by Brett Weiss
McDuck’s walking cane weapon, such as
recommended for keeping track of various lo-
pulling blocks and grabbing onto latches. Play-
cations and items. Includes battery backup.
ers assume the role of Disney’s greedy, treas-
Similar to: Wizardry (NES).
ure-hunting duck as he runs, climbs, and pogo
jumps through five levels of play: Niagara,
Dusty Diamond’s All-Star Softball
Bermuda, Mu, Scotland, and Egypt. There are
PUBLISHER: Broderbund Software. DEVELOPER:
obstacles to avoid (spikes, fireballs, logs, and the
Tonkin House. Sports/Softball, 1 or 2 players
(simultaneous). 1990.
like), rafts to ride, bosses to fight (including
Fire Duck and Mummy Duck), items to pur-
This quirky, arcade-style game lets players
chase (such as continues and health), and much
select from 60 different oddly designed, big-
more. Produced in the waning years of the
headed softball players (including a punk, a
NES, DuckTales 2 is one of the better sequels witch, and a devil), some of which have unfor the system. Also released for the Game Boy.
orthodox bats (such as a broom or a pickaxe)
and/or skills (such as flying or climbing fences).
Dudes with Attitude
There are fast and slow pitch games and six dif-
PUBLISHER: American Video Entertainment.
ferent ball fields (Sandlot, Park, Cliff, School,
DEVELOPER: American Video Entertainment.
Island, and Professional), most of which are
Action, 1 or 2 players (simultaneous). 1990.
littered by such obstacles as rocks, posts, sand,
Dudes with Attitude is a simple game in
and/or water. The game also includes pinch
which players guide one of six different bounc-
runners, pinch hitters, steals (fast pitch only),
ing smiley faces around 32 different screens,
and diving catches. Easy to control and fun to
bumping into diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and
play, Dusty Diamond’s is a cult classic.
other treasures in order to collect them. Pass-
ing through an attitude converter changes the
Dynowarz: The Destruction
face into one of six different colors, and only
of Spondylus
treasures the color of the smiley face will be col-
PUBLISHER: Bandai. DEVELOPER: Bandai. Plat-
lected when touched. Obstacles include mines,
form Shooter, 1 player. 1990.
walls, serpent sentries, star-a-lizers, and jaws.
In Dynowarz, the manmade Spondylus
An edit mode lets gamers design their own lev-
Solar System is under attack, and it is up to the
els. Includes password feature. See also: Trolls
player, as Professor Proteus, to vanquish this
on Treasure Island (NES).
threat. Armed with a spread fire gun, the pro-
fessor must battle robotic dinosaurs (some of
Dungeon Magic: Sword of the Elements
which fly), hop on vertically and horizontally
PUBLISHER: Taito. DEVELOPER: Natsume. First-
moving platforms, jump over chasms, and
Person Role-Playing Game, 1 player. 1990.
dodge spikes, mines, and cannons. Periodically,
In Dungeon Magic, players assume the role
control will switch to a Mechagodzilla-like di-
of a brave adventurer searching for the Sword
nosaur that can punch, launch fist projectiles, lob
of Tores, the only weapon powerful enough to
bombs (which, annoyingly enough, oftentimes
80
CLASSIC HOME VIDEO GAMES, 1985–1988
go right over enemies), and shoot fireballs and
vulnerable to one type of sword), and levers
lasers. The dino stages are less platform inten-
and buttons must sometimes be used to open
sive, but both phases are easy, thanks to a long
doors, giving the game some degree of depth.
energy bar that makes it possible to just tram-
ple over spikes and through enemies without
Elevator Action
worrying too much about taking damage.
PUBLISHER: Taito. DEVELOPER: Taito. Platform
Sparse backgrounds, delayed jumping (the
Shooter/Climbing, 1 or 2 players (alternating).
characters squat first), and short levels add to
1987.
the game’s ineptitude.
Elevator Action is a fantastic port of Taito’s 1983 arcade game. The color scheme is slightly
8 Eyes
different, and the music is a notch or two below
PUBLISHER: Taxan. DEVELOPER: Seta. Side-
in terms of quality, but the graphics and game-
Scrolling Platform, 1 or 2 players (simultane-
play are virtually identical. Players guide super-
ous). 1990.
sleuth Agent 17 up and down elevators and es-
8 Eyes looks and plays a lot like Castleva-calators and across floors, shooting and
nia, but is much harder and has a less interest-jump-kicking armed security guards. For extra
ing lead character. Players guide Orin the Fal-
points, players can shoot lamps to darken rooms.
coner through eight castles, using swords and
The goal is to pick up all the files hidden be-
a variety of special weapons (daggers, boomer-
hind the red doors and make it to the getaway
angs, Molotov cocktails, and the like) to defeat
car in the garage below. Also released for the
soldiers, living skeletons, giant wasps, mud
Atari 2600 (as a playable prototype distributed
men, and other creatures. Unfortunately, there
at the 2001 Classic Gaming Expo) and the
is no Castlevania-like whip, but Orin can whip Game Boy.
out Cutrus the fighting falcon, which can be
controlled by a second player. Levels must be
Eliminator Boat Duel
finished in the correct order (each boss is only
PUBLISHER: Electro Brain. DEVELOPER: Sculp-
tured Software/Radioactive Soft-
ware. Boat/Watercraft Racing, 1 or
2 players (simultaneous). 1991.
In the overhead view seg-
ments of Eliminator Boat Duel,
players race up twisting, turning
rivers, dodging or jumping over
such obstacles as alligators, sharks,
and whirlpools while rescuing
people and grabbing nitro boosts
and cash. In addition to jumping
over obstacles, the boats can jump
on each other (a maneuver obvi-
ously inspired by Bump ’n’ Jump).
When the action switches to the
faster, less cluttered, behind-the-
boat perspective, players race atop
open waters, trying to stay be-
tween pairs of flags while grab-
bing speed boosts and jumping
the occasional ramp. Between
Seven NES games, each based on an arcade classic: Elevator Ac-
tion, Rolling Thunder, 1943, Karate Champ, BurgerTime, Gra-
races, prize money can be used to
dius, and Xenophobe.
make repairs and upgrade boats
NINTENDO NES
81
with faster engines, sturdier hulls, and im-
DEVELOPER: Sachen. Third-Person Shooter/
/>
proved steering. Despite a limited color palette,
Vertical Scrolling Shooter, 1 player. 1990.
the game has very nicely detailed graphics.
F-15 City War alternates between two per-
spectives: behind the titular plane, which
Excitebike
doesn’t actually look like an F-15; and above it,
PUBLISHER: Nintendo. DEVELOPER: Nintendo.
where the action slows to a crawl. Gameplay is
Motorcycle Racing, 1 player. 1985.
arcade-style in nature, with pilots using an un-
A favorite among early NES owners (de-
limited supply of machine gun bullets and mis-
spite the exclusion of the bonus rounds from
siles to blow away jets, tanks, gun boats, chop-
Nintendo’s 1984 arcade original), Excitebike is pers, and giant robots. As the action begins,
a side-scrolling motocross game in which play-
players pilot their plane over a city street, with
ers race against the clock over tracks contain-
repetitious buildings choppily scrolling by (the
ing hills, ramps, obstacles, and mud pits. Keys
frame rate is horrendous), giving the game a
to the game include using the turbo button ju-
cheap, primitive look from the outset. Other
diciously (without overheating the bike) and,
than 1-ups, there are no power-ups, and all five
during jumps (which are wildly enjoyable to
stages of the game are decidedly dull. Bosses
pull off ), positioning the bike at the most ef-
vary in appearance, but are defeated by mind-
fective angles for distance and smooth land-
less button-mashing. Unlicensed.
ings. A special Design Mode lets gamers create
their own courses. The manual states that “the
F-15 Strike Eagle
save and load menu options are not operable
PUBLISHER: MicroProse Software. DEVELOPER:
in this game,” meaning players cannot save the
MicroProse Software. Flight Combat Simula-
courses they have created. Also released for the
tor, 1 or 2 players (alternating). 1992.
Game Boy Advance. Followed by: Excitebike 64
F-15 Strike Eagle straps players into the
(Nintendo 64).
cockpit of a jet fighter capable of loops, rolls,
and high-speed turns. There are seven levels to
Exodus: Journey to the Promised Land
conquer, including missions in Libya, Basra,
PUBLISHER: Wisdom Tree. DEVELOPER: Color
and Baghdad. Gameplay consists of: shooting
Dreams. Maze/Maze Shooter, 1 or 2 players
missiles and bullets at enemy fighters; dodging
(alternating). 1990.
enemy fire; monitoring altitude, speed, and
Exodus uses the same game engine as
radar; destroying chemical weapons plants; and
Crystal Mines, but is retrofitted with a biblical more. The top half of the screen shows the ac-theme. Players guide Moses as he explores 100
tion while the bottom half displays gauges,
mazes, using his staff and the “word of God”
maps, and the like. Compared to the original
(a firing mechanism) to ward off magicians,
computer game (1985), the NES rendition has
soldiers, taskmasters, and other enemies and
more colors and better graphics (enemies in
to remove such obstacles as the murmurings of
the original are wire-frame constructs), but the
Israel, the weaknesses of man, and the golden
computer version has better, more responsive
calf of sin. To complete a level, Moses must
controls (thanks in part to keyboard input).
grab five question marks and the manna quota.
Includes digitized voice effects. Followed by:
Holy oil, new sandals, Bibles (which gamers
F-15 Strike Eagle II (Genesis) and Super Strike earn by answering questions), and other items
Eagle (SNES).
aid Moses in his quest. There are 250 trivia
questions, all based on the book of Exodus. Un-F-117A Stealth Fighter
licensed. See also: Joshua and The Battle of Jeri-PUBLISHER: MicroProse. DEVELOPER: Micro-
cho (NES).
Prose. Flight Combat Simulator, 1 or 2 players
(simultaneous). 1992.
F-15 City War
A port of the PC game Night Hawk: F-117A
PUBLISHER: American Video Entertainment.
Stealth Fighter 2.0 (which was a sequel to F-19
82
CLASSIC HOME VIDEO GAMES, 1985–1988
Stealth Fighter), F-117A Stealth Fighter for the explore include villages, forests, diamond
NES sends players on six air-to-air and air-to-
mines, a dragon’s lair, a pirate ship, and more.
ground missions— Libya, Middle East, Gulf
During his quest, Dizzy will run, jump, swim,
War, Cuba, Korea, and North Cape — plus
ride a mine cart, talk to characters, use a rope
some highly classified missions. The top half of
to swing across chasms, participate in mini-
the playfield is the view screen while the bottom
games, and pick up and use objects to solve
half is a busy instrument panel depicting a text
puzzles, such as keys to unlock doors and a
message screen, a compass, a fuel gauge, a
plank of wood to build a bridge over a spiky
speed indicator, a digital altitude display, a
pit. Released on the Genesis as Fantastic Dizzy.
stealthometer, missile warnings, and various
Followed by: Dizzy the Adventurer (NES) and
other things for the player to keep track of.
Spindizzy Worlds (SNES). Unlicensed.
Clearly, this is a complex challenge, with play-
ers locking onto targets, firing a 20 mm Vul-
The Fantastic Adventures of Dizzy (Al-
can cannon, launching missiles, releasing de-
addin Version)
coys, engaging an autopilot, bailing out of the
PUBLISHER: Camerica. DEVELOPER: Codemas-
plane, landing back at the base, and much
ters. Side-Scrolling Platform/Adventure Puz-
more.
zle, 1 player. 1993.
The Aladdin compact cartridge rendition
Family Feud
of The Fantastic Adventures of Dizzy is almost PUBLISHER: GameTek. DEVELOPER: Beam Soft-identical to the standard version, but for the
ware. Game Show, 1 or 2 players (simultane-
following differences: 250 stars to find (up
ous). 1991.
from 100); a simplified inventory system; cer-
Based on the long-running TV game
tain items in different places; and some minor
show, Family Feud pits two families of five
terrain alterations and level modifications. Also,
against one another, with the goal of winning
Dizzy walks faster, and the word “Dizzy” on
$20,000. The computer asks survey questions
the title screen has been changed from blue to
(such as “name a brand of camera”), and play-
red. Requires the Aladdin Deck Enhancer. Un-
ers must buzz in to guess the most popular
licensed.
answers (derived from a survey of 100 people).
If three incorrect answers are guessed, the
Fantasy Zone
opposing team gets a chance to steal tha
t fam-
PUBLISHER: Tengen. DEVELOPER: Tengen. Side-
ily’s money. As in the television program, there
Scrolling Shooter, 1 player. 1989.
are Fast Money Rounds and a lady-kissing
Like Defender, Fantasy Zone has players host (unnamed in this case). Also released for
flying a ship left and right around a wrap-
the Genesis, SNES, and numerous other sys-
around world, firing away at airborne enemies.
tems.
However, unlike the stark, darkly light De-
fender, Fantasy Zone takes place on eight pastel-The Fantastic Adventures of Dizzy
colored planets, each filled with cute charac-
PUBLISHER: Camerica. DEVELOPER: Codemas-
ters and charming music. In addition to firing
ters. Side-Scrolling Platform/Adventure Puz-
at an assortment of quirky creatures, players
zle, 1 player. 1991.
can collect coins for use in purchasing speed
Dizzy is an egg-shaped adventurer who
power-ups, laser beams, wide beams, twin
must rescue his girlfriend Daisy from the evil
bombs, smart bombs, fire bombs, and heavy
wizard Zaks, who has taken the damsel in dis-
bombs. Unlike the original arcade game (Sega,
tress to his castle in the clouds. Retrieving her
1985) and the Master System version, the NES
requires finding 100 magic stars scattered
rendition does not feature 7-way shots (though
throughout the game’s cartoon-like lands,
it does compensate somewhat with 5-way
which are filled with leprechauns, trolls, ma-
shots). In the NES game’s favor, the screen
gicians, and other strange creatures. Areas to
scrolls up and down a little, and there’s a radar
NINTENDO NES
83
showing how many bases are left to destroy in
Felix the Cat
the current world. Both of these features are
PUBLISHER: Hudson Soft. DEVELOPER: Hudson
missing from the Master System version
Soft. Side-Scrolling Platform, 1 player. 1992.
(though between the two the Master System
On a quest to rescue his girlfriend from
game remains the superior port). Unlicensed.
the evil Professor, Felix, the famous cartoon
Also released for the TurboGrafx-16.
cat, must run, jump, swim, drive, and fly his
way through nine areas of play (including a
Faria: A World of Mystery & Danger!
prehistoric world, the North Pole, and the
PUBLISHER: Nexoft. DEVELOPER: Game
Moon), using his vaunted magic bag of tricks
Arts/Hi-Score. Third-Person Action Role-
to thwart dinosaurs, bats, fish, Rock Bottom,