina, the true love of Master Higgins. To save her, you must safely guide Master Higgins through eight perilous stages - including dense forests and creepy caves - while defeating all of the enemies in your path. Each area is made up of four rounds filled with enemies determined to stop you in your tracks. In addition, as time passes, Master Higgins's vitality is automatically drained. To keep going, he must eat constantly by grabbing fruit, milk and whatever other goodies he can as he races toward his goal. Sometimes eggs containing miraculous items like axes to throw at enemies or honey that grants temporary invincibility will appear. Use items skillfully to help you clear the areas. At the end of each area you'll face the Witch Doctor, who you must defeat to advance. Go, Master Higgins, go!***A platform game that is simply an altered version of Sega's Wonder Boy. Help Master Higgins save his girlfriend! The Japanese title means 'Master Takahashi's Adventure Island'. Takahashi is the original Japanese name for Higgins. [Jacquismo] | labelimagesubject |
| Hottaman no Chisoko Tanken | Use | 1986 | ants beetles bombs centipedes crabs digging doors instantdeath keys scorpions spiders subterranean swimming teleporters walking | 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. | labelimageminimize |
| Deadly Towers | Brøderbund;Irem (Lenar) | 1986 | actionadventure amoeboids bossbattles bossrush censored chiroptera consoleclassix constructionsite currency dawnofanewage difficulty-single earth ghosts hard inventory ladders maleprotagonist mapdeficient monsters noports projectilelimit savepassword scorpions secrets secrets-mandatory secrets-spots shopping snakes spiders stoneage subterranean swords walking | You are young Prince Myer, setting out to defend the ancient kingdom of Willner. Rubas, King of Devils, has built a castle in the north and is preparing to invade your kingdom. Ringing magic bells, he is calling out an army of the most terrifying creatures known (or unknown) to man. To defeat Rubas, you must journey to his palace and burn down his seven bell towers. On your quest, you will collect weapons and armor to defend yourself against rats and crawlers; bats, snakes and slime; demons, dragons and more. You'll need every ounce of help you can get. For you are all that stands between your people and the forces of darkness.***Deadly Towers is a mixed-bag. The gameplay is similar to [game=#9176]The Legend of Zelda[/game], with the perspective being a bit more 3D-ish. For a game released in 1986 it looks rather advanced. The graphics are nice, the music is good and the game is huge. The game has major flaws however. Some of them are not uncommon for an early NES game. Many necessary items are very well hidden in non-obvious spots. The difficulty level is too high. In this game the beginning is even the hardest part of the game. Being badly equipped you have barely a chance againts the many monsters. Sometimes when you run over a certain spot you are teleported into a dungeon. And you cannot immediately leave the dungeon, until you find the exit. Making things worse, the dungeons are huge 16x16 screen mazes with many difficult monsters. And only in these dungeons you can find shops where you can buy some better equipment to survive the final seven towers where seven bells are hidden, which you must find and destroy in order to challenge the end boss. Now with a walkthrough and cheat at hand I could avoid the biggest frustration, but I understand people who say that this game is a game design disaster.***"Mashou" is used in official documentation. Journey through this 3D looking game to collect the evil magic bells from the 7 bell towers and burn them in the sacred flame. Mashō literally means "Evil Bell" an is a pun of 魔性 which means meaning "devilishness." It was supposed to be titled "Hell's Bells," in English but this title qualified for Nintendo's unwritten censorship rules. Oddly, there are Holy Crosses shown all through the game and the game is pretty blatant that God himself has personally asked the game's protagonists to complete this quest. This game has a very long crawl screen of text. Possibly the longest crawl of any game previous and I can't think of a longer since. The text mentions that the castle explored in the game is actually under construction. This can thinly justify the level structure. [spoiler=Quick & Dirty Passwords Hack:;Close Passwords Hack]start, die immediately, change the 1st 2 letters of your password to "FE". Now you have lots of good equipment.[/spoiler][spoiler=Passwords:;Close Passwords:]GDXHDPMM10 Start with a lot of items EF1KDK.KTX End of the Game GDXHDPMM10 Another easy start EE1KBK.TTT An Easy start 54DK1P4WC4 Final Battle with double shot .AZODKNXTJ Final Battle with parallel shot[/spoiler][spoiler=Game Gene codes:;Close Game Gene codes:]LGXELPZU Start with 75 Ludder GXSONPST No Damage ZEUPKYPE 10x Ludder GOUPUYIA 4x Ludder GXUGLVON No charge at stores[/spoiler] [Zerothis]***I'm surprised to find this game listed on many 'worst games of all time' lists. Ya, its insanely hard. And true, the character and enemies moves in plain 2D even though the enemies are (not) placed in a weird pseudo 3D non-existent environment. And, I'll admit, generally hidden/invisible entrances are used for required main levels instead of just secret bonus areas. And, ok, 20 hit points for the first enemy encountered in the game that isn't even a boss and doesn't even have a name, and doesn't even have a face, or a brain, or limbs, or multiple colors, is a bit excessive. Oh and instead of finding a way to the remotest part of the dungeons, grabbing the treasure and being teleported out, the player is teleported into the remotest part of the insanely complex dungeons, loses treasures, and must find their own way out. It could be worse, imagine if it had no continue option (which is easily exploited btw. [spoiler]Start the game, die, then change the first two letters of your continue password to "EF" or "FE".[/spoiler] Wimpy). [b]However, I like it for the challenge[/b], I find the false 3Dishness very retro (by 1986 standards), in a good way. This game proceeded [gameid=9176]The Legend of Zelda[/gameid] and in many ways its better, imo. The size of dungeons and the order of their 'completion' are superior. Deadly towers was actually the 2nd NES game I ever played after Super Mario Bros. It took me about 300 hours to beat. [b]This game gets 4.5 stars by me.[/b] Summary of good points: Challenging Save your progress Enemy Variety Many Enemies Sharing Screen Eight-way Movement Eight-way Attack Vast world to explore Many secrets Permanent upgrades 3Dish Unique light-up cartridge (Japan version) [Zerothis] | labelimagesubject |
| The Wing of Madoola | Sunsoft | 1986 | 3dsvirtualconsole chiroptera dragons femaleprotagonist giantspiders ladders magic meleeweapons monsters nofalldamage rescue subterranean swords walking | Developers were self-compelled to amp up the animation and graphics of this game and some other sunsoft games due to the talent of a new artist at Sunsoft that was creating the cover art for the boxes and labels of several of their games.***In Wing of Madoola you are controlling a girl who is trying to rescue a prince (how original) and defeat the source of all evil at the end of 16 levels. You have a sword and several magical abilities at your disposal. Upgrades for each ability can be found behind doors that are placed in many locations. The game is overall quite nice with graphics that are generally good but which in the end only feature three different graphical themes with lots of color swapping. The game is rather difficult, which in itself is nothing special for a game from around that time, but several wicked monsters that constantly reappear, especially while trying to time difficult jumps, are really annoying. Too often running away from enemies is the best solution. | labelimageminimize |
| Dragon Buster | Namco (Namco;Tose) | 1987 | 3dsvirtualconsole bossbattles cave chiroptera dragons ladders magic meleeweapons midairjumping monsters mystics nofalldamage rescue skeletons snakes spiders subterranean swords walking wiiuvirtualconsole wiivirtualconsole zombies | "Dragon Buster" for the Famicom is a port of a 1984 Namco arcade game. The game consists of 12 rounds, each represented by a more or less big overworld map with several levels each. Inside the levels you kill standard enemies with your sword and lots of mid-level bosses inside of rooms. These bosses might open up the passage to the next level or leave extra items behind. Sounds not too bad for a 1987 game but the game suffers from its extreme repetitiveness. There are four or five different graphic sets and you will see them repeating a lot. Every level feels the same. After two or three sub-levels you will have seen everything the game has to offer. After that it becomes very tedious and boring making your way through the more and more labyrinth-like levels. Graphics are not on par with the arcade version; I expected more from a port that comes three years after the arcade game. Controls are rather complicated. Dragon Buster was one of the first (if not the very first) game that implemented mid-air jumping. Pulling this of is not easy though and the controls generally annoyed me.***ドラゴンバスター literally reads [code]doragon basutaa[/code] | labelimageminimize |
| Labyrinth: Maou no Meikyuu | Tokuma Shoten;Activision (Atlus) | 1987 | claiming controlmalfunction europeanfae femaleprotagonist forest jimhenson labyrinthmovie monsters movie rescue score search subterranean thrownweapons timelimit walking | Activision did plan to publish this game in the USA. But it seems nothing became of this project. Perhaps there is a prototype in existence. Regardless, anyone dedicated enough to track down a prototype of this game may as well buy the Japanese version to play (English translation patch is available). Once again a Japanese only release of a game based on a North American movie.***Labyrinth is a game based on Jim Henson's Labrinth movie from 1986. The Famicom version is a totally different game from the Lucasfilm Games/Activision adventure game for home computers. Your goal is to find 12 parts of a key to rescue your little brother from the Goblin king. And true to its name the levels are complicated mazes, complete with secret warps and so on. Having a walkthrough and maps at hand really helps for this game. The game is unspectacular but playable and implemented a few interesting ideas, like a level where the forest trees change location or another level where the directional controls are changing randomly. Collected coins and treasure can be spend to upgrade offensive and defensive capabilities as well as buying more time.***Teenager (jail bait) Sarah (Jennifer Connelly) refuses to grow up and during a childish fit, accidentally gives her little brother to the The Goblin King (David Bowie). Needless to say she wants him back (so she won't get in trouble). The Goblin King agrees she can be let out of the deal and rescue her little brother if she can navigate his labyrinth before his clock, with 13 hours instead of 12, runs out. The biggest obstacles are presented by Sarah's refusal to grow up. She insists on collecting junk like stuffed animals, costume jewelery, books for little girls and other such things that adults don't need. Furthermore, the labyrinth is unfair and the Goblin King cheats, often pushing his clock forward. This time limit and unfairness of the movie is included in this game. Us Americans are too dumb and lazy to play an unfair game, so it was never published outside of Japan. [Zerothis] | labelimageminimize |
| The Goonies II | Konami | 1987 | boomerangs chiroptera consoleclassix crabs dragons fish ghosts inventory ladders metroidvania movie movingplatforms nofalldamage octopus penguin savepassword scorpions secrets sharks slings snakes spiders subterranean underwaterdiving ursines walking walruses yo-yo | Packin' a heap of ugliness, mean old Ma Fratelli's come back for revenge. And this time she plans to do away with "The Goonies" for good! One by one this crazed mama and her two nutty sons have kidnapped your fellow Goonies, hauling them off to a spooky shack and hiding them in a maze of adventure filled with danger, including the slippery ice cavern, secret underground sea, and eerie attic. Now you're the only Goonie left. The fate of your friends is in your hands. But saving the day won't be easy. Armed with your trusty yo-yo and whatever weapons you can find, you'll be forced to fight off fearsome foes, and solve menacing mysteries. You'll have to be willing to risk it all, being brave and bold, to rescue your buddies, "THE GOONIES!"*** [49]*** [33]*** [83]*** [49]*** [52]***As in the first Goonies game your task is to rescue your friends from the evil Fratelli gang. Goonies II features a bigger scenario and slightly better graphics than its predecessor. And besides the typical platforming scenes it has first-person adventure scenes when entering one of the many doors. But it's exactly the adventure part that I didn't like very much. Most of the time you are hitting the walls and ceilings with your fist or a hammer, hopefully finding secret items or passages. The adventure scenes are also not as good looking. The whole layout of the house and the several cave systems is much more complicated than in the first Goonies game, which was simpler, but worked better in my opinion. | labelimagesubject |
| Rygar | Tecmo | 1987 | ballistics bossbattles consoleclassix deadlywater deathpits forest grapplinghook jumping meleeweapons monsters mountain rygar stereo subterranean thrownweapons walking | [52]*** [37]*** [27]***The PAL versions user 10-bits of memory each to store the attack and defense points where as the NTSC versions uses 12-bits. This means the maximum of 4000 points is obtainable for NTSC version but the PAL versions cap the player at 1023 points. The latter part of the game and especially the final boss are extremely challenging to beat with these caps.***A good early NES game. Not a direct port of the arcade Rygar game, but more something of a re-imagination. Tecmo put a few Action-Adventure elements into the game. Half of it is played in side-view perspective, the other half in a top-down view. The game is playable and the graphics and music have enough variety.***When all the other platforms attempted to convert arcade Rygar, the NES took a different approach. This one isn't like the arcade at all so it deserves a section of its own. It keeps the same Rygar character, the weapon and a few of the monsters but the rest has been redone with a kind of RPG element. At first I didn't like it but then I realized that it was better this than another mess. The gameplay is more like [game=Black Tiger]Black Tiger[/game] in that it's a platformer but the levels are up/down scrolling too as well as left/right and you can also find hermits who are willing to help you out (similar to the shopkeepers). The various areas of the land are linked up by a stage with a top down view (pictured above right). The game is energy based and it also hides various special objects which help you such as a crossbow and grappling hook. And no extra lives, when you die, your dead. | labelimagesubject |
| Woody Poko | dB-SOFT | 1987 | castle monsters shopping stealing subterranean tropic wintery | "Woody Poko" originated on Japanese homecomputers as are many of db-Softs Famicom games. It is a platform game, including several typical action-adventure elements like item shops and non-linear levels. The game itself is nice, but a bit confusing. One of those games that I will surely play again as soon as there is a good walkthrough or at least a map available. | labelimageminimize |
| The Legend of Zelda | Nintendo;Hyundai;Playtronic (Nintendo) | 1987 | 1life 3dsvirtualconsole achillesheelfoes actionadventure amoeboids ancientenemy bombs bossbattles bows cartoon cemetery chosenone consoleclassix currency did doors fantasyworld fictionaluniverse firstpartytitle forest foundmaps gunblades heads healingitems healingstations healthwarning humanoidprotagonist illequipped inventory inventory-indisposable keys lethalobjects limitedcapacity maleprotagonist meleeweapons minimap monsters mountain nesclassic nohumans noncombpenalty notnintendocontentguid rescue rewardingvandalism ruins saveram secrets serious shinto shopping simulateddisorientation skeletonkey stereo stonemen stunning subterranean swords tombstones traproom trees undead unexpectedsituation upgrades-abilities upgrades-health upgrades-other upgrades-permanent walking wasteland watercraft-small waterfalls wiiuvirtualconsole wiivirtualconsole zelda zelda-universe zeldalike | [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!!!! | labelimagesubject |
| Dragon Slayer IV: Drasle Family | Namco;Brøderbund (Nihon Falcom) | 1987 | alternatingprotagonist bossbattles consoleclassix currency dragons dragonslayer inventory jumping keycodes keys ladders loot-random magic mapdeficient meleeweapons metroidvania monsters multiprotagonists powerups savepassword secrets shopping spouseprotagonist subterranean swords walking weaponplot | Long, long ago, an evil dragon terrorized the forest until it was imprisoned by a powerful wizard. Now, years later, the dragon has revived and it's up to you to use the power of the wizard's descendants, the Draslefamily, to defeat the dragon once again. The whole family takes part in this action adventure as the parents, children and even the family pet search huge dungeons for gold, keys, magic, hidden crowns and finally the magical sword that can destroy the dragon.***There doesn't seem to be any prominently displayed catalog number on any of the media. Yet the Japanese number is NAM-DS4-4900 and the US number is NES-LC-USA.***[media=youtube]Mw49GWtonLk[/media]***The fourth game in the "Dragon Slayer" series of RPG/action games originating on Japanese homecomputers. You play several members of a family to retrieve four crowns and finally a magical sword to beat an evil dragon. The items can be found in a huge and complicated 16x16 rooms labyrinth. Each of the family members has special abilities giving them advantages in certain parts of the labyrinth (e.g. the father can move blocks, the little sister jumps very high etc.). While the graphics, controls and music are not bad, this game has a huge problem. It is incredibly confusing, complex and difficult. Dead ends, secrets, a ton of unfair spots and a labyrinth design that lets you cry for a good hint book - and even then it is still frustrating. | labelimagesubject |
| Batsu & Terii Makyou no Tetsujin Rasu | Use | 1987 | birds bossbattles city deadlywater deathpits dragons fish forest ladders lives manga meleeweapons nofalldamage separatedprotagonists skeletons subterranean thrownweapons timelimit undead | Batsu & Terry is based on an 80's baseball-themed manga series. You control either a baseball throwing guy or a baseball bat swinging guy. The game doesn't offer much fun. The levels are full of re-occuring elements and mostly just boring. Most enemies you should just avoid instead of killing them. And the graphics and sound are by far not good enough to draw some positive attention to the game. I mean I have played much worse games on the Famicom/NES, but in the end "Batsu & Terry" struggles to be even a mediocre game. | labelimageminimize |
| Family Trainer: Meiro Daisakusen | Bandai (Human) | 1987 | chiroptera familytrainer-series keys powerpad skeletons subterranean walking | "Meiro Daisakusen" is the fifth game in Bandai's Family Trainer series requiring the Power Pad peripheral. The scenario and objective of this game are quite different from the other games in this series so far. Instead of some kind of sports game it is a dungeon exploring game. Find keys and the exit to the next floor. Monsters roam the dungeons of course which should be avoided and there are other obstacles to overcome. Since I lack a Power Pad I can't say exactly how good it works with it and how much fun it is. I can only say that the controls didn't work well with emulators and I didn't spend much time exploring the mazes. But maybe it is a bit better than in my first impression. | labelimageminimize |
| Spelunker II: Yuushahe no Chousen | Irem (Now Production) | 1987 | adventurerprotagonist bossbattles falldamage firearms forest ghosts keys knives knockback ladders meleeweapons movingplatforms mysticprotagonist psychics spelunker-series spiders subterranean swimming swords titularcharacter undead zombies | For the sequel to Spelunker the developers changed quite a lot of gameplay elements. You can choose between one of three different characters (explorer, priest and esper) each with its own life and "holy" stat bonuses and different attacks/weapons. The way is often blocked by doors which need the appropriate key and there are also very few adventure/puzzle elements with hints hiding in bonus items. You explore a forest and underground caves in search for three orbs guarded by evil bosses to ultimately rescue a fairy kingdom. Well, Spelunker II is a bit better than its predecessor, but still the controls aren't the best. The most annoying thing about this game is the knockback effect you get from touching enemies which feels like pushing you back a quarter of the screen. That makes the knockback in games like Castlevania feel very tame in comparison. The levels have a rather complicated layout with exits not only to the left and right but also up and down and often strangely connected paths. But that seems to be typical for a Famicom/NES game of that time, probably hoping to sell more hint books in Japan *ahem*.***[media=youtube]vwzgPSKD5xA[/media] | labelimageminimize |
| Ultima: Exodus | FCI;Pony Canyon (Origin) | 1987 | ♫rulebritannia bossbattles bows charactercreation classbased combatmode consoleclassix eviloverlord forest fromanotherworld garlic inventory lineofsight meleeweapons menus monsters notnintendocontentguid otherworld riding saveram shopping sorcery subterranean swords town toxins ultima ultimaageofdarkness | This is the ultimate role playing fantasy game. You put together a team of any four character - assume their identities and powers - to conquer the evil Exodus who has created havoc in Britannia. Hostile forests, high mountains, and dangerous oceans all stand in your way as you destroy monsters, search for gold, find clues, and explore dungeons to discover the hiding place of Exodus. -5 year lithium battery saves score and play position -Exciting animated graphics -Full sound effects -Multi-character interplay -100 hours of game time For harder challenges, you can change teams or create your own characters. Memory can score and save three games individually.***Well, this is a good port of the third Ultima game. Looks brighter and friendlier than the computer versions, but has the same depths in gameplay. On the other hand I think that Ultima became really good with the fourth game. The third one is a bit on slow side without the great story and virtue topic of the later games. Dungeons look all the same and are pretty complicated. Fights take a bit too long, because you have to move each character on a mini battle map and it's tedious after a while. In the end its a game that has more depths like Dragon Quest style games, but the extra elements are also not really fun to play with today. | labelimagesubject |
| Haja no Fuuin | ASCII | 1987 | castle cave combatmode fame forest menus negotiatedresolutions outdoors savepassword subterranean town wasteland watercraft xp-deeds xp-kills | Haja no Fuuin debuted on Japanese homecomputers and is better known as "Miracle Warriors" in the west due to its "Sega Master System" port. And I suggest that you rather check out the Master System version, not only because it is in English, but it is also a better, improved. The Famicom/NES version resembles much more the original computer versions with weaker graphics and sound and even harsher difficulty level than the already not easy Master System version. | labelimageminimize |
| Wizards & Warriors | Acclaim (Rare) | 1987 | ants bossbattles castle chiroptera claiming consoleclassix did forest keys lives monsters platformer rescue score spiders stereo subterranean swords thrownweapons wizardsandwarriors | [103]*** [49]*** [62]*** [33]*** [1]***The first game in Rare's "Wizards & Warriors" series, and the only one which made it to Japan as well. Technically well done with decent controls. The story is from the typical "heroic knight saves the princess from an evil wizard" type. In order to finish a level you have to collect a certain amount of gems. You also have to collect colored keys to open corresponding doors and chests. At the end of a level a boss fight awaits the hero. The levels are varied enough to have kept me interested and everything looks interesting. All in all not the super best game ever, but quite enjoyable.*** [52]*** [27]***You are Kuros, the knight warrior. Your journey begins deep within the woods of Elrond, where even the wind obeys the Supreme Wizard, Malkil. But Malkil has strayed from the path, and is now part of the dark side. You are the only knight with the strength to wield the Brightsword. The prisoner of the wizard calls to you from Castle IronSpire. But the wizard is watching you, warrior. And this tale has just begun.***NES-WW-USA, published by Acclaim Entertainment, Inc. in the USA, 1987 Published by Jaleco Ltd. in Japan, 1988-07-15 [Zerothis] | labelimagesubject |
| Final Fantasy | Square | 1987 | ♫dvorakcavatina adv-static bodyarmor bossbattles chekhovsgun classbased combatmode consoleclassix dwarves elves fantasyworld fictionaluniverse finalfantasy floatingeyes giantinsects group illequipped inventory knives magic meleeweapons menus merfolk monsters nesclassic neutralnpcs notnintendocontentguid nunchucks pirates rakshasa saveram sharks shields shopping sorcery staves subterranean swords timetravel tombstones town undead unicorns walking watercraft weefolk wolves xp-kills zombies | [30]*** [100]***The world is out of balance; the elements are in revolt. Four young heroes, each with a darkened orb, must restore order to this chaotic world. Swords and sorcery will aid them on their quest; on this final fantasy.***Considering this game was released before Dragon Quest 3, I might say this was the best console RPG on the market at its time, with the exception of [url=http://www.uvlist.net/game-19754-Phantasy+Star]Phantasy Star[/url] perhaps. Graphics and music were very good, you could choose between plenty of character classes and the game told a good story. Today the random encounter rate with all those monster fights might seem too high, but this was a normal thing with early RPG's.***Published in Brazil, catalog number "NES-FF-BZL" is unconfirmed. Trivia: In the original Japanese version, Link's grave could be found. Nintendo published both Dragon Warrior and its rival [, this game Final Fantasy] in the USA. They changed a grave to Erdrick's, a hero from the Dragon Warrior game. Later editions for other systems restored Link's grave.***The NES game that started it all. Although heavily hyped by Nintendo at the time of its release, nobody could ever have predicted the soaring heights the series would eventually reach in the minds and hearts of gamers. This game probably did more to advance the cause of console RPGs than perhaps any other - which is surprising in retrospect, as the first FF is a stunningly average game. It has virtually none of the depth or character development that later games - including the two other Japanese-only Famicom/NES releases - would later make the hallmark of the FF name. The combat system is nice, but there's better out there for the NES. Plus, it gets annoying after a while, since you're having encounters at just about every step, especially in the later dungeons. All in all, look at the first Final Fantasy as the grade-schooler's notebook sketchings that eventually lead her to become a great artist. Relesed December 18, 1987 by Square in Japan and 1989 by Nintendo in the US.***Yeah sure, it looks like crap by today's standards, the story is almost non-existant, there is zero character development, the music is... well... it's an NES for god's sake! But this was my first Japanese RPG (you have no idea how long I had to save my allowance for this) and nothing you say can make me hate it. NOTHING! There is a really good Final Fantasy One hack called [i]Final Fantasy ++[/i] and its sequel [i]Final Fantasy ++ World of Chaos[/i]. If you're a fan of the game, it's definately worth checking out. It features: * Redone graphics. (Mostly ripped from later games in the series.) * Redone enemies. (Many are new; some are returning enemies with new properties.) * Redone magic spells. (Magic is now divided into White, Black, and Time Magic.) * Redone weapons and armor. (Some armors now increase evasion rather than lowering it!) * Redone maps. (Most are similar to the original game’s; some are totally new.) * Redone character class system. (See Read Me.txt for details.) * Two new pieces of music. (Adapted from Final Fantasy 4.) * Some other relatively minor stuff. Get more info at [url=http://www.romhacking.net/hacks/81/]Romhacking.net[/url] or [url=http://members.fortunecity.com/grond1911/]Grond's Hacks[/url] [cjlee001] | labelimagesubject |
| Ripple Island | Sunsoft (Tokai Engineering) | 1988 | animals castle did forest inventory lagomorphs multipleendings owls raccoons rescue savepassword subterranean uvl-fantranslation wintery | In a country where humans and animals live peacefully together, an evil being kidnaps the princess. Your task is of course to rescue the princess. The game is divided into areas. Each area (consisting of about 20 screens) has to be played through in order. In contrast to most other early console adventures, the game uses icons instead of a verb list. It is also centered more about finding objects inside the screen, which is the main problem with objects sometimes not very easily recognisable to be able to interact with. Graphics are very cute and fitting for the fairy tale scenario. Language is in Japanese only with no translation patch available yet. All in all a decent and a bit "different" adventure game for the Famicom.***Developers were self-compelled to amp up the animation and graphics of this game due to the talent of a new artist at Sunsoft that was creating the cover art for the boxes and labels of several of their games. | labelimageminimize |
| Donald Land | Data East | 1988 | advergame birds bombs bossbattles castle deadlywater deathpits fish forest lives mcdonalds monsters rescue score subterranean timelimit underwaterdiving uvl-tiein | "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] | labelimageminimize |
| Zelda II: The Adventure of Link | Nintendo | 1988 | 3dsvirtualconsole achillesheelfoes adv-intermediary adv-xpdistr amoeboids blacksheep bossbattles bridge cemetery chosenone consoleclassix disappearingplatforms dragons dragons-eastern elevators elvenprotagonist elves fantasyworld fetching fictionaluniverse firstpartytitle flatterrain forest genrechange giantspiders giantworms gunblades healingstations healthwarning hiddenattributes humanoidprotagonist insectoids inventory jumping keys lives magic mapdeficient meleeweapons metroidvania monsters mountain nesclassic nohumans notnintendocontentguid plains rooftops ruins saveram serious shinto simulacrums skeletonkey stereo subterranean suppression swords teenprotagonist tombstones town traproom trivialresearch walking wasteland watercraft-small wiivirtualconsole xp-kills xp-objects zelda zelda-universe | There is an extremely obscure bug in the game whereby the attack value which normally maxes out at 8 can be set to something else. "0" and "F" have been seen. Both of these, with two exceptions, will allow Link to kill any enemy with one hit. The exceptions are the Thunderbird boss which requires one hit but the thunder spell must still be cast on it first. Shadow Link still requires 8 hits. No one has discovered what triggers this bug. It can be saved and in fact cannot be undone from a saved game.*** [17]*** [30]*** [49]*** [1]*** [52]*** [37]***Link returns to Hyrule to search for the Triforce and to awaken Zelda from an endless sleep. Embark on a quest to find the Triforce of Courage and save Hyrule from ruin. Learn magic spells, talk to people in towns to get clues, collect items to increase your power and explore six palaces where the underlings of the evil Ganon await you. This sequel to the Adventure classic uses a side-scrolling visual engine unique to the series for more technical combat, and features more in-depth world roaming as Link encounters townsfolk while on his quest.***A year and a half after the original Famicom Disk System release in Japan, Nintendo brought this game to the west on cartridge. Desptite being a quite good game, Zelda 2 is my least favorite of the classic Zelda games. It surely explored a new gameplay style but the levels were too difficult and I didn't like the random enemy encounter battle system (the similar "[game=#7581]The Battle of Olympus[/game]" would prove to be much better balanced in my eyes). Graphics and sound are very good for its time. Nintendo understood how to program their 8-bit console. | labelimagesubject |
| Little Red Hood | Joy Van;Sachen;HES (Thin Chen Enterprise) | 1989 | bossbattles childprotagonist clams currency damageflicker deadlywater difficulty-single dogs fairytalebasis femaleprotagonist fish goblins hard indoors invisiblewalls keys littleredridinghood lives noports outdoors powerups randomchance randomevents randomizedattributes randomlocations scorpions secrets secrets-mandatory shopping snakes subterranean swimming testudines underwater ursines walking | This game might just be better than [game=#7706]Hell's Bells[/game]. I'd give it 4.6 stars if I could.***One of the only NES game that requires to have any other game inserted into its cartridge to work.***From the game box : "[i]This is no ordinary forest, then again, this is no ordinary LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD. She can sure throw a kick and let me tell you, she needs it to get to grandma safely. The forest is filled with wicked goblins, snakes, scorpions, bears, and of course THE WOLF. Team up with her faithful dog and help LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD collect fruit, candy and magic potions so that che can fight these evil beasts and save grandma.[/i]"***Joy Van offered this game to American Video Entertainment for publishing but they decided not to. HES Published the cartridge in Australia in two versions. One was a piggyback cartridge, requiring a licensed game be plugged into the back in order to satify the lockout chip. The other was functionally identical but has a cartridge slot dongle on a cable to plug in a licensed game rather that having the slot directly on the back of the cartridge. [Zerothis] | labelimagesubject |
| Clash at Demonhead | Vic Tokai | 1989 | aliens alternatefailures bossbattles consoleclassix deathpits demons fae fasttravel forest magic metroidvania monsters mountain movingplatforms nofalldamage overworld savepassword shopping subterranean swimming underwaterdiving wallclimbing wintery | labelimageminimize | |
| Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles | Konami;Palcom Software;Ultra Games (Konami) | 1989 | 20thcentury blacksheep bossbattles cartoon city city-newyork-ny comic consoleclassix earth latemodernperiod meleeweapons multiprotagonists mutants ninja ninjaprotagonist northamerica nunchucks platformer sai score sewers staves subterranean swords teenprotagonist teens thrownweapons tmnt underwater underwaterdiving walking wiivirtualconsole | [media=youtube]https://youtu.be/MqwbYK8zHtM[/media]*** [169]*** [142]*** [36]*** [70]*** [103]*** [62]*** [49]*** [33]*** [66]*** [64]*** [63]*** [1]*** [52]*** [37]*** [27]***This game is notable for being nothing like the arcade game of the same name. This was quite a disappointment to many fans. A version of the arcade game would follow with Teenaged Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade game. Also notable for being difficult. In particular, a long gap near then end of the game requires a jump of the maximum possible distance (pixel precise) that many players conclude is impossible until seeking outside help. [Zerothis]***Cowabunga! Players take control of the turtles in a half shell and rescue reporter April O'Neil from the clutches of the evil Shredder. Battle against the Foot Ninja Clan as Leonardo, Michaelangelo, Donatello and Raphael with their trademark weapons and ninja abilities. Search through five stages and dozens of areas throughout the New York City sewers, rooftops and ultimately Shredder's Technodrome to save April. Players must scarf down some pizza to keep up their energy, as they'll need it to defeat Shredder. Turtle Power! | labelimagesubject |
| Ultima: Quest of the Avatar | FCI;Pony Canyon (Infinity;Atelier Double) | 1989 | ♫rulebritannia adv-deeds adv-intermediary adv-objects adv-static aerostat alcohol amoeboids axes beggars beholders bizarrecreatures blackpearls bludgeons bodyarmor bossbattles bows cannons captives capturedresources charactercreation children chiroptera chosenone classbased consoleclassix crossbows cyclopes demonoids demons directionalforce directionalforce-wind dragons encounters-neutral encounters-popup encounters-seen europeanfae femaleprotagonist forest fromanotherworld garlic genderchoice ghosts giantinsects giantseahorses giantspiders gremlins group healingitems healingstations hiddenattributes horses hydrae inbuilttraps incendiarygrenades insects inventory karma knives liches lockpicking lutris magic magicweapons meleeweapons menus mimics monsters mystics neutralnpcs ocean orcs otherworld pirates polearms present rats refwizardofoz resting resuscitation riding river rodents ruins sauroids saveram scummvm-wip seaserpents shallowwater shopping shore skeletons slings snakes sorcery spectres staves subterranean swarmers swords teleporting thrownweapons tornados town toxins traps treants tripeds trolls ultima ultimaageofenlightenment undead walking watercraft watercraft-medium wetland willowisps willowtrees windindicator xp-deeds xp-kills xp-literal xp-multi xp-objects | The ruthless Triad of Evil has been vanquished and peace now reigns in the land. But without the threat of danger the people have become corrupt. Darkness dwells in their hearts and minds. The countryside is plagued by dragons, trolls, and long-dead wizards. Only an Avatar, a shining example of heroism, can destroy the monsters and conquer the internal wickedness with his mastery of magic and weapons. Become the Avatar! Save Britannia! And master the challenges of the ultimate quest--the search for good within yourself. | labelimagesubject |
| David Crane's A Boy and His Blob: Trouble on Blobolonia | Absolute Entertainment;Jaleco (Absolute Entertainment) | 1990 | amoeboids consoleclassix lives maleprotagonist platformer subterranean underwater wiivirtualconsole | Blob has come from the distant planet Blobolonia in search of an earth boy to help him save his world. Join him on this fantastic adventure in mysterious caverns beneath the earth searching for treasure. then travel to Blobolonia to battle the evil emperor. Discover Blob's amazing appetite for jellybeans and the different transformations that occur with each flavor. Learn to use these shapes to overcome even the most outrageous obstacles.*** [64]*** [37]***Mislabelled as a "Mega Drive" review, but the text of the review and the screenshots make it clear it is about the NES game. [32]*** [27]***A boy and his blob is a wonderful adventure game where your a boy, and you have a blob, and you can change the blob into multiple items by feeding him jelly beans. You first venture thru the under ground world of the city and than later travel to the blob world to save the blob king. [Mrlarpus987] | labelimagesubject |
| Dragon Quest IV: Michibikareshi Monotachi | Enix (Chunsoft) | 1990 | bossbattles censored combatmode consoleclassix dragonquest encounters-random famitsugoty genderchoice group group-subset hirelings inventory magic meleeweapons menus monsters revisitedlocales rpg rpg-eastern saveram shopping subterranean swords trading walking xp-kills | As the legend of Erdrick slips into the past, it's time to begin anew. Ragnar, the King's General. Alena, the Princess. Taloon, the Merchant. Nara & Mara, the Dancer and the Fortune Teller. A Hero. Fulfill a prophesy. Is this your destiny? Experience this epic, multi-quest RPG!***This game approaches 16-bit quality. There are some neat technical tricks in this game, including dozens of characters on-screen without flickering. The story is divided into a Chapter structure. Early chapters introduces a main character (chp 4's main characters are a pair of sisters), has a unique quest for each spanning many years, and hints at the main story and future connections of these characters to come. Later chapters have main characters meeting to fulfill the main quest of the game. DQ3 was very open with character creation, sequential multi-classing, item vault and bank and other features. DQ4 returns to pre-made characters with set classes with a vengeance. But there are some added features to take full advantage of this. One is the wagon. Once the wagon is acquired, many characters, all main characters in fact, can join the party. The player selects and active subset while the rest wait in reserve. No more visiting a town somewhere to swap for a party best suited for the given task (like DQ3). [Zerothis]***A Classic. The best Dragon Quest on NES. Dragon Warrior is the North American title. [anonymous]***Dragon Warrior is the North American title. Dragon Quest: The Chapters of the Chosen is the European title. DragonQuest IV begins a new and independent storyline form the previous 3 games. This new storyline continues in DragonQuest V and DragonQuest VI. Dragon Warrior IV: Unlimited is a bug fixed and generally improved version of Dragon Warrior IV. A hacked version, available on cartridge. Not offical. [Zerothis] | labelimagesubject |
| Boulder Dash | JVC;Data East;Nintendo (SAS Sakata) | 1990 | adventurerprotagonist boulderdashlike claiming consoleclassix digging firstpartytitle maleprotagonist savepassword score subterranean timelimit | Stoneford, an old adventurer, ill in bed, called his son, Rockford, to his side. Handing Rockford an old map, he said: "My son, you must take up the quest I never completed. Find the Secret Jewels of the Six Worlds, and you will be rich beyond your wildest dreams!" These were his final words. As Rockford, your quest begins in the strange and perilous Boulder World. An underground world swarming with weird enemies, all out to prevent you from collecting the priceless diamonds just waiting to be mined. Can you master the enchanted walls, transform butterflies into jewels, find the mysterious escape tunnel, and get away from the growing amoeba before it engulfs you? Six different magical worlds of adventure await you in BOULDER DASH!*** [64]*** [37]*** [32]*** [29]*** [27] | labelimagesubject |
| Arkista's Ring | American Sammy (NMK) | 1990 | amoeboids bossbattles bows castle chiroptera consoleclassix demons elvenprotagonist elves energycreatures femaleprotagonist forest ghosts ghouls giantinsects goblins golems gremlins grid grid-square healthregen insectoids keys knights magicweapons manticores monsters ninja noports notnintendocontentguid plantcreatures rapidmovementplants scorpions sewers shadows skeletons sprites subterranean tentaclecreatures town undead vampires volcano wintery wolves worms zombies | The Evil Shogun has stolen the ring of Arkista, plunging the Elven Kingdom into darkness and despair. Only one elf, Christine, is brave enough to take up the treacherous challenge to recover the stolen treasure. She must fight, through towns, graveyards, and mazes crawling with hordes of monsters. Yet, with your help, can she make it to the infamous Ninja Dungeon? | labelimagesubject |
| Solstice: The Quest for the Staff of Demnos | Sony Imagesoft;Epic Sony Records (Software Creations) | 1990 | amoeboids automap consoleclassix deadlydecor disappearingplatforms finiteresources forest gameprogress humanoidprotagonist inventory keys knightlorelike limitedcapacity limitedsupplies losemap monsters movingplatforms noports nosaves roombased sorcery stereo subterranean traproom | "From Out of the Darkness... Shall Arise a Challenge To Your Wisdom" Join Shadax's quest as he searches through the deadly fortress of Kastlerock for the six pieces of the magical Staff of Demnos, in a brave attempt to save Princess Eleanor from the evil magician Morbius! Over 250 challenging rooms to explore. Brilliant 3-D graphics, music and sound effects. Powerful potions and magical keys. Fearless evil characters to defeat. Non-violent fun for the entire family!*** [64]*** [63]*** [52]*** [37]*** [29]*** [27] | labelimagesubject |
| Digger T. Rock: The Legend of the Lost City | Milton Bradley (Rare) | 1990 | consoleclassix digging lives lostcity maleprotagonist meleeweapons subterranean | Ready for tunnels of underground fun? Our hero, Digger T. Rock, is mining for a legendary lost city - and he needs you to dig in and help out! Burrow through mysterious caverns, each one a "mine-boggling" maze of unknown dangers. Battle fierce foes like dinosaurs, ghouls and cranky cavemen with clubs. Collect rocks, dynamite, ladders and jewels, and use them wisely. Dig deep to uncover secrets, like how to open cavern doors - and how to reach them before they slam shut! Dare to dig down to the deepest, most dangerous cavern... and discover what lies beyond!*** [64]*** [37]*** [29]*** [27] | labelimagesubject |
| Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game | Konami | 1990 | altered bossbattles cartoon city-newyork-ny commercial consoleclassix earth lives meleeweapons mp-cooperative multiprotagonists mutants ninja ninjaprotagonist nunchucks sai score staves subterranean swords teenprotagonist teens tmnt walking | [media=youtube]https://youtu.be/0shiN6hY5-E[/media]*** [169]*** [70]*** [90]***Yo! After being treated like garbage by the Ninja Turtles, Shredder has trained a new, more merciless breed of Foot Soldiers to inflict his revenge: A clan of over 700 Taekwondo turtle terminators who have once again captured April O'Neil to use as turtle bait. Fortunately you don't have to face these freaks of torture alone. For the first time ever, two dudes or dudettes can join forces and double-team Shredder, kicking shell while covering each others tails. But to survive you've gotta fight through 8 action-packed arcade levels, including Vinnie's Valet "Stalking" Lot and the Soho Sewer System, plus two new never-before-seen shell-squashing stages! Each of these deathtraps is reinforced by lethal electro zappers, laser beams, freezer burners or enemies such as Scorpion Robots, Stone Warriors and Baxter Stockman. Shredder has also hired the all-powerful Tora and Shogun, two alien bounty hunters who have never known defeat. Even though Master Splinter has prepared the turtles well for battle, teaching them radical new attack moves, it doesn't mean this war to save April and turtlekind will be a piece of cake or even a slice of pizza. Because with the forces of revenge on his side and the bounty boys in town, it's payback time for Shredder!*** [64]*** [37]*** [32]*** [29]*** [27]***Pretty decent port (for an NES) of a [i]classic[/i] arcade game. The graphics are far inferior to the arcade version, of course, but also the levels are slightly different than the arcade version. This game is just called [i]Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles[/i] in Japan. [cjlee001] | labelimagesubject |
| Kaiketsu Yanchamaru 2: Karakuri Land | Irem (Japan System House) | 1991 | bossbattles earth japan jumping lives meleeweapons notimelimit oopitems outdoors overworld past score subterranean train volcano walking | Game description from [[link:http://www.romhacking.net Romhacking.net]]: Basically, here’s your typical side-scroller. You have a really cool weapon which can go in all four directions, and you break bells for nifty power-ups and stuff. Other than that, well, there’s really not much else to say about the game. Anyway, despite what some people say about Kid Niki 2, it’s a pretty cool game, so give it a try if you’re bored or something. Incomplete unofficial English translation available: [[link:http://www.cinnamonpirate.com/]] [cjlee001] | labelimageminimize |
| WURM: Journey to the Center of the Earth | Asmik;Sofel (Cyclone System) | 1991 | 1990s actionadventure consoleclassix digging driving energyshields fallbackweapon femaleprotagonist fuel future multisequence savepassword shieldregen subterranean transformation walking worldcore | The year is 1999.nStrange phenomena has begun to take place on the surface of the earth. Destructive earthquakes and volcanic eruptions have scarred the planet.nMoby the top Commander of the Marine Corps has been selected to Wurm, the Vector Zilus Research vehicle deep into the center of the earth.nGround control has lost all contact with the previous Wurm missions. Now Moby's is the only one left.nBut she's not going in alone. There's an experienced crew you can turn to for advice before you help find her father, who was lost in the last expedition.nWhen the heat is really on, you can make Wurm change forms from a drill tank, to a hover craft, to a Super Jet Fighter, each specially equipped with the latest Weapons 1999 has to offer.nWurm is the ultimate game of adventure because it combines the skill of Role-playing with the exciting shoot 'em up action of the arcades.nMoby and her crew are a long way from home, but even a longer way from exploring all 20 levels that will give you the clues to successfully complete the mission and rescue the Earth.nIt's time to board Wurm.nGoing down anyone?n***バゾルダー literally reads [code]bazorudā[/code] which is transliteration of [i]bazolder[/i] | labelimagesubject |
| Town & Country II: Thrilla's Surfari | Acclaim Entertainment | 1992 | africa anthroprotagonist bananas carnivorousplants coconuts consoleclassix did dragonflies earth electriceels elephant frog giantinsects giantspiders giraffes gorillas jungle noasin plantcreatures rapidmovementplants rescue sharks skateboard snakes sorcery subterranean surfboard testudines townncountrysurfdesigns tropic wasteland witches | The game features Thrilla Gorilla, a surfing/skateboarding mascot of the company, Town & Country Surf Designs, on a quest to save his girlfriend (Barbie Bikini) who has been kidnapped by a witch doctor named Wazula. Unlike the original game, which is set in Hawaii, the sequel is set in Africa. | labelimagesubject |
| Moon Crystal | Hect;DTMC (Hect) | 1992 | bossbattles indoors inventory jumping ledges lives midairjumping outdoors parallaxscrolling prerenderedcinematics rooftops secrets-falling subterranean timelimit undead walking waterfalls | [media=youtube]2o68IPyg3og[/media]***Game description from [url=http://www.romhacking.net]Romhacking.net[/url]: [i]Wow, this may be the most badass platform game ever. The game plays a lot like Prince of Persia, where you have to jump from platform to platform, do some climbing and essentially avoid falling to your death. There's also plenty of thugs trying to stop you, and collection of some of the toughest bosses I've ever encountered in a videogame. Meanwhile, Ninja Gaiden-esque cut-scenes tell the story in between levels. The graphics are almost on par with the TurboGrafx, and the control is amazingly fluid and dead-on. The more you play this, the more you'll say 'damn, they did this on the NES?' It's just that kickass.[/i] [cjlee001] | labelimageminimize |
| Mickey's Safari in Letterland | Hi-Tech Expressions;Playtronic (Beam) | 1993 | ♫mozarttwinklestar alligators animateobjects anthropomorphism anthroprotagonist cartoon chiroptera clams disney ducks edu-graphemes forest fungus-mushrooms hedgehogs hippo jungle letters livesnowman mice mickeymouse mouseprotagonist mycoids otherworld parrots penguin pinnipeds rodentprotagonist rodents rubegoldbergmachine ruins seals snakes speechsynthesis subterranean testudines wasteland wetland wintery | NES-M8-USA Developed by Beam Software and published by Hi-Tech Expressions in 1993-03 1 player only Play the anthropomorphic Mickey Mouse as he travels to Letterland and 'hunts' letters in this platform game. The letters are needed for Ludwig von Drake's museum where Goofy and Mickey are currently employed. Goofy chauffeurs Mickey between the 6 regions with different terrains in Letterland; Snowy mountains and icy surfaces in Yukon, cliffs, water, and tropical beaches in Caribbean, swamp and water in Swamp, water and forest in Forest, water and jungle in Jungle, and desert and pyramid interiors in Pyramid. Each Every level has 3 letters of a single 3 letter word, each hidden in a letter diamond, that Mickey optionally must find and 'capture' in a butterfly net. If he finds all 3, he will spell the world after the level ends while an illustration of the word is shown (hat, leg, arm, etc...). Mickey can say all 26 letters, laugh, and exclaim "oh boy" in synthesized speech that actually sounds like Mickey. The level ends when Mickey nets the stone slab containing an ancient fossilized letter. Goofy also operates a Rube Goldberg type of machine that cleans and preserves the fossils before Mickey puts them in the museum display. This is also part of the game, the player must match the letter to it place in the display. There are 26 levels in expert mode, 4 or 5 per region, one for each letter of the English alphabet. Beating the game treats the player to an 8-bit instrumental rendition of The Alphabet Song (Mozart's Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star). It is impossible to die but Mickey will show comical discomfort at contacting enemies or falling long distances. This is an extremely easy aimed at people who are not yet or are still learning the English alphabet. However, finding all the letters for the bonus words involves more advanced exploration and problem solving skills. A few letters are in places where they player may not be able to return to once they pass a certain point in the level and so careful planning is required to achieve this goal. The mushrooms and hippos from Disney's movie Fantasia and Monkeys from the movie Junglebook, make cameos. All the creatures listed are passive or inconsiderate to Mickey's presence, though all can be made useful. The living snowman and the anthropomorphic mushrooms are the only fantastically presented creatures. Hint, swing the net just before hitting the ground to avoid 'hurting' Mickey. Hint, contacting a creature or a corner of a surface tosses Mickey into the air with the height depending on several factors. Hint, every level has an animal or apparatus that will cause Mickey to jump extra high if the jump button is held. [spoiler=Hidden mode;close]If you press Select on the map screen you can enter a mode where Mickey says the letter the player points to when they press a button. Pressing select again returns to the map screen. This might be in the instruction book but can still be consider a secret since people just learning their alpha bet would not be expected to read the instruction book. [/spoiler] Someone should verify the details of the hidden mode as stated in the instruction booklet. The game displays a copyright of 1990 but was not published until 1993-03. [Zerothis] | labelimagesubject |
| Nomolos: Storming the Catsle | RetroZone (Gradual Games) | 2012 | amoeboids bees bossbattles cemetery chiroptera difficulty gargoyles gunblades indoors jumping lives meleeweapons noscore outdoors skeletons snails snakes spiders subterranean swords temple uvl-sku wyverns | Yes, the title is "[b][i]Catsle[/i][/b]" not "[b][i]Castle[/i][/b]". It is not a typo. That is the intended title. | labelminimizeminimize |
| Super Bat Puncher | author | TBA | chiroptera demo jumping karmiccreatures subterranean walking | labelminimizeminimize |
