Jackal

Continuing alone the ages of the Nintendo Entertainment System I move to the action game Jackal.  Developed and published by Konami, Jackal was released in June 1986.  The game is a basic run and gun where you are dropped off to rescue prisoners from the enemies and then defeat the level boss.

So the game starts off with you being dropped off on the beach by a transport helicopter in your very well armed jeep.  You start driving in whichever direction with two different attacks: a gun that always shoots north as well as grenades that fire the direction you're facing. 

And I start to drive north, shooting at these planted cannons as well as random soldiers on the ground.  The cannons are more obnoxious because they usually come in pairs and they do their best by shooting at you to and they can only be defeated by the grenades. So moving further to the north I come upon an enemy base that is guarded by a few soldiers, after shooting some of them I am then able to just drive past. 

And further north I go, and it's basically the same, shooting or running over the soldiers and then tossing grenades at the cannons.  There is one section where you break into another base by destroying the large metal door at the entrance. 

And I keep moving north. 

So yeah, there really isn't much to say about this game except that you keep moving north and keep killing random soldiers and cannons.  It's fun to play but really boring to describe.  Nothing really distinct that happens within the level until the boss, which for the first level is just a few tanks that take two hits to kill. 

And so I've played another Nintendo game, and I think I'll move to another system tomorrow.  Perhaps one where I can write a little bit more so the posts don't seem so short.  Or maybe I'll move to a game with a bit more substance, away from all the arcade games.  But anyways, I'll figure out what game to play tomorrow and which system it will be on.  Adios for today though.

Amagon

So I'm moving along with more Nintendo games with Amagon.  Developed by Aicom and published by Vic Tokai, Amagon was released on the Nintendo Entertainment System in April 1989.  The game is a basic action platformer.

You play as the the marine Amagon whose plane has crashed on some random island.  Amagon isn't very lucky, as his rescue ship has landed on the other side of the island, and now he must run across the entire island to reach it.  You travel across the island with your rifle, trying to reach your rescue ship.  There are power ups you can get to cause yourself to become much larger without the ability to use your gun but instead are given huge punches that do more damage. 

So I start running across the island to get through the level.  The enemies are very simple at the beginning with spiders who fall out of trees at you and some random jumping mushrooms that start to jump higher as you get closer.  The first level begins very simply as you keep going and it's just a matter of shooting the different enemies and not being hit.  A bit further in the stage your reaction is tested just a bit as some birds fly towards you, but then it's just a matter of shooting a few times as they fly straight at you. 

A bit after that there is a section where a flying beetle spits at you as a spider chases you from behind.  It is a matter of dodging the beetle's attack while still trying to turn around to kill the spider.  The game is a bit kind in that there are multiple checkpoints and an unlimited number of continues.  But as you continue you keep moving across the island, avoiding more birds and starting to jump across coral to get further towards your rescue ship. 

And so another game is played and I'm realizing how little can be said about some of these Nintendo games, but I'm still going to be playing them and getting through the games.  But this day is done and another game comes tomorrow.  Adios for today though. 

Mike Tyson's Punch Out

AMC is doing a Can't Get Enough Rocky week and keeps showing the Rocky movies and it makes me want to play one game: Mike Tyson's Punch Out!!.  Developed and published by Nintendo, Mike Tyson's Punch Out!! was originally released on the Nintendo in October 1987.  It was again re-released on the Nintendo in 1990 as Punch Out!! featuring Mr. Dream after Mike Tyson lost to 'Buster' Douglas. 

Punch Out!! allows you to play as Little Mac, a small (one hundred and seven pounds) kid from Bronx, New York.  Little Mac starts in the ranks of the minor league in third place.  Each win advances him a rank until Mac becomes the number one contender for the title.  Once winning the title, Mac goes through a training run with his coach before moving to the next circuit (from minor to major to world).  Of course there is also the chance you'll lose the fight.  After the first lose you get a rematch, but the second loss pushes you down a ranking (a third loss is a game over). 

So starting in the Minor Circuit, Little Mac and I start off facing Glass Joe (the circuit is pretty empty for him to be third ranked contender).  Joe has one win, ninety-nine losses, and a jaw made of absolute glass.  Many of the opponents have ways to knock them down instantly, but Joe actually has a couple.  Any star punch knocks him down in an instant, and countering his special punch does it too. 

Anyways Joe takes most of the match taking punching to the face and gut.  He tries to start an offense at a few points, but his punches are so slow that I was able to counter hit them before even noticing that they started.  His big super punch was his "best" chance of doing actual damage.  Glass Joe steps back, taunts and then lunges forwards into a gut check.  Yeah, I've never actually been hit by that punch, but hitting him with the counter is an instant knock down. 

But Glass Joe is boring, the other fighters are so much more entertaining and personalized. There is Bald Bull, the Turkish brute whose Bull Charge is his greatest strength as well as his greatest weakness.  Then King Hippo from Hippo Island who does his best to hide the bullseye on his belly.  And finally, the champion of the world circuit: Super Macho Man, the narcissist from Hollywood that does incredibly well in the ring for all his posing.  But anyways, Punch Out!! is just one of those games that brings a smile to my face (I may have to play the sequels over the weekend). 

And another game is done and so is another day and I'm glad to have played a game I enjoy.  Tomorrow I may play another game in the Punch Out series but it's likely that I'll be playing something else, but I'll know what tomorrow.  Anyways, Rocky is fighting Drago on TV, I can't help but watch and I'll play another game tomorrow.  Adios for today though. 

Back to the Future

So I'm going to stay on the Nintendo for a bit again and finish off a series I started a while back with Back to the Future.  Developed by Beam Software and published by LJN Toys, Back to the Future was released in 1989.  I wish I could say this one was better then its sequel (which I had played as the first game of the year) but this one equally as bad.  

One of the ways Back to the Future is better then its sequel is the fact that it is straight forward, you simply run one direction in the level with no ability to turn.  You run through the game trying to avoid all the different enemies while a picture of Marty and his siblings fade at the bottom of the screen.  When Marty finally fades from the picture, the level ends and you lose a life.  Of course since the enemies don't actually kill you, they cause you to fall down while the clock keeps moving and the picture keeps fading, so avoiding them is still necessary to get through the level.  

So there are quite a few enemies to try and dodge, and while none of them are all that difficult alone, the level is also crowded by park benches and oil slicks.  The actual enemies include girls with hula hoops that throw balls at you.  Then there are bees that fly at you and circle around before leaving and the bullies that charge at you.  There are only two power ups, first the bowling ball which you can throw and defeat enemies and then the skateboard, which allows you to move faster through the level (a bonus and a hindrance as it is more difficult to dodge things). 

So as I moved through the levels I go to avoid all the different enemies while moving forwards towards the mall.  Avoiding the enemies isn't all too bad, but when you add in the timer it actually is a challenge.  So as I start moving though them, I run out of time a few times and it's really not all that entertaining.  Dodge a bee here, just an oil slick there, just keep running and collecting the clocks... meh. 

And so another game is played and I'm going to move onto something more entertaining tomorrow.  Moving away from the bad games and towards something I know I'll enjoy.  Adios for today though. 

Astyanax

I'm moving back to the Nintendo after all those football games and moving onto an action platformer: Astyanax.   Developed by Aicom and published by Jaleco, Astyanax was released on the Nintendo in March of 1990.  The game actually has an arcade version as well that was released in 1989, but the game hold few similarities beyond controls and appearance. 

So the story is a bit unusual as you play as a sixteen year old boy named Astyanax who is having strange dreams about this girl asking for help.  One day, while walking to school, Astyanax is teleported to the world of Remlia by a faerie named Cutie.  Cutie tells him that the girl in his dreams is the princess of Remlia: Rosebud, who is being held by the evil wizard Blackhorn.  Astyanax is tasked by the world of Remlia to save the princess and defeat the evil Blackhorn.  At that point he can go home because only the princess can send you back... sounds more like an ultimatum that a request. 

So the game starts you off in the castle and off you go.  The controls are simple enough: a jump button and an attack button to swing your magic axe.  Yes, you have a magic axe by the name of Bash.  The axe even has the ability to be powered up by collecting different items.  As you power it up, it actually transforms as well, the first time from an axe into a sword.

So I started to move through the level, facing the simple enemies: skeletons, floating germs and such as that.  Most of the enemies are a bit annoying but none are really difficult.  There are some plants that grow from the ground and spit out attacks, but they are easy to take out, just don't jump at them next to a pit.  Another obnoxious enemy is a this floating thing with a large eye on it; it drops these balls at you as they follow you around.

So the level isn't too long and eventually I got to the mini-boss of the level: the rock guy (none of the enemies have actual names so I'm just making stuff up).  He falls from the ceiling as a rock and starts to bounce around on the screen.  Once you hit him a few times, rocky lands and turns into a creature with two heads as he starts to stand up, but a quick spell takes him out.

And then right after him is the level boss: an armored skeleton soldier with horns on his helmet.  Doesn't sound too dangerous, but he comes in riding this dinosaur creature who attacks first.  You start off fighting the dinosaur thing which has two basic attacks: it shoots three fireballs at you and the its head splits off and goes in a circle trying to get you.  After beating on the head for a while the creature dies and his rider lunges off to fight, but he is pretty straight forwards as well. 

So another game is played and another day is done.  I'd go deeper into it, but it is just time to sleep, I'll worry about it later.  Adios for today though. 

Tecmo Bowl

So I decided to move back to the Nintendo Entertainment System and start off the football celebration with Tecmo Bowl.  Developed and published by Tecmo (now you know where it got its name), Tecmo Bowl was released on the NES in February 1989.  Though originally in arcades, Tecmo Bowl became increasingly popular when ported to the Nintendo. 

The game does have a limited roster, only have twelve of the twenty-eight teams of the time.  It didn't even have two of the teams with the best records of 1988 (Buffalo and Cincinnati), the year which the teams are based on.  But the teams it does have some well known players from the era: including Lawrence Taylor, Joe Montana, Mike Singletary, Ronnie Lott and Bo Jackson.  Tecmo was unfortunately unable to procure the rights to use the NFL teams, so the teams are only use the home town and no actual team name.  Nor does it use real mascots or colors, but it doesn't really matter. 

And now it's time to play.

I've choosen Washington to start my game (I'm a Redskins fan) and the computer randomly decides an opponent and picks New York.  So the game starts with a kick off and I'm off.  New York's kicker is pretty weak so I get a shot kick and am stopped on my own 45.  So at this point it's time to choose a play and there aren't that many to choose from: four.  Yes, there are only four plays for each team on offense and defense.  Each team has two running plays and two passing plays (the exceptions are San Francisco and Miami, who have three passing and only one running).  But I decide to start the game slow with a run and here we go. 

It isn't bad but isn't great and I pick up three yards and it is second and seven.  I decide to try once more and break off a solid run for my first first down.  The running seems to be pretty good, so I continue it and get hit hard behind the line to go to second and twelve.  So I might as well try to pass and get another first down and I'm on the twenty five.  And the game goes sort of like that, I get hit trying to run and then get a huge pass for a first down and eventually a touchdown. 

After scoring I get to kick off the ball and begin my defensive game.  It's much like offense, only four plays, but you get to choose from your opponent's plays and you will set up a defense to answer that play.  So it's a guessing game, but it's still enjoyable.  New York tries two passes up from and get sacked twice, but then break a run to get a few yards before punting it away.

As they punt the ball away, there isn't much time left on the clock and I'm greedy and want to be up 14 to 0 before the end of the first quarter.  So I'm passing to try and move down the field, but this game gives you an advantage because the clocks only moves when the play is being run.  So I throw my first pass and move down to the 50 (I got a first down, but that hardly matters at this point).  With only 24 seconds left on the clock, New York decides that they don't want to guard my receivers and leave them wide open to let me get to the five yard line.  One quick run later (yeah, I changed it up) I go up 14 to 0 and New York is all but done for. 


So another game is played and another day is done.  It's about to be a nice weekend for football and the Super Bowl will be a good game (I hope).  You all have a good weekend though, I will continue gaming as it goes on.  Adios for today though. 

Rush'n Attack

I'm finishing the month of January with the Nintendo Entertainment System by playing the run and gun Rush'n Attack.  Developed and published by Konami, Rush'n Attack was released on the Nintendo in April 1987.  While the game is technically a run and gun game, you don't actually get to use a gun (there is a bazooka you can grab) as you use mostly your knife. 

The game is based in the Cold War (the name itself is a play on Russian Attack) and you take the spot of a green beret who is sent into enemy bases to destroy their secret weapon.  You start off each level by jumping out of a plane and parachuting to the base.  It's that simple, you just drop in and start running through with your knife. 

So the enemies themselves are not that different, there are three different types of enemies in the first level: the green soldier, the yellow soldier and the red soldier.  None are all too complicated, they just do their best to out number you and catch you off guard.  The green soldier just runs at you from either in front or behind you, straight at you without jumping or anything.  They just love to take your knife to the face.  The yellow soldiers are a bit smarter, they start lying down, then jump up as you get close and try and run into you.  They're specialty is dying and giving you the bazooka.  The red soldiers are the most dangerous as they jump kick at you as they approach, making them the most difficult to not be defeated by. 

So moving onto the actual level: it, as well, is very straight forwards.  You run across a section with some ladders to climb onto a higher platform and continue until the platform ends.  And then you continue running.  You jump over a few landmines and then get to a second section with an upper level.  The second upper level is a group of missile trucks and you race across the missiles up top until you get to the "boss". 

Now the boss of the first level isn't much of an actual boss, but more of a trap.  As you reach the final section, an alarm goes off and a bunch of red soldiers swarm the screen charging at you, about four at a time.  There are only four groups of them, so the optimum strategy is to use the bazooka and blast as they enter the screen and take them all down.  That being said, if you wasted bazooka shots before then or have a trigger finger then you can try to stab them all, it's not too difficult.  So after defeating them, you finish the level and climb the fence to escape to the second level. 

And so I've played another game and finished another day and finished my first month of games.  It's been 31 days and I'm sort of amazed I've kept it up this long, but it's been fun.  Tomorrow February starts, so I'll be playing another system, moving upwards and onwards.  I'll definently have to come back to the NES before the end of the year (I haven't even played some of my favorite games yet) but I'll start playing some more recent games soon.  Adios for today though.

Legendary Wings

So I'm continuing with the original Nintendo games with arcade roots with Legendary Wings.  Developed and published by Capcom, Legendary Wings was released in the arcade November 1986 and then on the Nintendo Entertainment System on July 1988.  The game runs much like Galaga or any top down flight shooter where you move across a self-scrollig level, collecting power-ups until... this sounds familiar. 

Why does it sound so familiar?  Because it's very much like a game I've played before: Dragon Spirit: The New Legend.  This game is in fact very much like Dragon Spirit, so much so that I had the exact same problem, by trying to use the bomb attack to begin before learning about the regular blaster.

So the easiest way to describe is to describe the differences from Dragon Spirit.  First and simplest, your an angel instead of a dragon.  Yeah, bit simple but it's one of the differences. 

Secondly, this game is harder.  I'm not sure if the game is actually more difficult or if it just seems that way because the enemies swarm so often.  Honestly I couldn't actually beat the first level because there are just some areas with so many enemies.  It wasn't the air enemies, but the ones on the ground because the power ups you obtain seem to boost your regular shot but not your grounds bombs.  So you are using your base weapon to try and defeat all of these enemies that you have to kill each alone that are all shooting at you and you're trying to survive and kill them so you don't have to deal with them when they're behind you and... yeah, it's the swarming that is more difficult. 

So, thirdly, a bit into the level there is this face in the ground and it started to spit smoke at me.  You can actually avoid it (I did in fact get past him when trying a second time), but getting hit by it causes you to fall into the mouth and get swallowed.  The screen at that point starts flashing and saying danger before the game becomes a sidescroller and you get to shoot at enemies.  But in fact I didn't last long before getting killed and getting another game over. 

And so another game has been played and I wasn't even able to get past the first level, but it isn't all that bad.  I am going to play something I'm good at tomorrow, or at least good enough to get through the first level.  Adios for today though. 

Gradius

I'm continuing on the Nintendo Entertainment System today with the very arcade styled Gradius.  Developed and published by Konami, Gradius was released on the NES in December 1986 (very good year).  It is an arcade style side scrolling space shooter (say that five times fast) where you move forwards gathering power until you face a boss at the end of each level.

Gradius is different from most space shooters (such as Galaga) because of it's power up meter.  The meter is six bars long and each time you get a power up, instead of just getting a boost, your option on the meter goes up.  At any time during the game, you can choose what is highlighted on the power up meter and get that bonus.  An example, if you get one power up, the meter goes to level one.  You can choose to get the level one boost, or wait for another power up and get the level two boost.  It gives a bit more strategy to the game, making you decide about better weapons or a faster ship.  The meter also gives a huge downside to losing a life, because you lose all of your power ups, making what may have been difficult to almost impossible. 

So, because the game is very straight forward, I'm just going to describe the power ups avaliable (I'm also quite bad at the game, so I never actually got to the first boss).  So the options are Speed Up, Missile, Double, Laser, Option, and ?. 

The first option (Speed Up) is easily the most useful, you start off slow.  I mean really slow, so being able to boost your ship's speed is a huge benefit.  You can also boost it multiple times, so it it's still too slow after the first boost, you can keep boosting it.  I know there's a limit to how much you can boost it, but for the life of me I don't know what that limit is. 

The next options until ? are all offensive boosts.  Missile simply adds a downward angled missile to each shot you take, effectively covering the bottom of your ship.  If the missile hits the ground though, it actually starts to fly along it until it goes off screen or hits an enemy.  Double gives you an extra shot at an upward angle as well, much like the missile, except without the ground sliding.  The Lase boost transforms your regular shot into a powerful laser that smashes through enemies (I should note that the laser cannot be used with Double, only one or the other).  

The last two boosts are the interesting ones: the first being Option.  Option gives you an extra glowing sphere that flows you around, it shoots when you shoot and can destroy enemies.  They follow you in a snake-like manner and have all the power ups you have, giving you substantially more firepower.   The final boost (?) seems like it should be much cooler then it is, it's simply a shield that sits in front of your ship.  It absorbs a few enemy shots before disappearing and making you gain it again. 

And so I've played another game and tomorrow is the end of the weekend.  I'll continue with something else tomorrow, maybe jumping back up to another platform.  Adios for today though. 

Double Dragon II: The Revenge

As I said, I'm continuing with the Double Dragon series with its sequel: Double Dragon II: The Revenge.  Developed and published by Technos, Double Dragon II was released in December 1988 in the arcade and 1989 for the Nintendo version.  While they both have the same plot, the Nintendo version has significantly more missions and a difficulty to choose from. 

So the story picks up after the first Double Dragon and the game doesn't expect you to guess what's going on; it is very straight forward and let's you read it. So, violence rules the streets of New york after a nuclear war and crime syndicates are growing continuously.  But Billy and Jimmy Lee are brave enough to challenge the syndicates and they are now being called the Double Dragons. The Shadow Warriors, apparently displeased about getting their tails whooped before, attacked the city and Billy's girlfriend Marian (the girl who is kidnapped in the first game) is shot and killed.  And so the Double Dragons are off for revenge. 

So anyways, the game works much like the last one, moving through levels, defeating enemies and then facing a boss at the end.  The controls were changed from the generic punch and kick buttons to a directional format where one button attacks to the right and the other left (punch the direction you're facing and kick in the other).  The new controls are a bit strange to get used to, but not all too difficult.  The game also removes the experience feature it had in the first, meaning you also start off with all your moves, which is a nice change. 

The enemies are a bit smarter in this game, all having their AI increased and being given more moves and the ability to run.  Instead of just charging in like the last game, enemies will now try and flank you and will run to close the distance.  They also all have some strategies that are quite annoying, in the first fight of the level, one of the goons kept jump kicking me right as I was standing up.

Anyways, you keep moving and after a few fights you run into this game's version of Linda who has gone for the mohawk look now.  She isn't wielding her trademark whip immediantly, but the Lindas do make it easy by slowly climbing down a ladder so you can knock them off and almost defeat them with a single hit.  You get to climb the ladder after that fight, and at the very top you face off against more Lindas, this time with the whip (actually looks more like a flail).

Soon afterward you face the first boss: Abo-no... it's not Abobo.  Abobo, though he does appear in the game, is replaced as the first boss by this big guy with a helmet named Burnov.  So he isn't as agile as all the other enemies, but will duck when you try a jumpkick, but the game has a nice uppercut you can do right after landing a jumpkick that is Burnov's weakness.  After a few, Burnov vanishes (dropping his helmet) and then reappears and puts on his helmet to keep fighting.  At this point he doesn't actually change or get harder, so a few more hits and he retreats for good, leaving his helmet as your prize.  

And I've played another game and onto the weekend I go.  Adios for today though. 

Double Dragon

I'm staying on my Nintendo kick at this time with the arcade beat-em-up Double Dragon.  Developed by Techno and then published by Taito, Double Dragon was originally released in the arcade in 1987 before being released on the Nintendo in 1988.  While not one of the biggest franchises on Nintendo, it did spawn four direct sequels, a movie and cartoon before the 3D era of games came along.

The game follows the brothers Billy and Jimmy Lee (Billy is the only playable character in the NES) as they fight against the Black Warriors who have kidnapped Billy and Jimmy's love interest.  You go through different levels defeating the Black Warriors before finally reaching their boss at the end of the final stage: the evil machine gun wielding Willy.  On the original Nintendo, after defeating Wily you have another boss to defeat: you brother Jimmy Lee, who is in effect a clone of you, for the true final battle to see who is the better brother.

So you start off in the streets and fighting a few random goons.  They aren't too difficult to defeat, but with each one you beat another enters the screen until they are finally complete.  You move forwards from their to reach the first armed enemy: the whip lashing Linda.  Linda is the only female character in the game but isn't very kind to you, she tries just as hard as anyone else to beat the tar out of you, including bringing a whip to the fight.  To make things a bit simpler against her, you can climb the ladder next to the door she comes out of and just wait for her to climb up.  Hit her when she's close and she'll fall off the ladder but leave her whip, once you pick that up, you're in good condition because you can just wait for her to climb and use it to knock her off.  Unfortunately you don't get to keep the whip past beyond the fight, so once the last Linda is defeated, whip goes byes. 

Continuing on you start fighting more enemies and by this point you should start having enough experience to level up.  Every time you beat up on enemies, you gain a bit of experience and are able to level up and learn more moves.   The levels are displayed using hearts beneath your health bar, the move you have, the more moves you can do.  You start with only the ability to do a basic punch or kick, but quickly unlock the uppercut and spin-kick and then the all powerful jump kick and grab. 

So after being up on another group of enemies you get to the outside of the warehouse and the last section of the level.  There are a few more Lindas, but the first one has a whip, so one good kick gets you an effective free out of the fight.  You beat up the girls and then the warehouse door opens for the end of the level.  After entering it, you have to fight two more goons before the boss appears:  Abobo.

Abobo is a big guy who is all muscle and he just pounds on you most of the game.  He eventually becomes a normal enemy, but for the first level he's the boss.  I started by trying to jump at him to get in close, but being the terrifying enemy that he is, Abobo just punched me out of the air.  Ouch.  But at least the game is a bit kind here, it gives you a quick way to beat him, the pit.  By getting him on the conveyor belt, you can let him sit near the edge and knocking him down once beats him for the level.  That is in fact the way I defeated him, because I don't really want to get beat on by the big guy. 

So another game is played and I shall continue on tomorrow.  I will keep moving with the Double Dragon series and continue onto the first sequel on the Nintendo for the start of the weekend.  Adios for today though. 

Goal!

Still back in the past, I'm playing a game that shows it's age: Goal!.  Developed by TOSE and then published by Jaleco, Goal! was released in October 1989.  It is, very simply, a soccer game where you choose your team and play soccer. Simple.

So the game has a few different modes: World Cup, Tournament, and Shoot.  In World Cup mode, you choose from a few different international teams and do your best to advance through the world cup.  Tournament is similar except you use only teams in the United States.  The most different mode is Shoot which you choose from one of three players and participate in a shoot out. 

I started with World Cup and going through the teams it initially shows it's age.  Most of the teams bring no thought (Argentina, Italy, Japan, USA), but then you get two that make it obvious the game was released in the eighties: USSR and West Germany.  So you in fact can play the iron curtain.  But I decided to just choose USA, I figured why not.  First round is against Holland, so here I go. 

The field is diagonal in design, which while it looks strange, doesn't really effect the game play that much it seems.  You start off in the center of the field and can pass the ball or shoot to try and get a goal.  I started by just running around, trying to find a way past the slue of defenders, but ended up just kicking the ball out of bounds.  Holland gets the ball and advances on me, but my goalie is successful without me and blocks the shot.  Passing the ball forwards more, I try and make a mark, but once again I kick the ball out of bounds.  Holland presses the offense once more and it is rinse and repeat.  I'm not sure at this point I'd say the game is difficult, but perhaps the learning curve is a bit steep. 

I also played the shoot out mode to give myself something different.  You get five shots total, each from a different position.  One of your teammates passes you the ball and it's off for the shot.  There are two defenders to dribble around before trying to shoot it past the goalie, and he seems pretty reliable.  The first shot I wasn't able to get past the defenders, but after that they were just sort of there and no problem.  I did get a few good shots, but maybe the game just requires practice on all fronts, because I wasn't able to score. 

And so another game is played and this day is over.  The weeks seems to be dragging along now but it's half over and I'm on the downward slope now, I shall game once again tomorrow.  Adios for today though. 

Excitebike

I'll continue with on the original Nintendo with Excitebike.  Developed and published by Nintendo, Excitebike was released in November 1984.  The game is another one of Nintendo's franchises (though a true sequel didn't come out until the Nintendo 64).  The game, with it simple appearance, is a motocross racing game. 

The game has three different play choices: Selection A, Selection B, and Design.  Yup, the first two are just "selections".  The titles don't go into any great detail with what they are, but it isn't difficult: Selection A is a race where you have no one else on the track, Selection B is a race which includes other racers to fight against.  Design is easily the most enjoyable of the choices, you get to create your own track to race on. 

Anyways... I started off on Selection B (no reason to race if there is no one to race against).  You begin as the red racer as the race begins, you gun it and start the race.  The game's difficulty comes from mostly doing your best to stay atop your bike.  As I started the race, trying to catch up with the other racers, but at the first obstacle (some pot holes, they don't actually knock you down, just make you go slower) I swerved to avoid the pot hole and hit the back of another bike and fell.  So at that point it's a matter of waiting for my racer to get back to his bike before I can start again. 

So there are quite a few ways you can fall off the bike, of course running into the back of another racer is one (you can actually cut off other racers and clip them to make them fall too).  When you hit jumps, depending on whether you are holding forwards or back will change how you lean, and if you land wrong, you fall as well.  You also have a temperature gauge at the bottom of the screen which you have to keep an eye on.  As you hold down the gas, it builds, and if it gets full, you have to pull over and wait to cool down.  A nice benefit the game has is there are arrows on the track, that if you race over you get your head gauge near empty and can keep going. 

And so I've played another game and it was a nice trip to the past.  I'll continue on with the Nintendo again tomorrow (I really do have quite a few NES games left to play) and will keep on enjoying myself.  Adios for today though.

Ghosts N' Goblins

I'm continuing on with the Nintendo games today with one that is arguably the most difficult game on the original system: Ghosts N' Goblins.  Developed and published by Capcom, Ghosts N' Goblins was released on the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1986.

The game begins with Sir Arthur and the princess sitting having a nice moment together before a demon (Satan) appears and kidnaps the princess.  Arthur grabs his armor and runs after them to save the day.  You must race through six side scrolling action levels before facing Satan to save the princess... but it doesn't end there.  The game reveals it was a "trap devised by Satan" and you must restart the game from the beginning on a higher difficulty and do it again. 

So I began in the first level, running forwards through the graveyard with my armor and my lance in hand, zombies ahead of me my first targets.  I was doing well enough stopping zombies that appeared in front and behind me, but then I ran into a problem, I forgot that the tombstones are actually part of the level, got stuck against one before being hit by a zombie.  And now I'm just running around in my boxers.

I'm serious, you get hit and Arthur loses his armor and runs around with only his boxers on. 

I can't make this stuff up. 

So I'm now killing zombies in only my boxers, have to make sure not to get hit again because the next one would make me lose a life.  So I reach a section where you have a choice of two paths (high ground or low ground) and I decide to grab the low because it's flat, but that may be a mistake.  There is a plant above me that may give me some problems, it's spitting fireballs at me... the dirty herb.  I keep moving forwards and unlock a new weapon: the torch.  It's pretty cool, you throw it forwards and it doesn't go the full length like the lance but when (if) it lands it creates a pillar of fire that kills anything that runs into it. 

As I keep moving, this ghost thing appeared and my torch doesn't seem to be hurting it and.... I'm a frog!  The ghost thing turned me into a frog.  Oh dear, this doesn't bode well.  And with absolutely no defense, the zombies get me quite quickly. 

So I continue on with my next life and I have my armor back and am not a frog, so I am definitely better off then I was.  I quickly switch weapons again (they just sort of appear randomly) and I have a knife; it seems to work just like the lance except throws faster.  So I run past where I was turned into a frog with no sight of the ghost and run into an enemy I know I don't want to deal with: the red demon.  It rises into the air and hovers in one end of the screen before spitting a fireball at me and diving down before going back to hover on the other side of the screen.  He follows me until I defeat him, so I continue on, hitting him when I can. 

As I continue, I reach the most dreaded thing I can face: water.  Yes, there are water and platforming with a floating platform that I have to cross and I still have to worry about the demon.  So I drop to the platform, and as I'm jumping out, the demon swoops down and squeaks by me.  I mean, I'm pretty sure the sprites touched it was so close.  So I continued and found a new enemy, some armored floating ghosts that I cannot hurt.  This game doesn't have a learning curve, it just gets harder...

But I'm getting better, with a dagger to the face I kill the demon!  Woohoo!  And the next floating ghost wipes me out.  On to the next life.  I start my next life about where I died, go past the water and enter some wooded area and find another new enemy: flying red spirits.  They appear from the mists and float across the screen, lower and do it again before vanishing.  And I don't get very far before one actually appears on me... and I'm done for.  Ouch.

So another day and game is complete and I shall move onto something else tomorrow.  I didn't actually play something I was good at today, but it was at least enjoyable, and isn't that the purpose of games (hey, it's why I'm doing this).  Adios for today though.

Dragon Spirit: The New Legend

I move away from the sports game this weekend and move into the arcade territory, playing Dragon Spirit: The New Legend.  Developed by Namco and published by a combination of Namco and Atari, Dragon Spirit was released in 1989.  The game runs much like Galaga or any top down flight shooter where you move across a self-scrolling level collecting power-ups until you reach and defeat the level boss.  Then you start a new level and do it again.

So the game begins with you as the hero Armu, disguised as a Blue Dragon, finally about to fight the serpent demon Zawel.  You begin flying through the castle with a few simple enemies: a few fliers and some plant looking things on the ground.  The two buttons actually do different things, with one shooting a blast straight ahead and the other shooting a bomb shot a bit forwards, so you actually must use both to take out the enemies whether they are on the ground or in the air. 

So you continue on a bit and get to face Zawel, and he's simple.  He flies around with a staff to block your shots and a crescent flying off his head every once in a while.  You simply fly around and dodge the crescent and then shoot him when he moves his staff, very simple and straight forwards.  He really isn't difficult, and since he's basically the tutorial boss, he's not suppose to be.

Since it doesn't take too long to beat him, you do that and then get some nice story.  Armu saves the princess Zawel had captured, gets married and has twins... that was quick.  But it continues.  Armu becomes ill from the fight with Zawel and dies... that was quick too.  They apparently don't want you to be the same hero, but you in fact are the original hero's son: Lace.  So a new villan, Galda, appears and begins to conquer, before capturing Iris (Lace's sister).  As Lace, you take your father's sword (which enables you to turn into a new blue dragon) to take on Galda. 


So you start from the title screen and begin once more.

The new first level is the Paleozoic Era, where the ground is frozen and the water flows... for no apparent reason.  The game is like most scrolling shooters, like it was in the tutorial level, with just shooting, except now you can get some nifty power ups (you could actually get them in the first part, but they actually appear more often now).  You get the power ups either from killing the flashing enemies or shooting the egg looking things on the ground.  One of the cooler ones lets you get extra heads and have more shots.  Of course if you get hit, you lose your head as your life goes down. 

So as I went through the level I came to the realization that I'm not very good at scrolling shooters.  I tend to simple get overwhelmed quickly, stop paying attention and get hit a few times really quick.  One of the more annoying deaths was against a new enemy that appeared, they crawl on the ground for a short time before leaping up and flying towards you.  The first couple are just on one side, so I would just fly towards them and shoot them before they left the ground, but I didn't pay attention to them appearing on the other side and was taken out pretty quickly. 


But there is another game I'll call done, as I'm not quite good at everything, but I'll move onto something else tomorrow.  Perhaps something I'm good at.  Adios for today though.

Golf

Today I'm playing a short game with very little I can actually right about.  I knew this would happen eventually, all the games can't give me a lot of good stuff to write about, but there are just some games that I won't be able to write about... this will be one of them.  Today I am playing Golf.  Developed and published by Nintendo, Golf was released in October of 1985 for the Nintendo Entertainment System.

In Golf, you play with a guy who looks a lot like Mario and play golf.  There isn't that much more then that, you either play it alone or with a friend.  The controls are simple, you choose your club and your direction, press the button to start your swing, press a second time for power, and a third for accuracy.  And now you know the game, let's play some Golf.

So with my first swing, I hit the ball left and straight out of bounds.  I'm about as good at this game as I am at real golf apparently.  Second swing, I hit it right and barely keep it in bounds.  Try again and criss cross it to the other side of the course, but at least closer to the hole.  The next swing puts me closer to the hole, but also straight into the bunker.  I'm slowly learning this game, sort of.  My next swing takes me out of bounds... bah-humbug.  I finally get out of the bunker and onto the green and then finally finish the first hole (nine swings, horrid). 

So there isn't that much to say about this game, I'm not sure there is much more to describe it.  It's Golf... it's golf... and that's about it.  So I finish this game and shall move onto one with a bit more... substance tomorrow.  Adios for today though.

Legends of the Diamond

Moving on with Nintendo, I move onto Legends of the Diamond.  Developed by TOSE and published by Bandai, Legends of the Diamond was released in 1992.  It is a baseball simulator where you get to play with different baseball legends, from Babe Ruth to Lou Gehrig and Hank Aaron. 

The game is entertainingly simple, there are only two actual modes.  The first is an exhibition mode, the second a championship mode.  When playing one of the modes, instead of being handed a pre-made team, you get to choose the different legends on your team and assign them positions.  Each player's career stats determine how well they play, but the game also generates how well they play each day (whether they feel like they'll play well or not). 

So continuing to the game, I played an exhibition (which defaults to nine innings, but I'll only be playing three).  So I grab my team and am quite happy with it.  My infield consists of Willie McCovey, Joe Morgan, Johnny Mize on the bases and Luke Appling at short stop.  With an outfield of Roberto Clemente, Ty Cobb and Hank Aaron, Mickey Cochrane is catcher with Cy Young as starting pitcher.  So after choosing a random team logo (Titans) and deciding on the field with heavy wind, it's time to play ball!

I start off batting with Ty Cobb and Joe Morgan, without much of a pause, I get struck out twice (I don't remember being this bad at batting).  My third batter (Luke Appling) steps up to the plate and takes two quick strikes, then my team finally shows life and he hits a home run on the third pitch (the score becomes 1-0).  Hank Aaron comes up next, raises the bat, and gets struck out as well.  Guess I'll try my hand at pitching. 

I'm not all too much better at pitching, but my fielders are good.  A grounder towards right gets stopped by Joe Morgan who throws the batter out at first.  Luke Appling catches a short fly to get the second out.  I really shouldn't be complaining, but I really want to strike someone out.  But perhaps the complaining is the problem, the next batter hits it deep to center for a double.  The next guy gives the game some tension: strike one... ball one... and a hit.... straight back at the pitcher for an easy throw to first for the third out. 

Now I'm hoping to get a bit better at batting so I start swinging.  First pitch is fouled hard to the left, but second is a twinge better with another home run.  I get Roberto Clemente on the plate and am able to hit a long one, right into the hands of then center fielder.  The next two batters are out in short order as well, but at least I'm up 2-0.  But not for long.  First pitch I throw is a home run to make the score 2-1.  There next four batters struggle but eventually get a runner in before I finally get the third out. 

So I'm tied 2-2, doing the last inning I was intending to play... I may have to continue.  It looks more that way as I start pitching, get three easy outs and not even getting on base.  Cy Young starts pitching for me and I'm hoping for some magic.  I finally get some with a nice strike out, my first of the game.  As a reward, Cy Young gets to rest his arm and I bring in Dizzy Dean to finish up the round.  He throws a hit which lands in the hands of the second baseman.  Third batter is up, just one more before the inning is over... and he hits a home run. 

Well, I never said I was very good at this game, but it is fun, especially recognizing so many players.  And I'm done with another game and the next weekend starts again tomorrow.  Time seems to be flying.  Adios for today though.

Ninja Gaiden

I'm continuing on the Nintendo Entertainment System and today I've moved onto a more iconic game: Ninja Gaiden.  Developed and published by Tecmo, Ninja Gaiden was released in December of 1988.  Now this one isn't the same as the one for the current generation of systems, it can easily be argued that the original Ninja Gaiden is more difficult.  On the newer version, the difficulty spawns from the absurd number of enemies, the original is difficult due to well placed enemies that require precision in both jumps and slashes to survive.

Ninja Gaiden's story is what sets it apart from games on the NES, it's cut scenes give no question to what's going on.  The story actually begins in the pre-game preview, you see two ninjas dart at each other in a field, jump into the air and trade blows before one falls.  The scene continues from Ryu Hayabusa's view point where he is determined for revenge against the ninja his father dueled and lost to.

So the first act is very straight forward, you are running down a street with enemies in from of you, it's just a matter of learning the controls are you'll be fine.  The game is very kind as it teaches you to climb by jumping between walls, gives you the different secondary weapons to try out (throwing stars, windmill throwing stars that boomerang back to you, upwards fireballs, and the spin jump).  None of the enemies are all too difficult: the dog is the worst.  The dog runs towards you in a full charge and usually comes from behind so you actually have to turn around.  The most difficult part of the level is right before you enter the bar for the boss fight, there are two boxers guarding it and a dog charges from behind you; it is very easy to get knocked between the two boxers by the dog and take a bit of damage before fighting the boss.  The boss himself isn't hard at all, he actually has less range then you.  As he moves forwards slowly, you slash him, take a few steps back and continue and he's done before you know it.

The act ends with a cut scene where Ryu is trying to figure out why these people are following him.  He notices a woman behind him and ignores her, but she is not one to be ignored and shoots him.  Ouch.  The next scene starts with you realizing that it was a tranquilizer and Ryu was captured, but the same girl releases him, gives him this ugly statue and tells him to escape.  And so the game continues. 

The second act begins with Ryu escaping from the warehouse he was held in.  I started moving and the game begins to lose it's compassion.  I moved through the first area rather easily and climbed the later to the second part of the level, but a dog ran up behind me and I took my first hit of the act, and got knocked into a bottomless pit and died.  That is how this game really makes itself difficult, a miss-timed jump or taking the wrong hit knocks you back and down a life.  It isn't as bad until you actually get outside where the level becomes entirely platforming.  There is no more straight running, you jump from crumbled pillar to crumbled pillar hoping to not be take out by the machine gunner or the running ninja or the dagger juggler. 

The game doesn't completely hate you yet, as it does give you an invincibility flame shield to let you make it through one of the harder sections where almost every pillar has an enemy on it, but the section after that requires more timing and precision.  As you get to the second boss, he's more difficult then the first (but considering how dull the first was, you can't expect much worse).  This guy has a sickle and chain that he spins around his head while moving forwards, then he throws his arm out to try and hit you when he's close.  He's vulnerable as he moves forwards so swipe at him then, but you have to make sure to try and jump over him off the wall when he attacks. 

And so I am going to stop writing at that point (though I continued into the next two acts before biting the dust).  I'll move to another Nintendo game tomorrow and continue with this current trend.  Adios for today though.

Super Dodge Ball

I decided to play my first "sports" game of the year (though to call it a true sports game is a stretch).  The game is Super Dodge Ball: developed and published Technos.  Released in June of 1989, Super Dodge Ball allows you to play dodge ball on an international level.  You play of game of two team game with six man teams, three within the squares and then one man on each side of the opponent's area.  Once the three men in either your or your opponent's area are taken out, the match is over. 

The game itself has no actual story, there are three modes of play: World Cup Play, Versus Play and Bean Ball.  World Cup is the closest thing to a story: you take Team USA through the world to become victorious and win the World Cup.  You start off with the Pro All-Stars and then move across the world (England, India, Iceland, China, Kenya, Japan, and finally USSR) challenging the teams.  I went through the first few matches and will give a slight overview on them.

Before each match, you get a chance to look at the position all of your players are in and switch them if you want.  Your team consists of Sam, John, Mike, Randy, Bill and Steve (really unique names, aren't they).  Each of the players are better at different things but my favorite three have always been Sam (highest throw power), Bill (fastest), and Randy (most ball control).  This usually leaves John (highest defense), Mike (best catch), and Steve (most accurate) as my back court.  So yes, I did take the team built for offense with no mind of defense, but I'll be able to explain that.

So I start the match against Jack, Ben and Paul of the Pro All-Stars on a roof top near the Statue of Liberty.  I give Randy the ball and run forwards with a super throw.  I should probably explain that.  You can regularly just throw the ball at the opponent and try and damage them that way, or you can get a running start.  With a running start and enough space to get a good speed, you're player throws a super throw where the ball glows and changes.  Each player gets two super throws, one while on the ground and another while in the air.

So Randy does his super throw (the ball shrinks and grows before hitting the opponent) and knocks the ever-loving tar out of Paul.  The match goes on with some throws back and forth (I'm not getting too many super throws off, can't get the distance right) but start getting a bit better at my timing for catching: was even able to catch a super throw from Jack when right next to him.  This is part of the reason I take the more offensive team, because defense can be built upon with good playing, but I can't make John or Mike do more damage.

The other reason I like these three are their super throws.  Because of his high agility, Bill is able to get up to super throw speed with a short distance or on ground with high traction (Kenya).  His throws are also very useful, as they both home and are difficult to catch because of a built in lag where they stall just before hitting the target.  Sam, on the other hand, is just awesome.  His base throw is the strongest on the team and his ground super throw is just amazing.  It gets squashed a little and looks like a football, but instead of stopping at the first opponent, it keeps going until one of them catches it or the guy in the back grabs it... so it theoretically (and on a few occasions) hits all three opponents. 

But getting back to the match against the All-Stars, they aren't doing well.  Bill gets one of his super throws to remove the first of their team.  At this point, at three-on-two, it's a lot more over then it should be.  But two super throws later, Sam has made it Ben on Team USA and it's just a matter of choosing how I want to beat him. 


So I've played another game and have been going into NES games this week.  I think I'll continue the trend, maybe something more iconic tomorrow, don't know yet what though.  Adios for today though.