Tombs & Treasures (Infocom 1991)

When professor Imes goes on an expedition to some Mayan ruins, not everything goes according to plan. In fact, of the seven men that went with him only the tour guide returned alive. What's more, according to the notes and artefacts found it seems that the professor has accidentally unleashed a group of demons that was sealed in the ruins by the ancient Mayans. Since its summer vacation and you are a friend of his daughter, the two of you, along with the tour guide decide to go back to the ruins and attempt to solve the mystery.

Tombs and Treasures is a nice break from the usual platform and shooter games found on the NES. While it might at first look like a Role Playing Game, the closest thing to describing it would be a graphical version of a text adventure. You still have all your verbs like Look, Take, Put, Use, Move, Push, Pull, Smash, Join, Wash, Wait, Fight, Change and Go but instead of having to type them, you just select the appropriate action from a command menu. The outside areas look like your average Top Down RPG as you wander from location to location. You don't do anything on this map except find your next location and the area that the game takes place in is also relatively small. Step inside a building though and the view switches to a first person adventure style interface.

This is where you'll spend most of the game collecting clues, solving puzzles and fighting creatures. Unlike a Role Playing Game, each building you enter only have one or two creatures to fight and it's usually either a case of you kill them or they kill you. Solving puzzles gives you more experience levels resulting in more health but wander into the wrong place before your ready for it and you'll usually die. Although you have health it's filled up completely after each battle so you don't have to worry about healing items or resting. Combat is also usually resolved by just pressing the attack button. There is some strategy involved as some creatures are weak against certain items but throughout the whole game you'll only fight with one sword.

The puzzles in the game can be quite fiendish at times and taking careful notes is highly recommended. You can do things wrong and do stupid things which can result in you being unable to complete the game. You can save your position at any time via a 32 digit password but this thing is huge and cumbersome to write down. Fortunately if you die, you can just press continue to go on from just before you died and don't have to input the password. Turning off the power means you have to input the password next time though. A good idea is the password confirm where you can type in the password to let the game confirm you have in fact written down the right thing. Trust me; this can save you a lot of frustration if you accidentally wrote down a wrong digit.

The graphics in the game is good but nothing really special. The outside map is filled with pyramids, tombs and ruins to explore while the interior graphics is small but detailed. You get lots of items along the way and some of them can be combined to form new items. The demons you encounter don't really look that scary and all the rooms are just static pictures with no animations. There are lots to do though as things can be moved around to expose secret doors and all kind of keys and gems has to be found. Having three characters, which you can switch between also makes for a few interesting puzzles. The game also has a few nice twists although conversations with other characters are a bit limited.

The sounds in the game are nothing special, with only a few background tunes. There are a few eerie songs but overall I think more could have been done to enhance the spooky nature of the game. A few more sound effects would also have been nice. The controls take a while to get used to as you have to scroll through hordes of icons. After a while though you get used to it and search each room like a pro. Combing items is easy and most action can be performed with a single command.

Adventure fans should really get a kick out of Tombs and Traps although more traditional RPG fans will probably be a bit disappointed by its length. If you would like to try a game where the emphasis is on puzzle solving and exploration, not combat then give Tombs and Traps a try. It's got a good storyline, some nice puzzles and will keep you guessing for quite a while to unravel all its secrets. It can also be a highly frustrating experience so if you don't have the brainpower or patience for this game it will all end in tears.

[8]

Wurm: Journey To The Center Of The Earth (Asmik 1991)

In the year 1999 some destructive Earth tremors and volcanoes cause havoc with the planet's surface prompting scientists to attempt learning the origin behind these forces. Vehicles are built to explore the depths of the planet but four of these never return. Now it's up to you to find these lost explorers and try to find out what caused their disappearance as well as what is causing the tremors.

WURM combines quite a few genres in a attempt to bring something new to the NES and a huge quest stands between you and the secrets of the center of the Earth. Traveling around in your VZR (the WURM) you have to fight against the inhabitants of the underworld in a variety of viewpoints. Not only do you have side scrolling and top town shooting sections but also a first person view boss battles and platform style adventure sections. All these are backed up by some entertaining cut-scenes that further the interesting storyline.

Your VZR have quite a few tricks it can employ to thwart the enemies and your crew is also on standby to offer some advice. With the ability to use tank, hover and aerial modes,  your VZR is well equipped for the missions ahead as long as you keep a eye on your shield and fuel levels. Shields recharge over time but fuel has to be collected by killing certain enemies. Enemies come at you thick and fast and only split second reflexes will save you. Enemies also have the annoying ability to constantly respawn so be on your guard at all times. The boss sections are unique because you take them on in a first person view battle. You can only scroll the screen left and right but you can move your target cursor all over the screen to take out their minions and focus on their weak spots. You also get the chance to talk to your crew to best determine how to kill the boss which is quite an interesting touch.

The platform sections put you on control of Moby, the female captain of the VZR. Although these levels are generally short they can be pretty tough and it's a good thing that you have a gun to take out enemies. You bullets are finite though so unless you want to kick your way across a level it's best to conserve them. You'll have to search for clues and keys to progress as well as find the missing members of the previous teams.
The graphics in the game are quite good especially considering how many different gaming styles are on offer. The platform sections feature large characters and some pretty detailed locations. The boss battles are also quite nice with huge creatures and cool effects. The shooting sections are nothing special and look pretty much like any other but still has some unique enemies and levels while the WURM is a unique and versatile craft. With twenty levels spread across five acts it's a good thing the game has a password feature and infinite continues.

The audio in the game isn't bad but there is nothing to make it outstanding or especially good. The tunes remain in the background and you'll be hard pressed to remember any of them once you've stopped playing. Sound effects are also basically nonexistent. The controls take some getting used to and there is a definite learning curve involved mastering them. The collision detection can be a bit shaky at times which can make things frustrating as well.

Although WURM is a unique and entertaining game it could also have been a bit better in some areas. The constantly onslaught of enemies are challenging but at times you can hardly dodge them. Some of the platform sections also get a bit tedious as you have to search maze like areas for the exit or clues. The ability to talk to crew members during a boss battle is a nice touch but their dialogue is limited and the soon repeat themselves.

While it's not quite a classic game it can still entertain and it's good to see companies try something new. It has some original touches that makes it worthwhile but some persistence (as well as patience) is required if you want to get the most out of it.

[7]

D-Force (Asmik 1991)

One of those oil rich dictators from the Middle East has finally gotten too big for his shoes and declared war on the world for some misguided reason. Not only does he have droves of high-tech planes, tanks and weapon sites at his disposal but through the help of his biologists also managed to bring back some mean dinosaurs to further boost his forces. The UN's defence budget must be running a bit low since they decide to send in only one Apache helicopter. Your job of course is to pilot it and save the world.

Despite the rather elaborate storyline Dimension Force is a rather simple game. In fact the only place you'll learn the plot is in the manual since the game itself contains no intro, cut-scenes or even ending. I'm sure those people unfortunate enough to not have the manual was wondering why they were shooting down jets on one stage and dinosaurs on the next. If you've ever played a game of this type in the arcades you should know exactly what to expect. You have to pilot your small helicopter through six levels teeming with enemies wreaking as much destruction as you can along the way. Foes attack in swarms and there's no shortage of bullets heading your way which considering the fact that it only takes one hit to destroy you makes for a few hair-raising experiences.

Ultimately though Dimension Force is one of the easiest games in the genre thanks to the three skill levels and the ability to have up to nine lives to start with. Furthermore you continue where you were shot down with full fire-power and even when you are game over have unlimited continues which place you back at the start of the stage without taking away your power-ups. This means with a little perseverance anyone should be able to finish this one.

Looking at the graphics D-Force is decidedly average with the usual ocean, forest and desert type backgrounds. Apart from a few freaky dino's the enemy designs isn't anything special either. Despite the basic graphics the screen can get rather cluttered at times making those small, indestructible enemy missiles a real nuisance. One of D-Force's main (well only actually) gimmicks is the ability to alter your height on some levels. You simply tap one of your shoulder buttons and the view zooms down so you can shoot enemies on the ground or dodge obstacles. An interesting idea but the levels are rather short and the graphics get a little blocky up close. This feature is also one of the reasons I suspect there's no two-player mode.

The audio is a bit of a mixed bag with sound effects being about as feeble as can be. Apart from the tame sound your guns make, a few explosions and the sound of a power-up being picked up you'll hear nothing else. The music isn't that bad and some of the tunes (especially the song on the final stage) actually sound nice but overall I have to say they don't really fit the game. These tunes are a strange choice for a fast paced shooter that's for sure.

Besides the main game there is also a "Shooting" and "Technical" mode but these are basically the same levels from the game split up into "zooming" and "non-zooming" sections. Trying to put up a high score is nice but since the game has no battery backup also pretty pointless. In the end only the lack of other good shooters makes D-Force worth playing and even so it won't keep you busy for long.

[6]

Battletoads (Rare 1991)

One thing's for sure, if I knew what was lying ahead when I started playing Battletoads I probably would not have bother playing at all. It's not that it's a bad game or anything, but later on it starts to get maddeningly tough. And not just mildly challenging, I'm talking pulling you're hear out, screaming at the screen, jumping on the gamepad tough. Death waits around every corner and one small miscalculation sends you back to the start screaming in frustration. Apart from all that it's actually a damn good game though.

The story involves a certain Dark Queen kidnapping one of the Battletoads and his girl while they are out cruising around. It's up to the remaining two, guided from their flagship by a vulture mentor, to descent to the surface of the planet and save their chums. Of course this isn't going to be easy and it will only be something like twelve long hard levels later that you'll get to confront the queen herself.

The graphics in Battletoads really is quite good. Although the overall colours might seem a bit drab it's the animation that really shines. Punching an opponent a few times causes you're hand to grow larger and deliver a devastating uppercut to finish him off. Run at an opponent and press attack and you'll turn into a battering ram. All these small animations add a lot of character to the game and can't help but laugh when you see an opponent being hammered into the ground and then kicked in the face with a giant boot. 

The locations that you'll be traversing are also quite varied. The backgrounds also contain their fair share of hazards. You won't be restricted to just beating up enemies either. Some levels have you speeding around on a hover bike avoiding obstacles and trying to keep up with the sheer speed at which the game runs. Others will have you hanging on the giant snakes that are moving through the caverns, while you try to avoid falling off or getting hit by giant spikes. There are also some underwater and flying levels included. The last level is the strangest in which you have to ascent a giant tower. The tower itself is round, so by walking left or right the background rotates. It looks quite impressive and this is one of the few times I've seen something like this in a game.

The sound is just as good and keeps in character with the game. Overall it's quite moody and eerie, but the sound effects are cartoonish and hitting an enemy around you can almost feel the blows. The gameplay is unforgiving and tough and only serious gamers with a lot of patience will ever complete this one. There will be times when you just won't be able to believe what the game expects you to do and you're arcade reflexes are going to have to be honed to perfection to even stand a fighting chance. Some of the later levels are a bit too rigid in what they expect you to do and this could lead to frustration as you miss that last jump by a few inches and have to do it all over again. Completing the game however gives you quite a feeling of achievement, but be warned if you're doing it all just to see the ending, prepare for an epic disappointment. This is one of those games that are for hardcore players only.

[9]

Isolated Warrior (KID 1991)

When the planet Pan was suddenly and violently attacked by unknown alien forces its defences quickly fell. As the military force of the planet fall in battle, most of the survivors fled but one man chose to remain. He is Max Maverick, captain of the army and the last hope of the planet. Suiting up in battle armour the lone warrior sets out to drive away the alien armada.

OK so the one man against the entire alien invasion force scenario is what the "snow" level is to the platform game, every title  in the genre has it, but when it's this good who cares? You take control of Max in a 3D isometric shooter, a rarity on the NES, and have to blast your way through seven challenging levels. Before you even think of taking on this game be warned this is one tough cartridge. Aliens swarm at you from all angles and bullets fly across the screen in slowdown inducing quantities. Besides your power armour you have some other means of transport depending on the level as well. Water levels have you riding a hovercraft while some of the outdoor levels give you a hover bike. Max has only two ways of firing. Focused fire shoots a straight beam ahead of you, which can be upgraded to more powerful levels as well as also shooting out behind you. Wide fire instead fires a lot of beams in a spread direction but is weaker, although it can also be upgraded to shoot in more directions. Now and then you'll find a shield if you're lucky which can make life a little bit easier.

 

There is a wide assortment of enemies but the highlight is the bosses. These guys are very tough and take a ton of hits to go down. As usual for the genre they each have a pattern that has to be figured out before you stand any real chance of beating them. A good thing is that if you die after killing the boss it still counts as a victory and you progress to the next level. I have to admit few battles ended with me dying almost simultaneously with the boss. I still have nightmares about that level four boss battle on the hover bike.

The graphics in Isolated Warrior is pretty good considering the sheer amount of things going on at all times and the fact that there is so much variety in the enemies. The colours might not be that impressive but there is a fair amount of detail in the surroundings and you can spot the unique touches like flying over a burning city that gives the game a unique perspective.

The sound is OK with the best feature an alarm sound that goes off each time you get hit. Believe me you'll be concentrating so hard on dodging bullets and enemies that you'll hardly notice it if it wasn't for the audio warning. You'll be hard pressed to remember the music though as you be so engrossed in the game. The game has a much needed password option for each of the seven levels, but even with it you'll be playing for a while before mastering the game. Novice players might have some trouble with the fixed difficulty setting but if you're a fan of the shooter genre this is without a doubt a classic and a good example of what the NES is capable of.

[9]

G.I Joe (Taxan 1991)

I have to admit to being pleasantly surprised by the quality of this title. Not only is this a great title which should please all G.I. Joe fans but the solid gameplay will ensure that everybody is drawn in. The storyline is typical GI Joe and sees you following the orders of General Hawk to destroy a series of Cobra hide outs. For each of the levels on offer a leader is appointed and you then get to choose two additional team members to help out. The line-up includes Duke, Blizzard, Rock&Roll, Capt. Grid Iron, Snake Eyes and even the General himself on the last stage. You have complete control over all three party members and can switch between them at any time.

Each character has their own strengths and weaknesses and using the right team member for the job at hand can make things easier. During levels you can acquire more ammo, increase your health and also upgrade your weapon with the right power-ups. While you'll mostly stick to punching enemies during the levels you'll definitely want a fully upgraded gun and lots of ammo for the boss battles. These consist of some of the coolest vehicles and bad guys from the toy line and fans will instantly recognize their favourites  The game also feature some originality in its gameplay and unlike most platform games you're not just making your way from left to right, shooting everything in sight. Each level is split up into three sub-levels and usually has a boss waiting at the end. You'll have to hurry though as you have a strict time limit and if time runs out its game over. The reason for this is the fact that on each second sub-level you have to explore the stage and plant bombs at predetermined spots. These spots are usually well hidden or just out of reach and the cool level designs also makes things tricky. It's definitely a lot more fun than simply killing everything in sight. Desperately looking for the exit while the time counts down can be nail biting.

Upgrading your characters weapons is essential for the boss fights and the good news is as long as your character doesn't die he'll keep his fire-power from one stage to the next. Also cool is the various GI Joe vehicles hidden away on most levels. These are pretty weak and hard to find but definitely makes the levels more fun to explore. At the end of each main level you are given a password to save your progress which is great since this game is slightly longer than your average platform title. Even cooler is the fact that after you've completed the game you're given a new password and can restart the game on a slightly harder difficulty level. This time round you only have two characters with which to complete the levels instead of three which definitely makes the game more challenging. Who knows what rewards await the dedicated?

Visually the game looks pretty good and G.I Joe fans will instantly recognize their favourite characters and vehicles. There are loads of huge bosses and the game employs lots of nifty special effects like enemy characters leaping out of the foreground at you. Between levels you are also treated to a small cut-scene of the main boss for the area dissing you or something blowing up. The levels themselves are pretty unique and range from the sewers beneath New York to a dense forest and Arctic Base. One thing that caught my eye is that the game seems to have lots more variety in the enemy characters you face. This is probably due to the wealth of source material the action figures provide.

The music is pretty good although some of the tunes can get a bit repetitive after a while. The music on the final level also sound like a bit of an odd choice for a action game and reminded me of a circus strangely enough. The sound effects are nice enough and the sounds of your bullets striking a boss vehicle are very satisfying indeed. Controls are responsive and besides switching characters with the start button you can also switch between guns and fists with a tap of the select button. Characters can shoot in all four directions and even when your bullets are depleted you can still lob grenades at enemies. It's also nice to see that characters don't just look different but handle differently as well. Snake Eyes being a ninja can jump higher while General Hawk can fly with his jet-pack  Some characters can punch harder while others have better guns. Boss fights can also become very strategic as you figure out the enemies patterns before retaliating.

Although not perfect G.I Joe has very little flaws that detract from the overall experience. It would have been great if a boss battle allowed you to continue with your next character when someone in your team dies instead of starting over from the start but it does make the game more challenging and discourages you from letting one character hog all the power-ups. A little more serious is the constantly respawning enemies. While not quite as annoying as the bad guys found in Metroid and Ninja Gaiden these guys can still seriously sap your health. Some levels also throw hordes of bullets your way which can be very annoying seeing as your character jerks backwards when hit and falling down a chasm is fatal.

All of this is easy to overlook once you start playing the game though and while it might sound bad on paper it isn't really that major. This is definitely a title that every G.I Joe fan will want in their collection and might even win the action figures a few new collectors. Fun, playable and true to its' roots, what more is there to say except, Yo Joe!

[9]

Blue Shadow (Natsume 1991)

This is one cool game. The plot might not be the most original I've ever seen, but there's no denying the overall quality of the game. Sometime in the future it is yet again up to two mysterious ninja's to fight the evil that is threatening the world. You can pick your character, either male or female, and then it's off to kick some demon behind. Although most of the enemies you'll face are humans or robots, it's the bosses that really catch the attention. These guys are just plain mean. Starting out with slighter harder than usual humans, you'll soon be facing off against huge robotic death machines and bug or demon inspired creatures. These guys are complete bastards to kill and although you can see how much power they've got left it still takes a good while to destroy their armour or find their weak spots.

The level layouts are also pretty original and thankfully there are no forest or snow levels to spoil the feel of the game. Your ninja will be running through rainy thunderstorms aboard a ship, to towering roof tops. There are tons of things to kill and unlike some lesser games there's no untimely enemy respawning to spoil the day. 

Not that it's an easy game by any stretch of the imagination. You only have one life and five continues. There's also no starting each level with full health. You get what you had on the previous level and only the defeat of the boss might grant you a few precious drops of health. Besides your standard sword that you start out with there are also a nice variety of other gadgets to dispose of your foes. The sword can be upgraded, but there are also some throwing knifes, shurikens, bombs and a mace like weapon to be found. This is just as good as death can come at any moment. Levels are rigged with explosive traps, laser cannons and lethal jumps. The ninja's are quite agile characters and beside the normal jumps can also hang on to certain surfaces or flip on up onto them.

The controls are alight  but did feel a bit sluggish and unresponsive at times. While it is nothing to get worried about, it's certainly not perfect. Another weak spot is the amount of cheap hits you can take, but luckily this does not spoil things too much either. The game is divided into five or six levels and each one has three sub-levels of which the last one is the main boss. Not a long game, but not exactly a walk in the park either. The sound is a highlight and thankfully sounds much better than the usual NES fare. The characters even have some digitized sound effects for when they attack or die. Superior graphics and sound coupled with some enjoyable gameplay plus a challenge ensure that this one remains a classic.

[9]