#336 - Kid Icarus

                                 Pit's got a little bit of a creeper smile going on.

                                      Pit stacks his hearts like we stack our bills.

Kid Icarus, like the original Zelda and Metroid before it, required too much from me as a young kid. This might sound crazy to those of you that grew up with those games, but I didn't want to dedicate the time and patience required in order to beat them. As a wee lad, I preferred the simple pleasures of Super Mario Bros, Sonic the Hedgehog, and other games of that ilk because you could pick up the controller, play for fifteen minutes, and move on. Looking back, I enjoyed the dungeons in Zelda and the moody atmosphere of Metroid, but the non-linear gameplay in each of those games frustrated my mushy seven-year-old brain. While Kid Icarusis a fairly straightforward platformer (save for the labyrinth levels), your platforming skills had to be the equivalent of the gods for you to succeed. Love it or hate it, Kid Icarusis tough, in the chew-your-nails-raw sense. Perhaps, as a child, I had a short attention span or perhaps my gaming palate just needed to be refined. Either way, both Zeldaand Metroid have grown on me since then, no thanks to my enjoying later games in the series. Until today, however, I had not fully explored Kid Icarus. I'm glad I did. Kid Icarusmay be too old-school and difficult for some of today's gamers, but I for one couldn't deny its effervescent charm. Take that, younger self.

In 1986, Kid Icaruswas truly a smorgasbord of new and unique ideas. World 1 and World 3 – the Underworld and Sky World, respectively – see you progressing vertically instead of horizontally, like in Super Mario Bros. A couple years before Zelda II was an apple in Miyamoto's eye, Pit could "level up" by killing enemies and acquiring points. The more points you got, the more your life bar extended. For some of the later bosses, leveling up is an absolute must. Even before the original Zelda, Kid Icarus had merchants and selectable items and weaponry. Many of these items – like the hammers – are slightly more optional than the items used in Zelda, but they're still worth collecting to make Pit's life easier in the game. As if that weren't enough, the game had a password system that generated every time you died a la Metroid, which released around the same time. We think nothing of these innovations today, but twenty-six years ago, these were groundbreaking. They arguably established Nintendo as one of the most forward-thinking developers of its time (a title I wish they'd strive to reclaim, but I digress...).

Innovations are nothing without fun gameplay, and Kid Icarus succeeds in this area, as well. The game is structured like a simple platformer, but the levels are well-developed and challenging. Pit takes some time to control, as his wings make him a tad floaty. The more you control him, the more it will seem like second nature. Before long, you'll be jumping over and around enemies while shooting others, hopping from levitating platform to levitating platform, all with 8-bit style and finesse. Much has been made about the game's difficulty. I liken the challenge to a more difficult Mega Man game or even Ninja Gaiden. Those games are frustrating, sure, but the rewards far exceed the amount of hair you pull out during gameplay. Enemies also have endearing designs: the goofy Grim Reaper (with his own theme song!) and the Eggplant Wizards, who will turn you into an eggplant with feet, are my personal favorites (what was with Nintendo and eggplants around this time?).

I think it's safe to say that I really enjoy Kid Icarus. I understand the complaints my younger self had with the game, but if I would have just given it the time and patience it deserved, I know I would have enjoyed it. I'm thankful that now, in my mid-twenties, I can appreciate the depths Nintendo tried to inject into the action platformer. Even during the initial success of Super Mario Bros., Nintendo wasn't content to rest on their laurels and churn out wave after wave of side-scrolling Mario games. Kid Icarustook risks. God bless it for that.

A

#122 - Castlevania

The game was originally supposed to be titled Conanvania, but Konami came to their senses and gave Simon a whip.

 

I wonder how many hours people have spent trying to ascend the floating staircase.

Playing through every NES game really puts Nintendo's entire gaming output into perspective. Games traditionally failed on the NES, not because they weren't marketed properly like today, but because they were bad games. Read my Castelian and Castle of Deceit reviews to see why no one has ever heard of those games in 2011. Castlevania was released in 1987 for the Nintendo, and, if I'm not mistaken, was one of the first side-scrolling action games for the NES along with Kung Fu, Ghosts N Goblins, and the original Super Mario Bros. Out of all the aforementioned games, only Mario and Castlevania truly live on today. Kung Fu and Ghosts N Goblins were hardly bad games for their day, and in fact, sold quite well, but Castlevania was a huge success. It's for good reason: even 24 years later, Castlevania is one of those Nintendo games, like Mega Man or Contra, that possesses the ability to still feel fresh, exciting, and challenging on every playthrough.

Anyone who's ever been moderately interested in the Castlevania series has read a thousand retrospectives on the series; articles on why the first game was so influential, unique, interesting, fun, on why it launched a dynasty, etc. Even if you didn't read past the entry on Super Castlevania IV in said retrospective, everyone knows the story and the gameplay behind ¾ of the series. Some member of the Belmont goes to take on Dracula and his several reincarnations. Later, in the GBA and DS games, they introduce several new characters and soap opera plotlines, but that's none of our concern. What is important is each person's take on their time with Castlevania. In other words, where were you when you first played one of the original Castlevania games on the NES? So in a sort-of, kind-of break from tradition, I would like readers to leave a comment, stating their first experience with a Castlevania game. I'd prefer if your first experience was with Castlevania I-III on the NES, but beggars can't be choosers. Any reminiscences will do!



When I was a child in the early 90s, I never tried the original three for the NES or Super CV IV for the SNES, and I honestly can't say why. If I had to guess, though, I'd say a part of me was scared. I read game magazines and hint books at the time, and I knew Castlevania games were hard and not for the weak at heart. Don't get me wrong, I could handle a challenge as a kid. In a way, my argument implodes on itself because I know I rented every Mega Man game about a couple dozen times. I just could never beat really challenging games over a three-day rental period at Blockbuster, and I suppose, Mega Man, although challenging, was covered in a shroud of cuteness, which made him appealing to me. Despite his power, no one's going to look at Mega Man's adorable face and be terrified. Castlevania was dark, disturbing, mysterious. While my family was Christian, they wouldn't have objected to me playing the Castlevania games, so that excuse is out. Also, I enjoyed scaring myself, so Castlevania seems like a series I would have been drawn to. ALL THE PIECES FIT! Alas, I will never know my reasoning. While I later tried all three games on an NES emulator in the early 00s (yes, I was behind), my first Castlevania game was indeed Castlevania for the N64. Like many pitiful N64 owners, I swallowed up anything that looked remotely good. I hated the original Castlevania for the N64, but later I tried the "director's cut" Legacy of Darkness and found that much more enjoyable for reasons I can't recall. Nevertheless, neither of those games are solid first entries in the series if you're looking for a place to start.

Yes, all of the retrospectives are true: the original Castlevania is a masterful game and a love letter to monsters in general. Its six levels are intricately designed to make you feel like you're traversing the grounds of an evil castle in Transylvania. Instead of simply latching onto vampire mythology, the game throws every creature in the book at you: mummies, medusa heads, large bats, witches, and for flavor, Frankenstein's monster. For 1987, this was high-quality gaming that only the NES could provide (or, if you were in Japan, the Famicom Disk System). Beautiful atmospheric graphics, mostly tight controls, and some of the best music found in gaming, then and now, provide an all-around excellent experience. Complaints? When enemies hit you, they send you flying backward. Since there are a lot of flying enemies and a lot of precarious jumps to make, simple hits can lead to many instant deaths. If you're a fan, you know all of this already. If you're not a fan, why are you still reading? Go play Castelian or something.

A

 

As always...

#93 - Bomberman

While the cover doesn't represent the game in the least, it is still amazing.

Take that, you disgusting orange balloon puffs!

It's always interesting to play the first game in a now classic franchise. Bomberman is about as simple as it comes and I'm sure Hudson Soft never knew how beloved it would become (though sadly it's gone under the radar recently – why no online Bomberman?). While Bomberman is known for its multiplayer, this first game features only a one-player mode, nothing more. Some addicted to multiplayer might scoff, but I personally have never understood all the hate for one-player mode. Sure, it's fast and/or furious crazy fun when you have four-players trying to blow each other up (or up to ten on the classic Saturn Bomberman). There's a tranquil addictiveness that sets in, though, as you go through each stage by yourself, blowing up surprisingly spry enemies and collecting power-ups so you can become the biggest pimp of the Bomber world.

The gameplay is about as simple as it gets: run around stages composed entirely of randomly generated bricks and enemies, and destroy them. The goal is to blow up all the enemies, while collecting the one power-up within the stage and finding the exit, which is a red door. If you're an impatient person, give the game a few levels to pick up, as it starts off really slow. The first level, you're only armed with one bomb at a time and your bombing range sucks, so it can take forever. The more bombs and bigger range you acquire, the more fun the game gets. My favorite powerup is the bomb trigger, where you decide when the bombs blow up, instead of the game. Just remember: with more bombs comes more responsibility. It can become very easy to trap yourself next to a bomb or an enemy if you're not careful (read: too cocky).

This game's almost twenty-five years old and I'm impressed by the relative smarts of the AI, especially for the time. Many of the enemies, unless you trap them in a location, will not come near an area if you have laid a bomb there. Once they see the bomb is gone, they will leap out and come straight for you. Now, a disclaimer: they do also make a lot of stupid mistakes, but it's that healthy balance that makes you stay on your toes. When you see an enemy bopping around between two bricks, and there's an exit they could take to come out after you but they're not, it's good to beware. They could just be waiting for you to let your guard down. Also, it's heartbreaking to see little Bomberman blow up, so try and limit his deaths if you have a soul.

Much like Battle City, both of my grandparents used to wreck shop at this game back in the day. I would watch them for what felt like hours, entranced at their ability to lay down nine bombs, blow up half of the screen, and not die, level after level. They plowed through the game's fifty levels repeatedly and wouldn't break a sweat (spoiler alert: in one of the Nintendo's many bizarre WTF moments, Bomberman turns into Lode Runner at the end of the game). I always wondered then, when I would pick up the game as a child, why I sucked at it. Two levels in and I'd already used up all my lives. I'd set down the controller, shake my head and say to myself, “Bomberman's just one game you'll never be good at. Let it go, D.” Until today, that is! For whatever reason, the skills of my grandparents have passed on to me today, and I have come to appreciate the simplistic madness that is the original Bomberman. It might not be the Bomberman gamers remember today, but it's a fantastic start to a wonderful franchise.

A

#85 - Bionic Commando

Little Johnny Quest is all grown up and fighting against Nazi robot arms and evil Russian spotlights.

Radd Spencer handcrafted his suit out of Velcro and glow-in-the-dark paint.


It's been a few days since I was supposed to review Bionic Commando. It's arguably one of the most revered NES games among hardcore gamers; the kind of people who believe continues and passwords aren't a right, but a privilege. Unlike the majority of my reviews which cost me little time or effort, I wanted to give this game a fair deal. For starters, I knew it was going to be challenging, and boy howdy, did it not disappoint. This is probably the most difficult NES game I've ever played outside of the original Ninja Gaiden. I decided to give the game several days to "sink in" a.k.a. I needed to get better at the game before I could properly review it. Well, I could postpone this review indefinitely, or I could just admit what my ego wants to keep hidden: I really suck at Bionic Commando.

Thankfully, the game is so well made, that my suckiness doesn't prevent me from appreciating the game's depths and intricacies. Let's get the obvious out of the way first: the game is an side-scrolling platformer that doesn't contain a jump button. This in and of itself is huge, and not just when the game was released in 1988; even now, in 2011, I can't think of any side-scroller that does this. In clumsier hands, such an audacious tactic would have likely failed, but Capcom pulled it off beautifully. The arm often knows where it needs to go, and if you're confused about where to hook on to, take notice of your surroundings: the answer often lies right in front of you, like with the lamppost/spotlight in the first level. Ladd Spencer, said commando of the bionic variety, isn't the easiest chap to get along with at first, but once you master his arm, you won't miss the jump button in the slightest.

While you do essentially progress from one level to the next, like any other side-scroller, Bionic Commando gives you the feel of non-linearity with the main level grid. When you first begin the game, Radd is in a helicopter and you're asked if you want to "transfer" to a different level or "descend" into the level highlighted. Once again, BC shows its uniqueness: you're allowed to play the game out of order, even though you really shouldn't; this made me feel like I was on a unique mission with Radd, instead of just a mindless drone obeying orders from the Army. The level grid may look confusing at first with its mish-mash of random numbers, but it's easy to tell what direction you want to go after you beat a level; blocks that are colored completely white are actual levels, while blocks with red middles and white borders are "neutral" bases.

It makes me sad to report that I have brought shame to my family and my ancestors by only reaching Area 4. For those who have yet to play BC, Area 4 is only the second level. To make myself feel slightly better, I will say that I almost beat the second boss, but sweet dancing Moses, this game throws everything at you to make sure you do not survive. The obscene difficulty specifically reveals itself in two ways: the first is not mastering the reach of your bionic arm; the second is avoiding the stupid soldiers that randomly drop all around you. The former is an attainable goal that merely takes practice; the latter is a exercise in cheapness that is designed to make the game harder. What difficulties await me in the later levels? I'm not sure because, as my thesis statement made clear, I suck at this game. But, unlike another difficult game like Battletoads, I desire to get better at this game because it's just so darn fun. I've played the first two levels like fifty times, and I still want more abuse. That should say something.

Bionic Commando fun facts that everyone already knows:

- somebody by the pen name of F.X. Nine actually took the time to adapt this game's story into a novel. I had it, along with the other three "Worlds of Power" books, but I don't think I ever read them.

- Hitler is the final boss. If that doesn't make you want to reach the end, etc.

- Bionic Commando is actually a sequel to a less-impressive game, Commando. Neither game has anything to do with the award-winning Schwarzenegger film, which emerged around the same time.

- People often quit Bionic Commando because of the lack of a jump button. Bunch of babies! 

A-


Parish is fun to read: http://www.gamespite.net/toastywiki/index.php/Games/G625-BionicCommando