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.