Rambo on the original Nintendo is a game I fondly remember for all the wrong reasons. Back when I was no more than 8 years old, I rented this at my local video store. It was the worst video game I've ever rented.
The problem with the game is that it starts out with the most obtuse and confusing hub world I've ever experienced in a video game. I found myself walking left and right across the screen, going into every door and I couldn't find a way out to actually play the game. Never before had I been so stumped as to how to actually start the game. Without the help of the Internet available to me, I never figured out how to get out of that hub world. What a waste of a two-day rental.
Many years later, I tried to play it again using an emulator. I said to myself I wouldn't use a guide to get through that hub world, just to see if I was a dumb kid that didn't know any better. Nope. I played it for a good 20 minutes and still couldn't figure it out.
If I wanted to go back now and actually play through it, I probably could. However, from all accounts I've heard about NES Rambo, they all say it's terrible. For all the things I've said about bad game design, in my heart I still think the Rambo hub world is the absolute worst thing I've ever encountered.
To most people, Air Fortress is a game they've never heard of. According to the Wikipedia page for the game (so the validity of this fact is questionable), only 385 copies of the game came out in the US. In any case, this is not a game anyone will mention, ever. This is a shame to me, because I think it's a pretty awesome 8-bit action game. The game also has a strong sentimental value with me, but first, let me explain what the game was about if you've never heard of it. I've included a video below as well to further explain.
The game was half side-scrolling space shooter, and the other half of the game was action-adventure. Each level started with you flying towards the fortress entrance, shootings enemies and dodging environmental obstacles. Once you were inside the fortress, you would travel around the environment in your jet-pack, looking to blow up the core of the fortress and escape on your ship before the whole place blows up.
At the time, I thought the mash-up of gameplay styles made sense and was highly inventive. In particular, I thought the fortress gameplay was really good. With the exception of the first level, you couldn't play a level straight through. In order to beat a level, you had to blow up the core of the fortress, then find your ship before it blows up. However, you don't want to start looking for your ship after you blow up the core, which forced you to find your ship first, then blow up the core, then try and memorize how to get back to your ship before its too late. It was a unique gameplay mechanic that added a lot to the depth of Air Fortress.
I discovered this game through my cousin. It was a game that grabbed the entire family based on its premise and fun gameplay. Not everybody wanted to save the galaxy, but everyone from my cousins to the parents would crowd around the television and watch whoever was playing. The only other game I think to ever capture my entire family like that was Wii Sports. We would keep a master list of all the passwords and even act as navigators to whoever was playing. Keep in mind that this game had no in-game map whatsoever, which made navigating through the levels pretty difficult.
Besides being a great, under-appreciated game and a family favourite, Air Fortress holds a special spot in my heart as arguably my very first video game achievement. I vividly remember the moment I beat the first level in that game, which was the first time I beat any level in any game on my own. I was so excited by my accomplishment, that I ran around the room uncontrollably and actually broke my cousin's Nintendo in the process. Oops. That moment might also actually be the reason my cousin isn't into video games today. I'm sorry.
The Metroid series of games have carved out a weird niche in my memories. I've always felt that the games were really cool and I've always wanted to play them through to completion, but I never do. In many cases, I never get far at all.
When the original came out, I rented it just because I thought the box art was cool. Keep in mind I was probably in Kindergarten at the time I first played it. Back then, I thought that being able to travel left, right, up and down was cool, and the ability to roll up into a ball was neat, but I never got the point of it. I was too young to comprehend how to actually play the game and navigate the world. To me, I ran around and shot monsters until I got bored.
It wasn't till I got older and tried Super Metroid when I finally understood what the game was about. I played through the opening sequence at some event with Super Nintendo systems set up and thought it was awesome. Having world maps also helped me out greatly. I still find it amazing that kids navigated through the entirety of the original Metroid without a map. I've even heard personal stories of people who would draw their own maps on graph paper in order to get through. I only got to play the game for a few minutes at that event, but I really liked what I tried.
I wouldn't buy my first Metroid game until Metroid Prime came out on the Gamecube. The reviews for the game were sky-high. I figured this would be the perfect opportunity to jump into the series at the same time as everyone else. From what I played of it, I thought it was spectacular. I loved how expansive the world was and how air-tight the controls were. I really felt like I was a lone bounty hunter exploring the galaxy. What ultimately killed the game for me though was the same thing that stopped me from playing the first Metroid: navigating the world. Even with the map and the assists, I got to a weird point very late in the game where I had no idea how to actually get to the marker on the map. I would go on to buy the second Metroid Prime game, which I never even opened.
Since then, I have tried to go back to both the original and Super Metroid with no such luck. I still suffer the same problem that I do in every other Metroid game, even with maps and assists. I get lost to the point that I can't play these games anymore. Not to condemn the games, because I know many gamers who have loved and beaten these and other Metroid style games. Maybe I just suck at this style of gameplay that features back-tracking and requires a stronger sense of direction. However, I've beaten both Bioshock and Batman: Arkham Asylum, which do feature Metroid-style elements to it when it comes to navigating the world. Maybe Samus Aran and I just weren't made for each other.
Mike Tyson is famous for a lot of things. On top of being one of the greatest boxers of all-time, he's also a legendary last boss in the world of video games. He's so brutally hard, that Nintendo freely gave away the code to skip directly to Mike Tyson, if you dared. You may think, "Oh man! I can skip to the end; this will be a cake walk!" but then Iron Mike hits you with a lightning-quick punch you didn't see and you instantly hit the canvas. It's then you realize, you're screwed.
Anybody could skip to Mike Tyson, but you really needed to develop your skills at Punch-Out by playing through the entire game before even standing a chance. I can't think of any other game where it's basically impossible to beat it without players growing with the game.
Having played this game on and off for over 20 years, it is with a bit of shame that I have never beaten Mike Tyson. As a kid, I would see my older cousin's give him the business, but I wouldn't last past the first three punches he threw. But then again, I wasn't even good enough to beat Piston Honda.
Over the years, I've beaten Super Punch-Out many times over and I've beaten Punch-Out on the Wii, too (Title Defense mode aside). However, Mike Tyson is still WVBA champ and I can't knock him off the top. When I play through the NES game now, I can get all the way to Mike unscathed. I can even dodge a few of his punches and land some of mine. But alas, my attempts of sending Mike to the canvas are futile. Over time, the medium has evolved to be while more complex in terms of controls and gameplay, games are less difficult to complete. Mike Tyson is the antithesis of that design philosophy. It's really easy to pick up and play, but if you want to take out the champ, you need to have precision timing and reflexes with practically no room for error.
What I find even more remarkable about that game looking back, is that there were a lot of kids at the time who could give Mike Tyson the business. In today's era of gaming, kids get stuff like Spongebob games or heavily-simplified games aimed at them. Back then, those kids got freaking Mike Tyson...and still managed to win. I couldn't win then and I can't win now. Odds are, I'll never beat that game and I'll be bitter about it till the very end.
I normally pay no mind to video game related petitions. They're usually stupid demands made by and supported by equally stupid gamers. But I couldn't help but discuss this recent petition related to Sonic 4. To be fair, not everyone in the petition is in support of it, and some people are there just to make fun of them like I'm about to.
Fans of the sonic series are like most sega fans, we want their old games brought back to the glory days when sega was pretty much the power in video games. Seeing the gameplay of sonic 4 has made many of us realize what we already knew, Sonic 4 will simply not be anywhere near as good as the original sonic games. Either way, We will decide to finally show sega what the fans truly want. A real sonic 4, as long as sonic 4 stays the way it is, we will not buy it, we will in fact buy sonic 1 on release in protest of sonic 4, till we end up with a re tool, or change, we want sonic in hd, not sonic RUSH HD. We will not buy a future sonic game, till we get a true successor to sonic 1/2
There are a number of ridiculous things I can point out about this flawed argument, from the fact that we've only really seen 5 seconds of actual gameplay, to the fact that no people outside of Sega have played it, or that Sonic Rush kind of is the same thing as Sonic 1 (and is kind of good), or that Sonic 4 kind of is Sega's attempt to recapture the feel of Sonic 1. But I won't point those out. What I will point out is...
WHY ARE YOU GOING TO SHOW SEGA HOW MUCH YOU DISLIKE ONE OF THEIR GAMES BY BUYING ONE OF THEIR GAMES!?
You're still giving them money, whether you buy Sonic 1 or 4. Sega wins either way and your stupid cause is more meaningless than it already is.
As bonus material, I decided to post some choice comments from the petition below. Enjoy.
Name: Andie Key on Feb 18, 2010
Comments: I had hope for the game, even after the trailer. Turns out the gameplay and game truly is crap. I won't be tricked again SEGA (looks at you unleashed)
Name: Garnet M. on Feb 19, 2010
Comments: its just a 2d sonic game gears of war is much better anyway Name: Goog on Feb 19, 2010 Comments: If it even gets one score 8.5 I call BS SONIC 4 is TERRIBLE
Name: Sonic 92 on Feb 20, 2010
Comments: I am a fan of the Sonic games, I am very unhappy that Sega has made Sonic 4 the way that they have. I urge you sega, do not release the game as is. I will pray you do the right thing.
Name:Anonymous on Feb 21, 2010
Comments: yo dis looks like a game ud get at micky DS yo
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, unlike most intellectual properties that are licensed for games, have had a few bright spots in their video game history. The original Ninja Turtles arcade game as well as Turtles in Time are considered high-points for the franchise, and in my personal opinion, Ninja Turtles Tournament Fighter was alright, too. Those three games were great experiences for me in the late 80s and early 90s.
What I remember most fondly about Ninja Turtles games isn't what was great about them. Oh no. In fact, the memories I hold near and dear to my heart stem from the original NES Ninja Turtles game.
This one is well known for box art featuring the all-red bandana Ninja Turtles, which confused me until many years later when I learned that the image is inspired by the original comic book and not the cartoon. Also, it's well know for coming out at the cusp of Turtle-mania. This is also why millions of Turtle fans like me remember playing the game and realizing that it's not very good. But I'm getting a bit ahead of my story here.
My history with the game starts shortly after my parents bought me my Famicom. I was looking for games to buy, and I remember seeing that there was a Ninja Turtles game out for the Nintendo. That's all I needed to know for it for me to want it bad. Time would pass, and when my birthday came around, we made a trip to Toys R Us and my parents bought me the game.
My memory isn't the greatest, but I do recall the Toys R Us video game area of the store being set up dramatically different back then. Right now, it's a section of the store with its own cash register and theft detection devices. Back then, I remember it being a completely glassed-off section of the store. There was a booth area where you would interact with the customer service rep, tell them what you wanted, and they would go and get it for you. To me at the time, it was almost like a kid's version of Fort Knox.
Anyhow, I took the game home and was so excited to play it. It was the first North American NES game I could call my own AND it was a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game. How amazing was that?
Well, not so much. At the time, I played through the first level and thought it played well enough. Each of the turtles played differently due to the unique characteristics of their weapons and beating up Foot soldiers was fun enough. There were a few moments where you drove around in the Turtle van and could run over bad guys as well. After that first level though, the game totally fell apart for me. Most people never got past the second level, which famously had you swim through electrified plants and diffuse bombs under a pretty tight time limit. In spite of my frustrations with it, I played it for weeks until I could consistently beat it with little trouble.
That third level though, forget about it. It placed you in a large world that was very maze-like, leaving you to figure out how to get to where you needed to go. There were no indicators telling where to go, or at least where to go next. At some point in that third level, it tells you to use a grappling hook, but I don't think I ever figured out how to use it; only actually getting it to work once by fluke. I must have played the game up to this level for months and never figured out how to beat it.
This game was the first time I remember forcing myself to like something, even though it wasn't very good. My fandom for the Ninja Turtles, my love for video games, my limited supply of games to play and my general lack of life experience culminated into months of gaming frustration.
It wasn't until the home release of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles arcade game where I finally realized and acknowledged that the first game wasn't that good. When the game had run its course for me, I never played it again. It wasn't till last year I watched a YouTube video to see how the rest of the game looked.
Years later, its funny to see how many people shared that experience with me at the time. Most famously, the Angry Video Game Nerd turned that anger towards the first Ninja Turtles game into Internet comedic gold. He's now one of the more recognizable figures in video game culture.
The original Ninja Turtles NES game will be fondly remembered as a lesson learned for me. I don't think it would be the last time I let my emotions cloud my objective look at a game, but that was definitely the first I can remember.
Nothing says "nostalgia" to me quite like Contra on the NES. As far as video games that got me into the medium, Contra is right up there with Super Mario in terms of influence. As an impressionable youngster with an itch for action, big guns and explosions, Contra was right up my alley. The scenario of two guys with big guns saving the world from an alien apocalypse was so appealing to me at the time, especially when I was watching Saturday morning cartoons pre-Ninja Turtles, which were relatively G-rated. Contra at the time seemed edgy and beyond my age. I loved it for that.
I also loved it for the fact that the game was (and still is) awesome. With one player or two, the run-and-gun action of the NES Contra is legendary. Graphically, it was awesome for the time and still holds up in terms of 8-bit charm. In terms of gameplay and control, the game was air-tight. The feeling of running, shooting and jumping was second to none, and the spread gun is still one of the greatest video game weapons of all-time. Don't forget about the music, either. The soundtrack is one of the best examples of great 8-bit music. I actually have the Minibosses cover of the Contra soundtrack on my iPod.
For all the things it does great, it's probably most remembered for making the Konami code popular, which of late has popped up everywhere from ESPN to Facebook. In Contra, you only had three lives to beat eight levels on insane action. With the game featuring one-hit deaths, you basically had to go the entire game without being touched by anything. Not easy to do with bullets flying at you from every direction, aliens charging at you and pits to fall into. As a kid, I couldn't beat the first level without using all three lives. I've improved to the point where I can go over half way without dying. My ability peaked though at being able to go half way without dying. Without the Contra code, I would have never beaten that game.
Since the release of Contra in 1987, Konami has put out a number of Contra games, including the recently-released Contra Rebirth on WiiWare. As good (or bad, mostly bad) as those other iterations of the series are, nothing will ever shake the runaway success or nostalgic value of the original. I know I'm far from alone when it comes to people that have a soft spot in their heart for this game. When I wear my Contra t-shirt out in public, I always get comments from strangers about how awesome that game is and how the spread gun beat everything. It's good to know that I'm not alone in this sentiment.
