Classic Home Video Games (1985-1988)
Page 6
tection-oriented gameplay of Sentinel evokes titude, control pitch, load and arm missiles,
Crossbow, but it’s not as good or as well known and other such maneuvers. The joystick and
as that arcade classic. Originally available only
fire buttons work fine, however, in Arcade
in PAL format (Europe and elsewhere), Sen-
Mode, which has players simply guiding a cur-
tinel was released in NTSC format (U.S. and
sor around the screen, shooting enemy heli-
Canada) by ResQsoft, the company responsible
copters. Reality Mode is a combination of Ar-
for rescuing the Atari 7800 version of Klax
cade Mode and Flight School, the latter of
from prototype-only status.
which is more trouble than it’s worth for all but
the most patient and most dedicated of flight
Summer Games
sim fans. The instrument panel in this compli-
PUBLISHER: Atari. DEVELOPER: Epyx. Sports/
cated game depicts ammo supply, radar screen,
Olympics, 1–8 players (alternating, 2-player
fuel gauge, rpm readout, compass heading, oil
simultaneous). 1987.
pressure, and more. Fans of Tomcat: The F-14
Flight Simulator may want to give Super Huey A good looking, nicely playing port of the
a whirl. The sequels, Super Huey II and Super popular computer game, Summer Games for
Huey III, were only released for computers.
the Atari 7800 lets players compete in six dif-
ferent Olympic events: Diving, 4
× 400-Meter Relay, 100-Meter
Dash, Gymnastics, Freestyle Relay,
and 100-Meter Freestyle. Some
events require precise timing while
others demand that players jiggle
the joystick back and forth as fast
as possible for increased velocity.
All are fun, especially when com-
peting head-to-head against an-
other player (up to eight players
representing any of 18 different
countries can enter, but only two
appear onscreen at once). Unlike
the 2600 version, the 7800 rendi-
tion does not include Rowing or
Skeet Shooting. However, a vari-
ety of graphical upgrades, includ-
ing enhanced opening ceremonies,
make these omissions fairly easy
to overlook. The sequel, Summer
Games II, was only released for
computers.
Super Huey
PUBLISHER: Atari. DEVELOPER:
Atari. Flight Combat Simula-
tor/First-Person Shooter, 1
player. 1988.
This port of the Cosmi com-
Summer Games and Winter Games for the Atari 7800, each pic-puter game suffers from the lack
tured with box, instruction manual, and cartridge. Both titles of keyboard control, which is used
include various Olympic-style sporting events.
24
CLASSIC HOME VIDEO GAMES, 1985–1988
Super Skateboardin’
OPER: Absolute Entertainment. Sports/Wres-
PUBLISHER: Absolute Entertainment. DEVEL-
tling, 1 or 2 players (simultaneous). 1989.
OPER: Absolute Entertainment. Sports/Skate-
A graphical upgrade over the 2600 version
boarding/Side-Scrolling Platform, 1 player.
1988.
of the game, Title Match Pro Wrestling for the 7800 nevertheless suffers from the same horri-Unlike 720°, Skate or Die, and most other ble, needlessly convoluted control technique
skateboarding titles, this cartridge doesn’t fea-
in which players alternate between “joystick
ture any actual skating moves, such as aerials,
mode” and “button mode.” Simple punches
rail slides, or hand plants. What Super Skate-
and kicks are the easiest, most effective moves
boardin’ does have are coffee makers, projec-since airplane spins, power lifts, rope dives,
tors, radios, TVs, computers, and light bulbs
back drops, bear hugs, and other fancy maneu-
to turn off, the latter of which require jump-
vers are a chore to pull off and deplete the
ing in order to reach. The building players skate
wrestler of energy. When the wrestler gets
through is a maze of rooms connected by door-
pinned or bear hugged, the player can jiggle the
ways, elevators, escalators, and air ducts, and
joystick quickly to try and escape. Modes of
it’s easy to get turned around. Gamers with a
play include One on One and Tag Team Match,
good sense of direction can memorize the
the latter of which is more enjoyable (though
routes and item locations after repeated play,
that’s not saying much). The side-view perspec-
but the action doesn’t offer enough long-term
tive shows a ring, an audience, a camera man,
fun to warrant that kind of attention. The
and an overhead scoreboard. Fans of the sport
graphics are colorful, and the sound effects are
should stick with Pro Wrestling for the NES.
varied, but the there’s nothing particularly
“rad” about the game, other than its use of the
Tomcat: The F-14 Flight Simulator
now outdated term on the box. Designed by
PUBLISHER: Absolute Entertainment. DEVEL-
David Crane of Activision fame.
OPER: Absolute Entertainment. Flight Combat
Simulator, 1 player. 1989.
Tank Command
PUBLISHER: Froggo. DEVELOPER: Froggo. Verti-
Designed by Dan Kitchen (of Activision
cal Scrolling Tank Shooter, 1 player. 1988.
fame), Tomcat: The F-14 Flight Simulator is a Players commandeer an XT-87 attack ve-complex game in which players must launch
hicle in Tank Command, one of the harder to
(from the flight deck of the U.S.S. Enterprise)
find games in the 7800 library. The objective is
and land the titular craft, engage in combat
to capture the enemy flag, which is a mere three
missions (using a computer defense system,
levels away. The game is short, but the difficulty
machine guns, and three types of missiles), and
level amps up in a hurry, making for an un-
monitor a variety of instruments (including
even gaming experience. Piloting the tank is a
fuel, altitude, wing angle, and speed). During
dangerous job since the terrain is covered with
night flights, players must rely even more on
pillboxes, heavy artillery, camouflaged traps,
the elaborate instrumentation, especially in
anti-tank weapons, and other obstacles. Play-
combat situations. This cartridge is an up-
ers can blow up missile silos, ammo and fuel
dated, more graphically detailed (especially in
dumps, buildings, huts, and other items for
terms of the cockpit control panels) version of
extra points, and it’s important to refuel when
the Atari 2600 game of the same name, but with
necessary. The pink color scheme is off-put-
enemy bogeys that are harder to engage, mak-
ting, but the game has sufficient graphical de-
ing for a less enjoyable experience. Similar to:
tail. Tank Command is marginally enjoyable,
Ace
of Aces, Super Huey, and F-18 Hornet.
but fans of vertical scrolling war games should
stick with Commando or Ikari Warriors.
Touchdown Football
PUBLISHER: Atari. DEVELOPER: Imagineering.
Title Match Pro Wrestling
Sports/Football, 1 or 2 players (simultaneous).
PUBLISHER: Absolute Entertainment. DEVEL-
1988.
ATARI 7800
25
The only gridiron game available for the
pulling a water skier through three mediocre
7800, Touchdown Football is flawed almost to looking levels (Obstacle Slalom Run, Shark &
the point of being unplayable. The six-on-six
Alligator Main Course, and High-speed Death
action offers plenty of plays to select from (nine
Run) of rocks, piers, tree stumps, enemy
formations and three blocking schemes), and
boaters, and other obstacles, some of which,
the field and players look pretty good. How-
annoyingly enough, are hidden. There are
ever, field goals are all but impossible to make,
ramps to jump, and the faster the player makes
the animation is choppy, the action moves
it through the course, the higher their score.
much too slowly, and rushing is limited to the
The game ends after the third level, but it’s very
quarterback running the ball. The player on
difficult to get there, thanks in part to frustrat-
defense always controls the free safety. Inter-
ing controls that take lots of time getting used
estingly, there’s only one cheerleader on the
sideline, and she looks as though she may have
had one too many shots of testosterone. The
view of the action is from an elevated side per-
spective, with the screen scrolling left and right
(only 25 or so yards of the field are visible at
any given time).
Tower Toppler
PUBLISHER: Atari. DEVELOPER: Atari. Climbing,
1 or 2 players (alternating). 1988.
Derived from the computer semi-classic
Nebulus, Tower Toppler is a good looking, highly unusual game in which players guide a
frog up stairs, up elevators, across platforms,
and over gaps in order to reach the top of eight
different smoothly rotating towers. The frog is
equipped with snowballs for destroying bounc-
ing cannonballs and flashing blocks, but the
rest of the enemies and obstacles, which include
evil robots, mutant molecules, flying eyes, and
rolling cannonballs, are indestructible. Certain
jumps must be timed perfectly, and some floors
will vanish, making for a frequently frustrat-
ing experience. However, the game has a certain
quality that virtually forces players to stick with
it until they have at least reached the top of two
or three towers. Between each level there’s a
side-scrolling bonus round in which the frog
hops in his sub and stuns and catches fish. The
NES version, which is called Castelian, is similar, but with different bonus rounds in which
the frog hops on clouds and gathers gems.
Water Ski
PUBLISHER: Froggo. DEVELOPER: Froggo.
Tower Toppler for the Atari 7800, complete with Sports/Water Skiing, 1 player. 1988.
box, instruction manual, and cartridge. The
This vertical scrolling game has players
version that was produced for the Game Boy and
maneuvering a boat up the Pharonna River,
NES is called Castelian.
26
CLASSIC HOME VIDEO GAMES, 1985–1988
to. The fire buttons move the skier right and
hitting and shooting (with a phaser) critters,
left while the joystick operates the boat, which
pods, tentacles (the floor-based tentacles from
is a setup that is hardly intuitive. Water Ski is the arcade game are missing), rollerbabies, and
one of the harder to find (not to mention
snotterpillars. There are weapons (laser pistol,
harder to play) games for the Atari 7800.
electric rifle, poofer gun, grenades) and bonus
point items (such as skulls and screwdrivers)
Winter Games
to pick up and elevators to ride. Some may find
PUBLISHER: Atari. DEVELOPER: Epyx.
the going a bit slow, but the two-player split
Sports/Olympics, 1–8 Players (alternating, 2-
screen mode (which actually lets gamers play
player simultaneous). 1987.
at the same time, unlike the Atari 2600 version)
This nicely realized port of the popular
will please most anyone looking to mindlessly
computer game lets players compete in four
kill some aliens. Also released for the Atari
Olympic events: Speed Skating (side-view two-
Lynx and the NES, the latter version of which
man race); Ski Jump (points earned for dis-
is disappointingly bland.
tance and style); Bobsled (viewed from be-
hind); and Biathlon (cross-country skiing and
Xevious
rifle shooting). The game plays very well and
PUBLISHER: Atari. DEVELOPER: Atari. Vertical
Scrolling Shooter, 1 or 2 players (alternating).
is loaded down with graphical detail, but it’s
1987.
missing the Luge, Slalom, and Hot Dog events
found in the 2600 version, as well as Figure
Xevious is an extremely accurate port of
Skating from the Commodore 64 game. The
the 1982 Atari arcade game. The playfield has
lavishly produced opening ceremonies do a
been shortened (the score and number of ships
great job of getting players in the spirit of
remaining appear at the top of the screen), and
things, but it’s too bad there are no closing cer-
the blaster targeting sight is closer to the ship,
emonies. It would’ve been nice to watch the
meaning players have to get dangerously close
contestants accepting their medals.
to ground-based targets before they can shoot
them. However, the sound effects are about 90
Xenophobe
percent accurate, the graphics are nicely emu-
PUBLISHER: Atari. DEVELOPER: BlueSky Soft-
lated, and the much-maligned 7800 joysticks
ware. Platform Shooter, 1 or 2 players (simul-
are perfectly designed for the action. Also,
taneous). 1989.
scrolling is smooth, and the game handles lots
Despite the lack of a three-player mode
of onscreen activity with seeming ease. There
and the fact that gamers can only control Mr. M.
are more than 20 different types of enemies to
Brace (as opposed to one of nine different char-
shoot, and players can select from four
acters), Xenophobe for the Atari 7800 is a nice difficulty levels. Nitpickers will notice that the
port of the 1987 Bally Midway arcade game
ground-based targets don’t blink like they do in
(which was undoubtedly inspired by the Alien
the coin-op classic and in the NES version. Xe-
films). Players walk, crawl, crouch, and jump
vious spawned two sequels: Super Xevious (ar-their way through nine different spac
e stations,
cade) and Xevious 3D/G+ (PlayStation).
NINTENDO NES
In 1984, the Japanese company Nintendo,
movement, and hidden secrets and surprises.
which had achieved tremendous success in the
Those who grew up on comparatively primi-
arcades with Donkey Kong (1981), approached
tive previous consoles, such as the Atari 2600
Atari about distributing the American version
and the ColecoVision, were truly mesmerized
of their popular Famicom system in the United
by Super Mario Bros. ’ epic nature and expansive States. For a variety of reasons (which Steven L.
game play.
Kent details in his indispensable The Ultimate
Scores of other landmark Nintendo-brand
History of Video Games), the prospective deal NES games followed in the wake of Super
with Atari failed, and Nintendo took it upon
Mario Bros. , including Metroid and The Legend itself to test market their Americanized Fami-of Zelda, and the company began publishing
com (dubbed the Nintendo Entertainment Sys-
the long-running Nintendo Power magazine in
tem) in New York City in 1985, leading to a na-
1988. The NES hit its zenith in 1990 with the
tionwide release in 1986.
introduction of Super Mario Bros. 3. Released in Initially, due to the fabled Great Video
conjunction with the feature film The Wizard
Game Crash of 1983/1984, U.S. retailers were
(1989), which was more or less an extended
wary of carrying a new video game system.
commercial for the game, Super Mario Bros. 3
Wisely, Nintendo marketed their brainchild as
sold more than 18 million copies worldwide,
more than just a simple game console, packag-
making it the best-selling video game cartridge
ing the deluxe version of the NES with a me-
of all time. The Wizard also showcased the
chanical Robot Operating Buddy (R.O.B. for
technically advanced Power Glove controller,
short) and a Zapper light gun (for use with
a black and gray gauntlet that looked really cool
Duck Hunt and other target games). They
and created a lot of buzz, but was extremely
called their video game console an “entertain-
inefficient and lacking in precision of move-
ment system” and referred to its cartridges as
ment when it came to actually playing games.
“game paks.”
Numerous third-party companies, such as
The aforementioned marketing ploy was
Capcom, Jaleco, and Data East, got in on the
useful in getting the Nintendo NES on to store