Classic Home Video Games (1985-1988)

by Brett Weiss

  tive, are strategic in nature, with players select-

  been selected, a window appears detailing

  ing from the following choices: battle, tactic,

  available commands (movement, attack, power,

  defend, item, retreat, report, and all-out (a

  and the like), fuel and ammo supply, and more.

  speedy, computer-controlled system where all

  Types of units include tank, armored car,

  living characters run to the center of the screen

  transport, supply truck, field cannon, anti-air-

  and duke it out). Instead of hit points, as in

  craft gun, infantry, fighter, and bomber. Ter-

  most RPGs, combatants in Destiny command

  rain, such as towns, bunkers, airports, and

  a certain number of troops. Includes battery

  rocks, plays a strategic role, as does the cus-

  backup. See also: Romance of the Three King-

  tomization of forces (though players can select

  doms (NES).

  72

  CLASSIC HOME VIDEO GAMES, 1985–1988

  Dick Tracy

  Dig Dug II: Trouble in Paradise

  PUBLISHER: Bandai. DEVELOPER: Realtime As-

  PUBLISHER: Bandai. DEVELOPER: Namco. Over-

  sociates. Adventure/Side-Scrolling Platform, 1

  head View Action, 1 or 2 players (alternating).

  player. 1990.

  1989.

  An obscure sequel to the popular coin-op

  Unlike the Genesis and SMS versions of

  classic Dig Dug (Namco, 1982), Dig Dug II: Dick Tracy, which are simplistic platformers, Trouble in Paradise is a nice port (despite blink-the NES game lets players gather clues, look at

  ing when the screen gets busy) of Namco’s 1985

  mug shots, interrogate criminals, do some

  arcade game (which was simply called Dig Dug

  overhead view driving (while avoiding sniper

  II). Once again, Dig Dug walks around the

  fire and shooting enemy cars), and visit a po-

  screen, using a pump (called an “inflator” here)

  lice station for renewed health. After entering

  to blow up and destroy round, shades-wearing

  a building (other than the police station), Tracy

  Pooka and fire-breathing Fygar. However, un-

  will punch and shoot bad guys and dogs, jump

  like the original Dig Dug, which found the title over obstacles, and climb ropes, ladders, and

  character digging maze trails, Dig Dug II has pipes. Special weapons to grab include a

  players drilling on fault lines to sink sections

  Tommy gun (for rapid fire), tear gas, and

  of an island, killing nearby enemies in the

  knock-out punches. Based on the 1990 feature

  process. Drilling three pieces of an island into

  film (which, in turn, was based on Chester

  the ocean makes a bonus vegetable appear, and

  Gould’s classic comic strip). Also released for

  flying fish can be caught as well. There are 72

  the Game Boy, but without the driving se-

  islands in this fun, addictive, strategy-inten-

  quences.

  sive game. The original Dig Dug didn’t make it to the NES, but console gamers can play that

  Die Hard

  classic on the Atari 7800, Game Boy, and vari-

  PUBLISHER: Activision. DEVELOPER: Pack-In-

  ous other systems. Followed by: Dig Dug: Dig-

  Video. Overhead View Free-Roaming Shooter,

  ging Strike (2005, Nintendo DS).

  1 player. 1992.

  Digger T. Rock: The Legend of the Lost

  A terrorist group led by Hans Gruber has

  City

  infiltrated the Nakatomi Building, ruining a

  PUBLISHER: Milton Bradley. DEVELOPER: Rare.

  Christmas party attended by John McClane

  Side-Scrolling Platform, 1 player. 1991.

  and his lovely wife, Holly. John’s mission is to

  Published by board game giant Milton

  stop Hans from blowing up the roof, killing

  Bradley ( Operation, Battleship) and developed the hostages, and absconding with Holly and a

  by fan favorite Rare ( Gunstar Heroes, Donkey fortune in bonds. This involves running

  Kong Country), Digger T. Rock, despite the around the labyrinthine building, punching

  mainstream pedigree, is an obscure title. Play-

  and shooting bad guys while finding and break-

  ers assume the title role of an explorer who

  ing seven different locks. John begins with a

  looks like a small child (he favors Calvin of

  pistol, but can obtain a sub machine gun, extra

  Calvin and Hobbes), but wields a mean shovel, ammo, a radio (for listening in on Hans’ plans

  which he can use to hit ghosts, skeletons, di-

  and contacting the police), flash grenades, C4

  nosaurs, and other enemies, many of which re-

  explosives, an axe, and detonators. The non-

  spawn. More importantly, he can use the shovel

  linear action takes John through heating/air

  to dig down through caverns. Digger can also

  conditioning vents, up and down stairways and

  kick enemies, crawl through narrow passage-

  elevators, through finished and unfinished

  ways, jump on ledges, throw rocks, climb lad-

  offices, and more. As in the 1988 feature film

  ders (selectable via an inventory system), use

  (which starred Bruce Willis as the hero), John

  dynamite (for breaking walls), and grab dia-

  slows down after walking on broken glass,

  monds (cash), goblets (points), and mush-

  which is a nice touch in an already impressive

  rooms (invincibility). The objective in each

  game.

  level is to find the exit door.

  NINTENDO NES

  73

  Dirty Harry

  unleashed vampire bats, flying skeletons, and

  PUBLISHER: Mindscape. DEVELOPER: Gray Mat-

  other transdimensional monsters all over his

  ter. Side-Scrolling Combat/Platform Shooter,

  house. Michael begins with a knife, but can

  1 player. 1990.

  collect a pistol, a machine gun, grenades, jump

  Loosely based on the popular film series

  boots, an air helmet, a shield suit, and a laser,

  (“Go ahead, punk ... make my day”), this

  the latter of which is gained by defeating 10

  mediocre game puts players in the Clint East-

  bosses. Filled with diverse challenges, Dr. Chaos wood role of “Dirty” Harry Callahan, a vigi-alternates between a standard third-person/

  lante cop on the trail of Anaconda, a ferocious

  side-view perspective, with typical jumps and

  drug kingpin. The action takes place in The

  attacks, and a first-person viewpoint, where

  Streets, on The Waterfront, and in and around

  players guide a hand around a room, search-

  Alcatraz, with players shooting, punching, and

  ing for medicines, weapons, and warp zone en-

  kicking bad guys, climbing up buildings and

  trances.

  telephone poles, entering sewers through man-

  holes, jumping across rooftops, grabbing help-

  Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

  ful items (including bulletproof vests, plastic

  PUBLISHER: Bandai. DEVELOPER: Advanced

  explosives, crowbars, and missile launchers),

  Communication. Side-Scrolling Platform, 1

  avoiding mines,
snakes, falling rocks, and laser

  player. 1989.

  security systems, and much more. Produced

  and directed by Don Siegel, the first (of five)

  A butchering of Robert Louis Stevenson’s

  Dirty Harry movie was released by Warner

  seminal The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr.

  Bros. in 1971.

  Hyde (1886), this mess of a game finds Dr. Jekyll walking through a town, a park, and a cemetery

  Dizzy the Adventurer

  (six levels in all), trying to get to the church to

  PUBLISHER: Camerica. DEVELOPER: Codemas-

  marry Miss Millicent. Jekyll jumps sluggishly

  ters. Side-Scrolling Platform/Adventure Puz-

  and fights enemies (townsfolk, birds, spiders,

  zle, 1 player. 1993.

  and the like) by weakly poking a cane at them.

  The pack-in game with the Aladdin Deck

  Should Jekyll’s agitation meter get full from

  Enhancer, Dizzy the Adventurer was the only

  taking too much damage, he transforms into

  Aladdin title that was not previously released as

  Mr. Hyde, who battles through forced-scrolling

  a standard NES cartridge. Players guide the

  stages, punching and using a psycho-wave to

  egg-shaped hero as he endeavors to save his

  defeat the various hunchbacks, demons, flying

  girlfriend from an evil wizard. Gameplay re-

  skulls, and other creatures he will encounter.

  volves around platform jumping, collecting 50

  One of the worst games in the NES library, Dr.

  stars, and solving puzzles by manipulating ob-

  Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is so bad it’s scary.

  jects, such as the first scenario where Dizzy uses

  a match and straw to burn down a door, then

  Dr. Mario

  a bucket of water to put out the fire. Dizzy also

  PUBLISHER: Nintendo. DEVELOPER: Nintendo.

  builds a bridge, gives a harp to St. Peter, uses

  Action Puzzle, 1 or 2 players (simultaneous).

  pliers to pull a thorn out of a lion’s paw, and

  1990.

  much more. Curiously, falling from high places

  does not kill Dizzy (few things in this game are

  In this Tetris-inspired puzzler, Mario, po-

  lethal), but water does. See also: The Fantastic

  sitioned near the top of the screen, drops vita-

  Adventures of Dizzy (NES). Unlicensed.

  min capsules into a bottle filled with viruses,

  and the player must rotate the capsules and po-

  Dr. Chaos

  sition them in such a way as to remove the

  PUBLISHER: FCI. DEVELOPER: Pony Canyon.

  viruses from the screen. The capsules, which

  Side-Scrolling Platform, 1 player. 1988.

  are divided into color-coded halves, come in

  As Michael Chaos, players must search for

  red, yellow, and blue, as do the viruses. When

  their scientist brother, who has inadvertently

  four or more capsule halves and/or viruses of

  74

  CLASSIC HOME VIDEO GAMES, 1985–1988

  the same color are lined up in a row, they dis-

  vines, pushing keys up chains, dropping fruit on

  appear. Dr. Mario is one of the better puzzle (or avoiding altogether) nitpicker birds and

  video games for any system, thanks to pleas-

  snapjaws, and jumping on platforms and over

  ant audio/visuals, strategic gameplay, and

  gaps. As with Donkey Kong, the animated inter-smooth difficulty progression. Also released for

  missions found in the coin-op version are ab-

  the SNES (via Tetris & Dr. Mario) and Game sent. Both games, DK and DK Jr. , are great fun.

  Boy. Followed by: Dr. Mario 64 (Nintendo 64)

  When compared to the Atari 7800 game, the

  and Dr. Mario & Puzzle League (Game Boy AdNES version has tighter controls, better graph-

  vance).

  ics (the 7800 game looks a little blocky), and

  vastly superior sounds. Also released for the

  Donkey Kong

  Atari 2600, Intellivision, and ColecoVision.

  PUBLISHER: Nintendo. DEVELOPER: Nintendo.

  Climbing, 1 or 2 players (alternating). 1986.

  Donkey Kong Jr. Math

  Like the ColecoVision and Atari 7800 ver-

  PUBLISHER: Nintendo. DEVELOPER: Nintendo.

  sions, Donkey Kong for the NES is missing one Educational/Math, 1 or 2 players (simultane-of the screens found in Nintendo’s 1981 coin-

  ous). 1985.

  op classic (the Conveyor Belt level), as well as

  An offshoot of Donkey Kong Junior (ar-

  the animated intermissions. However, the re-

  cade, 1982), Donkey Kong Jr. Math uses the

  maining three screens are nicely emulated, de-

  basic climbing elements of DKJ to drill gamers spite altered placement of certain items, slower

  ages eight and up on addition, subtraction,

  elevators, and various other nitpicks. In addi-

  multiplication, and division. Calculate A and

  tion, the NES port has much better sound ef-

  Calculate B are two-player games, with each

  fects (including Mario’s squeaky shoes) than

  contestant guiding a junior Kong (one brown,

  the 7800 game. As most classic gamers know,

  one pink) up and down vines and on top of

  DK has players guiding Mario up and down

  small islands in order to form equations. The

  ladders and across steel girders, jumping over

  objective is to reach the number depicted on a

  barrels and gaps, pulling up bolts, and smash-

  sign that Papa (Donkey Kong) is holding at the

  ing barrels and fireballs with hammers, all in

  top of the screen. Gamers can play solo, but

  an effort to rescue Pauline. Also released for

  there’s no real way to lose unless there’s an op-

  the Atari 2600 and Intellivision. Remade for

  ponent. A one-player affair, +-x÷ Exercise has

  the Game Boy.

  gamers climbing up chains to select the correct

  numbers to solve math problems, with a Nit-

  Donkey Kong Classics

  picker Bird showing the position of the num-

  PUBLISHER: Nintendo. DEVELOPER: Nintendo.

  ber to be filled. Though good for exercising

  Climbing, 1 or 2 players (alternating). 1988.

  mental math muscles, this cartridge is light on

  Donkey Kong Classics contains two previ-

  action as there are no enemies to avoid.

  ously released NES titles in one cartridge: Don-

  key Kong and Donkey Kong Jr.

  Donkey Kong 3

  PUBLISHER: Nintendo. DEVELOPER: Nintendo.

  Donkey Kong Jr.

  Non-Scrolling Shooter, 1 or 2 players (alter-

  PUBLISHER: Nintendo. DEVELOPER: Nintendo.

  nating). 1986.

  Climbing, 1 or 2 players (alternating). 1986.

  A stellar port of Nintendo’s vastly under-

  Unlike Donkey Kong for the NES, Donkey

  rated arcade game (1983), Donkey Kong 3 strays Kong Jr. includes all four looping screens from from the climbing genre popularized by Don-its respective coin-op classic (Nintendo’s Don-

  key Kong and Donkey Kong Junior, opting in-key Kong Junior, 1982). Players guide the titu-stead for a shooter format somewhat similar to

  lar boy ape as he attempts to rescue his father

  Gorf, Centipede, and Galaga. Stanley the Bug-from Mario’s cage at the top of
each screen.

  man, who first appeared in Greenhouse (a Nin-

  This requires climbing up and sliding down

  tendo Game & Watch title from 1982), runs

  NINTENDO NES

  75

  and jumps around the bottom of the platform-

  the game, new fighting techniques will be

  enhanced playfield, firing upward at bees, but-

  added to Billy’s arsenal, including over-shoul-

  terflies, and other critters, and at Donkey Kong

  der throws, spin kicks, pin attacks, and the

  himself, who slowly makes his way down a pair

  ever-popular hair-pull kicks. In addition, Billy

  of vines. Fast, fun, and frantic, DK3 is a bug-can pick up such dropped weapons as dyna-

  shooting blast. While technically the last game

  mite, knives, bats, and whips, and he can throw

  in the original Donkey Kong trilogy, Donkey rocks and boxes. The cartridge is missing the

  Kong 3 was followed by numerous games in the standard two-player simultaneous mode from

  DK franchise, including such titles as Donkey

  Taito’s groundbreaking coin-op classic from

  Kong 64 (Nintendo 64), the Donkey Kong

  1987 (something the Master System and Atari

  Country trilogy (SNES), Donkey Kong Land 7800 versions retain), and certain levels have

  (Game Boy), and Donkey Kong Jungle Beat

  been redesigned, but the game does add an op-

  (GameCube).

  tion in which players can fight as one of six dif-

  ferent characters: Billy, Williams, Rowper,

  Double Dare

  Linda, Chintai, or Abobo. Also released for the

  PUBLISHER: GameTek. DEVELOPER: Rare. Game

  Game Boy, Genesis, and various other systems.

  Show, 1 or 2 players (simultaneous). 1990.

  Double Dragon II: The Revenge

  Double Dare for the NES is based on the

  PUBLISHER: Acclaim. DEVELOPER: Technos.

  kids’ game show (hosted by Marc Summers),

  Side-Scrolling Combat, 1 or 2 players (simul-

  which began airing on Nickelodeon in 1986 and

  taneous). 1990.

  had numerous spin-offs, including Family Dou-

  ble Dare and Double Dare 2000. The format fol-As with Double Dragon, Double Dragon II

  lows the TV program pretty well, with gamers

  for the NES is not a note-for-note port of its

  answering trivia questions and competing in

  respective coin-op counterpart (Technos re-

  three types of challenges: Toss-up (bowling,

  leased Double Dragon II to the arcades in 1988).

  golf, hungry clowns, and gorilla), Physical

  Many of the same elements are present, and

  (cake catch, putty golf, ring toss, and the like),