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.