Ring King (NES)

Difficulty: ***1/2

Controls: ****

Sound: **1/2

Graphics: ***

Overall: 13 stars out of 20

Have you got what it takes to ascend to the top of the boxing ranks? Or do you think you can take it all in the world title tournament? Put on your gloves and come out swinging, its Ring King from Data East!

The game sports a few different modes for you to play. First and foremost you'll probably want to enter the Training Mode. Create your fighter by spending points in three categories (Power, Speed and Stamina). The game is quite challenging at the start. Your just a low level fighter who will most likely come out with an average win/loss record. But hey that's why its called training! Once you build up your attributes than you can take on the Tournament and Ranking modes.

The controls are responsive and simple. The 'A' button punches and the 'B' button dodges/blocks. Depending where you are situated in the ring you can throw other various punches too. On top of that, the more power your boxer has the more special punches he can throw!

The sound is probably the only real weak point in the game. While the opening music is fun and catchy, once you get in the ring and fight...its pretty boring. The punches sound good and the referee calls for the 10 count even! (Well, as best as can be in an NES game).

Graphically you and your opponents are almost indistinguishable from the next guy. The boxers are not varied in size or shape (unlike in Punch-Out). You face just massive colour swaps of yourself! The balding ref looks cool though, and you get a play-by-play team between rounds. The ring also changes colour depending on which mode you play in (which I like). The various special power punches you can inflict on your foe is really good (sending them flying in the air and out of the ring is so cool!)

Ring King may not be the undisputed champion of boxing games, but its damn close. You may have some difficulty at the beginning stages. But once you upgrade your attributes you'll be fine. You get some different modes to play in (you can even watch a bout or a tournament!). The controls while simple, are easy and responsive. You even get a few different moves depending on the position of your boxer. The music is boring for the most part. The sprites while colourful, are just blatant colour swaps. No variety at all! But moving past that the game is very addictive and is a fun party game. Ring the bell!

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (NES)

RPG week is coming to a close!

Difficulty: ***1/2
Controls: ****1/2
Sound: ****
Graphics: ****
Overall: 16 stars out of 20

While the game is not super long per say, it is not that short either. It strikes a happy medium but unfortunately the game does not sport a 'second quest' like the first game. Running around Hyrule you will get stuck at various parts in the game (finding the hammer is tricky). The latter palaces are mostly labyrinth nightmares too (oh boy!)

Controlling Link is a cinch thanks to the programmers at Nintendo. The 'A' button jumps and the 'B' button swings your sword. Start access' your menu and select uses your magic. You also get various techniques as you advance in the game. Oh and the moves are pretty cool too. The only real gripe is when you're struck by an enemy you will bounce off them a little. This frustratingly leads to deaths as you can fall into various pits.

Like in the first game you're only going to get a handful of music. But, all of it is quite memorable and catchy as hell! The town theme is very well done as is the simply awesome opening theme. The sound effects are also top notch. Swinging your sword, using magic and destroying enemies all sound terrific. And if you die on your last man, you'll be treated to Ganon laughing at you! (how cool is that?)

For the most part the graphics are big and decently detailed. Most of the bosses are bad ass looking too (the dragon, horse and magician really stand out!) There is some slowdown in the game play (especially on the overland map) but all in all, its not too noticeable. The layout of the land is simple but good (attention to detail in the mountains and forests are sweet) But the palaces are truly excellent and set a very dark and mysterious mood!

Link's second coming to save Princess Zelda is a great one. While there is no second quest, the game is far from easy. You'll be tearing your hair out trying to find the hammer and various heart/magic containers. The controls are near perfect, and the sprites are well detailed. The bosses look memorable and downright epic. While there is some slowdown issues, its really not all too noticeable. Charge up your sword and remember to bring your candle, because the depths of the palaces hold many evils...

Swords and Serpents (NES)

RPG week continues!

Difficulty: ***1/2
Sound: **1/2
Graphics: ***1/2
Overall: 9 1/2 stars out of 15

Gather your steel and wit. Its time to go serpent hunting! Grab a few of your buddies for a nice brawl through some dark dungeons! Acclaim brings us its unique four-player RPG Swords and Serpents!

There is a total of 16 different mazes to explore in the game. There are many traps and teleporters that will make your life a living hell down there. The latter levels are truly devious. The game would be next to impossible without a strategy guide or making your own maps. Its that tough. Oh and another thing, you'll need to find your magic spells by finding them writen on the walls! Be sure to check every corner as most of the latter spells are must haves.

The game will have you finding various items to get through certain parts of the game, and there is quite a bit of backtracking. Remembering (and hopefully writing down) the various clues will get you further ahead in the game. What really sucks is that you only get three healing temples in the game (levels 1, 5 and 10!) so use your magic points wisely.

The opening music is pretty catchy. A very high fantasy theme that just screams go out and explore! But the main theme is just okay. Come to think of it, you don't really get that much to hear otherwise. Bummer. The sound effects however, are really nice. Defeating an enemy, moving between levels and the hearing the zoom tubes... all nice! The sounds that your weapon makes on contact with the enemies...not so nice.

The game hosts many enemies that are colour swaps of one another. But, the sprites are big, colourful and well detailed (I like the spider and the trolls!) The mazes themselves are usually fitted in one solid colour. And that's about it. Oh, and why is it that your characters are never shown in the game? Not even a picture or anything? Ugh.

Swords & Serpents is a really unique game that allows 4 players to try to slay said beast. There are plenty of levels to delve into, but getting side tracked by zoom tubes and teleporters can be a real drag! Being far between temples when you are badly hurt and in need of some MP also adds to the games difficulty. While the music is not all that special, the various sound effects are its saving grace. The sprites are big, colourful and detailed. But the maze itself leaves you with a bland environment to explore. If you want an RPG that can support up to four players, you can't beat this game.

Dragon Warrior (NES)

RPG week continues!

Difficulty: ***1/2
Sound : ***
Graphics: ***
Overall: 9 1/2 stars out of 15

The once peaceful land of Alefguard is plunged into darkness. Thanks to the evil Dragonlord the ball of light was stolen from the castle and hidden within the dark halls of Charlock Castle. You are one of many brave warriors to come into the village. But you are young, inexperienced and have no magical gifts, can you survive and restore the land?

One of the oldest RPG's for the NES still holds its edge. It is old school brutal to the core. Dying (oh yes, you will die) not only is a drag but you lose half of your gold...ouch. You have many treasures to find and not a whole lot of clues to find them. You will also encounter many bad guys around Alefguard. And I do mean a lot. Moving a few steps and bam! You're in a battle. It can be quite tedious when you have to get to a far off place. Dragon Warrior is not for the impatient.

The opening theme as you turn on the game is simply fantastic! A very regal piece that really sets the stage for your heroic adventures. For the majority of the game you will be hearing one of two themes. That of the overland map and battle. Good thing both are not an ear sore! The sound effects while limited, are good (the wings of the wyvern is a classic for a reason.)

The sprites are nice and to the point. Not too plain but not too detailed either. In battle you get a nice picture of the enemy, however, there is no animation. I would like to note that some monsters (the slimes for instance) don't really seem like enemies. They smile! What the hell? I don't know if I should pet you or chop you in half! The scenery is simple and well done. Too bad there is no day/night mechanic like the sequels.

While the game isn't as challenging or long as the other sequels, it will have you running around for hours looking for various items. The fact that if you die your gold is halved is a REAL bummer. The sounds are catchy (especially the opening theme), but you'll mostly be listening to the overland map and battle music. The graphics are simple and straight to the point. While some enemies look really menacing, most of the latter enemies are just colour swaps. And one more thing, enemies should never smile! It just leaves you with a sinking feeling as you hack away at them!

Ultima: Exodus (NES)

RPG week begins!

Difficulty: ****
Sound: **
Graphics: **1/2
Overall: 8 1/2 out of 15 stars

The nefarious minions of Minax and Modain are terrorizing the land! Lord British asks for your aid in these troubling times. But some other ancient evil is spreading fear and death throughout Britannia! FCI brings us the PC hit to the NES, Ultima: Exodus!

Like most old school RPG's you get very little info about where your supposed to go and what to do. You go around and piece together clues from various townsfolk. Without a guide or online walk through, you'll be having a really tough go. But this game will keep you busy. Buying food to keep your party from starving (lol, realism), up keeping your weapons and armour among other things. Oh and did I mention that when you do level up your characters your enemies also get tougher? Ouch...

Let me say this about the sound. Everything but the combat music is very catchy. But for the majority of the game you'll be in combat grinding for gold or experience. And the battle theme is about...two seconds long and then looped! Argh! This could have been so much better.

Graphically, the game is below par. You have a 'fog of war' viewpoint (which is actually cool because like in real life, you can't see through walls!) The various sprites are plain but varied. The paladin, lark and ranger look really sweet. The enemy sprites are not very detailed, and that goes for some of the larger enemies too. There is also a lot of screen tear and flicker. But you get some nice environments to walk around. Oh and when you do find the various dungeons around Britannia, its in 3D!

Ultima Exodus is a challenging RPG. The lack of any real sense of direction is a real let down. But finding a magazine or online walk through will help immensely! There is a lot of screen flicker and tear, but the class sprites are good. The sounds are good but the battle theme is very annoying. If you find a cheap copy of Ultima: Exodus give it a try. The more you delve into it the more fun it gets!

Gyruss (NES)

Shoot 'em up week comes to a close!

Difficulty - ***1/2
Controls - ***1/2
Sound - ***
Graphics - ***1/2
Overall - 13 1/2 stars out of 20

Ultra Games (the sister company of Konami) brings the unique arcade game Gyruss to the NES! The Gyrusian Force has taken over our solar system! Its up to you to stop this planetary madness as you travel from Pluto all the way to the sun! But no problem right?

The game is quite the challenge. With forty stages to warp through and no continues, you'll be tearing your brain out and throwing it at the screen in no time!

But the game does ease you into the challenging portions. Especially with the boss'. For the most part you will take on the enemy base that has a number of pods attached to it. In the beginning it will have four. By the end, it will have up to nine! Learning how to disarm its various blasters and blockers will be the key to victory.

What makes Gyruss unique than all the other shoot 'em up games is the fact your ship rotates around the screen! Yes you travel forward into deep space as enemies come at you! Its really neat. You have two types of control options to pick from. Option A you press all eight directional arrows on the pad to move. Option B has you just pressing left or right on the pad to rotate. It takes some time to learn either of them. I say try both and see which one you prefer. Overall, solid controls.

You're treated to some Bach in the opening shot. Very rad of you guys at Ultra to put that in. For the most part what's there is good. But there is not that much in regards to music. Maybe a handful of tracks. With forty stages what else could they have done eh? The sound effects of your weapons firing, explosions, warping etc. is all great.

Right from the get go your treated to some nice graphics of our (doomed?) solar system. The bad guys are detailed and there is quite some variety too (I enjoy the ship that spits out the mines, ooh nasty!) Like I mentioned before the boss sprites are big, but you'll be seeing them throughout the game. However, there are two bosses that are totally different which is nice.

While there are forty stages to plough through, it isn't as difficult as you might think. The controls while totally unique will have you getting the feel of the ships movement. You get the option of two movement types which is great. The music while almost lacking, is good for whats there (Bach in an NES game!) The graphics are easy on the eyes with some good variety in enemy sprites. Snatch up a copy of Gyruss and hop in your ship so we can take back the sun!

1943 (NES)

Shoot 'em up week shuffles along!

Difficulty - ***1/2

Controls - ****

Sound - **1/2

Graphics - ***

Overall - 13 stars out of 20

Scramble! Scramble! Get into your P-38 plane and take off to eliminate your targets. Capcom brings us its smash arcade hit, 1943!

1943 spans twenty four action loaded stages. Each one of them is going to be a test of not only how you gun down your foes, but how you avoid them, upgrade your plane and select which special weapons to choose!

If this all sounds like a lot trust me its not. Thankfully Capcom gives you a password every few stages. Unlike most one hit kill shoot em' ups in 1943 your plane begins with health. Getting hit, using your lightning attack and just gradual time will tick health off the meter. If you happen to get hit with zero health, your ship blows up and you start the stage all over.

Piloting the P-38 is a cinch. The 'B' button fires your guns and the 'A' button uses your special lightning attack. That's right, not only can mother nature use lightning but so can you! Your plane can also do a somersault to avoid enemy fire (really cool feature). Your plane however is rather slow.

For twenty four stages there isn't much music to choose from. You get maybe a handful of different tunes. The one really annoying music you'll hear (especially in the later stages) is the 'out of health' theme. Ugh. The sound effects of your various sub-weapons are really good. One thing that I really enjoyed was the sound of your plane taking off at the start of each stage.

While the graphics are good its nothing really outstanding. You get some detail in the enemies and larger planes you face off against. There is a lot of screen flicker in the game (lightning attack for example). And while the icons look good its really weird too see some of them in the game (Dragonfly, barrel, space man and even a cow!). After each stage you're treated to a big screen shot of the enemy boss bursting into flames (awesome!)

While there isn't much variety in the music and some of it is downright annoying, you do get twenty four stages. Tight controls and varied weapon and ship upgrade selections make this game unique. The graphics are solid but nothing spectacular. All in all this is one solid shooter that's a blast from the past!

Life Force (NES)

Shoot 'em up week rolls on!

Difficulty - ****
Controls - ****
Sound - ****
Graphics - ****
Overall - 16 stars out of 20

The planet devouring Zelous has travelled through space on an eating spree! You hop into your ship and decided to end the threat once and for all. But can you withstand the onslaught of its innards as you blast your way out? Konami brings us its arcade hit Salamander (re-titled Life Force) home to your NES!

Much like Gradius, Life Force will have you cursing and swearing for hours. But not too worry, you won't be the only one because there's a two player option! There are six tough stages to slug through with only two continues. The game is loaded with bad guys spraying bullets, asteroids that must be avoided, and 'pop up' death attacks (the fire in level 3 for example). A controller with slow motion capabilities as well as rapid fire will be an added bonus to your survival.

Life Force uses the same control layout as Gradius. You use the 'B' button to fire and the 'A' button upgrades your ship. The controls are responsive but do yourself a favour, don't upgrade your speed too much. You'll soon be smashed your ship into millions of pieces.

Life Force has a host of tracks for the game. Each one is unique and expect to hear the game over theme a lot! I found that some of the tracks really get you in the mood to incinerate aliens (level four for instance). There is even a mock theme from Gradius in the game! Who wouldn't love that? The sound effects are nice, but a little more originality would have been better (some effects are ripped off from other Konami games).

Unlike its predecessor your ship looks good. With a little more detail this time. The enemy sprites look really awesome (the fire birds and purple spinning tops). The bosses though is what this game is about. Huge sprites with with nice detail. The Pharaoh and the giant skull really look freaky! Well done Konami!

This is one of the best shooters on the NES. With great graphics, music and game play you'll probably be busy with this one for quite awhile! Speaking of which it is also one of the most unforgiving shooters too. The game doesn't dumb itself down if you happen to make a mistake late in the game. Many 'pop up' deaths will have you screaming but you do get the option of enlisting extra help. A second player can be added to the mix. Fly yourself to your nearest dealer and blast yourself up a copy.

Gun Smoke (NES)

Shoot 'em up week continues!

Difficulty - ***1/2
Controls - ****
Graphics - ***1/2
Sound - ****
Overall - 15 stars out of 20

The Wingate gang has ransacked Hicksville! Not only that but they've shot and killed the sheriff! A lone gunman rides into town with his six shooters ready to set things straight. This is Capcom's Gun Smoke!

You get a good feel for game in the first few stages. You control your gunman and learn the ins and outs. But by the time the third stage begins, you'll need eyes in the back of your head to stay alive! The enemies begin to swarm you from behind shooting off some of their lead. Also, knowing which weapon is best used against each boss helps tremendously (I like to use the shotgun on Cutter in the second stage.)

The controls for Gun Smoke are very good. The only real problem is the fact that you will be smashing the 'A' and 'B' buttons to shoot straight (apparently the arcade had three buttons to Nintendo's two). Needless to say a controller with rapid fire capability is a must as you're going to hurt if you opt out.

At the beginning of the game is a very nice intro. You see the lone cowboy headed towards the town with his horse (cool!) Each stage looks great. Not some much detail but just enough for you to notice as you're blasting away thugs and outlaws. The horse animation as it enters is pretty sweet. The townspeople and enemies are just OK though. And before each stage is the wanted poster for each nasty varmit you have to gun down (really nice).

The theme music is really good. Almost reminiscent of Bionic Commando (also another great game by Capcom). Each stage has a unique and catchy theme (like in the third stage Commanchi Village). The sound effects are also well done. Nothing to over-the-top. But good.

If you're tired of the same old space ship shoot 'em ups I would highly recommend you get a copy of Gun Smoke. While there is some slow down towards the end of the game and the boss sprites are a little underwhelming. Its great controls, catchy stage music and intense action, will have you coming back to save Hicksville time and time again! Although I should mention that having rapid fire at your disposal is a must. Pack away your smoking pistols and jump on your horse and grab a copy. You won't be disappointed.

Gradius (NES)

Shoot 'Em Up week begins!

Difficulty - ***1/2
Controls - ***1/2
Sounds - ***
Graphics - ***
Overall - 13 stars out of 20

Planet Gradius is in peril! The evil enemy Bacterion fleet is coming, and boy are they hungry! You've been entrusted with the planet's prototype ship, the Warp Rattler. The objective is clear, blast the Bacterion armada and destroy its super fortress.

Strictly speaking, if you're playing this game with the Konami code or using any of the warp tricks or full power-up tricks, this game is not that hard. Sure you'll lose some of your 30 lives, but you should be able to beat it. However, if you are playing this game as is, it will be quite the challenge. Specifically when you're in levels 4 to 6. One slip up and bam! Your ship upgrades are gone. Left with a slow lumbering sack of soon-too-be space junk. You're done. Game over.
That's Gradius!

Konami is well known for having tight responsive controls. The 'B' button fires your current weapon and the 'A' button upgrades your ship. Pretty easy. The only real problem I have with the game is if you power-up your speed way too much. Your ship will fly around and most certainly smash into some terrain. But all in all, very good stuff.

Pretty basic tunes in this game. Some variety in stage music, but in the later levels it does repeat. One thing that bothers me is at the beginning of any stage you'll hear the space flying theme and no sound effects will be heard. When the actual stage begins, you'll hear the sound effects! What the hell?

The graphics in Gradius are pretty simple compared to later shoot 'em up games. Your Warp Rattler looks pretty plain and so do most of the enemies (nice animation when you move your ship up or down though). You'll face the same looking boss ship for the first few stages. There is however some variety down the way. The giant brain boss at the end looks really cool. Even the title screen is ho-hum.

It is one of the games that paved the way for future shoot 'em up games. Gradius while sometimes plain and dull to look at, sports some OK tunes, tight controls and tense knuckle biting action. The bosses are big and somewhat detailed, but the enemies for the most part are...nothing special. And what the hell is a Warp Rattler? Pretty dumb name Konami! Oh well, pick this game up, its a classic for a reason! Now where did I put my Warp Rattler?

Spider Man: Return of the Sinister Six (NES)

Comic book week comes to a close!

Difficulty - ***1/2
Controls - **1/2
Graphics - ***
Sounds - **
Overall - 11 stars out of 20

Doctor Octopus plans on dominating the world! If that weren't bad enough for our favorite web-head, he's brought back the Sinister Six to finish off Spidey for good!

You have six stages, one life, and one continue to finish this game. On top of that your energy does not replenish after each stage! This one may take some persistence to crack. In order to face off against the boss character you have to find some sort of item to be able to pass an obstacle. Once you find the said item, it will always be in the same place you're next go around.

Controlling Spider Man is a little awkward. He runs and jumps almost a little off pace when you input the commands. A frustrating point, when you're pressing the punch button rapidly you'll usually take off and do a side kick (and hoping over your enemy which you wanted to waste!) Slinging your webs while tricky, can be overcome with practice. There's nothing more satisfying like saving yourself from perils below!

The sprites are nice looking. Nothing exceptional, but nice. Spider man looks the part and its pretty cool seeing him do a somersault. The title screen looks good as well. The intro scenes look amazing though! You would think that the programmers ripped it right out of a comic book! The stages are also nicely detailed (the factory stage with Mysterio looks really cool).

Now comes to the sounds. There's nothing much to cheer about. The same two themes are used in every other stage. The sound effects are severely lacking in some areas (no electric noises in the Electro stage? C'mon!) The title theme is pretty catchy (very super hero-ish).

Spider Man: The Return of the Sinister Six is an above average game with awkward controls, great stage detail, and has sweet comic book intros. Although the sound effects are lacking, the music while limited, won't get on your nerves. If you find a cheap copy, give your favorite neighborhood Spider Man a try!

X-Men (NES)

Comic book week continues!

Difficulty - ****
Controls - **
Sound - **
Graphics - **
Overall - 10 stars out of 20

Professor Xavier's old foe Magneto is on the loose! As the mighty X-Men you'll need all your powers (and some luck) combined to stop him!

This game is pretty hard. One player or two it doesn't matter. You have a choice of six X-Men to play as. And each of them has only one life! Lose all your characters and the game is over! No continues, no nothing.

If you're going to play a 1 player game, good luck. The computer is about as dumb as a sack of bricks. Often it will get surrounded by enemies and blasted into mutant paste! My suggestion, conserve the projectile users (Cyclops, Storm and Ice Man) and have the computer control the hand to hand guys (Colosus and Wolverine).

The controls are pretty straightforward. The 'A' button punches or launches a projectile. The 'B' button jumps. Now, that's not the case for some characters. Some of them don't even get a jump button! How crazy is that? The 'select' button switches between characters in a 1 player game.

While in each stage (there are six of them) there is some music diversity, none of it really stands out. The sound effects are below average at best. Although the title tune is pretty good.

Here's the big problem. The graphics. You would have thought that a Marvel franchise would have gotten the proper video game treatment. Oh no. The sprites are simply blocks with some colours. The enemies are uninspiring and dull, and the terrain is a jumbled mess! You would play thinking that you can walk over some section of the floor when really that's an obstacle! Did I happen to mention that most of the stages are in mono colours? Yep, now its even harder to differentiate what is a wall and what is a part of the floor. Ugh.

While the difficulty is up there game play wise, you'll be muting the sound as its dull and boring. The character sprites are blocky and not very detailed. Although the title screen is nice. The controls are good but the lack of a jump button for some characters is unforgivable! Leave the mutants back at home, this is one time where you want Magneto to win.

Robocop (NES)

Comic book week continues!

Difficulty - ***1/2

Controls - **1/2

Sound - ***

Graphics - ***1/2

Overall - 12 1/2 stars out of 20

The officers of old Detroit have gone on strike! But who needs an entire police station when you have the awesome Robocop! Its up to you to clean up the streets and uphold the law.

You get six stages packed to the brim of action. The first few stages get you used to handling the controls of Robocop. But once you enter stage four (O.C.P. HQ) you're in for a rude awakening. With only a handful of continues, (three of them) the game can get really frustrating really fast.

I also would like to note that you can only use your handgun in certain points of the game (which really stinks!) Adding to the difficulty is the fact that your health meter does not recover after beating a stage. You get some bonus health back for every point of time is left on the clock (ouch!)

The controls are loose at best. Robocop can't jump at all in this game (big bummer), and going up or down stairs/elevators can be a pain.

You get some cut scenes after beating certain stages which is nice. But they do repeat. The game does look very good for an NES game. One of my favorite animations is that of an enemy that falls out of a window after you shoot him (cool!) The boss characters are nicely detailed (ED-209) but some of the enemy sprites...yawn!

The sound effects from punching, shooting various weapons are great. Some of the enemies yelp as you beat them up (the dogs and ED-209 for instance). Unfortunately, you only get one main theme throughout the game. Its good but there should have been more variety.

While there are some control issues, it doesn't detract that its a fun, old school beat 'em up. The difficulty really ramps up in the latter stages. As you only get three continues you'll be coming back again and again. The graphics are very detailed giving you the feeling that old Detroit has seen better days. Robocop has some variety in the game as you get bonus shooting stages to earn extra lives. If you have some spare cash give this title a whirl. And remember, stay out of trouble!

Batman (NES)

Difficulty - ***
Controls - ****
Sound - *****
Graphics - ****
Overall - 16 stars out of 20

The Joker is out running rampant on Gotham City! With your wits and trusty utility belt you head off in your Batmobile to confront the bedlam. This is Sunsoft's Batman!

The game is packed with action the moment the cut scene ends and the game play begins. You ease into the learning curve of the game pretty quickly. Learning to jump in and out of danger is crucial (especially near the end). As well as learning which of your weapons is best suited to take out foes. The bosses are quite tricky and you may run into many frustrating climbing areas. All in all its a rather challenging game.

With all the blistering action you would hope the controls are tight and responsive. And Sunsoft delivers. You punch and jump with you respective A and B buttons, you can climb off of walls with rather ease (you'll need to master this technique towards the end of the game. It could mean you beating the game or failing in frustration!)

Unfortunately, the start button selects which weapon you will use. The select button pauses the game. Most players (myself included) are used too using the start button to pause. It can be really annoying when you want to use a weapon, hit the select button and pause the game instead.

One of the great things about Sunsoft is their musical composition. The level theme's really give you a dark, moody and terrifying Gotham City. I especially like the sewer level, really creepy! The sound effects are well done. The batarangs, dart gun and dirk have simple sounds. The problem is when there is slowdown the music drags as well. Some of the music gets rehashed in other levels too.

Batman sports some of the best graphics. The streets of Gotham (Level one) looks stunning. The sprites are compact, but have some great detail. Batman doesn't look imposing and he's in a blue costume! Where's the black one like in the title screen? You'll also receive cut scenes as you enter a new level. These are well detailed too (I'm a big fan of cut scenes) and reveal a little of the story bit by bit. You do however get some slowdown as enemies and objects fill the screen.

Batman is one of the greatest superhero games in the NES library. Really great in fact. Blistering action with a solid challenge will have you flip your mask! The bass infused tunes of the graphically appealing Gotham City will have you come back over and over again. There are some slowdown issues and the sprites, while small, are nicely detailed. So go out and get this game, Gotham City needs someone to put an end to the Joker!

Castlevania (NES)

Difficulty - ****

Controls - ***

Graphics - ****

Sound - *****

Overall - 16 out of a possible 20

Grab your garlic and whip and let's get cracking! Konami gives us this horror classic from 1987! You play as Simon Belmont the famed vampire killer. Dracula's evil has spread across the land and only you have the power to put an end to him!

You have an assortment of weapons to aid you in your quest. Each one of the sub-weapons can easily be used by holding the 'up' arrow key and pressing 'B'. A small gripe, if your using one of your sub-weapons near a set of steps, you'll usually climb them (thus not being able to use your weapon.)

Using your whip is nice and easy but jumping is the real problem. When you jump you are committed to it. Often this will lead you to bounce off of baddies and into a pit. Or undershooting your jump and plummeting to your death.

The graphics are clean, dark and moody. Perfect for this type of game. You'll be slugging your way into Dracula's castle and through it as well. The sprites are nicely detailed (I really enjoy the giant bat in the first stage!) Most of the end bosses actually are really great looking.

The music and sound effects are so well done. Each stage has a really catchy tune, from pulse racing beats to thunderous anthems. The sound effects from cracking your whip, getting hit, destroying enemies, hell, even when you close or open doors it sounds great!

All in all your trip to Dracula's castle will be an enjoyable one. The sound and graphics are some of the best on the NES. The challenge of the game will keep you screaming for more (just wait until you fight Death!). Controlling Belmont is rather easy until you hit some jumping areas. The less than forgiving jump mechanic will lead you to many deaths. Graphically Simon could have been detailed with a little more colour, but its only a minor quibble. Castlevania is one trip you definitely don't want to miss!

Kung-Fu (NES)

Difficulty - **1/2
Controls - ***
Graphics - **1/2
Sound - **
Overall - 10 out of a possible 20

The evil Mr. X and his gang have captured your girlfriend Sylvia! You control Thomas, a kung-fu master bent of rescuing your girl. You'll smash your way through five levels in Mr. X's hideout. Hiyaa!

Keeping in mind that Kung-Fu was one of the release titles back in the NES day (the 'black box' games) it does show its age. While the game isn't too difficult on standard 'Game A', there is an option to make it harder. 'Game B' makes the enemies hit a lot harder but overall the game won't have you tearing off your Kung-Fu gi.

With only five basic moves to pull off in the game there isn't a whole lot of selection of what you can do to the bad guys. Jumping feels a little awkward by pressing the 'up' arrow key. Thank god there's no jumping area's in Mr. X's hideout! Too be fair all your regular moves are simplistic and respond well. So kicking in a thugs head has never been easier!

Remember how I told you that Kung-Fu has really shown its age? Well graphically this game isn't to visually appealing. Your sprite Thomas is really bland (he just so happens too be wearing his Kung-Fu gi?) but he looks better than some of the enemies! The bosses are somewhat descent looking but they too are almost indistinguishable from the cast of faceless punch bags.

There isn't much music to please your ears either. One title track for the entire game, an end of the level theme, hurrying after Sylvia theme and...not much else. Although the sound effects are nice. Thomas yells out when he kicks or punches a bad guy. You also get an evil laugh if one of the bosses kills you (a classic sound effect by nintendo!)

Don't get me wrong Kung-Fu is good at what it delivers. A simplistic beat 'em up with little music to detract you from your main objective; kicking some major kung-fu ass! The controls are nice and simple but don't give you much in variety. The sounds are classic but at the very least could they have had a few more level tunes? The sprites while boring, are clean and simple. All in all its a great way to kill an hour or two. And hey, why not bring some friends over and have a night filled with bashing skulls and kicking thugs? At least these kung-fu lessons won't cost you anything!

Double Dragon II: The Revenge (NES)

Difficulty - ***1/2

Controls - ****

Graphics - ****

Sound - ****

Overall - 15 1/2 out of a possible 20

You thought you put an end to the Shadow Warriors for the last time. But following the nuclear war that ravaged the cities the Black Shadow Warriors resurfaced! And this time they've gone too far. They gunned downed your girl Marion! With your martial arts burning for vengeance you grab your twin brother Jimmy and hit the streets to exact revenge!

First and foremost, you won't find a better two player beat 'em up game than Double Dragon 2. While its not the most difficult game in the series, that's not too say this is a pushover. Far from it. You'll be begging for mercy when you hit the various jumping aspects of a few stages. The game also sports three different difficulty settings ( Practice, Warrior and Supreme Master). You can also select whether you and your partner can actually beat each other up! (watch those cyclone kicks Billy!)

You get a plethora of moves too. Ten in fact. You punch, kick and throw enemies with ease and you can execute your super moves more often than not (its not the easiest to perform a hyper knee as you're getting up, trust me!). Jumping can be a pain if you're not careful. Like a lot of other games from its time once you jump, you're committed to it. Whether that's you barreling off the rooftop of a building or into a pit of spikes.

Graphically, the sprites are rather good. The enemies are easy on the eyes and the larger boss' are just imposing! (the various Abobos') The stages all look nice and eerie for a post nuclear ravaged era (my favorite being the Mansion of Terror, a dark Japanese pagoda. Oooh scary!) Note however there is some flicker and screen tear. Too many enemies on the screen at the same time will do this. As well Billy and Jimmy are just colour swaps of one another. No big deal really, they ARE identical twins.

You get some great butt kicking tunes too! You'll be hair pulling and punching some guys as you sing along. The end battle theme gets you charged up and ready to fight. The various sounds for the moves you execute are great too (you know you've executed a hyper knee when you hear that sound.) Too bad the Acclaim team couldn't add in some death cries or something. That would have been really neat!

This beast of a game will have you jump kicking, face smacking and spin kicking for hours of great fun! You'll be treated to some great scenery as you hear some really memorable music. Although the protagonists are just a colour swap of one each other, the boss sprites more than make up for that. If you have a friend who likes these kinds of games, go out and seek revenge as Billy and Jimmy. Remember, throwing your enemies off of buildings is perfectly acceptable in a post nuclear world!

Final Fantasy (NES)

Difficulty - ***1/2
Controls - ***1/2
Graphics - ****
Sound - ****
Overall - 15 out of a possible 20

Four young hero's come to Coneria with four orbs of light. Unfortunately, times are tough in the world and the orbs cease to glow. Because of this a great evil has arrived and only those four brave souls can restore order!

While Final Fantasy isn't the longest RPG on the NES it is a darn good one. And that is coming from a guy who doesn't play that many RPG's! The only difficult thing about the game is knowing when to go to the harder parts of each region (or level in a dungeon). If you stray into a territory you're unfamiliar with, chances are the enemies are much more powerful than you! And that could result in a total party kill (not fun).

The controls are really simplistic, the 'A' button handles any selections made and the 'B' button cancels them. 'Start' opens up the menu while 'Select' displays your party order. Easy.

For a game that came out in 1990, the graphics still look nice. All the character sprites look nice and vivid (gotta' love the ninja!). While the enemies suffer from a lot of 'colour swapping' its not that big of a deal. Hell, check out the big sprite for Chaos! The out of combat graphics are bright and straight to the point (the villages and castles look really good too.) A minor complaint being that only one of the four party members is shown travelling the land. Where exactly are the other guys anyways?

Final Fantasy sports some damn catchy music. Unless you head into a boss battle or one of the dungeons you'll be hearing the same tune for awhile (not saying that's bad or anything!). The sound effects for hitting, using magic and items could stand for some more variety. (why isn't there a different sound effect when an enemy misses you?)

Unless you absolutely hate RPG's there is no reason that any NES owner shouldn't have this gem. While the game isn't as long by today's standards you'll be wistfully smashing in wolf heads as you hum along to the catchy music. The controls while simplistic serve its purpose. Final Fantasy has some visually nice looking sprites, especially the bosses! Check this game out.

Retro Games!: Review 2 - Punch-Out! (NES)

Retro Games!: Review 2 - Punch-Out! (NES): "Difficulty - *** 1/2 Controls - ***1/2 Graphics - *** Music - *** Overall - 13 out of a possible 20 Lace up your boots, get your glov..."

Tecmo World Wrestling (NES)

Difficulty - ***
Controls - ****
Graphics - ****
Sound - ***1/2
Overall - 14 1/2 out of a possible 20

Its time to step into the ring and brawl for the gold! Tecmo brings us this fantastic wrestling game from 1990. You take your pick of one of ten different wrestlers as you try to win the Tecmo World Wrestling Title.

As far as wrestling games go, this is one of the more difficult. You take on ten other competitors and losing a single match will send you down the ranks as you must fight the previous wrestler! This can be quite discouraging especially when you get on a roll. But, on the flip side you get to train your wrestler as you don't get a chance to do so if you win.

For those that don't know you get a chance at the beginning of the game to train in one of three mini games. Rapidly pressing the A button fills your power meter. A total of seven power circles can be filled. The more powerful you are, the stronger your attacks will be.

You get an assortment of moves with the d pad. A total of 16-18 maneuvers can be pulled off in this game. As well as your grappler has two specialty moves to wreak havoc on your poor opponent's body! One nitpick, as you move your wrestler around the ring and the action gets intense you may out of nowhere run towards the ropes or your opponent. Which will lead to a lot of annoying collisions.

Not too much variety in the graphics department. The ring stays the same colour throughout the game as does the crowd. The wrestlers themselves are just colour swaps with one another. No difference in size or anything which is a bummer. But on the flip side, you do get treated to some cinematic screen shots when you pull off one of your signature moves. I really enjoy that! You also get a play by play announcer on the bottom of the screen (Tom Talker, lol) which is nice and unique to the NES wrestling library.

Tecmo games usually have great music. And this one is no different. While (once again) there isn't much variety, the music that's there is catchy. A little more emphasis on different sounds for slams or top rope dives would have been nice though. But that's a small complaint.

If your a fan of not only 8 bit gaming (why would you be 'reading' this if you weren't?) and wrestling, you'll love Tecmo World Wrestling. While there is no real diversity of the size of the grapplers, they are clean looking sprites. The music is good and the sound effects serve its purpose. The cinematic scenes of your moves during the match are especially eye catching! Overall, one of the best wrestling games available on the NES. Now show Blue King Demon who's boss and bring home the gold!

Mega Man 2 (NES)

Difficulty - ***1/2
Controls - *****
Graphics - *** 1/2
Sound - *****
Overall - 17 out of a possible 20

Well, Doctor Wily is at it again! Thinking that you put him away in your last encounter, Wily has escaped jail and is seeking revenge! Creating 8 new robot masters he unleashes them to run amok! Only our brave hero Mega Man can put an end to Wily's madness!

For a gamer coming into this game brand new, you're in for some early frustration. While online guides and walkthroughs will aid you to determine the order of robot master's to vanquish, it'll be an uphill battle!

The Airman stage will test your jumping skills right off the bat. Quickman stage will give you fits no doubt as you figure out the best way to maneuver around those energy blasts. But the game never feels too unfair. Practice will pay dividends for you! I love the fact that the game gives you a selection of two difficulty modes (both Normal and Hard).

The controls for the game is standard Capcom fare. Tight and responsive controls. Nothing too complain about here!

The graphics for the game are top notch. While the regular enemy sprites are somewhat cartoon looking, the robot master's are something else to behold (who doesn't love woodman? lol). Wily looks like a sniveling wimp and most of the wily stage bosses are huge (props to the dragon and the Gutsman bulldozer). I would like to point out that I love the gears in the background of Metal Man's stage. But there is a lot of flicker and screen tear as you move around the stages, especially when you encounter those mechanical birds!

And last but not least is the sound. And boy what a treat for the ears! MM 2 sports some of the best in game music on the Nintendo. The opening theme is simply classic as are the tunes for the Airman, Crashman, Wily and Metal Man stages!

For those that don't have this game, go out and search for a copy. It won't be hard as this was one of Capcom's biggest hits for the NES. The responsive controls and stellar music will keep you coming again and again. Although there is screen flicker when the action gets heavy, its nothing too terrible. Enjoy wreaking havoc on Doctor Wily's plans!

Review 2 - Punch-Out! (NES)

Difficulty - *** 1/2
Controls - ***1/2
Graphics - ***
Music - ***
Overall - 13 out of a possible 20

Lace up your boots, get your gloves on and head into the ring! This is Punch-Out for the NES. You play as the feisty Little Mac and step into the ring with ambitions of being world boxing champion.

But you've got some fierce competition as you square off with the likes of Piston Honda, Don Flemenco, King Hippo and the dreaded, Bald Bull! While this game is rather difficult at the beginning, it gets much easier when you've figured out the pattern for each boxer.

(TIP!) - When Great Tiger hunches over to unload an uppercut on you, stand your ground and give him a body blow. It'll fetch you a KO star.

The controls are responsive and tight. You bob, weave and duck to avoid the various blows via the left, right and down buttons on the key pad. (Note that you press down twice to duck.) The only problem I have with the control scheme is that you have to press the start button to use your uppercut. Why not just assign the A+B buttons? Also, ducking is a little of a pain as you will most likely block by accident and get hit by your opponent's punch. But oh well.

The graphics are very nicely detailed for a game that came out in '87. The sprites are nice and large (save for little mac). The facial expressions of the opposition as they taunt, take damage and so forth look silly but fun (the stars on Soda Popinski's face as you smash him still cracks me up!) Some small nitpicking but whenever you knock down your opponent your gloves turn another colour. Huh? What happened there?

Although there is not that much variety in the tunes for this game, so what? The music included is short and sweet (and most important, catchy). My favorite being the game over sequence. I don't know how many times I've heard that tune! Overall, one hell of a game. Too bad it didn't have another sequel on the NES. But this cart reigns as the undisputed boxing champ for the NES!

Review 1 - Ninja Gaiden (NES)

Difficulty- ****
Controls- ***1/2
Graphics- ****
Music- *****
Overall- 15 1/2 out of 20

Some say that this gem from '89 is one of the all time hardest games. And many more would agree. Ninja Gaiden (Guy-Den) not (Gay-den) puts you in control of Ruy Hyabussa. Out for revenge after your father Ken was killed in a duel. After receiving his father's letter Ryu heads off to the States for answers.

Mind you (IMO) this is the second hardest Gaiden game in the NES library (top honour goes to the 3rd game as you only get a handful of continues!) The learning curve is rather well done with very few tricky jumps in the early stages. However, difficulty really ramps up by stage 5 as jet pack flying enemies come at you from everywhere. Not only that but the various birds will have you bouncing right off them and into some pit.

(TIP!) - In most cases just move away from the enemy making sure they disappear form the screen. Move ahead and said enemy should be gone!

The controls for the most part are spot on. You have an assortment of sub-weapons too choose from. Activating them Ala Castlevania (up + B). Ranging from shurikens (weak) to a cyclone spin (powerful). The only tricky thing to practice is the wall climbing. And boy should you really master this technique! Its a life saver near the end as you should wall climb to avoid enemies or scale walls as fast as you can to get out of their way!

The Graphics are truly great. The cinematic scenes are wonderfull with big sprites with awesome facial expressions. And you get treated to one after every stage you complete! Wohoo! Nothing like a little plot advancement as a key motivator! The opening scene with Ruy's father and the enemy ninja still excites me to this day. That's over 16 years ago!

With great graphics you would think the music department would suffer, but oh no. Fast past beats will keep your toes a tappin' for days to come. The composer should be praised for such catchy music! Stages 1, 2 and 4 are some of my favorites in particular.

So there you have it. That's Ninja Gaiden in a nutshell. By no means am I an official game critic, but I just wanted to show some love to this classic you already know and love yourself! Now go out there and get back those Demon Statues!