Classic Home Video Games (1985-1988)
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Finkel is on hand to introduce fights via text
port, the NES version does have weaker explo-
balloons and a static head shot. Also released for
sions, a simplified title screen, and, like the
the Sega Game Gear. Followed by: WWF King
Atari 7800 rendition, less distance between the
of the Ring.
bomb sight indicator and the Solvalou. Inter-
estingly, the NES rendition takes up the entire
Xenophobe
screen while the 7800 version is matted at the
PUBLISHER: Sunsoft. DEVELOPER: Sunsoft. Plat-
top and on the sides, the latter narrowing the
form Shooter, 1 or 2 players (simultaneous).
playfield to make it more arcade-like. Xevious, 1988.
which was also released for the Game Boy Ad-
vance, spawned an arcade sequel ( Super Xevi-
In Xenophobe, players walk, crawl, crouch,
ous) and a PlayStation remake ( Xevious 3-
and jump through eight eight-room space sta-
D/G+).
tions, firing a pulse gun at H.R. Geiger-inspired
aliens sporting such names as snotterpillers,
spiderions, and giant slime amoebas. Electric
Xexyz
walls and slime dripping from ceilings should
PUBLISHER: Hudson Soft. DEVELOPER: Hudson
Soft. Platform Shooter/Side-Scrolling
be avoided, and players can pick up additional
Shooter, 1 player. 1990.
weaponry (laser pistol, lightning gun, smoke
gun, and bombs) and such items as documents,
Divided into platforming and side-scroll-
ID cards, and coffee (for health and points).
ing shooter levels, the post apocalyptic (circa
The game is a pale port of the Bally/Midway
2777) Xexyz puts players in the role of Apollo, coin-op semi-classic (1987), thanks to: the lack
who uses his space battle suit to confront the
of a three-player (split-screen) mode; the ab-
forces of evil on Earth’s five remaining islands:
sence of rapid fire (a bullet must disappear or
Ruins, Forest, Crystals, Lakes, and Volcano.
hit its target before another one can be shot); the
The platform areas pit man (and his hand
inability to shoot diagonally; fewer enemy
beams, typhoons, wave balls, moon balls, mir-
types; smaller groups of attacking enemies; and
ror image of himself, and other purchasable
washed-out graphics. There are three playable
weapons) against mechanical monsters while
characters (as opposed to nine in the arcade
the airborne scenes offer Gradius-style shoot-version): Dr. Kwack, Mr. Fogg, and Dr. Zordiz
ing action. Entering doorways and searching
(misspelled Zordirz). The Atari 7800 rendition
for force stars to get into the mechanical castle
of Xenophobe isn’t much to look at either, but adds some depth to the game. Includes pass-rapid fire and four difficulty levels make it a
word feature. Fans of Air Fortress (NES) and
more enjoyable port. Also released for the Atari
Keith Courage in Alpha Zones (TurboGrafx-16)
2600 and Atari Lynx.
may enjoy Xexyz.
Xevious
Yo! Noid
PUBLISHER: Bandai. DEVELOPER: Namco. Verti-
PUBLISHER: Capcom. DEVELOPER: Capcom.
cal Scrolling Shooter, 1 or 2 players (alternat-
Side-Scrolling Platform, 1 player. 1990.
ing). 1988.
“Avoid the Noid” was the phrase the
In Xevious, players fly a Solvalou fighter
Domino’s Pizza chain wanted consumers to re-
plane over forests, roads, and lakes, firing anti-
member back in the day, but this game is a for-
aircraft missiles at attack drones, corkscrew at-
gettable exercise in frustration. Players control
tack planes, and other airborne enemies. Play-
the floppy-eared, company anti-mascot Noid
ers can also drop bombs on such surface targets
as he runs, jumps, and otherwise works his way
as amphibious vehicles and floating fortresses.
through New York City (including Central
This dual firing technique was wholly original
Park, the Bronx, rooftops, and a wharf ), using
in the arcade version of Xevious (Atari, 1982), a yo-yo and various magical powers to defeat
214
CLASSIC HOME VIDEO GAMES, 1985–1988
pirates, flying fish, barrel throwers, and other
Starring Mario’s dinosaur buddy, Yoshi’s
enemies. Obstacles include slippery floors, fire,
Cookie turns the “disappearing object” game-
cannon balls, and more. Depending on the
play conceit established by Tetris into some-level, Noid will commandeer a hyperboard, a
thing highly original. Players use a cursor to
pizza crusher, and an ornithopter. Includes
shift horizontal rows and vertical columns of
pizza-eating bonus rounds. Despite its variety,
randomly sequenced cookies, making a row or
Yo! Noid should be avoided.
column disappear when all the cookies in that
line are of the same type. In one-player mode,
Yoshi
Yoshi cookies act as wild cards, but in two-
PUBLISHER: Nintendo. DEVELOPER: Game
player split-screen mode, which is a race for
Freak. Action Puzzle, 1 or 2 players (simulta-
points, they are used to scramble cookies, form
neous). 1992.
shields, control the other player’s cursor, and
Yoshi puts players in the role of Nintendo’s add or subtract points. Gamers can play as
main man Mario, who scurries back and forth
Mario, Yoshi, the Princess, or Bowser. The
along the bottom of the screen, using trays to
SNES version of this fun, strategic puzzler in-
catch four different characters (Little Goomba,
cludes the following enhancements: back-
Bloober, Piranha Plant, and Boo Buddy) and
ground graphics, a special Puzzle mode, and
two different types of Yoshi eggs: upper halves
Mario character designs from Super Mario
and lower halves. Matching a pair of charac-
World. Also released for the Game Boy.
ters makes them disappear, as does trapping
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles
characters between egg halves. In split-screen
PUBLISHER: Jaleco. DEVELOPER: Jaleco/Lu-
mode, the second player controls Luigi. Yoshi
casArts. Side-Scrolling Platform, 1 player.
borrows elements of play from Tetris, but is
1992.
shallower than such puzzlers as Columns, Tetris Attack, and Yoshi’s Cookie. Chain reactions are Based on the television adventure series
nonexistent, for example.
(1992–1996), The Young Indiana Jones Chroni-
cles for the NES lets players guide a fresh-faced Yoshi’s Cookie
Indy through Mexico, France, and Germany
(including cliffs, deserts, a weapons facility, a
PUBLISHER: Nintendo. DEVELOPER: Bullet Proof
Software. Action Puzzle, 1 or 2 players (simul-
railway, silver mine, and other areas), battling
taneous). 1993.
such enemies as guard dogs, snakes, tanks, and
German soldiers. Indy can equip
knives, machine guns, and his
trusty whip, the latter of which
makes the action somewhat simi-
lar to Castlevania. Unfortunately,
Indy can only carry one weapon
at a time (in addition to his fists).
Other helpful items include gas
mask, torch, flashlight, statue of
power (for freezing enemies), and
magic amulet (for temporary in-
vincibility). At certain points,
Indy will ride a motorcycle, com-
mandeer a tank, and fly a plane,
The NES library is nothing if not diverse, evidenced in part by lending variety to the relatively
such titles as Yoshi’s Cookie (a puzzler), The Little Mermaid
straightforward platforming ac-
(an adventure game aimed at younger players), Pinball (a straightforward rendition of the popular pastime), and Ninja
tion. Young Indy also starred in
Gaiden (a hardcore hack-’n’-slash title).
Instruments of Chaos Starring
NINTENDO NES
215
Young Indiana Jones (Genesis) and Indiana run, jump, and jab his way through five levels
Jones: Greatest Adventures (SNES).
(Acid Rain Forest, Slixxon Oil Rig, Biggs Toxic
Factory, Runaway Railcar, and Rescue Mis-
Zanac
sion), battling an assortment of “pollution-
PUBLISHER: FCI. DEVELOPER: Compile. Vertical
powered pests.” There are fires to extinguish,
Scrolling Shooter, 1 player. 1987.
workers to rescue, walls to scale, and more.
This tough-as-nails, thoroughly engaging
Certain areas are viewed from an isometric per-
shooter boasts a sophisticated form of artificial
spective. Guest-starring Jeremy the Starchilde,
intelligence called ALC (Automatic Level of
Sulfra, Oil Slick, Smogger, Garbageman, and
Difficult Control Function), which varies the
Lord Contaminous. Includes bonus stage in
number and difficulty of the enemies based on
which players catch recyclable materials to re-
the skill of the player. Each enemy type moves
create allies Lawn Ranger, Pulp, Bottle Bandit,
in a set intricate pattern, and they appear in
Can-It, and Lights-Out, each of which provides
different places with every new game. The
a shield, an extra life, or other such bonus item.
player’s ship boasts eight different weapons
(circular, plasma flash, two types of smart
Zoda’s Revenge: StarTropics II
bombs, and the like), and there are 12 levels of
PUBLISHER: Nintendo. DEVELOPER: Nintendo.
play. Weapon power-ups and timed bosses add
Third-Person Action Role-Playing Game, 1
player. 1994.
to the fun.
One of the last NES releases, Zoda’s Re-
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
venge sticks to the basic gameplay of the origi-PUBLISHER: Nintendo. DEVELOPER: Nintendo.
nal StarTropics (overhead-view puzzle solving, Third-Person Action Role-Playing Game, 1
dungeon-based monster battling), but has bet-
player. 1988.
ter graphics and outfits Mike with an axe in-
Although not as widely praised as The
stead of a yoyo. Other new weapons and items
Legend of Zelda, Zelda II remains a classic in its include a dagger, a katana, shockwaves, a flute
own right. Players once again guide a sword-
(for charming snakes), and more. The adven-
swinging, shield-wielding Link through the
ture takes Mike, who can now move and fire
vast, labyrinthine areas of Hyrule (roads,
diagonally and turn around more quickly, on a
plains, forests, seas, rivers, deserts, swamps,
nine-chapter trip through time, where he will
mountains, and bridges), but this time the ac-
visit such locales as Egypt, London, Italy, and
tion scenes feature a side-scrolling perspective
Transylvania, and interact with such figures as
instead of an overhead view. In addition, Link
Cleopatra, Sherlock Holmes, and Leonardo da
now gains experience points after defeating
Vinci. Includes battery backup. Similar to: The
monsters. Eight types of magic enable Link to
Legend of Zelda.
fly, throw fireballs, and more. Includes battery
backup. Followed by The Legend of Zelda: A
Zombie Nation
Link to the Past (SNES), The Legend of Zelda: PUBLISHER: Meldac. DEVELOPER: Live Planning.
Ocarina of Time (Nintendo 64), and numer-
Side-Scrolling Shooter, 1 player. 1991.
ous other sequels.
The “futuristic” (1999) storyline for Zom-
bie Nation is an odd amalgamation of a meteor Zen: Intergalactic Ninja
crashing to Earth (and the resultant zombies),
PUBLISHER: Konami. DEVELOPER: Konami.
an alien named Darc Seed, a samurai, and an
Side-Scrolling Platform, 1 player. 1993.
animated Statue of Liberty. Players control a
Based on the comic book series, Zen: In-
holographic head as it travels through four
tergalactic Ninja is one of several environmen-nicely illustrated levels (New York City, The
tally aware NES games (along with such titles as
Grand Canyon, The Oil Fields of Texas, and
Captain Planet and Toxic Crusaders). Armed The Underground Caverns of the North Cen-with a photon-stick, the titular do-gooder must
tral U.S), firing projectiles from its eyes and
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CLASSIC HOME VIDEO GAMES, 1985–1988
mouth. Destroying buildings, mountains, zom-
hostages, powering up the disembodied head
bies, tanks, helicopters, zeppelins, robots, water
with double fire, triple fire, and smart bombs.
snakes, and everything else in an area frees
Zombie Nation is weird, but highly playable.
SEGA MASTER SYSTEM
Originally released in Japan in 1985 as the
intro that would appear on the television screen
Sega Mark III, the Sega Master System hit the
when the unit was turned on.
U.S. in June of 1986, which was less than a year
The Master System controller design
after the stunningly popular Nintendo Enter-
mimics the NES control pad to some degree,
tainment System (NES) made its debut. De-
but the directional-pad isn’t as tight and doesn’t
signed to compete with Nintendo’s juggernaut
feel as precise (in terms of directing onscreen
of a console, which single handedly revived the
images) as its NES counterpart. In addition,
video game industry in America, the Master
there are only two buttons on the SMS con-
System never came close to dethroning its chief
troller, compared to four on the more func-
rival, thanks in part to the lack of third-party
tional NES controller. Since the pause button is
support. Despite the short lead time, Nintendo
on the SMS console instead of the controller
had already wrapped up exclusive licensing
(ala the Atari 7800), players are oftentimes in-
agreements with most of the larger third-party
convenienced by
having to get up (or at least
software developers, leaving the Master Sys-
reach over) to pause a game, especially when
tem out in the cold (though Activision and
playing such titles as Alex Kidd in Miracle
Parker Brothers did release a few titles for the
World, in which the pause button plays a role SMS).
beyond simply freezing the action (pressing
Regarding the unit itself, the Master Sys-
pause in Miracle World brings up a subscreen tem is a wide, but narrow black console with a
containing a map, list of possessions, number
cartridge slot, pause button, reset button, and
of lives, current score, and amount of money
burgundy label on top and a power button, two
the player has).
controller ports, and a card slot on the front.
One of the coolest things about the Mas-
While most Master System games were pro-
ter System is the Sega 3-D Glasses, which are
duced in a standard cartridge format, several
compatible with such dazzlingly visual games as
were released as Sega Cards, which were credit
Zaxxon 3-D and Space Harrier 3-D. The glasses, card-sized media that were cheaper to manufac-which look cool (at least in a geek chic kind of
ture and were capable of holding fewer bits of
way) and plug into the console card slot
game code (256K bits for the cards compared to
(meaning SMSII owners are out of luck), fit
1048K for the cartridges). In 1990, Sega released
comfortably, not unlike a pair of thick, plastic
the Sega Master System II, which was a scaled
sunglasses. To produce the illusion of three-di-
down, budget-conscious Master System that
mensional on-screen imagery, the lenses house
lacked the card slot, reset button, and power
LCD shutters that create a flickering effect by
light. The SMSII also removed the logo/music
rapidly opening and closing over opposite eyes
217
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CLASSIC HOME VIDEO GAMES, 1985–1988
A boxed Sega Master System console, which Sega dubbed an “Interactive Video Entertainment System.”
in synchronized fashion. Unlike the headache-
in and play Master System cartridges on the
inducing Virtual Boy (Nintendo’s failed 3D
Sega Genesis; and the MasterGear Converter,
system from 1995), the Sega 3-D Glasses cause
which lets gamers plug in and play Master Sys-
little or no disorientation or other side effects.
tem cartridges on the Sega Game Gear.