Karateka (1984) by Jordan Mechner of Liquid Entertainment, published by Broderbund for DOS, Apple II, Commodore 64, NES, ZX Spectrum, and many more. You might call this an early example of a beat ’em up, or as Jordan Mechner describes it, “a story-based game where the gameplay mechanic is fighting.” Karateka follows an unnamed protagonistContinue reading “11/10/20 Karateka (1984)”
Tag Archives: NES
10/28/20 Battle of Olympus (1989)
Battle of Olympus (1989) by Infinity, published by Broderbund for NES. Taking clear inspiration from Zelda II, released two years prior, Battle of Olympus puts you in the shoes of Orpheus, whose girlfriend is captured by Hades. To get her back, he must venture throughout Greece, gaining the favor of the gods to acquire specialContinue reading “10/28/20 Battle of Olympus (1989)”
10/8/20 Shatterhand (1991)
Shatterhand (1991) developed and published by Jaleco for the NES. It’s been a minute since I covered a console title, and man is this ever a return. This game is awesome! It’s an action sidescroller that feels heavily inspired by Fist of the North Star. Compare this, released on the system’s deathbed, to most gamesContinue reading “10/8/20 Shatterhand (1991)”
10/8/20 Spy vs. Spy (1984)
Spy vs. Spy (1984) by First Star Software, published by Beyond Software, Tynesoft, and Wicked Software for Amiga, Apple II, Atari ST, Commodore 64, Game Boy, NES, and more. As a longtime fan of Antonio Prohias’ MAD Magazine strip of the same name, I was curious as to how the Black and White Spies’ anticsContinue reading “10/8/20 Spy vs. Spy (1984)”
9/22/20 Qix (1981)
Qix (1981) by Randy and Sandy Pfeiffer, published by Taito for the arcade, Amiga, Apple II, NES, DOS, Atari 5200, Commodore 64, and many more. Believe it or not, in the year 1981, this was quite the hit. Developed by a husband and wife duo who dreamt up the concept while in their jacuzzi, QixContinue reading “9/22/20 Qix (1981)”
9/11/20 Clash at Demonhead (1989)
Clash at Demonhead (1989) developed and published by Vic Tokai for the NES. I don’t generally like the term “Metroidvania,” but this game has been called an early one. In truth, it’s ironically more like Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse. You play as Bang, whose island vacation is interrupted by a call telling him that theContinue reading “9/11/20 Clash at Demonhead (1989)”
8/26/20- Infiltrator (1986)
Infiltrator (1986) Developed by Chris Gray Enterprises and published by Mindscape for NES. This is a classic kind of NES game, one that is surprisingly ambitious and unrelentingly punishing. It has a tongue-in-cheek attitude, calling on the main character, Johnny “Jimbo Baby” McGibbits to stop the Mad Leader’s evil scheme. The game is divided intoContinue reading “8/26/20- Infiltrator (1986)”
Taigen Moon Works 