Tag: NES

Snake’s Revenge mini review

Hideo Kojima wasn’t involved in this NES sequel to the original “Metal Gear.”

Cool, now the baggage is out of the way and we can talk about the game itself.

On the positive side, it does a good job of smoothing over a lot of the rough edges from “Metal Gear,” cleaning up the graphical presentation quite a bit. It also avoids the comical translation problems and the weird jungle traversal from the first game.

I also like the whole “interrogate prisoners” dynamic, which feels different from anything I’ve seen in any of the other Metal Gear games.

On the negative side, “Snake’s Revenge” doubles down on the stupid key cards from the first game (the problem is less the cards themselves and how they’re implemented — you basically have to guess at every single door which card to use, then systematically try all of them, and this process is a sucky waste of time). I also don’t think I’m going out on a limb to call the side-scrolling sections a perplexing addition, since they largely suck as well.

That a lot of this is unsuccessful doesn’t make the whole a bad game, and indeed, I sort of hate that people dismiss it without giving it a fair go because of some bizarre loyalty to Kojima.

Where I think this all ends up is with a game that improves on its NES predecessor in some respects but largely fails to move the ball forward. It’s not all that dissimilar from something like Zelda II in that it’s weird enough to merit a play, but not good enough to consider it more than a curious bit of history, rather than an example of a great game.

But that history, such that is, doesn’t deserve to be erased.

Dave’s Score: 6/10

Eliminator Boat Duel mini review

Making the quirky choice to mix perspectives within a single race, switching between an overhead viewpoint and a behind-the-racer angle, this curious little game somehow makes each section competent enough on its own to create a cohesive whole.

That’s really what matters here — the solid racing — though it does more to draw the gamer in. Winning races (and even segments of races) allows you to acquire funds that upgrade your boat, which is a key element in trying to win later on against stronger opponents.

Said opponents are a colorful crew, characters who might fall into stereotypes but do have the benefit of being memorable. These goofballs would be at home in a “Punch-Out!!” title.

They make it a bit of a silly game, but it’s a fun one too, and that’s why we play, isn’t it?

Dave’s Score: 7/10

Urban Champion mini review

Oh, it’s definitely bad, as its reputation suggests. But just how bad?

Well, it’s the worst game I’ve completed this year, but it’s not significantly worse than “Ice Climber,” and since it’s been so strongly derided in other pockets of the web, I don’t feel compelled to dunk on it too severely.

It’s a rudimentary fighter, and it’s unsuccessful at inspiring strategy, let alone competition. It can be fun to knock your opponent into an open manhole or watch him get beaned by a flowerpot, but it’s all very shallow and over quickly.

As a curiosity, sure, you can play the thing. I’m not gonna give it a passing score, though.

Dave’s Score: 4/10

Mendel Palace mini review

This is a dang fine game, a tile-flipping puzzler that is colorful, interesting, and fun. It reminded me of “Chew Man Fu.”

My only hesitation with games like this is whether to give a full-chested endorsement, since puzzle games can offer a limited sort of enjoyment. It’s all sort of samey as you go along, and the games usually tap out at a couple of hours.

“Mendel Palace” can be characterized in the same way, though to its credit, it’s very strong at offering enemy variance, keeping things fresh. It never gets dull or boring. Some levels were irritating, seeming to rely more on luck then skill to traverse, but that’s a quibble.

It’s truly an under appreciated part of the NES library, and I’m glad I was able to play it on Switch. I think I’m in the “no reservations” category here. It’s a winner.

Dave’s Score: 8/10

Metal Gear (NES) mini review

So, most fans know this, but yes, the original “Metal Gear” did not debut on the NES. Famously, noted auteur Hideo Kojima did not find the NES port up to his exacting standards, and thusly, the game has fallen out of favor among metalheads in recent years.

Of course, what’s interesting to consider is a whole lot of people didn’t know any of this when the game debuted back in 1988. To a whole bunch of people, Metal Gear was just Metal Gear, not some inferior version of itself.

That’s how I chose to engage with the game, enjoying it on its own merits and accepting the shortcomings as being a byproduct of another era.

Taken on those terms, the game is very much … decent.

Stealth games basically got their start here, so the game has a significance, and it can be fun. Yet, it’s oftentimes confusing and muddled and annoying.

Enjoyable at times, frustrating at others, Metal Gear is a thoroughly “NES hard” kind of game.

And that’s okay.

Dave’s Ranking: 7/10

Snake Rattle ‘n’ Roll mini review

If you play enough NES games in quick succession, you run the risk of being lulled to sleep, expecting an endless parade of basic platformers to bore you into submission.

That might be overstating it. I mean, I LIKE platformers, so the “risk” here may result in a fate that’s not half bad. But anyway, the point is, some NES games can be “same-y.”

“Snake Rattle ‘n’ Roll” is anything but. The objective is for you to move a little snake guy safely through an increasingly difficult to traverse 3D-isometric landscape. The pun of the title plays out with 50’s style music adaptations, a bright, colorful setting, and a bunch of critters trying to kill you.

Appropriately enough from the same studio that ported “Marble Madness” to the NES (Rare), this game reminds of that one, particularly as it relates to challenges inherent to the perspective (such as movement). The snake has to consume little bouncing pellets like Pac-Man to advance through stages … and he attacks enemies with his tongue.

If any of this sounds strange, I think that was the plan. Ultimately, Snake feels like a breath of fresh air compared to so many other NES games that refuse to deviate from established norms. That makes it an easy recommendation (with the caveat that it gets stupid levels of difficult in the end game).

Dave’s Score: 8/10

S.C.A.T. mini review

This game is decent.

A shoot-em-up on the NES … I mean, that tracks, yeah? It’s probably gonna be decent … but no better than that.

S.C.A.T. is way too short a game. It makes up for that with typical (for a shooter) unforgiving gameplay to prolong the experience, and it also does some interesting things. And no, by “interesting” I don’t mean “shamelessly rip off 80s sci-fi movies, to the point they named their characters ‘Arnold’ and ‘Sigourney.’”

What the game does is give you the ability to fire either left or right, send enemies at you from both directions, and then leave you to try to figure it all out. What helps you in this effort is the ability to set rotating secondary weapons to fire in specific directions, which allows you to cover your rear end when appropriate.

Usually, this gimmick of firing in either direction falls super flat for me, but here it works. And like I said, it’s a short game, so the weirdness doesn’t drag on forever. There’s something to be said for that.

Dave’s Score: 7/10

Vice: Project Doom mini review

I mean, it’s another NES action platformer. Surprise!

There are so many of these kinds of games, the developers no doubt had two key objectives in mind:

1. Polish it the fuck up.

2. Do something strange.

“Vice: Project Doom” at least understood the assignment. The graphical presentation is impressive, boasting scrolling backgrounds, lots of color, and “Ninja Gaiden”-style cinematics. The controls are solid, as is the hit detection. It really does get the basics right.

In terms of getting weird, the game presents a couple of shooting range levels and some “Spy Hunter” style drive and shoot stages.

That’s nothing to speak of the plot, which is delightfully absurd.

I think where this game suffers a little is that so much of what it does reminds you of other games. The examples noted above are the most blatant, but it also at varying points feels like about a dozen other games which have done all of this before (often better).

If you like this sort of thing (8-bit platformers), you’ll probably enjoy it. I’m a little less enthusiastic just based on how derivative it all feels. But it’s a solid time.

Dave’s Score: 7/10

Crystalis mini review

You’ve gotta tread lightly with these old-school RPGs on the NES. People love them. They’re influential as heck. And if you keep an open mind, you can have a decent time.

But there’s no denying that genre of game — perhaps more than any other — can struggle to connect with modern audiences. In many cases, it’s the absence of quality of life improvements from modern titles that stand out. With the action RPG “Crystalis,” the problem is less about aggravating grinding demands or an absence of creature comforts, and more about a baffling level of intentional befuddlement.

You just don’t know where to go. The solution, naturally, is to lean on a guide to help you progress. So much so, it’s virtually impossible to imagine anyone navigating this game without one. Cryptic puzzles, confusing dialogue, hidden items … this is like Zelda on steroids.

The story and action are good stuff. And as alluded to above, more modern touches, such as the ability to warp from place to place, are welcome. It’s frankly impressive that they’re here.

So I can see why people love this game and brag on it being one of the hidden gems on the NES. I’m glad I played it. But fair warning: you’re gonna need to keep a guide handy throughout the experience to make any kind of headway.

Dave’s Score: 7/10

Shadow of the Ninja mini review

We’re all entitled to change our minds.

As a goofy teenager, I was a “Ninja Gaiden” apologist, to the point that I found all other ninja-themed video games to be lacking.

Fast forward a few decades and “Ninja Gaiden II” popped up on Switch Online, so I eagerly consumed it and found it be … quite obnoxious.

For one thing, the game didn’t advance enough upon the original, but it was also irritatingly difficult., the kind of experience you’d walk away from without save states unless you were:

A.) A masochist.

B.) Transported back in time to 1990.

C.) Both?

“Shadow of the Ninja,” released that same year by developer Natsume is, dare I say it, a more enjoyable use of one’s time.

13-year-old me would be shaking his head right now.

Shadow tones down the difficulty of the Gaiden series, provides a similar flair for the theatrical (great music, graphics and level/enemy design), and offers several goodies that Gaiden doesn’t: some useful weaponry that makes the journey a smidge easier (such as a kusarigama for longer range attacks and bombs for heavier damage) and a two-player mode that included a female character (this was still a big deal in 1990).

This game kind of rocks, if I’m honest, which is a far cry from what I thought when I rented it back in the day.

Shadow better than Gaiden II?

I’m shook.

Dave’s Score: 8/10