by Brett Weiss
Forest, and Caves of the Underground World.
while striking the ball away from the body has
The aforementioned magic enables Jake to: in-
a different effect than striking it close to the
crease his life gauge; become temporarily in-
body. Miracle plays are available as well, such
vulnerable; weaken, freeze, or eliminate all on-
as the ball splitting into a myriad of balls or
screen enemies (monsters, robots, aliens, and
being returned at super high velocity. Three
the like); or transform into a lion (for jumping
courts are available (hard, clay, and grass), and
higher), an eagle (for flying), or a fish (for
winning matches lets players upgrade the
swimming). Despite the transformation se-
strength, speed, agility, stamina, skill, ball spin,
quences and some huge, colorful bosses, To-
focus, and miracle power of their character.
tally Rad is a middle-of-the-road (or should Multi-tap adapter compatible.
that be “middle-of-the-rad”?) platformer.
Total Recall
Touchdown Fever
PUBLISHER: Acclaim. DEVELOPER: Interplay.
PUBLISHER: SNK. DEVELOPER: SNK. Sports/
Side-Scrolling Combat/Platform Shooter, 1
Football, 1 or 2 players (alternating). 1991.
player. 1990.
Unlike SNK’s critically acclaimed Baseball
Based on the 1990 film (which in turn was
Stars, Touchdown Fever fails to deliver a playable based on Philip K. Dick’s novel, We’ll Remem-rendition of its respective sport. The players
ber It for You Wholesale), Total Recall for the are small and slow, there are no selectable deNES puts gamers in the everyman role of
fensive formations, forward passes are always
Douglas Quaid, who was played by Arnold
allowable, and interceptions are far too easy to
Schwarzenegger in the movie. The victim of a
throw. The top-down, vertically scrolling ac-
virtual vacation to Mars gone wrong, Quaid
tion includes 12 teams from NFL cities, but no
must battle his way through city streets, sub-
licensed teams or players. There are six offen-
ways, a cement factory, and other areas, avoid-
sive plays/formations from which to choose:
ing bad guy Richter and searching for energy
long pass, short pass, handoff, quarterback
canisters along the way. Quaid can run, jump,
sneak, I-formation, and shotgun. Based on
crouch, enter doors, climb ladders, and pick up
SNK’s 1987 arcade game.
and fire a handgun, a machine gun, and lasers.
In the overhead view Martian Transit Hub,
Toxic Crusaders
Quaid drives around a scrolling, maze-like
PUBLISHER: Bandai. DEVELOPER: Bandai. Side-
area, dropping land mines and shooting other
Scrolling Combat, 1 player. 1992.
vehicles. Total Recall offers a few interesting Based on the 1991 cartoon series (which
moments, such as when Quaid walks behind
in turn was based on Troma’s The Toxic Avenger
an x-ray machine and when he must battle his
feature film), Toxic Crusaders puts players in the own wife, but the action is clumsy and
role of Toxie, a super-hero/sludge monster who
unfulfilling overall.
packs a mean punch and a special mop, the lat-
ter of which can be powered up to shoot projec-
Totally Rad
tiles or be thrown like a boomerang. Toxie must
PUBLISHER: Jaleco. DEVELOPER: Jaleco. Platform
work his way through six slimy levels in the town
Shooter, 1 player. 1991.
of Tromaville (including a high school, a factory,
One of several NES titles that use such
a sewer, and Island City), jumping over acid
dated (in the contextual sense) lingo as “gnarly”
streams, battling Dr. Killemoff ’s henchmen,
and “bodacious,” Totally Rad puts players in avoiding bricks and spikes, riding a skateboard
NINTENDO NES
199
(in level four), and more. This mediocre (at
gles, keys, arrows, radium plated boots, and
best) game is superior to its Genesis and Game
other items to help explore a variety of worlds,
Boy counterparts, but that’s not saying much.
including The Islands, Microchip (which is
supposedly inside the NES), and The Moon.
Track & Field
Cosmic caterpillars, sonic saucers, solar road
PUBLISHER: Konami. DEVELOPER: Konami.
hogs, blitz blimps, monster sharks, and other
Sports/Track & Field, 1 or 2 players (simulta-
enemies make life difficult for the titular hero,
neous). 1987.
who can run, jump, crouch, climb, and catch.
A respectable port of Konami’s 1983 ar-
He can also ride a moon buggy.
cade game, Track & Field for the NES includes five of the six events found in the coin-op clas-Trog!
sic: 100 Meter Dash, Long Jump, 110 Meter
PUBLISHER: Acclaim Entertainment. DEVEL-
Hurdles, Javelin Throw, and High Jump. Ham-
OPER: Visual Concepts. Maze, 1 or 2 players
mer Throw is missing from the NES version,
(simultaneous). 1991.
but the cartridge does feature three extra
In Trog! , players guide a cartoonish di-
events: Skeet Shooting, Triple Jump, and
nosaur around a series of 50 non-scrolling is-
Archery. In the running events, the faster the
land mazes, collecting eggs while avoiding
buttons are pressed, the faster the runners will
Trogs (cavemen), fire, mushrooms (which slow
go, making for some furious button-mashing
the dinosaur down), tar pits, and holes. Unlike
action. Also released for the Game Boy.
Pac-Man, the hero in Trog! can punch its foes.
In addition, the dinosaur can grab such help-
Track & Field II
ful items as ice cubes (for freezing Trogs), red
PUBLISHER: Konami. DEVELOPER: Konami.
flowers (for extra speed), and hot tamales (for
Sports/Track & Field, 1 or 2 players (simulta-
breathing fireballs). The most enjoyable items
neous). 1989.
to pick up are pineapples, which turn the di-
Sporting better graphics and more elabo-
nosaur into a T-rex, enabling players to eat the
rate controls than the first game, Track & Field pursuing cavemen. In later levels, Trogs learn
II also has a wider variety of events. These in-to jump. For maze fans, Trog! is an essential (if clude Fencing, Triple Jump, Freestyle Swim-somewhat obscure) part of the NES library.
ming, High Dive, Clay Pigeon Shooting, Ham-
Based on the 1990 Bally/Midway arcade game,
mer Throw, Taekwondo, Pole Vault, Canoeing,
which lacked the exclamation point in the title,
Archery, Hurdles, and Horizontal Bar. Less em-
but offered a four-player mode and had more
phasis is place on fast button pushing than in
of a claymation look to the characters.
Track & Field, though that is still a factor. New modes of play include Training, Champi-Trojan
onship, and Versus. The game is compatible
PUBLISHER: Capcom. DEVELOPER: Capco
m.
with Nintendo’s Zapper light gun. The arcade
Side-Scrolling Combat/Fighting, 1 or 2 players
sequel to Track & Field was called Hyper Sports, (alternating, simultaneous). 1987.
but it had just seven events.
In Trojan, players guide the titular war-
rior through seven levels (including a dilapi-
Treasure Master
dated city, a jungle, and caves), hacking and
PUBLISHER: American Softworks. DEVELOPER:
slashing killer piranha, armadillo-like freaks,
Software Creations. Side-Scrolling Platform, 1
hatchet-wielding monsters, knife-throwing
player. 1992.
creatures, and other enemies. If the Trojan
Supplemented by a contest in which a
warrior loses his fast-action sword and highly
password was given out on MTV that would
maneuverable shield, he must resort to punch-
allow players to reach a secret, end-of-game
ing and kicking. Hidden items, which players
prize world, Treasure Master has gamers using can find by slashing the sword, reveal higher
scissors, bombs, a ray gun, enhancement gog-
jumps, keys for opening passages, faster walk-
200
CLASSIC HOME VIDEO GAMES, 1985–1988
ing speed, and more. The arcade version (Rom-
Based on the Seta/Taito arcade game (1988),
star/Capcom, 1986) has more detailed graphics,
Twin Eagle is a nondescript (if playable) shooter but the NES rendition has some interesting ad-that, like its coin-op counterpart, doesn’t have
ditions, such as a one-on-one fighting mode
any bosses (with the exception of the enemy
(which is simplistic, but welcome) and the abil-
fortress at the end of the game). The coin-op
ity for players to enter manholes to explore
version has nine levels while this port has just
sewers. Interestingly, boots make players jump
five, making it a much shorter game. Game-
higher in the NES version while jumping zones
play entails guiding a helicopter over land and
are used in the arcade game. Though not as well
sea, shooting and dropping bombs on soldiers,
known or as polished as such Capcom classics
planes, tanks, boats, and other enemies. De-
as Mega Man or Ghosts ’n Goblins, Trojan is a stroying certain enemy strongholds emits
fun, challenging game.
hostages to rescue while certain defeated ene-
mies leave behind such powers-ups as smart
Trolls on Treasure Island
bombs and double and triple fire. Followed by:
Publisher: American Video Entertainment.
Twin Eagle II (arcade).
Developer: American Video Entertainment.
Action, 1 or 2 players (simultaneous). 1992.
Ultima: Exodus
PUBLISHER: FCI. DEVELOPER: Pony Canyon.
Trolls on Treasure Island is essentially the Third-Person Role-Playing Game, 1 player.
same game as Dudes with Attitude, but the smi-1989.
ley faces have been replaced by Trolls (the
naked little doll creatures denoted by ugly faces
A port of the groundbreaking computer
and swaths of long, furry hair). In addition, the
game, Ultima III: Exodus (1983), Ultima: Exodus game contains some new levels. Includes pass-
(which features a new soundtrack and enhanced
word feature. Unlicensed.
visuals) was the first of three Ultima games for the NES ( Ultima I: The First Age of Darkness
Twin Cobra
and Ultima II: The Revenge of the Enchantress
never made it to the 8-bit console). The game
PUBLISHER: American Sammy. DEVELOPER:
American Sammy. Vertical Scrolling Shooter,
takes place after the defeat of Mondain and
1 player. 1990.
Minax, who gave birth to a child named Exo-
dus, a vengeful being who has grown up and
Based on the Taito/Romstar arcade game
must be destroyed. From a list of five races
(1987), Twin Cobra has players flying an assault (human, elf, dwarf, bobit, and fuzzy) and 11
chopper over 10 levels of land and sea, shoot-
professions (fighter, cleric, thief, wizard, and
ing and bombing attack copters, tanks, jets,
the like), players must create a party of four
gunboats, battleships, and gun turrets. Grab-
characters, each rated according to strength,
bing color-coded orbs changes the chopper’s
dexterity, intelligence, and wisdom. The heroic
weaponry (missiles, lasers, spread-shots, and
quartet must travel the forests, mountains,
four-way fire) while S and B icons increase the
oceans, castles, and maze-like dungeons of
power of the current weapon and the number
Sosaria, casting magical spells, talking to towns-
of bombs (respectively). Like the more accu-
folk, and purchasing weapons, tools, and armor.
rately emulated Genesis port, the NES game
Monster battles are executed via a tactical,
lacks the two-player option found in the coin-
turn-based combat system in which the char-
op semi-classic. Fans of Tiger-Heli, 1942, and acters stand across from their opponents. Much
Xevious should enjoy Twin Cobra. Followed by: of the action consists of selecting commands
Twin Cobra 2 (arcade).
from text menus, such as give, get, climb, fight,
and direction. Includes battery backup.
Twin Eagle
PUBLISHER: Romstar. DEVELOPER: Seta. Vertical
Ultima: Quest of the Avatar
Scrolling Shooter, 1 or 2 players (simultane-
PUBLISHER: FCI. DEVELOPER: Pony Canyon.
ous). 1989.
Third-Person Role-Playing Game, 1 player. 1991.
NINTENDO NES
201
The second Ultima game for the NES, Ul-
and offshoots, including Ultima VI: The Lost
tima: Quest of the Avatar is a port of the popu-Prophet (SNES), Ultima VII: The Black Gate lar computer title, Ultima IV: Quest of the
(SNES), Ultima: Runes of Virtue (Game Boy),
Avatar (1985). The game is a departure from
and Ultima: Runes of Virtue II (SNES).
previous RPGs in that players are on a quest to
become the Avatar, a shining example of hero-
Ultimate Air Combat
ism for the people of Britannia. There are still
PUBLISHER: Activision. DEVELOPER: Activision.
doors to unlock, text-based commands to se-
Flight Combat Simulator/Overhead View
lect, dungeons (of the pseudo-3D variety) to
Free-Roaming Shooter, 1 player. 1992.
explore, treasure chests to find, magic spells to
Ultimate Air Combat puts players in the
cast, weapons to brandish (including a sling, a
role of the Navy’s greatest test pilot, charged
staff, a club, an axe, and a sword), and mon-
with an important objective: to stop General
sters to kill (via turn-based battles), but play-
Luigi Don Gwano from taking command of all
ers must now be careful to master eight virtues:
neighboring oil fields. Depending on the plane
valor, compassion, honesty, honor, sacrifice,
selected, gamers view the action from inside
justice, humility, and s
pirituality. Fleeing from
the cockpit of an AV-8 Harrier, an F14 Tom-
a battle lowers valor, lying decreases honesty,
cat, or an F18 Hornet, each of which is armed
giving blood increases sacrifice, and so on. The
with a variety of lasers, missiles, cannons, and
game offers eight playable character types:
bombs. Missions, which are introduced via
mage, bard, fighter, druid, tinker, paladin,
briefings, are divided into two sections: the
ranger, and shepherd, each rating according to
aforementioned cockpit view (complete with
such data as strength, dexterity, experience, hit
half-screen instrument panel), in which play-
points, and intelligence. Includes battery
ers blow away airborne enemies; and an un-
backup.
usual (for this type of game) overhead view
(reminiscent of EA’s Desert Strike series), in Ultima: Warriors of Destiny
which players bomb surface targets in addition
PUBLISHER: FCI. DEVELOPER: Pony Canyon.
to shooting enemy planes. Includes password
Third-Person Role-Playing Game, 1 player.
feature and digitized voice effects (spoken by
1993.
the co-pilot).
The third and final Ultima game for the
NES, Ultima: Warriors of Destiny is a port of Ultimate Basketball
the popular computer game, Ultima V: War-
PUBLISHER: American Sammy. DEVELOPER:
American Sammy. Sports/Basketball, 1 or 2
riors of Destiny (1988). Unfortunately, it’s the players (simultaneous). 1990.
most disappointing of the three, thanks to slug-
gish controls, repetitious music, and crummy
Although it has the type of detailed graph-
graphics (including prohibitively dark night-
ics and close-up dunk animations that Double
time scenes). The player, as the hero of Britan-
Dribble fans will find familiar, Ultimate Bas-nia (aka the Avatar), must rescue Lord British
ketball is not as good as the game it seemingly (who has disappeared in the Underworld) and
tries to imitate. The five-on-five action is cer-
defeat the once-trusted Lord Blackthorn, who
tainly playable (especially in two-player mode),
has risen to power and rules as a fascist dicta-
but it is hampered by spotty inbound passing,
tor. This involves: interacting with hundreds
cheap foul calls, uneven stealing (the computer
of characters; engaging in turn-based battles
is invariably a much better ball thief than the
(using bows, magic axes, slings, swords, and