Classic Home Video Games (1985-1988)

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/
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  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,