Tag / Side-scrolling platform game

by lawrenceofcanadia

Batman: The Video Game – Review

In the sphere of TV and films, Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman film was a stark contrast to the colourful and campy 1960s TV show. The choice of Michael Keaton for the role of the Caped Crusader was controversial to say the least, but he acquitted himself admirably and, in my opinion, rivals Christian Bale as the definitive Batman.

Title screen (screenshot taken by the author)

Batman: The Video Game is a side-scrolling platform game developed and published by Sunsoft. It was released on the NES in Japan in 1989, and North America and Europe, as well as for the Game Boy, in 1990 (oddly both games are actually different). I chose to review the NES version.

Fight your way through the City of Gotham (screenshot taken by the author)

Plot

The bicentenary of Gotham City is fast approaching, and the city’s officials are hard at work planning festivities for the event. However, the city is engulfed by a crime wave orchestrated and encouraged by the Joker. It is up to the Caped Crusader to stop the Joker’s evil plans and save the city.

Although based on the 1989 Tim Burton movie Batman, there are a few differences. Yes, you are pursuing the Joker and trying to save the City of Gotham, but the game contains enemies with rocket packs or that are mutants. These definitely do not appear in movie. However, these differences take nothing away from the game.

The in-between level animations look fantastic (screenshot taken by the author)

Gameplay

The game contains five levels (each level has four or five sub-levels):

Gotham City

AXIS Chemical Factory

Underground Conduit

Ruins of Laboratory

The Cathedral

Whilst battling his way through the levels, Batman utilises hand-to-hand combat as well as weapons such as a spear gun, Batarang and dirk (which is more like a shuriken) to defeat his enemies. The levels contain no time limit allowing your to take your time through the levels.

Beautifully detailed with an understated, dark colour scheme suits this game well (screenshot taken by the author)

How Does It Handle?

The controls are simple but they don’t need to be complicated. You can punch whilst standing and crouching, and select one of three weapons to use. You can jump to different heights, depending on how long you hold the ‘jump’ button for, and you can even use the walls to help you jump even higher and to avoid some nasty floor spikes.

Graphics

The game looks great! It begins with an awesome and intimidating looking title screen containing the figure of Batman looking menacing, and the game title in the same font used for the 1989 movie. Between each level, there is a short animated cutscene which again looks very cool.

For the in-game graphics, yes, Batman is coloured purple but that is purely so that you can see him clearly as the levels have a dark colour scheme. The levels themselves are very detailed. They help create a dark atmosphere for the game which fits well with Tim Burton’s vision. The sprites are beautifully illustrated, detailed and colourful. Throughout the game, I noticed that there was practically no flicker in the graphics at all.

Music

The music, although not from the movie, fits the game well and certainly has an arcade feel to it. It’s great for getting the adrenaline pumping.

Replay Value

Although this is an incredibly tough game, I had a lot of fun playing through it. The difficulty level is my only real gripe with this game. You are unable to change the difficulty level which is a pity as this would have given the game a bit more replay value.

Did I Complete The Game?

No, I was unable to get past level 3-1

What The Critics Said:

Mean Machines: “A classy license through and through. If you own a NES you’d be bats to miss this – so there! Overall 87%“[1]

Awards:

Best Movie to Game – Electronic Gaming Monthly’s ‘Best and Worst of 1989’[2]

My Verdict:

“It looks great, sounds great, has tight controls and a challenge to test even the most hardened of gamers. The game proves that not all superhero games suck.”

Rating:

What are your memories of Batman: The Video Game? I would love to hear your thoughts, and don’t for get to follow and subscribe so that you don’t miss my latest reviews! You can also find me on Instagram: @nicklovestogame.

[1] ‘Nintendo Review – Batman’. (December 1990). Issue 3:78-9.

[2] ‘Best and Worst of 1989’. Electronic Gaming Monthly – 1990 Video Game Buyer’s guide. Issue 5:22.

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by lawrenceofcanadia

Street Fighter 2010: The Final Fight – Review

Sometimes an original game or franchise contains characters or ideas for spin-offs. Some are successful such as Super Mario Kart (1992) and Donkey Kong Country (1994)…but others are real stinkers. I’ve recently read several articles titled ‘Top Ten Spin-Offs That Sucked’ or titles to that effect. Most of the games cited in those articles I have never played and so cannot comment on them. However, Street Fighter 2010: The Final Fight did…and I’m afraid I have to agree.

Title screen (screenshot taken by the author)

Street Fighter 2010: Final Fight is a side-scrolling platform game developed and published by Capcom and released on the NES in 1990. It was later released on the 3DS Virtual Console in 2014, and Wii U Virtual Console in 2015. I chose to review the NES version.

Plot

According to the history of this game, Ken won the original Street Fighter tournament. He later retired and became a scientist (as you do) who developed cyboplasm, a substance that gives superhuman strength to whoever uses it. Naturally, Ken has taken the substance to keep himself in tip-top shape. One day, Ken’s lab partner, Troy, is murdered and the cyboplasm is stolen leading Ken to pursue the murderer to the far reaches of the galaxy. Oh, and the future has interplanetary warp gates to assist travel between planets.

Gameplay

Each level seems to consist of Ken battling a weird alien whilst dodging lots of small aliens. he attacks using his gun.

The game looks pretty good. I just couldn’t get on with the gameplay (screenshot taken by the author)

How Does It Handle?

The controls are frustrating. the difficulty is too damn hard and it’s not very enjoyable at all. You can jump, climb walls and back flip, you can fire short range projectiles left, right, up, down (when flip-jumping) and diagonally up…but for some reason you can’t crouch or fire diagonally down. This is fine but there are flying machines that seem to attack you from low down and you are unable to defend yourself. Had crouching and firing diagonally down been possible, this game would have been a lot more enjoyable. Alas, it wasn’t possible, and the frustration led to me simply getting annoyed and moving on.

Graphics

Having said that, the graphics are good with colourful levels and sprites that are nicely detailed.

Personal Thoughts

I have to say that I got the feeling that this game may have originally been a different creation and was given the Street Fighter title because the creators wanted to cash in on the franchise. It’s such a departure from the original format that I cannot understand how they thought it would tie in in a believable way.

Did I Complete The Game?

No, I only got to level 2.

What The Critics Said:

At present, I have been unable to find contemporary reviews.

My verdict:

“An odd spin-off with a totally different format to the original franchise. The controls suck as does the difficulty level.”

Rating:

What are your memories of Street Fighter 2010: The FInal Fight? I would love to hear your thoughts, and don’t for get to follow and subscribe so that you don’t miss my latest reviews! You can also find me on Instagram: @Nicklovestogame.

by lawrenceofcanadia

Chip & Dale Rescue Rangers – Review

“Ch, Ch, Ch, Chip and Dale. Rescue Rangers!!!”

Title screen (screenshot taken by the author)

Chip ‘n’ Dale Rescue Rangers is a platform game developed and published by Capcom and released for the NES in 1990. It would later be released in the 2017 The Disney Compilation Collection for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. I chose to review the NES version.

Plot

The evil Fat Cat has stolen Mandy’s kitten. The Rescue Rangers pledge to rescue the kitten.

Gameplay

Through streets, over and through buildings, and forests; Chip and Dale must evade foes such as mechanical bulldogs, robotic rats, and gansgter lizard-type things known as warts. You can choose to dodge these dangerous foes or throw various items such as crates and apples at them. After each level, Gadget offers some advice about how to defeat the trickier aspects of the next level.

The game can be played in on or two-player mode. In one-player mode, you can choose to be either Chip or Dale. Each player can only be hit three times before they die.

You can use objects such as crates and apples to throw at your enemies (screenshot taken by the author)

How Does It Handle?

This game plays really well. The controls are responsive and I don’t recall many (if any) parts of the game where you die cheaply. The game has many trickier parts but it is enjoyable to play. I wasn’t expecting to like this game but I really enjoyed it.

Graphics

The levels are brightly coloured, well designed and detailed, and pose a nice challenge for the average gamer. It is easy to distinguish between the two protangonists as Chip wears a hat and a dark jacket.

Replay Value

Although the game has minimal replay value, it’s a lot of fun and a great game to be played with a younger sibling or child.

Did I Complete The Game?

Yes

What The Critics Said:

Electronic Gaming Monthly: “Every part of this game from the graphics, to the sounds to the gameplay are well done indeed. Rescue Rangers only falls flat in terms of challenge and difficulty. Overall 7.75/10”.[1]

Nintendo Power: “Overall 4/5”.[2]

Mean Machines: “Not groundbreakingly original, but very good nonetheless. Fun to play and long-lasting Overall 88%.”[3]

Total!: “Groovesome, slick and utterly dashing platform game with some ingenious two-player twist and a brain curdling difficulty curve! Overall 81%”.[4]

Awards:

Parents’ Choice (1990) – Parents’ Choice Foundation[5]

My Verdict:

“This game looks great…but don’t be fooled by its cutsie look. There are some challenging parts to it, but nothing a seasoned gamer can’t handle. Excellent gameplay too. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.”

Rating:

What are your memories of Chip & Dale Rescue Rangers? I would love to hear your thoughts, and don’t for get to follow and subscribe so that you don’t miss my latest reviews! You can also find me on Instagram: @Nicklovestogame.

[1] ‘Review – Chip and Dale Rescue Rangers.’ Electronic Gaming Monthly. (July 1990). Issue 12:12.

[2] ‘Chip and Dale Rescue Rangers’. Nintendo Power. (July-August 1990). Issue 14:26.

[3] ‘Nintendo review – Rescue Rangers’. Mean Machines. (February 1992). Issue 17:52-4.

[4] ‘Chip ‘n’ Dale’. Total!. (April 1992). Issue 4:26-7.

[5] ‘Keeping Kids Entertained’. The Seattle Times. (Dec 27, 1990).

by lawrenceofcanadia

Hudson’s Adventure Island – Review

As a married man with a full time job, I find that I have less and less time to devote to videogames. I love modern games like the Uncharted and Assassin’s Creed series and thoroughly enjoy playing and immersing myself into these worlds. Sadly, I don’t have 40 extra hours a week to devote to such in-depth games on a regular basis. It is for this reason that I have embraced the retrogaming world. Games that one can simply pick up, mess around with for 20 minutes and put down again very much have their place in the gaming world. Simpler games should not be sniffed at!

Title screen (screenshot taken by the author)

Hudson’s Adventure Island is a side-scrolling platform game adapted from the arcade game Wonder Boy. It was developed and published by Hudson Soft, released in Japan in 1986, North America in 1987, and Europe in 1992 under the title of Adventure Island Classic. Versions can be found on the NES, MSX, Game Boy, Gamate, Game Boy Advance, Game Cube and PlayStation 2. For this review, I played the NES version.

These eggs contain items that will help you on your way (screenshot taken by the author)

Plot

You play as Master Higgins (Master Wigins in the UK and Takahashi Meijin in Japan), who has travelled to an island in the South Pacific to rescue Princess Leilani (sometimes known as Tina) from the Evil Witch Doctor. Along the way you need to eat fruit that appear out of the ether in order to keep your energy levels up. However, if you get touched by an enemy, you instantly die.

Gameplay

You run from left to right running through forests, mountains and caves, jumping to avoid your enemies. Along the way you will find eggs that contain bonus items to help you on your way. These items include:

Stone axes – Which can be used to throw at the enemies

Skateboard – Helps you travel faster

A flower – Double the points you get from collecting fruit

Milk – Fills up your energy bar

Honey – Make you invincible for a limited period of time

However, beware of the:

Eggplant – Takes energy away from you (which is fair enough as eggplants suck!)

There are 32 stages in total spread out over eight worlds. These are further divided up with checkpoints. Once the fourth stage of an area is completed, you must fight and defeat an end of level boss.

How Does It Handle?

Adventure’s Island’s controls are very slip/slidey (seemingly even more so than in similar games), meaning lots of sliding off the edges of platforms and it takes a while to get used to. It is also very unforgiving. You only have three lives, with little chance of gaining more and no continues.

Graphics

It’s easy to look at these videogames nowadays and compare them to modern games, where they will always be found wanting. It is very unfair to do so. So let us compare it to a game that is still revered and remember fondly today: Super Mario Bros 2 (1988). Initially, I don’t think the background graphics necessarily any better or worse than SM2, but the more I see both games, the more I think that SM2 just looks better. However, the sprite design and colours that separate the two here. From what I have seen so far from Adventure Island, the enemy sprites have little to no animation, a stark contrast to SM2.

Music

Also, unlike the Super Mario Bros. franchise, Adventure Island’s music is very forgettable.

Did I Complete The Game?

No, at present, I can only get to the third level of world one.

What the critics said:

At present, I cannot find any comptemorary reviews.

My Verdict:

“I just didn’t enjoy playing this game and had little desire to put too much time and energy into it. The graphics are good and it is diverting if you have a spare 15 minutes on your hands, but it just lacks charm and for me, the game just feels cheap.”

Rating:

What are your memories of Hudson’s Adventure Island? I would love to hear your thoughts, and don’t for get to follow and subscribe so that you don’t miss my latest reviews! You can also find me on Instagram: @nicklovestogame.

by lawrenceofcanadia

Altered Beast (Mega Drive) – Review

Altered Beast was one of the first 16-bit games I played as child and I have idealised memories of how good the game was. The question is…how will I feel revisiting it after 25 years?

Title screen (screenshot taken by the author)

Altered Beast is a side-scrolling beat ‘em up with some platform gaming elements. It was developed and published by Sega, and released in the arcade in 1988. It was later ported to the Master System, PC, NES, Atari ST, Mega Drive, ZX Spectrum, MSX, Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, Amiga and MS-DOS. It was later released in the Wii Virtual Console, Xbox and PlayStation. For this review, I played the Mega Drive version.

After rising from your grave, you must fight your way through a graveyard whilst collecting orbs that turn you into an anthropomorphic beast (screenshot taken by the author)

Plot

“Rise from your grave!” commands Zeus, as you emerge from your tomb. You play as a Roman Centurion who is resurrected by Zeus (I know Zeus was a Greek God and the Roman equivalent was Jupiter, but let’s overlook the mythological inconsistencies). Your mission is to rescue Zeus’ daughter, Athena, (Minerva for the Romans) from the evil Demon God known as Neff who has taken her to the Underworld.

The cutscenes are accompanied by some incredibly eerie gothic organ music (screenshot taken by the author)

Gameplay

You must punch and kick your way through graveyards and caverns to reach the Underworld, all the while fighting numerous undead minions and monsters. In order to meet and defeat the end of level bosses, you need to collect three orbs which increase your strength and eventually morph you into anthropomorphised animals such as wolves, bears, tigers and dragons, each with unique abilities.

Chicken Stingers, as they are called in the manual, are similar to the pink creatures you ride in Golden Axe, with a similar attack. Does this mean Altered Beast and Golden Axe are in the same universe? (screenshot taken by the author)

How Does It Handle?

Modern critics argue that the game doesn’t hold up to today and I have to agree. The game is tougher and more frustrating than I remember. The screen scrolls slowly from left to right automatically, meaning you have no choice but to advance. The controls are sluggish and your punching and kicking range is so small that you need to get very close to the enemies. They are quicker than you and so can kick your arse pretty easily.

Graphics

The graphics are clearly, early 16-bit. The sprites and backgrounds would be cleaner and more detailed if this game was released a few years later. Having said that, I still think the games looks good.

Music

The music isn’t that much to write home about. However, the creepy gothic organ music during the cutscenes is pretty cool.

Shining in the Darkness and Golden Axe Link?

In a previous review, Shining in the Darkness, I discussed the possible links that suggest Shining in the Darkness and Golden Axe were in the same universe, due to the presence of Gilius Thunderhead, the green dwarf. During this review, I noticed that the Chicken Stingers, are identical (except for the colour palette change) to some of the Bizzarians in Golden Axe. Does this mean that Altered Beast is also set in the same universe as Shining in the Darkness and Golden Axe?

Did I Complete The Game?

Yes

What The Critics Said:

Mean Machines Sega: “Altered Beast is a spot-on conversion of the coin-op. The trouble is, the game wasn’t exactly a smash-hit – it’s a very simply beat ‘em up with only five levels. The gameplay is very samey, and it doesn’t take long to get all the way through the game. Overall 67%.”[1]

Sega Pro: “For its day, it was amazing – speech, smooth scrolling and lots of playability. However, its finest hour has truly passed. Overall 74%”.[2]

The Games Machine: “Altered Beast turns out very close indeed to its arcade origins, complete with two-player mode. The main characters and enemy sprites look ever so slightly washed out, but the detail is all there, and background graphics are spot on. Overall 87%.“[3]

Sega Power: “However much you enjoy the coin-op, give this one a miss. Poor scrolling, jerky animation and limited gameplay. Overall 2/5”.[4]

My Verdict:

“Does Altered Beast deserve the accolade of being a classic title? There are many video games that acheive the accolade as a ‘classic’ but not all of them are worthy of title. Having revisited Altered Beast, I can say that the concept was great, but the execution was lacking. The game is too short, the controls too sluggish and frustrating, and the graphics should have been better. I think this game is better remembered than played.”

Rating:

What are your memories of Altered Beast? I would love to hear your thoughts, and don’t for get to follow and subscribe so that you don’t miss my latest reviews! You can also find me on Instagram: @nicklovestogame.

[1] ‘Review: Mega Drive – Altered Beast’. Mean Machines Sega. (October 1992). Issue 1:137.

[2] ‘Sega Software Showdown – Altered Beast – Mega Drive.’ Sega Pro. (November 1991). Issue 1:19.

[3] ‘Review – Altered Beast’. The Games Machine. Issue 19:17.

[4] Jarrett, S., ‘The Hard Line – Altered Beast’. Sega Power. (April 1991). Issue 23:52.

by lawrenceofcanadia

Shadow Warriors/Ninja Gaiden/Ninja Ryūkenden – Review

Throughout the 70s and 80s, the popularity of eastern martial arts rose dramatically in the west through Bruce Lee and The Karate Kid movies. Naturally, gamers are attracted to games where they can perform a flurry of punches, an array of agile kicks and jumps, and master hand to hand combat because, let’s face it, these things take years of training and dedication which many of us don’t have the inclination for.

Title screen (screenshot taken by the author)

Shadow Warriors is a side-scrolling action-platform game developed and published by Tecmo. It was released for the NES in Europe in 1991, having previously been released in Japan in 1988 as Ninja Ryūkenden, and in North America in 1989 as Ninja Gaiden. It was later ported to the SNES, PC and mobile phones. For this review, I chose to play the NES version.

Plot

You control Ryu Hayabusa who travels to America to avenge the murder of his father. He soon learns of a person known as “The Jaquio” who plans to take over the world with the help of an ancient demon whose power is contained within two statues. The game contains 20 levels broken down into six acts.

I’m not sure why Ryu has a reddish tinge to him (screenshot taken by the author)

Gameplay

The gameplay mostly consists of running at and cutting down your enemies. Ryu’s main weapon is a sword but you are able to pick up and use limited numbers of shuriken. Ryu can also jump and cling onto the walls, but can only climb if he is on a ladder. If not, and a wall is opposite, he can spring himself up by jumping between walls.

How Does It Handle?

The controls are very responsive and the movement tight, allowing for close control. Annoyingly, and this is common amongst early games, if you progress to a higher screen and you fall back down the hole you just came from, you die as oppose to simply fall to the level below.

Between levels, there are beautifully illustrated cut scenes (screenshot taken by the author)

Graphics & Music

The graphics and music are standard for 8-bit home consoles in the 80s but with the introduction of 16-bit consoles, begin to look dated by the time of its release in Europe in 1991. The Ryu sprite has a reddish glow to him, which is strange. After each act, there is a beautifully illustrated anime-style cutscene furthering the storyline.

Personal Experiences

The levels are very difficult and unforgiving, but you do receive unlimited continues. Sadly, I was only able to get to Act Three as my version kept crashing. However, I really enjoyed playing this game and so will definitely return to it in the future.

Did I Complete The Game?

No, my game kept crashing on Act Three.

What The Critics Said:

Mean Machines: “A superb game, very similar to Shadow Warriors coin-op. Highly recommended top Nintendo beat ‘em up fans. Overall 88%”.[1]

Mean Machines: “A superbly presented Ninja game which proves very playable. Overall 90%”.[2]

Awards:

Best Challenge 1989 – Nintendo Power Awards 1989[3]

Best Ending 1989 – Nintendo Power Awards 1989[4]

Best Game of the Year – Electronic Gaming Best and Worst of 1989[5]

My Verdict:

“Tight controls, beautiful cut scenes but very difficult and unforgiving. A good edition to the ninja genre”

Rating:

What are your memories of Shadow Warriors? I would love to hear your thoughts, and don’t for get to follow and subscribe so that you don’t miss my latest reviews! You can also find me on Instagram: @nicklovestogame.

[1] ‘Nintendo Review – Ninja Gaiden’. Mean Machines. (July 1990). Issue 06:12-4.

[2] ‘Nintendo Review – Shadow Warrior’. Mean Machines. (July 1991). Issue 10:66-8.

[3] ‘Nintendo Power Awards ‘89’. Nintendo Power. (May/June 1990). Issue 12:27.

[4] ‘Nintendo Power Awards ‘89’. Nintendo Power. (May/June 1990). Issue 12:28.

[5] ‘Best and Worst of 1989’. Electronic Gaming Monthly – 1990Video Game Buyer’s guide. 5:17.