SNES review | RVGFanatic

Super Adventure Island II (SNES)

Pub: Hudson | Dev: Make | October 1995 | 16 MEGS — ***Pub: Hudson | Dev: Make | October 1994 | 16 MEGS***

Last month marked the 25th anniversary of Super Adventure Island (released April 1992). It was the most simplistic platformer on the market at the time. For some it was a little too bare bones, but there’s a charm to its simplicity. It was far from being a gem however, as Master Higgins was a little stiff in his movement. In late 1994, Hudson released Super Adventure Island II. I remember seeing the ad in EGM and thinking it looked super cool. It was clearly a platformer but they seem to have added various adventure components to it, making it almost look like an action RPG. Surprisingly, the game came and went with little fanfare. I always wanted to play it, but never did. That was until last month in honor of the 25th anniversary of Super Adventure Island. It was time to finally right a wrong. Better late than never! While Super Adventure Island II may fall a little shy of true “classic” status, it’s a very strong entry into the SNES library, and comes highly recommended.

THE STORY GOES…

Lovers torn apart by a vicious storm. Poor Tina has lost her memory.

Master Higgins also lost his memory. Tina stumbles upon a castle where the king falls in love with her. But before he can marry her, a winged fiend captures the lass. Higgins spots this heinous act from far away. Not sure of who she really was, he knew he simply couldn’t stand idly by. Higgins might have lost his memory but he sure didn’t lose his sense of bravery and justice.

Everything a sequel should be — Sequels should be better. This is

Super Adventure Island II is very much a side-scrolling platformer, but there are a few NPCs that you’ll talk with from time to time. This, along with a few other aspects, really help to give it the slightest hint of light action RPG flavor.

There’s even a world map where random encounters occur on occasion. Thankfully, these raft battles are extremely brief and quick. It’s cool the first few times you see them, but pretty soon you’ll breeze through them mindlessly. Still, it was a pretty neat touch that definitely set it apart from other SNES platformers.

Speaking of RPG undertones, there’s even a life recovering gimmick and best of all, a save anywhere option. Unfortunately, regardless of where you save your game when you boot it up it always starts you in front of the king’s castle. A little bit annoying but not the end of the world by any means.

Following the king’s advice, you head southwest to Poka-Poka Island. Battle man eating plants and an enemy that looks an awful lot like Tails. Right away you’re thrown into a fun platforming world that hits all the right notes thus far.

Simply calling it a platformer would be selling it a bit short, however. You soon realize this plays like Super Metroid Ultra Lite. There are certain inaccessible sections of each world that only become accessible after you’ve picked up a certain item or hit the appropriate switch. Sometimes it’s within the same world. Other times it’s in a different one. Thus, you’ll be doing a bit of backtracking. This is one of those games where having a notepad handy nearby would be prudent.

Plaques are scattered throughout which contain vital information. Switches activate or deactivate designated blocks. As you can see from the first shot here, you cannot jump on those blocks until they’ve been activated. By the way, is it just me or does the sound effect of Higgins climbing a rope sound an awful lot like Donald Duck? It never fails to trip me out…

Perfect example of the powers of the (Nintendo) Switch.

Treasure chests abound! Seeing one always provides for a nice jolt of joy. They contain valuable items such as armor, life bottles and swords to name but a few. Yes, I said SWORDS. It all adds to the light RPG undertones of this game.

Before you couldn’t break through with just your fist. But now armed with the Silver Sword, you can. The rock shatters, sending forth a huge wave of water. Now the rest of the level opens up…

Damnit, more teasing blocks. That one has the moon symbol, which is in an entirely different realm. Mark that one in your notes. Later on, you come across a unique set of blocks with arrows pointing down. You won’t be able to access that treasure chest until you learn a certain skill that’s introduced later in the quest. Yup, you’ll definitely want to keep a journal nearby…

Because there’s a fair bit of backtracking to be done, the developers were kind enough to strategically place “teleporters” within each world. You might think that’s an example of one right there but that marker actually opens up a brand new area of this world after you acquire a certain item late in the game. Each world has its own marker waiting to be unlocked toward the end of the game. Meanwhile, some rocks are immune to your Silver Sword and can only be shoved after learning the proper technique.

Nothing feels better than unlocking a previously inaccessible portion of any given level and claiming the latest prize. Life bottles are essential to increase the number of hits you can sustain. Speaking of life, slain enemies may drop small or large health refills. Seeing a large one in particular when you’re on the brink of death never fails to satisfy. Enemies do respawn so one can even farm if they so choose…

There are even side weapons available. The dagger offers sweet long distance pain, but its strength is a fair bit weaker than the mighty sword. It’s a nice trade-off, and I love that there’s no ammo count found anywhere in this game.

Intimidating boss doors are so underrated. Super Adventure Island II delivers it in spades! It just builds up the suspense of what’s to come. The very first boss is a mutant tree which can only be harmed when attacked in the face. All other areas, such as the arms, prove to be ineffective.

Apples are tossed at you in a variety of ways, and it even spits out these nasty little tree babies. It’s a fun little first boss fight — I only wish there was a boss energy bar of some sort.

Defeating each boss leads to the acquisition of a new stone. The first being the Light Stone. These Stones unlock new worlds on the world map.

Princess Tina has a brief message for our hero following each boss conquest. Higgins’ response can be a little jarring since it’s in the same color and there’s nothing to indicate (other than reading it and using common logic) who is speaking. It’s a small gripe but one worth mentioning anyway.

Where to head next is usually pretty obvious, but if you ever get stuck head back to the castle. The king will offer you free tips as to your next destination. Place the Light Stone on the pedestal to break open the next section of the game. Rinse and repeat. This formula can get a bit tedious from time to time, but the game is so short and relatively well paced that the repetition is kept to a bare minimum. Besides, with the save feature handy, simply quit when you feel you’ve reached diminishing returns, and restart your adventure when you feel refreshed and re-energized.

Apparently, Master Higgins is the real He-Man. These challenges lead to a boss fight. Win a special item if you’re victorious; you should be as these battles are very easy.

Locate the hermits scattered throughout and learn various special techniques. The first one allows Higgins to move large rocks. Of course, the hermit will only teach you the tricks of the trade for a fine little fee. Bastard.

Employ the Ice Bell to open up the section of the next world. You can tell by the quirky text that this game doesn’t take itself seriously all that much.

Shoving skill comes in mighty handy. This frozen island is known as Hiya-Hiya. It’s my favorite world — it’s incredibly atmospheric and features the game’s best visuals. Ah, more blocking. As I said before, get ready to take notes and backtrack.

Platformers can sometimes suffer from pixel perfect jumps that are overly difficult to make. Thankfully, Super Adventure Island II is rather generous in that regard. There are a few jumps that don’t initially appear to be enough, but that chubby little lad always manages to get his toes just on the edge. Here you upgrade to the Fire Sword, ideal for the frozen world of Hiya-Hiya.

Swords get progressively stronger and some serve special purposes. It’s nothing advanced or mind-blowing, but it works. Frozen columns can only be shattered by the Fire Sword. Sweet.

Watch out for falling icicles, abominable snowmen, bloodthirsty bats and more. See that entrance there? Unfortunately they don’t lead to brand new playing areas of significance. Instead, they lead to single screen rooms. A longer more branching experience would have taken SAI II to the next level.

Blockage. Bloody blockage. What’s this?! Ah bloody hell. Trick pit!

Special technique to be learned later. Keep that notebook handy nearby. I love the blocks of ice which you can shatter.

Armor in an Adventure Island game?! Adds to the light RPG undertones and it gives Master Higgins a nice new visual flare. You need to find the Star Switch to free that block of ice there. Looking good, Higgins!

Falling down another pit but be sure to veer to the right. After pressing the Star Switch you’ll be able to pick up the Fire Shield in this little alcove here. I know it doesn’t make a bit of difference but I can’t help but switch from the Fire Sword to the Dagger to take out the ice turtle. Why? Why not?

Pushing the block over produces a major hole in the ground which allows you to reach the guardian of this world.

Great sprite work on this massive mastodon. Nail it between the eyes and watch out for its swaying trunk.

Another nice little exchange with Tina. Wish they indicated who’s speaking for the sake of convenience but it’s nothing you can’t discern. Just highlights that perhaps this game was rushed a bit.

Speaking of special, once you locate the Magic Wand you’ll be able to use the various magic tricks that Higgins employ. From this point on you’ll be able to collect magic bottles. Each bottle added automatically opens up the next spell. These range from health refills to offensive strikes. They’re simple and you won’t need to use them too often, but it’s a nice touch regardless. The spell to fly back to the beginning of a world is particularly helpful, thanks to all the backtracking.

Stuck? Go see the king for a good tip. Sun Ring it is, then.

Welcome to Boa-Boa Island. Unfortunately, especially compared to the beautiful previous world, Boa-Boa leaves a little something to be desired in the graphical department. As I said earlier, at times you can’t shake the feeling that this game was rushed a bit.

Godzooky lives! Ah, look at all that soft ground there. If I only had a shovel…

I’ll leave you to explore and discover the rest of this game. Let’s switch gears and take a closer look at some of the aspects that make this game stand out from the me-too crowd of platformers that call the SNES home.

ISLAND HOPPING

Thankfully, backtracking is made a little easier due to the worlds having special gateways to another world. This allows you to go back without rowing your raft across the entire damn ocean on the world map. It’s not always perfect, but it’s better than nothing. Personally, I wish they just had a spell that lets you pick which island you wanna visit.

Speaking of backtracking, there are portions of each level that you won’t be able to immediately access until you learn a certain skill down the road. Here you see two different types of blocks. It definitely extends the length of the game, which is already short to begin with. But I always like a game that allows me to take some notes and revisit at a later date. Really makes it feel like an adventure.

Blocks either have to be activated or deactivated in order to achieve said goal. Sometimes you’ll need to turn blocks ON in order to stand on them. Other times the blocks are blocking your path to a treasure chest, in which cases they must be turned OFF. It can get a little confusing if you don’t keep brief notes throughout your journey.

NOT JUST A PLATFORMER

Super Adventure Island II definitely has light RPG undertones. Look no further than being able to sleep at an inn to recover your HP, as well as a bit of quirky dialogue. Not to mention different NPCs to interact with that will light the path of your journey should you get stuck on what to do next. It’s super simplistic in the most basic form, but it does help to separate this game from the typical platformer.

Thanks for the tips, sir! It’s the least you could do for being a homewrecker! The world map and possible random encounters also add to the RPG-ish atmosphere.

Explore the world map — you never know what items you may find or who you might run into…

Health and magic refills are sometimes given when enemies perish. Since enemies respawn, you can actually “farm” by going back and forth until you’ve reached your desired status. It takes me back to my Metroid and Mega Man days.

Acquiring the shovel later on in the game allows you to backtrack and dig up those soft areas of each world to gain access to previously inaccessible areas. These often lead to life bottles, magic bottles and various other assorted goodies. There is a con to this, however, which I will highlight in a little bit…

Platformers that include magic as a secondary means of offense (or defense) always score highly in my book. It just always adds this extra layer to a game, even when the magic system is super elementary as this one is. You learn new spells automatically as you collect bottles. The recovery spell refills half a heart, which can be crucial in moments such as these. The ultimate spell fully recovers your health, and you’ll likely need it for the final boss battle.

Curly’s Casino appears later in the game and allows you to either gamble away to your heart’s content or to cash in your coins. Yes, another feature that makes Super Adventure Island II a little bit different from your typical SNES platformer is that on occasion slain enemies will drop a coin which you can collect for a value of five. There are a total of five items you can purchase from the shop: an extra half life bottle, Higgins’ classic weapon the boomerang, the Light Shield, Light Armor or the almighty Light Sword (which commands a whopping 49,950 coins). The Light Sword is the BFG of the game and makes rather short work of the final boss. I would save my coins for that bad boy.

Boomerang sure brings back that classic Adventure Island feel. However, it costs nearly 15,000 coins and truthfully, it’s hard enough to amass the 50K that the Light Sword requires. I recommend therefore skipping the Boomerang, although it’s a fun badass weapon for sure!

Gambler, are ya? Then check out Flash ‘N Cash or Money Maker. Always a sweet feeling betting 99 coins on the white and landing on it for the maximum coin benefit of 1980. KA-CHING!

However, if you really want to make money fast and most easily, select the third mini-game, Run For Doe. Four random contestants with betting odds are given. The lowest one usually wins, although sometimes the second or third lowest may eek out a win. The highest rarely wins out. It gets tricky though when the two lowest are tied or really close as seen above (7.2 and 7.6). Sometimes the second lowest wins out. But this is the fastest method to earn coins. I had to win like 30,000 coins from this to get enough at the end of the game to afford the Light Sword…

SHOVEL KNIGHT-MARE

Unfortunately, there are a few annoying aspects to this game. Not annoying enough to derail it, but annoying enough to keep it from being an upper echelon game. It’s always the small things that add up, after all. First, the shovel. In theory it’s such a great idea. Switch to the shovel and dig up new areas of a level. Love it. However, you automatically take off your armor, shield and sword when you use the shovel. Not a big deal, right? Until you consider you have to access the menu, go down to shovel and click on it. Then when you want to switch back to your latest sword, you must click on menu and go back to your desired sword. Thankfully, selecting the sword automatically selects the latest shield and armor as well. Still, it all feels a bit cumbersome and puts a dent in the action. A simple usage of the R shoulder button to automatically switch through weapons would have made this a much more seamless experience.

Super Adventure Island II starts off looking pretty good. Then things looks very good in the second world. But get to the third world and you start to go eh? It begins to feel like the developers were crunched for time. The Indiana Jones bit is pretty cool but marred by the atrocious pink bare background. What the hell? It just kind of takes you out of what should have been a landmark moment in the game.

Tension and drama somewhat killed by the sore thumb background.

Seriously? OK I know this is a very minor thing but still disappointing nevertheless. The game therefore is a bit uneven graphically. Looks great in some places, looks OK in others and in some, like here, look completely unfinished.

Gamera nod, nice. Ugly ass background, not so nice.

Princess Tina talking, or Higgins? Not made instantly clear. You have to read a bit to find out, which isn’t a huge deal but again, highlights a few of the game’s shortcomings. It doesn’t come off as highly polished. It’s still a good game but misses that great mark by missing those little details that add up.

WHAT THE CRITICS SAID

Had to dig to find info... — Had to dig to find info…

Sadly, and bizarrely, Super Adventure Island II was never reviewed by either EGM or GameFan. Even crazier, neither publication even PREVIEWED it. Considering it came out in October of 1994 during the height of the Super Nintendo’s lifespan and coverage of said system, this shocked me as a kid to no ends. Particularly a game of this status. It was a sequel to a fairly popular franchise. All I ever remember seeing was the ad in the pages of EGM and being intrigued as hell by its unique looking mix of platforming and RPG tropes. It was weird to see such a “high profile” sequel get the shaft as this one did. Thus, Super Adventure Island II has never been too popular, and is kind of in that “hidden gem” category.

Left out in the freezing cold... — Left out in the freezing cold…

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Two is better than one... — Two is better than one…

Super Adventure Island II is a fun game that is largely a platformer but with some light RPG undertones. It’s unique enough to separate itself from the typical SNES platformer pack. I like the backtracking gameplay, being able to slowly but surely reveal new playing sections of the world. It’s not a long game at all and can easily be beaten in a single weekend. Looking at maybe 6-8 hours here? It’s just long enough to sink your teeth into but not overly long to the point of exhaustion or wearing out its welcome. I like the save feature and the overall feel of the game. Higgins controls well this time around, unlike his first SNES outing. Jumps are handled generously and the challenge hits a near perfect balance. It’s rarely ever too hard, and it’s never overwhelmingly easy. Rather, it nearly hits that “just right” barometer where you’ll be challenged enough but not to the point of wanting to chuck the controller. Is it better than the first Super Adventure Island? You betcha.

Sure it’s got its fair share of shortcomings. These were highlighted earlier but to briefly reiterate, switching through weapons via the R shoulder button would have so much more convenient. Certain parts of the later levels appear to be a little unfinished or rushed. But the positives far outweigh the few negatives that this game has. The music is pretty good and catchy in certain parts but not as good as it was in Super Adventure Island (Yuzo Koshiro a big reason why). The gameplay is what shines brightest. I like the interconnected worlds and how they all sort of fuse together. It very much feels like a kids’ version of Super Metroid or even a Demon’s Crest, both games which I love and consider top of the line as far as SNES action adventure games are concerned. The difficulty of this game is just right. Perhaps teetering a little on the easy side of things but it hits that sweet spot for the most part. And although a short game, it’s definitely much longer than your stereotypical 16-bit platformer that takes anywhere from 45 minutes to two hours to beat. It’s got some meat to its bones but isn’t so long that it’s a one and done for me. I’m sad I waited this long to finally play it, but I’ll definitely be back one day to play through it all over again.

After playing through this game, I’m even more befuddled as to why EGM and GameFan never gave this the time of day. Not only is it a sequel to a pretty popular early generation SNES game but it’s also probably one of the better action games to come out for the system that year! Ah, some things simply remain a mystery. What I do know is this: Super Adventure Island II is good old fashioned platforming fun, with some cool boss battles and lovely RPG undertones. Master Higgins definitely goes out in style, swords a’swinging!

Graphics: 7.5
Sound: 7.5
Gameplay: 8
Longevity: 6.5

Overall: 8.0
Silver Award

Lost, pal? This ain't Joe & Mac! — Lost, pal? This ain’t *Joe & Mac*!

Super Adventure Island (SNES)

Pub: Hudson | Dev: | April 1992 | 8 MEGS — **Pub: Hudson | Dev: Produce | April 1992 | 8 MEGS**

This month marks the 25th anniversary of two amazing Super Nintendo games (in North America). Contra III: The Alien Wars and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. Both are phenomenal games and undoubtedly two of the greatest titles from not just the 16-bit generation but quite frankly, of all time. This month also sees the 25th anniversary of a less celebrated game. As you might have already guessed, it’s Super Adventure Island. Let’s take a closer look at how Master Higgins fared in his very first SNES outing.

BOX HAUNTINGS

Still to this day I'll never forget this box art... — Still to this day I’ll never forget this box art…

There are certain video game boxes from my youth that have left a permanent mark seared into my memory bank. Hudson’s Adventure Island for the 8-bit NES is one such example. Released in September of 1988, Master Higgins entered the consciousness (and homes) of many youthful lads. Higgins was no Mario, but I always liked the chubby little bastard. Then again, I always had a thing for the underdog. And in a world of 8-bit digitized mascots, Master Higgins was locked firmly in that role.

Simple as can be, but that was part of the charm back then, no?

This box -- the stuff legends are made of... — This box — the stuff legends are made of…

But perhaps no NES box art haunted me more in my youth than that of Adventure Island II. Released in February of 1991, any little boy that saw that box immediately wanted to play it. It perfectly conveys a sense of daring adventure coupled with glorious dinosaur action. I remember thinking there was even a crossover of sorts — with Rocksteady from Ninja Turtles fame as that beast hiding in the bush there! Ah, the innocence of youth and a pre-internet age.

Features the ability to ride various new friends. Fun little game.

BUT WAIT — THERE’S MORE

This was oddly released AFTER Super Adventure Island

The series jammed on with Adventure Island III coming out September of 1992, a full five months after the 16-bit SNES rendition. Master Higgins enjoyed a decent following so Hudson kept cranking them out.

Master Higgins rides again…

Strangely enough, a Japan only sequel was released for the Famicom in June of 1994. Adventure Island IV came out only four months prior to Super Adventure Island II for the SNES. That’s pretty crazy when you think about it. It was a good year for Master Higgins, apparently.

Adventure Island IV took on a more adventure platformer style.

Of course, many gamers know the origins of Master Higgins. That whole Wonder Boy backstory. But let’s dive into our featured game, Super Adventure Island!

THE STORY GOES…

Master Higgins is chilling with his girl on a beautiful starry night, just minding his own business (and trying to get the business), when out of nowhere comes the dastardly Dark Cloak. Tina was planning to get stoned on this night, but she didn’t mean it THIS way! The Evil One chortles at your misfortune, ruining a perfectly good night. Whistling for your ever trusty feathered friend, you take off for bloody vengeance. It’s not original by any means, but I kind of enjoy these overly simplistic storylines back in the 8 and 16-bit days.

Never trust a bird for transportation. Nice blatant usage of Mode 7, though.

1-1

Chubby Higgins looked great in 16-bit. The yellow bar indicates the time remaining in the level, not Higgins’ health. This is a one hit and you’re dead sort of game. Collecting fruit adds to the timer. In classic Adventure Island form, the skateboard returns.

1-2

Collect the boomerang multiple times and you can throw more than one. Collect them several times and you upgrade to a projectile shot. Now you’re playing with super power. Sorry.

Annoying mechanic I detest: being forced to switch to whatever weapon you touch. Sometimes they’re placed in ill-advised places when you don’t want them but it’s impossible to avoid. Not even Higgins’ new super jump (hold down + jump) can save the day in some cases. So boo on that. But yay for the exit, which looks a lot like a cool little yo-yo, or a shrunken down Captain America shield!

1-3

Beware of rolling boulders and sizzling lava pits.

BOSS NUMBER ONE

Super jump over the flames. Purple projectiles make short work of it.

2-1

Before there was a Tony Hawk, there was a Master mutha effin’ Higgins.

Tropical beach setting suits this game to a tee. But, what in the world is that green mutant beach bum thing there? It’s kind of a weird game…

2-2

Pastel freaks rejoice!

Remember to say hi to Jonah for me…

2-3

Inside the belly of a whale — now that’s what I call an adventure.

Nothing like seeing that glorious exit, even if the levels aren’t long.

BOSS NUMBER TWO

Parodius flashbacks… hmmm…

3-1

Platforming rule #52: There must be a tree level of some sort. I love the little ledge there. It’s the “small” details… [You’re not the LEAST BIT funny -Ed.]

Sometimes there’s hidden fruit lying around. Fire away at random to discover them. The timer can be a bitch in certain stages. Finding these “forbidden fruit” can make all the difference.

3-2

Things start to get a tad “spooky” here.

3-3

Always kind of fun to play a game and see the exact level the box art cover was based upon.

BOSS NUMBER THREE

Super Adventure Island follows most of the platforming tropes but then it pulls this intriguing little number out of its hat. A very unique and challenging boss fight. Reminds me a bit of Godzooky…

4-1

Y’know… if either you or your bird friend were smart, you’d fly directly to the last level. Just saying. The boomerang projectiles are the best since they curve back to you, taking out enemies from behind even!

4-2

Similar to the tree level seen earlier, this one is a vertically scrolling stage. I can appreciate the variety they attempted.

Speaking of variety, here’s another blatant spot of Mode 7 for ya.

4-3

Another swimming level, and a beaut she is, too. Love the colors of this game.

BOSS NUMBER FOUR

Bonehead here looks like a complete badass but is quite easy if you crack the code (and skull). Any boss that wields a light saber gets bonus points in my book. Send his Jedi wannabe ass to the grave!

5-1

Donkey Kong Country has one of the best winter looking stages in all of SNES history. I dare say Super Adventure Island has a fairly underrated looking winter stage in its own right. Probably underrated because the game is so damn tough and few ever make it this far…

Always been a sucker for a good looking winter stage. Oh and skis? Who needs bloody skis?! Certainly not Master Higgins.

Mister beach bum again? Tsk tsk. At least give him a jacket. Well, on the bright side, I really like how this game often previews the next stage at the end of a level. It’s a small touch but it goes a long way. At least as far as presentation is concerned.

5-2

Mickey’s magical castle this ain’t. Tread softly and watch out for spikes.

Disappointing to see more older enemies randomly. The enemy roster is a bit lacking. Almost like they were rushing Super Adventure Island to market. Speaking of market, grab those pineapples and if you squint you’ll see the sweet exit calling your name.

5-3

Lumiere — is that your cousin?! Touch the green star for a bonus bit.

Master Higgins sure knows how to make a dramatic exit.

Oooohhh. Ahhhhhh.

BOSS NUMBER FIVE

Welcome to Dark Cloak’s first form. Nice Badtz Maru impression there.

Feeling a little stiff there, are we?

Master Higgins gets the last laugh.

Someone could use more fiber in their diet…

Scratch that. Someone could use a diet, period.

Platforming Rule #57: Final boss must have a “true” form. You can’t actually harm Dark Cloak with your weapons. Avoid becoming a pancake and have him loosen up the bricks…

Higgins isn’t the fleetest of foot so this can be quite challenging. But if you manage to set things up just right, it’s very satisfying to see the end result.

“Discount Ganon” is about to feel the heat…

“Discount Mario” celebrates a hard fought victory. Huh, I’m in the mood for some bacon all of a sudden.

Nothing like a crap ending to reward your efforts in such a difficult game. Nice transition, though. But yeah, can you say tank job?

WHAT THE CRITICS SAID

EGM gave Super Adventure Island ratings of 7, 8, 9 and 9. Super Play gave it a 75% score. It seems to have a fairly favorable reputation as a simple, basic platformer. This was further aided by its early release.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Super Adventure Island relies on its basic simplicity and charm. It very much has a “back to the basics” feel to it. Gone are the various creatures Master Higgins can ride from 1991’s Adventure Island II. Instead it’s just you, your jumping skills and a pair of weapons that can be upgraded. Oh, and the skateboard makes a token cameo here and there. There is some variety thrown in, including a mine cart riding section, swimming levels and vertically scrolling stages. The one hit deaths can get a bit aggravating, but it’s not impossible to beat with a little dedication.

That's gonna leave a mark — That’s gonna leave a mark

Graphically, the game is loaded with bright, colorful visuals. Each level has a different look and feel to them thanks to the rich colors. The music was composed by Yuzo Koshiro and to no one’s surprise is very good. The control is where the game falters a bit. Master Higgins is a bit stiff. Sure he’s a chubby lad but so was Mario and Mario moved just fine. There is a sort of stilted feel to Super Adventure Island. You get used to it after a while but at the same time the game is made more difficult by Higgins’ limited movement.

All in all, Super Adventure Island is very much a sign of the times. It’s been 25 years now since it came out, and this is how gaming kind of was back then before things got overly complex. There’s a charm to the game, despite how flawed it may be. It’s kind of a guilty pleasure, in fact. And a quirky little relic from the days of old. The sequel, Super Adventure Island II, is leagues better. But for those looking for an old school, straight forward, super simplistic platformer, you could do far worse than Super Adventure Island.

Graphics: 8
Sound: 8
Gameplay: 6
Longevity: 5

Overall: 6.0

Hook (SNES)

**Pub: Sony | Dev: Ukiyotei | October 1992 | 8 MEGS**

Hook tells the story of Peter Banning, a 40 year old man who works hard to provide for his wife and two little children, Jack and Maggie. Peter is very much grown up and has lost sight of his imagination. In the magical realm of Neverland, Peter Banning is better known as Peter Pan. This video game adaptation is a side-scrolling platformer with pretty visuals and a soaring soundtrack. It does move a bit slowly at times, but there’s an overall whimsical magic to it all. Let’s revisit Neverland shall we?

THE STORY GOES…

And the adventure begins -- NEVERLAND HERE WE COME! — And the adventure begins. *NEVERLAND HERE WE COME!*

Sky Blazer fans will likely appreciate this effort — *Sky Blazer* fans will likely appreciate this effort

LEVEL ONE

Almost looks a bit like a Capcom game, doesn't it? — Almost looks a bit like a Capcom game, doesn’t it?

When I got back into the Super Nintendo in early 2006, I’d heard quite a few positive things about Hook being a solid underrated little title. I passed over it in rental stores back in the day because Hook the film never grabbed my fancy. However, seeing as how a large reason why I got back into the SNES was due to my overwhelming desire to play platformers, Hook looked very appealing all of a sudden. Upon firing the game up and seeing this first level here any worries that this was just another “bad licensed video game” went straight out the window.

Oh my dear Lost Boys, you did this to yourselves... — Oh my dear Lost Boys, you did this to yourselves…

The colors were so vibrant and lush. The sound and music came straight from the movie. It looked and sounded like a Capcom SNES game, and more times than not, that’s a good thing. Pan moves around a little slowly, however, which is my biggest gripe with the game. But far from a deal breaker. The game instantly clicked for me as I maneuvered Peter Pan around the first stage.

No Lost Boys were harmed or injured in the making

Don’t worry, you don’t actually hurt the Lost Boys. It’s just a friendly game of tag… with your dagger. But see how they freeze in place? No harm done… really. Shout out to Thud Butt! My man!

Think happy thoughts, think happy thoughts... — Think happy thoughts, think happy thoughts…

Just like the movie, Pan can fly but he needs to find Tink first. Watch your flight meter. The flight system is handled much smoother here than what we saw in Ukiyotei’s SNES follow-up, Sky Blazer.

Rufio, the stand-in leader of the Lost Boys, is your first boss encounter. He doesn’t believe you are the actual Pan, so show him who’s really the boss around here!

LEVEL TWO

Cherries fill your health bar by one. Apples fully restore your health.

Here monkey monkey... — Here monkey monkey…

Smee, a fitting name for a weird little critter, guards the end of this forest. All the boss fights in Hook are quite easy. Nevertheless they’re still fun.

LEVEL THREE

It’s hard to articulate but there’s something about the look of this stage that simply does it for me. It just fits in with the whimsical nature of Hook — there’s a child-like charm to it all.

Sometimes you just can't beat simplicity — The charm comes in how basic *Hook* is

There’s a simplicity to the game in which I greatly admire. I guess, like Pan himself, we’re all grown ups (and some of us are in some way) searching for remnants of our childhood in the midst of a cruel world. A spark or ember of when life was simple and carefree.

If you’ve read my work for some time now then you know I’m a huge fan of the little details. I love the look of the trees in this level — they add a nice touch to this stage.

Certainly is. Although Pan moves a bit slow, you’ll soon get used to it. It’s really not that bad after a while. Plus he can run and fly to collect bonuses like this with the greatest of ease. Overall, the control is pretty good.

LEVEL FOUR

Ah, our old friend Tink appears right at the beginning. That must mean we’re in for some flying lessons…

Is it just me or do those tigers remind anyone else of the tigers from Mega Man 5? Alas, I digress. Your flight meter drains rather quickly so make haste! If you don’t waste time you should be able to make it to the next “Tink refill station” just in the nick of time. These spots are perfectly placed to avert frustration and promote a sense of satisfaction.

They'll try pushing you into the bombs! — They’ll try pushing you into the bombs!

I like how this stage really focuses on Peter’s flight ability. Even the boss fight requires flight precision! It’s levels like this that help to keep the game varied and interesting.

LEVEL FIVE

Although level five has no boss, it’s super fun to navigate and has a decisively adventurous atmosphere. It’s a great stage to play through in the middle of the night in particular…

But don't jump too high either! — But don’t jump too high either!

Remember how in Sky Blazer you slip through the foliage of trees and bushes? It’s easy to spot the similarities between that game and Hook.

Your head is smaller than its mouth -- yikes! — Your head is smaller than its mouth — yikes!

Too close! Thank God for all those DDPYOGA sessions — Thank God for all those *DDP YOGA* sessions

Another cool moment There’s just something special and precious about these old 16-bit games that resonate deeply with me. Hook is as fun to play as it is to look at!

LEVEL SIX

Hook has a lovely presentation to it, no? — *Hook* has a lovely presentation to it, no?

We’ve seen forests, oceans and caves. So of course, what’s left but the standard ice level! And it’s quite a good one.

Easiest boss fight ever. You don’t even have to move an inch after positioning yourself correctly. A little disappointing but I always say it’s better for a game to be too easy than too hard, if forced to pick between the two.

LEVEL SEVEN

Ye standard auto scrolling level — It’s the token auto scrolling level

This is the strongest attack in the game, but sadly it’s scarcely available. You also lose its power on first hit. Oh well, the game’s easy enough as it is.

LEVEL EIGHT

Try hitting that ball of flame and see what happens…

Hit the ball and you snuff out the lights. But don’t hit the ball and it’ll chase you. Quite the dilemma. The trick is to balance the two, naturally. This leads for a very cool on and off effect that carries throughout this level.

Thankfully the light goes out only for a little bit

Pan's lack of foot speed adds to the drama — Pan’s lack of foot speed adds to the drama

Not making any top 10 lists, but it's pretty solid — Not making any top 10 lists, but it’s pretty solid

Endearingly reminiscent of Castlevania this part is — Endearingly reminiscent of *Castlevania* this part is

I love bad puns... [Well I'm not HOOKED -Ed.] — I love bad puns… *[Well I’m not HOOKED -Ed.]*

LEVEL NINE

No, Hook doesn't actually have transparencies... — No, *Hook* doesn’t actually have transparencies…

They just don't know when to quit — They just don’t know when to quit

Try to find all the extra leaves for extra health

Level nine is definitely a dog fight, especially compared to the other levels. After level nine it’s on to the final level and the showdown with Captain Hook. Can you save Jack and Maggie?

THANK YOU FOR BEING SO TRANSPARENT

Ukiyotei sure was ahead of their time... — Ukiyotei sure was ahead of their time…

As you saw with a screenshot from level nine, don’t be fooled thinking that Hook features fancy transparencies. It’s just a graphical glitch that only appears in the rom. Thankfully this visual hiccup doesn’t appear with the actual cartridge game.

WHAT THE CRITICS SAID

"Please let them think happy thoughts only..." — *“Please let them think happy thoughts only…”*

When I got back into the SNES on January 17, 2006, my goal was to buy all the games I ever loved as well as the ones I missed out on. I remember browsing various retro gaming forums reading up on different opinions in my early days. Hook always received rather favorable praise. The ad back in the day stated “The Critics Are HOOKED!” It went on to quote, “One of the hottest action games I have ever played. The music is absolutely beautiful and the graphics are top-notch” (Super NES Buyer’s Guide), “Hook is intelligently made from start to finish. Its execution is excellent” (Game Players, Nintendo Guide) and “Hook’s multi-layered, smoothly scrolling visuals inspire comparisons to Super NES legends such as ActRaiser and Super Castlevania IV. The music is so good, you’ll want to crack open the cart and see if there’s a Compact Disc inside! Five star gameplay. Hook succeeds in every way.” (GamePro). EGM gave it scores of 8, 9 and 9. Super Play rated it 72%.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Sorry, Wolfe. Pan proves you CAN go home again — Sorry, Wolfe. Pan proves you *CAN* go home again

Hook is a simple fun little game. It weighs heavily on the easy scale. The ten levels are short, and some don’t even feature bosses. Most of the bosses are a cake walk. Yet I can’t help but like this game. I’m not a fan of the movie but there’s something basic and charming about this game. It takes me back to the good old days when action games were magical and whimsical. Sure you got your clichés, but really, what would a game of this type be without them? Hook is a pleasure to play through thanks to some rather atmospheric stages, vibrant visuals and a banging soundtrack straight out of the movie. It also features one of the coolest intros in SNES history, instantly transporting you to a land of magic and wonder.

Never lose your own sense of self and wonder

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying Hook is one of the best games you might have never played. I wish Pan moves a smidgen (or two) faster. I wish it was a bit more challenging. And similar to Sky Blazer, when the levels start to reel you in, before you know it it’s over with. It would have been nicer to see meatier levels. The gameplay is not shabby, just good enough in most places to be satisfying overall, but not quite good enough to take it a notch above the norm. Therefore, Hook falls short of being a very good game. Still, I don’t hesitate to recommend Hook to all SNES gamers. Too lightweight to be considered for heavyweight contention, Hook nevertheless put a smile or two on my face. Like Peter Banning himself, most of us are now grown-ups. Yet deep down, there is still a little child inside each one of us. This video game does a good job representing that. Playing Hook reminds me of a simpler time where junk emails don’t exist but pixie dust and flying sure do! Better than the movie, and better than most movie to game adaptations, Hook deserves a spot in any Super Nintendo collection.

Graphics: 8.5
Sound: 9
Gameplay: 7.5
Longevity: 6

Overall: 7.5
Bronze Award

I don’t know who this might be for but I feel compelled to share this. Could be YOU… if you’ve had a ‘ship pass in the night’ recently, my heart goes out to you. Myself, been there too many times to count. May I suggest some further reading/viewing? This might bless you: Jesse’s Girl. Take care, and always, chin up!

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Fighting Edition (SNES)

***Pub: Bandai | Dev: Natsume | September 1995 | 12 MEGS***

I’ve definitely been on a Power Rangers kick as of late. The 2017 movie that came out three weeks ago was surprisingly better than I thought it would be. The last two games I reviewed were Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie. Both games have their fair share of imperfections. But you know what they say about the third time… and I’m happy to say Natsume finally knocked it out of the park. This time they completely skipped the Power Rangers and instead focused on the Zords. Power Rangers meets Street Fighter? Sign me up! Unfortunately, this game received extremely limited exposure back in 1995. I barely remember it myself, and even to this day I feel it largely flies under the radar. Uninspiring title aside, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Fighting Edition delivers one mighty punch.

FUN BUT FLAWED…

THIRD TIME IS A CHARM!

Classic logo, lightning strikes and that Power Rangers theme. Never gets old.

Choose from the Thunder Megazord or Mega Tigerzord in the Story Mode. I like the authentic Japanese feel and style of this game. They didn’t Americanize it like they sort of did with Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie.

Terrific art style! Really gives it an anime-esque feel

Where’s my OG Megazord?! Oh well, I guess you can’t have it all…

Thunder Megazord is a good choice for beginning players. He plays a lot like the prototypical Ryu “clone.” This updated model appeared in Season Two and replaced the original Megazord. It’s more powerful but I’ll always prefer the first one.

Bottom bar goes back and forth. Perform a special move when your power bar is full and your character will perform a powered up version of said special move.

Thunder Saber Combo can connect for multiple hits.

Depending on whether you press Y or X, the Thunder Megazord will perform either a Rising Uppercut or an Uppercut Barrage. I love it when fighting games give you two variations of a special move depending on the button you press. That always scores extra points in my book!

Unleash the Thunder Crush when your power bar is flashing. Every character, sans Ivan Ooze, has a super special move. Use the double Hadoken motion to pull off these screen filling jaw dropping killer moves. Well, at least they were mighty impressive back in 1995. Hell, they still are to me!

Mega Tigerzord appeared in Season Two after Tommy received his White Tigerzord. As a fighter I find him to be a weaker choice than Thunder Megazord. His moves aren’t nearly as fun or effective.

Knock the competition out with his Wind-Up Punch. In the mood for something a little more flashy? Try his White Tiger Thunder Bolt.

Phoenix Strike in all its glory — just like from the TV show. Nice.

Ninja Megazord appeared in Season Three. As its name suggests, it’s the most nimble and athletic of all the Megazords.

Slash ‘em up!

Opponent feeling a little froggy? Employ the Spinning Rise! Try dropping a Fire Bomb while they’re laying on the ground.

Blanka would be proud.

Leave it to a Ninja Megazord to have a ninja clone super special, eh?

Shogun Megazord also made its debut in Season Three. It’s the biggest Megazord in the game. This is because it combines five Zords who are already massive Shogun warriors to begin with. Therefore, you get this towering behemoth! He is extremely slow, but very powerful. He also cannot be thrown. It’ll take a skilled player to use him effectively.

Sword Cyclone can rail off multiple hits. His Fire Wave covers damn near the entire screen, making it difficult to jump over.

Check out his powered up version of the Fire Wave. Nasty! Best of all, it’s directly inspired from the TV show itself.

Massively engulfing fiery column of death. How fitting.

Silver Horns was a one time villain that appeared in Season Two. But this marks his second Super Nintendo outing. He was also a boss in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie (the video game of the movie, not the actual movie). He’s an impressive sprite — nearly as tall as Shogun Megazord itself!

Watch out for his snapping Ground Pincers.

Pincers can also get you on the ground or in the air.

Horny’s Lightning Strike comes straight from the TV show.

Defeating any one of Lord Zedd’s cronies leads to this beautiful cut scene, just as seen in Season Two.

Lipsyncher is an agile sucker. She can also double jump. And she has by far the best looking stage in the game. For a one time villain who appeared as a throwaway enemy in Season Two, that’s not shabby at all.

Fighting games that give you two variants of the same move depending on which button you press will always earn extra points with me. Here you can send the musical notes straight out or up in the air to discourage would-be jumpers. Nice.

Insert token quick athletic “chick kick.” Fighting game rule #52.

Envelop your foe in a giant Energy Sphere before giving them the butt tackle of the century.

Ah, Goldar. One of my favorite classic henchmen from childhood lore. As a kid he initially scared the crap out of me with his gravelly voice and nightmarish look. It wasn’t long though before I realized his overall incompetence, which shifted him from being scary to endearing. However, for all his bumbling ways, there is something very unsettling about him at his core. He may be incompetent but you would piss your pants if you ever met him in a dark alley. I despise the Goldar design from the 2017 film. They stripped him of all his personality and iconic look. But this game got it so freaking right. We’ll always have the memories! *shakes fist*

Goldar shoots piercing laser beams from his eyes, even in mid-air.

Flutter around for a bit if you wish. You can launch some surprisingly quick striking attacks from this position. Goldar has the best looking Dragon Punch in this game by a country mile. Try the powered up version…

Macho Man Randy Savage would be proud. Throw in the sword for a little extra slice… [I C WAT U DID DERE -Ed.]

Maybe it’s just me but I love these simple screen-filling blasts, even if they might be a little generic.

Lord Zedd… what can I say? He ranks right up there with the likes of Shredder and Skeletor as absolute iconic childhood villains. He had kind of a Freddy Krueger vibe to him, and due to parent complaints they actually had to tone him way down. He appeared in the summer of 1994, early on in Season Two, and took over for Rita Repulsa as lead dog.

Reminiscent of M. Bison from Street Fighter Alpha lore. His fireball looks very similar and he can even teleport like Bison. This is completely cruel.

LORD ZEDD WAS NEVER THIS COMPETENT IN THE TV SHOW!

Watch out for his Magnetic Hand which, as you probably surmised, will reel you in. His Lightning Bolts can strike near or far. His powered up version actually moves a bit forward and can strike for multiple hits.

Fingertip Spears — it’s right out of a nightmare! Lord Zedd throws up a big fat middle finger to generic giant energy blasts with this creepy little number. It looks like a mutated brain and octopus. Ugh!

You thought it was over? HA! Ivan Ooze shows up, obliterates what’s left of Lord Zedd’s carcass and challenges you to the ultimate duel. He is God tier. But thankfully, the computer doesn’t know how to use him very well. Natsume had some mercy on our poor souls…

Mister Ooze can make himself invulnerable for a little bit. His energy columns are done with a SINGLE press of a button. Unfair and brutal!

Throw in an Energy Wheel and Homing Fireballs for good measure.

Endings? No such thing here. You just get that screenshot for your efforts. A code is given at the end if you beat the Hard mode though, which allows you to play as Ivan Ooze in the 2 player mode.

ODDS AND ENDS

The options screen displays a curious option. FACE DISPLAY. What the heck, I first thought to myself. I love the little face displays in my fighting games! So why in the hell would they give me an option to turn that sucker off, eh?

Ahhhh. Say no more, fam. I got you. Those are the biggest face displays I’ve ever seen in a fighting game! Sure, it looks cool and all, but I don’t like how they obscure the bottom part of the screen. Plus, with face display on you lose out on the cool combo meter. It’s always fun to see “15 HITS” pop up on your TV.

Impressive to see such massive sprites moving around with no slowdown whatsoever! Some SNES fighting games feature sprites that are on, shall we say, the small side of things. You won’t find that here, appropriately so!

Being that the sprites are so large, one might fear a lack of a proper combo system. Natsume erases those fears with a surprisingly combo friendly fighter (well, for the most part, largely depending on who you pick). For such giant warriors you might assume the worst but there are a lot of attacks that can easily be linked.

Fighting games from that era often didn’t allow you to strike opponents while they’re on the ground. You actually can in this game. In fact, it’s encouraged — each fighter has a specific ground strike.

Similar to many other fighting games from the mid ’90s, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Fighting Edition employs four buttons. However, this is where the similarities end. Y is weak attack and X strong attack. These are non-weapon based strikes, usually in the form of punches. B is weak weapon and A strong weapon attack. Damage is incurred when blocking weapon strikes, but not regular strikes. This was different and pretty cool — it emphasizes that the big weapons are strong enough to cause some damage even if you’re blocking. It makes perfect sense and highlights the power of these massive behemoths!

Throws are always a point of discussion for fighting games. Back in the old days you usually had no counter for a throw. If your rival gets close enough, they can throw you. But here, when both players go for the throw, you’ll both enter a grapple to decide the winner. It’s a nice touch.

Power bars became popular in the genre around 1995, but this game uses an interesting modification. Instead of powering up your bar each time you attack as in most other fighting games, the power bar here constantly fills itself and empties. If you were to throw, say, Thunder Megazord’s fireball when the bar is near full, his single fireball turns into three. And if you time it precisely when the power bar is full? You produce an even bigger more damaging version! Therefore you have special moves and then you have max versions of each special move. The effects vary and it’s fun to tinker with this system. Timing is critical!

Here’s his Thunder Saber Combo on max. Doesn’t look different at first…

Until you see the added third strike tacked on! Be sure to experiment as the max versions are obviously more powerful and effective. This completely changes the strategy and the player who uses their power bar most effectively often wins.

Better than maxed special moves? Super specials! Your power bar begins at blue. If you do a special move when the bar is full, blue morphs into pink. Do another special move at max capacity and pink turns into green. Repeat. Then green turns into a thunder bar. This is where you’re at optimum power. During this time all special moves performed are automatically their powered up versions. However, the thunder bar lasts for only 8-10 seconds so make sure to pull off your super special in time. I recommend using 2-3 special moves first for optimal damage. Then use your super special. You can see why this modification of the power bar makes this game completely crazy. You could conceivably activate your super special 10 seconds into a match. There are obviously pros and cons to this, but it really makes this game feel different from most other fighting games.

Nothing like giant robots duking it out in an all-out blast fest!

Simple yet kind of neat. Lord Zedd is such a badass in this game

Getting a vague sense of deja vu? Natsume used a similar engine to create Gundam Wing: Endless Duel about half a year later in March 1996.

WHAT THE CRITICS SAID

Zordon, no one's here... — Zordon, no one’s here…

Sadly, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Fighting Edition got pretty much zero fanfare in the pages of EGM and GameFan. Oddly, neither publication ever reviewed the game. Hell, they didn’t even preview it! For the quality of the game and the popularity of the show and genre (even though Power Rangers were waning by September of 1995), this really surprised me. Probably one of the big reasons why this game quickly faded into obscurity back in the day. For all the things Natsume got right, however, the game isn’t without its flaws. For starters, see that Zordon stage above? Better get used to it — the four Megazords all share that same stage. That just reeks of laziness. Even worse, although I appreciate the Zordon cameo, that stage is plain dull. They could at least have made it look a little more interesting.

Where's the first Megazord? — Where’s the first Megazord?

My biggest gripe with the game though is its paltry selection of eight fighters (OK, nine technically if you count Ivan Ooze with the cheat code). Hell, Super Street Fighter II and World Heroes 2 had 16 fighters each, and both those games came out a year prior. At the very least, just give me the original Megazord and the Dragonzord. I don’t need Rita (although she would have been nice). But the Dragonzord was my absolute favorite and it’s a shame it never once appeared in three Power Rangers SNES games. That’s a travesty if I ever saw one. Had they included those two and a few other memorable bad guys, this game would rank much higher in my book. Kind of a missed opportunity.

Where art thou? Oh well... — Where art thou? Oh well…

CLOSING THOUGHTS

It’s a shame Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Fighting Edition was given the shaft back when it first came out. Only in the years to come following its original release did word of mouth pick up and people recognized it as a legitimately good fighting game. Natsume could easily have phoned it in. Instead, they crafted a beautiful game with a rocking soundtrack and some remarkably refined gameplay. Their previous two SNES Power Rangers games left something to be desired but you know what they say — third time’s the charm. With its gorgeous visuals, thumping tracks and plenty of spectacular special moves that impress even to this day, The Fighting Edition is arguably the second best Super Nintendo “home grown” fighter, trailing only in my opinion Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters.

Sure it could have used a bigger fighting roster, and I didn’t like that four fighters shared the same background, but this game is not only surprisingly competent — it’s a blast. I love being able to play as some of my favorite Megazords and villains from the Power Rangers franchise. The screen often shakes with explosions followed by a dazzling array of yellows, oranges and reds as giant swords clang and massive columns of energy beams come raining down from the sky. The action suits the monster mayhem well, never failing to bring out the 10 year old Power Rangers loving kid in me. If you enjoy fighting games and you call yourself a Super Nintendo fan, you’d do well to check it out.

Graphics: 9
Sound: 8.5
Gameplay: 8
Longevity: 7.5

Overall: 8.0
Silver Award

Bonus points for a lot of the special moves being inspired from the actual TV show itself. This one being my favorite of the lot

Now THAT’S sick.

Shout out to Austin Creed AKA Xavier Woods! My man! — Shout out to Austin Creed AKA Xavier Woods. My man!

Amazing combo video, music choice aside.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie (SNES)

**Pub: Bandai | Dev: Natsume | June 1995 | 16 MEGS**

Sometimes a TV show comes along that is so popular that it launches a movie adaptation. Transformers. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. And now, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. But I’m not talking about the 2017 version. I’m talking about the old school 1995 one. Released on June 30, 1995, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie came out right toward the tail end of my Power Rangers fandom. I didn’t catch it at the time because I had pretty much lost interest in them by that time. If only it came out a year earlier! I just graduated 6th grade and the magic of the Power Rangers was all but gone for me at that time. The movie’s release also coincided with the Super Nintendo game of the same name, also released in June of ’95. The first Mighty Morphin Power Rangers game was solid albeit repetitive and flawed (single plane beat ‘em up and 1 player only, not counting the code for a token 1 on 1 option). So this “sequel” added an extra plane and a legit 2 player option. So obviously it’s the better game, right? Not so fast…

Hearing that classic Power Rangers theme will never get old. Unfortunately, it’s missing the lyrics here that the first game had. OK, not a big deal but right off the bat that’s a bit of a downgrade.

There’s one extra playable character in The Movie, but right away you can see there’s been a drop in graphical quality, not to mention aesthetics. The first game has this nice simple look to it. The second one, not so much.

Both games start out with a city type level. Other than the 2 player option for the second game though, the first game has it beat in almost every other category.

Single plane beat ‘em ups rarely realize their full potential, as I feel beat ‘em ups should allow free roaming space. The Movie adopted Fatal Fury‘s two plane system. Jump in and out of the background and foreground as you see fit. This added some extra depth to the game but I wish they simply made it a free roaming type of a beat ‘em up. On a side note, it’s oddly satisfying to clear the trees there. Similarly, failing to clear the trees elicits an opposite reaction: d’oh!

Some Putties are about that thug life. Others are about that hug life.

Exclamation points warn you of impending danger. These parts are kind of fun and highlight the added diversity that a two plane system brings. Still not the biggest fan of it but I can appreciate moments like this.

Every slain enemy drops a thunderbolt. Collect enough bolts to fill up your power meter. Once you do, IT’S MORPHING TIME!

Maybe it’s just me but I feel like the art style changed from the streets to this grocery store section. This looks much more like it! Love the little detail of the hapless citizens running for dear life.

Perhaps I spoke too soon, though. I miss the bombs from the first game.

They’re so much better! Again, not a deal breaker, but another knock.

Relax pal, there are plenty of red shirts on the rack there. You don’t have to fight me for the last one or anything! Also, a PSA to not be a hero but to switch planes instead. You’ll be glad that you did!

Things get rather heated and quick!

Mirror Maniac channels his inner Ryu. Channel your Haohmaru!

Watch out for his twin magic trick. Aim for the one with the bright center. 7 years bad luck? I’ll take my chances…

Stage 2 opens with you riding atop a speedboat. You soon crash into a rock which sends you onto an air force carrier base. Parachuting Putties occasionally drop from the sky. Navy planes zooming by causes them to sway away. Nice.

Kimberly actually bitch slaps the competition. Watch out for those crawling Putties. They’re a bit unsettling in the way that they drag their bodies like rotting zombies.

“IT’S MORPHING TIME!”

Inside the base now, we’re greeted by grenade launching Putties.

Clever usage of the two plane system. [You can still jump up on a single plane system -Ed.]. Shush, you.

Rumor has it this is how Sonic Team was inspired to create Burning Rangers. Or not.

Never bring a gun to a bow and arrow fight.

Carrot Top, I mean, Cannon Top, is a fun little boss fight. Long range attacks work fine, if you have them. Otherwise, you can either ride the platform or grab the crane up top to get your licks in. Beware of the spikes below.

Bombs work well, too.

Grab and kick is my personal favorite method, but you got to watch out for that deadly cannon blaster.

WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE YOU DOING THERE, BILLY? You know what, nevermind. I don’t even want to know. Skelerena, the boss of this snowy stage, greets you early on for a preview.

Great. Of all the Rangers I had to pick the least athletic one.

Exclamation marks warn you of big jumps to come. Oof!

Yeah, good call to switch to the jock. Sorry Billy, ~~Jason~~ Rocky’s got this.

Another good clever usage of the two plane system. Still wish it were “free roaming” though.

Hazards are strewn about to keep you honest.

Rocky’s so smooth. That Putty went out in glory.

Jump over single rocks but multiple rocks require plane switching.

Crap… it’s almost boss time and I haven’t collected enough power yet to morph. Thankfully, the game kept this consideration in mind…

Should you fail to activate your Ranger mode, the game is kind enough to force you into it at the beginning of a boss fight. I like this detail as you should not be able to beat a monster in teenager mode.

WHAT THE CRITICS SAID

EGM gave Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie scores of 7.5, 5.5, 5 and 5. Many people seem to prefer the first game over this one, myself included. Being released somewhat late in the Super Nintendo’s lifespan (June 1995), it didn’t create the hype or stir that the first game did, if nothing else based on timing and mega popularity. Power Rangers were very much in back in 1994. They were still popular in mid 1995 but the shine was quickly waning. Not unlike the SNES itself.

Like the film itself, it's just OK — Like the film itself, it’s just OK

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie is something of a guilty pleasure for me. It’s not a bad game but I wouldn’t call it a good one, either. It’s somewhere in the middle. The two plane system is cleverly implemented although most of the time I feel it’s a tease and wish they had gone with a free roaming system instead, similar to Final Fight. The 2 player co-op mode is a nice addition but honestly I would rather play the first game. In that one you got to actually pummel the Putties for a bit. Here, it’s one punch and they burst into thin air. You never feel like you’re actually beating them up, if that makes any sense. There’s no chance to land in multiple blows or to polish off a combo with a good old fashioned throw. This took away from the game for me personally.

Even though it came out a year later, the first game looks, sounds and plays better. My biggest disappointment with this game was the complete lack of Zords. Sure the first game has three token Megazord boss fights that felt tacked on more than anything else, but at least it gave you a little taste. Let’s face it, Power Rangers just isn’t the same without their giant dino Zords. This game completely misses that mark. Thankfully though, it still plays decently and it’s harder than the first game (whose difficulty was a complete joke). I think Power Rangers fans will find some enjoyment here. Hey, maybe Natsume will get it right on the third try. They say third time’s the charm…

Graphics: 6
Sound: 7.5
Gameplay: 6
Longevity: 5.5

Overall: 6.0

Spoiler: They got it right 3rd try — Third time is a charm indeed…

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Fighting Edition review can be seen here.

“You ooze, you lose.” Nuff said!

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (SNES)

**Pub: Bandai | Dev: Natsume | September 1994 | 16 MEGS**

If you were a kid back in 1993, chances are you grew up on the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. It was a huge hit and left an indelible mark on many of us who were born in the early-mid ’80s. Take a group of Saved By The Bell-esque teenagers, cheesy Godzilla rubber monster goodness, larger than life superhero teamwork antics (not unlike Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) and you get a smash success. As was the norm back in the early-mid ’90s, this meant the inevitable Super Nintendo licensed game. But first, let’s start at the very beginning.

“GO GO POWER RANGERS!”

This was such a big part of many childhoods

Was the show cheesy? Of course. Was it corny? You betcha. But it was all part of the charm. I was 10 when the Power Rangers burst on the scene in 1993. It was the perfect age I felt. I always say 10 is sort of that magical marker in one’s life. It’s that age where some days you feel like you’re 5 and on certain other days you feel like you’re 15. You’re old enough to get certain things, but still young enough to buy in and be in complete awe of something such as Power Rangers. Today, April 8, marks the birthday of my childhood best friend, Nelson. How appropriate, because Nelson and I loved the Power Rangers to death. Our daily after school routine consisted of sprinting from our 5th grade classroom, Room 21, back to my house as fast as possible in time to catch the opening intro. Oh, and what a glorious intro it was. DAT MUSIC!

SO.MUCH.NOSTALGIA!

Speaking of Amy Jo Johnson, let’s face it. She was a big reason why so many 10 year old boys loved the show. Along with Kelly Kapowski from Saved By The Bell, the Pink Ranger was one of our earliest crushes. Those two and Winnie Cooper from The Wonder Years.

Eye candy aside, the show had its fair share of exciting action and drama. For me the peak of the Power Rangers was that whole Green Ranger saga. Who could ever forget it…

But alas, it wasn’t meant to be. Tommy, the new kid in town who quickly became a fan favorite with his athletic ability and badass Dinozord, was sapped of his powers. But wait, there was a new ranger in town… the White Ranger!

The big reveal was set to happen the following week. All week long at school we were talking about it. My friends and I started a betting pool. WHO WAS THE WHITE RANGER? This is where I have to give props to EGM. Thanks to EGM, I won the pool and scored a few bucks

In 1994 my brother was subscribed to EGM. Subscribers got the magazine earlier than newsstands. Issue 64 came before the White Ranger reveal. I was excited to read it as I loved EGM back in the mid ’90s, but I had no idea I was about to come across a gigantic spoiler…

But then I flipped the card…

I never felt so conflicted in my life before. Granted, a big part of me figured it was Tommy, but no one at school had Tommy pegged! There were votes for Bulk and Skull, even Alpha but surprisingly none of them could fathom that it would be Tommy again. I was upset I was “spoiled” but I was ecstatic about having a guaranteed win. Finally, the moment came. The grand reveal…

I’ll never forget Josh, the ringleader of our little pool, questioning me that day like the FBI. “No way you could call that on your own! You cheated somehow, right? Like you saw it somewhere?” I guess he wasn’t an EGM subscriber! My brother and I still laugh about this memory every once in a while. Who knew EGM would make me about $7!

I still prefer Green over White. All day

Obviously, it wasn’t the most honorable moment of my life but hey, I was 10! We all did stuff back then, you know?

THANK YOU for the memories ;) — THANK YOU for the memories

NEARLY 25 YEARS LATER

They don't compare to the originals, but they're solid — They don’t compare to the originals, but they’re solid

It’s bittersweet to see the nostalgic entities of my childhood being revitalized over the past several years. Sweet because it always brings out the inner kid in me. Bitter because it reminds me my childhood is now over 20 years ago and that I’m getting f*cking old! This ’90s revival seems to be a trend in recent years — nostalgia sells. A lot of the 10 year old kids 20 years ago are now 30 somethings with disposable incomes. Goosebumps and Fuller House come to mind. Two weeks ago, Saban’s Power Rangers made its theatrical debut and became the latest ’90s franchise to be relaunched. I caught it on opening night and enjoyed it. It’s not going to win any awards or anything, but it’s a solid origin story with typical Power Rangers cheese. However, I’m not a fan of the Megazord design, the suits, the Putties or Goldar having zero personality. Dat Amy Jo Johnson and Jason David Frank cameo tho! Not to mention, my entire theatre exploded when the classic GO GO POWER RANGERS theme came on. For a second there, we suddenly morphed back into innocent, wide-eyed 10 year old kids. Good times.

IT’S MORPHIN TIME!

Awesome intro! The theme is faithfully ported over and got you pumped!

Underrated intro — I always thought this was a really cool opening. Love the flaming city in the background, the crimson red and the towering sight of Rita Repulsa. It made Angel Grove feel like any normal town or suburb anywhere in the USA. Hell, it could have been your town! That second shot is so simple yet so effective. One of the better SNES images that rarely gets its props.

Select from any one of the five Power Rangers. Each stage begins with you in their original teenager form. But halfway through, you morph into the Power Ranger form. Unfortunately, they more or less control all the same. I’ve always liked the corresponding light that transports each Ranger to the stage. It’s the small details!

Naturally, stage one takes place in the city. Is there a more classic stage one stereotype? But hey, I’m a sucker for a good city stage. Putty Patroller deception FTW.

About halfway through, there’s a boss preview and a morphing sequence.

Unfortunately, one thing you’ll notice right away however is that this is a single plane beat ‘em up. Kind of a bummer as I think the game would have been more enjoyable in a free roaming aspect with no plane restrictions.

Nothing like picking up a bench and tossing it at a Putty.

Remember the classic SNES era explosions? Power Rangers does.

Explosions in SNES games always looked like this, didn’t it?

Reminiscent of Double Dragon. That makes me one happy camper.

Bonehead is your first boss. All of the bosses are based upon the TV show. And all of them, like the game itself, are easy to beat.

Rattle his bones until only his head remains!

Unleash your bomb. Each Ranger’s bomb features their respective dinosaur. I love how it switches from showing a special attack and your signature dino. Good stuff!

Although the five Rangers play similarly, it’s still nice being able to select whoever you want before each stage. I always dug the rainbow effect of your chosen Ranger as they enter each new level.

Trini (played by Thuy Trang) is as graceful as they come. Speaking of whom, it’s sad that Thuy died in a car accident on September 3, 2001. Her funeral was held a week later and was attended by her Power Ranger cohorts. This was a day right before 9/11.

Transitions like such are handled smoothly. Pass through a wooded area to a warehouse factory of sorts. Trini flies through the air with the best of them.

Rita’s Putty Patrollers are no match for Trini’s athletic prowess.

Saber-toothed tiger was my favorite other than Jason’s T-Rex.

Rather bulky for a petite Asian girl, eh? Shame Natsume didn’t adjust the size of the Rangers. A hint of laziness on their part that isn’t a deal breaker by any means, but highlights the short cuts the firm took when developing this game.

Cookie points though for hazards that can take out either party!

Health refills are scattered throughout. Credit to Natsume for a slight twist here. To pick up a refill one had to press a button — this eliminates accidentally walking over it when you didn’t mean to. I’ve always appreciated when games from that era did that.

Bounce off walls with the greatest of ease. I wish Samus from Super Metroid did her wall jump as smoothly!

Gnarly Gnome and all his evil ways!

Seeing all the old faces from the TV show is good for a nostalgic jolt.

Walter Jones, who played the original Black Ranger, is done totally wrong here. His sprite resembles a primate more than it does a human. Weird!

There’s something about a classic flashing GO sign that keeps the old school gamer in me all giddy. Man, his sprite looks terrible…

Sewer stage? No, not stereotypical at all. But hey, at least it’s fun.

Mastodon > Lion Dinozord. Always and forever OG.

Nothing like smashing Putties with Zack’s power axe.

These sections are an absolute blast

Here, Putty Putty…

Underwater bits in video games are hit or miss. But this is a refreshing breath of air (pardon the pun). The water rises and dips. At times you can only swim but other times you can stand up and kick some Putty ass. Pretty cool.

Avoid his deadly eye beams and hack away.

Similar to Bones, Eye Guy battles to the very bitter end.

Interestingly enough, in the 2017 film the Black Ranger is played by an Asian and an African American played the Blue Ranger.

Every boy’s childhood crush!

Chandeliers fall and do not discriminate, taking out anyone caught in their way.

Kimberly has got legs for days…

Similar to Trini, Natsume didn’t account for the smaller build. D’oh.

Leaping over bullets like it’s a walk in the park and firing arrows at Putties like fish in a bucket — the Pink Ranger does it all.

Kimberly has the best range of all the Rangers. Love that second shot!

Similar to Gnarly Gnome, Genie fades in and out to keep you honest. He’s got the most attacks of all the bosses. It’s neat too that you can actually knock down his daggers with a well-timed strike. Big fan of that feature!

Enough fooling around. Time to put that genie back in the bottle!

Donatello was the brains of the Ninja Turtles, and Billy plays that role for the Power Rangers.

Turkey leg! What is this, Disneyland?! Hundred hand slap! What is this, Street Fighter II?!

Yeah, it’s safe to say Billy was never that jacked…

Nonetheless, he kicks Putty butt with the best of them.

Watch out for this giant laser beam. I love how it can take out the opposition as well!

There’s something ultra satisfying about an air throw.

Nobody ever said the Putty Patrollers were the brightest bulb in the tool shed.

They’re damn near suicidal!

Never learn, do ya?

Classic SNES era explosion. It never gets old.

What’s up with all the teleporting bosses? Dark Warrior is the hardest.

Billy’s Power Lance works effectively against Dark Warrior but call upon the powers of the Triceratops when the going gets tough.

Voltron, er, Megazord may have been all the rage back in 1993, but I always preferred Jason’s T-Rex. I remember it had a few solo battles in the TV series and those always had me on the edge of my seat. It was big enough to battle on its own but often lacked the oomph to finish off the bad guys for good. I would have liked to seen it being featured more in the original series. But maybe that’s just me.

Megazord in all his clunky glory!

Stage 6 puts you in the role of Megazord as you battle Mutitus. It’s a perfect choice because he looks absolutely badass towering over the factory!

Admittedly these giant battles are on the clunky side, but at the same time that added a bit of realism to things? Giant robots surely don’t move with the same grace as super powered humans. It doesn’t control bad or anything, but there’s a noticeable dip in the quality from Power Ranger to Megazord. The battles are still fun in their own unique ways.

Exactly like how you remember it being in the TV series, a flash of lightning appears right before you jam your Power Sword through the gut of your rival!

Cyclopsis is the final battle. There is a definite Mobile Suit Gundam Wing influence here!

Rushing in for the kill, you soon realize Cyclopsis finds his second wind.

TAKE THAT, BITCH! Cue Power Rangers theme song. End scene.

Rangers ride off into the sunset, literally.

Angel Grove’s Juice Bar, just like in the TV series, is the place to be. It even features a cameo from beloved Bulk and Skull. Unfortunately, there is no Zordon, Alpha 5 or Tommy sighting anywhere in the game. Man, I still can’t get over Zack’s sprite. That’s so wrong…

Hmmmm, come to think of it, we never did kill Rita…

PSST, WHAT’S THE PASSWORD?

There’s a four code password given at the end of each stage. I always appreciate a simple password system, but this game is so easy and short that the passwords are a bit comical. That’s how short and easy the game is. DAT RAINBOW EFFECT THO!

Seriously, I love a clean easy password system. No “S or 5?” BS here. By the way, at the end of the game three passwords are given. These allow a 2-player mode where Player 2 controls either Mutitus or Cyclopsis (Form 1 and Form 2). Eh. It’s not really worth playing but again, always better to have more options than not. I would much rather prefer this game to eliminate the single plane restriction and add a proper 2-player mode.

WHAT THE CRITICS SAID

Nothing shattering, really... — Nothing shattering, really…

EGM gave Mighty Morphin Power Rangers ratings of 7, 7, 6 and 6. There was a follow-up of sorts to this game called Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie. Most seem to prefer this first game, as do I. Despite the “sequel” having a 2-player option, it’s missing the charm of this simplistic single plane beat ‘em up.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers isn’t going to blow anyone away, but I remember thinking it was a pretty good little licensed game back in 1994. I still feel that way about it to this day. It sports some spiffy looking graphics that is pleasant to the eye. Although little details like all five Rangers having the same muscular build obviously detract a little from the overall package. The music is very good, especially when the Power Rangers theme comes on. The gameplay is simple as can be. It’s a single plane beat ‘em up so it’s very simplistic, but they threw in some fun little varied moments to keep things somewhat fresh. These include swimming sections, wall jumping and even having to contend with a gigantic laser beam that will ruthlessly slice anything caught in its vicious path. It does get a bit repetitive but that’s the nature of these type of games. It’s a shame the Rangers don’t play more differently. But I still like the ability to select any of them on any stage. It kind of reminds me of X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse in some ways.

Most Power Rangers fans are pretty pleased with how this game turned out. It’s faithful to the TV show and plays relatively well. It’s just a little too short and too much on the easy side of things. Still, there’s a simplistic charm about this game that somehow makes me revisit it once every couple years. It’s completely mindless and sometimes can get a bit repetitive, but I always enjoy popping it in for a few moments. It’s just a reminder of a simpler time when video games weren’t overly complex and the Power Rangers ruled the world. It’s by no means a masterpiece, but you’ll definitely appreciate it if you were ever a fan of the TV show.

Graphics: 7.5
Sound: 8.5
Gameplay: 7
Longevity: 6

Overall: 7.0

Thanks for the memories. R.I.P. Trini (Thuy Trang) — Thanks for all the memories! R.I.P. Trini (Thuy Trang)

Wolfenstein 3D (SNES)

Pub: Imagineer | Dev: Id Software | March 1994 | 8 MEGS — ***Pub: Imagineer | Dev: id Software | March 1994 | 8 MEGS***

Ahh, Wolfenstein 3D. When this came out in early ’94, I was just beginning my torrid obsession with first person shooters. Something about the genre really appealed to me. Something about being a one man strike force mowing down gun-toting soldiers and mutants one after another. It’s a raw, visceral kind of experience no other genre offers! It provides the kind of thrill you won’t find in any other genre. Growing up in the early-mid ’90s meant living through the 2D fighting game golden age, the 16-bit wars and the Doom era. What a great time it was to be a kid in those days. While Doom gets most of the accolades and glory, there might not have been a Doom without a Wolfenstein 3D.

TRAILBLAZER

We knew we were embarking on a whole new journey

The first time I experienced Wolfenstein 3D was at my friend’s house. As he booted it up he flapped his gums excitedly about this killer new game that was supposedly unlike any other video game he had ever played. I thought he was just blowing smoke up my you know what, but I quickly became a believer of the hype the second I saw Wolfenstein 3D in action.

The blood, the carnage, the sheer mayhem — it was unlike anything I had ever seen before. It felt like we were playing something taboo… something we weren’t supposed to be playing. It was one of those awesome gaming experiences that stay with you for the long haul, not unlike the first time you saw the likes of Doom, Resident Evil or Super Mario 64. Even nearly 25 years later, I remember it vividly. The adrenaline rush shooting through my nine year old body at the time was damn near palpable.

MARCH 1994

Back in the day my brother would always ship me on the weekends to go rent a Super Nintendo game of his choosing. (See Memories of Renting for more). Wolfenstein 3D was one of those games my brother directed me to rent. It’s funny — I ended up playing the game more than he did. I loved Doom at the time but I had yet to play Wolfenstein 3D thoroughly. I only briefly played it at my friend’s house in mid 1992, but mostly I remember watching him play it. So the SNES port was my first taste for all intents and purposes. And boy did I love it. I even made a mini strategy guide where I rated the enemies and guns. Unfortunately that guide is just another childhood thing lost to time…

LATE 1996

One night my dad took my brother and me to FUNCOLAND. It was there I saw Wolfenstein 3D for $30. It wasn’t cheap per se, especially for an older game, but seeing it suddenly brought back good memories of that weekend I spent with Wolfie back in March of 1994. The nostalgic feels were too strong and I caved. My brother wanted to get the latest NHL game. But being that Wolfenstein was cheaper, my dad went with my choice much to my brother’s chagrin.

"If it bleeds, we can kill it..." — *“If it bleeds, we can kill it…”*

I remember rushing home and beat the game for a second time that weekend. It was an absolute blast (no pun intended). I also enjoyed revisiting random levels and messing around with the God mode. I sure made the most of it.

MARCH 27, 2006

Got these on Saturday, April 1, 2006. Epic weekend! — Got this on Saturday, April 1, 2006. Epic weekend

Two months into my SNES resurrection, I fondly remembered my old friend, Wolfie 3D, and all the good times I had with it back in the ’90s. Found a copy on eBay and sniped it with ONE second to go. My max was originally $2.22 but at the last second I decided to add a nickel, making my new max $2.27. Funny enough, I won the game for $2.25. That nickel made all the difference! It felt great to add this childhood favorite to my growing SNES collection. I remember it arriving bright and early on a Saturday morning of April 1, 2006, along with Lufia II and Mega Man 7. Back when these expensive games were going for cheap. Also, they arrived the day before WrestleMania 22. Wow, it’s almost been 11 years. Ah, good times. But it took me nearly a year later to finally replay Wolfie.

RETURN TO CASTLE WOLFENSTEIN

Wednesday, January 31, 2007. Looking through my collection for the next game to play and review, Wolfenstein 3D caught my eye. Has it held up? Or has time been unkind to it? Only one way to find out…

PS- I’m going to rate the enemies and guns here like I did so many years ago. The higher the rating, the tougher the enemy and the more useful the gun. Because why not?

THE WEAPONS

If this were a horror movie, the knife would rank much higher. But it’s not. And in the world of Wolfenstein 3D, the knife is basically suicide. Never bring a knife to a gun fight, right? This game proves that and then some. On a side note, you can’t switch to the knife in the SNES version unless you’re out of ammo. That always annoyed me. Sure the knife sucks, but it would have been fun to use with the God mode (rather than firing all my ammo first in order to use the knife).

The pistol is better than nothing but it doesn’t pack much of a punch. Still, it gives you a long range weapon and you at least have a fighting chance. However, the rate of fire is rather pitiful and you’ll want a much more powerful gun beyond the first couple levels. It should be noted that once you acquire a stronger weapon, the pistol cannot be switched to. Odd. It’s fun to put the God mode on and use this gun against the bosses.

This quirky little gun would seem like a sizable step up from the pistol but it isn’t. Sure, the rate of fire is much faster than the pistol, but oddly, at times it seems even weaker than even the pistol! Not sure what happened with the damage ratio here, but it sometimes takes three even four shots to kill a guard whereas I can kill said guard with two pistol shots. Nevertheless, I’ve always liked this gun and it’s a blast to use on the bosses with the God mode!

Now we’re talking! This is the weapon to use 90% of the time. Rapid fire chaos and it’s also fairly strong. Only time that the chain gun shouldn’t be used is perhaps during some of the later boss fights, where it’s just a bit outmatched. But yeah, there’s no better feeling than firing this gun at will, mowing down a room of 10 Nazi guards in no time flat.

The flame thrower sure lights up the screen! Burn your enemies to a crisp (although unfortunately you’ll just have to imagine the burning flesh). Fast rate of fire and quite potent indeed.

The BFG of the game, this is the only gun in the game that can kill multiple enemies in one shot. Its only downside is the lack of ammo available and the fact that it fires a very small shot, leaving little room for error. On the plus side, there’s zero splash damage. Meaning you can fire it two feet away from an enemy and not take any damage yourself.

THE BAD GUYS

A low tier enemy, the guard fires a pistol and doesn’t have the greatest mobility. They’re a notch above a sitting duck, really, and you should be forced to turn in your gamer badge if you let one of these bastards take you down. They’re most memorable for screaming “HALT!” or in this case “STOP!” Sheesh, come on, no means no. Who’s the bad guy here?

Elite guards are a step above the regular guards. These burly blue uniformed men are far more menacing and pack a more powerful wallop. Their machine gun will take off more damage than the guard’s lowly pistol. However, they’re pretty slow both in terms of moving around and firing their weapon. This allows you to usually land the first shot. Repeat a few more times and before you know it this bastard will bite the dust. They’re formidable in packs, though.

Although weaker than the elite guard and carries a weaker weapon, the officer is not to be taken lightly. They react the quickest of all the enemies, often ambushing you with shots from left field. They tend to stay silent too, and zig zag about the castle floors making it more difficult to pelt them. They’ll sap more health from you than you may think. Hence the slightly higher rating than the bigger elite guards.

Proud product of the mad Doctor Schabbs, mutants don’t make a sound until they shoot, greeting you with the crack of gunfire. The mad doc inserted a pistol into the center of their chest and topped them off with cleaver-tipped arms! They’re pretty agile suckers to boot. The toughest of the regular enemies you’ll face. I always liked them as they brought a hint of macabre and a light occult flavor to the game. Besides, it can get pretty boring killing just human guards and dogs (oops, rats in this version). The mutant brings much needed diversity!

The killer dogs have been changed into… mutant rats?! Yes, it’s true. It’s just another sign of Nintendo censorship before they changed their family friendly image in late 1994 starting with Mortal Kombat II. Dogs or giants rats, it’s all the same at its core, however. This enemy is a joke. In fact, in all my years playing Wolfenstein 3D I don’t think a rat has ever successfully been able to bite me. Nuff said.

THE MISSIONS AND BOSSES

Mission One: Dresden Strike
Location: Castle outside of Dresden
Objective: Terminate Hans Grösse

Hans is the first boss and a relative cake walk with the chain gun. Hell, even his level has no other enemies. The same can’t be said for the other bosses who send wave after wave of guards and mutants your way before the ultimate showdown. But being a first boss, I get that id Software wanted the spotlight solely on Hans. It’s certainly a memorable moment when the door opens and you see his huge ass sprite for the very first time. I mean, it’s nowhere near the Barons of Hell debut, but it’s pretty solid in its own right. Many first aid kits lie in an isolated room nearby just in case, but you won’t need them if you skillfully strafe about. Upon detection he yells “I’M COMIN’ TO GIT CHU!” It’s a nice touch that always came off a bit creepy to me. Makes it feel a bit like a B-movie horror film…

Mission Two: A Dark Secret
Location: Castle Erlangen
Objective: Terminate Trans Grösse

As you would expect, Trans is a fair bit tougher than his brother, Hans. Not only that but he’s also flanked by eight of his most trusted lackeys. That extra firepower can prove fatal if you aren’t quick on your feet and precise with your trigger finger. From this point on the enemy count in addition to the boss only increases. After communication with Hans Grösse proved futile, the Nazi forces realized they have underestimated your abilities. Hopefully, you’ve found a stronger weapon than the chain gun by now. Trans is more durable than Hans AND he’s extra pissed that you’ve killed his brother.

Mission Three: Operation Eisenfaust
Location: Dr. Schabbs’ Research Laboratory
Objective: Terminate Dr. Schabbs

The maniacal doctor has been working hard late into the night. Malpractice, foul intentions and diabolical schemes are all on the menu. Grafting a pistol on to the chest of the recently deceased, he’s found a way to bring slain guards back to life! Somewhere in the depths of his laboratory he lurks. He may look like a simpleton but don’t be fooled by his appearance. Throwing unknown harmful chemicals and rusty syringes at you, Doctor Schabbs is more than a handful. Creepy bastard.

Mission Four: Trail of the Madman
Location: Mountain Fortress
Objective: Terminate ÜBERMUTANT

Despite killing the mad doctor, his efforts live on. Here’s his prized creation… the ultra deadly ÜBERMUTANT! Hidden in the dank dungeons of the Mountain Fortress, he awaits your arrival with many of his mutant friends in tow. This sprite never fails to impress me. The huge chain gun embedded in the middle of his chest… his four freaky arms each wielding a butcher knife… this is Michael Myers on steroids…

Mission Five: Confrontation
Location: Castle Heidenheim
Objective: Terminate Death Knight

If you thought the ÜBERMUTANT was incredibly tough, you haven’t seen squat yet! The Death Knight is by far the hardest boss in the entire game. Being accompanied by dozens of guards and mutants is a big reason why, but even on his own he’s a force of nature. His gas attack inflicts tons of damage and he’s as durable as they come. I once beat him with only 2% health remaining. Whew…

Mission Six: Staatmeister’s Last Stand
Location: Castle Wolfenstein
Objective: Terminate Staatmeister

The final line of defense, as it were. The Staatmeister first appears in this exosuit and is actually pretty easy. It’s a bit anti-climactic, especially following the hard fought battle with the Death Knight. The suit is more bark than bite. That’s not to say he’s a walk in the park, because he isn’t, but you would expect the final boss to be a little tougher than this.

After destroying his exosuit, you square off with his more vulnerable second form. It’s more of a formality than anything else, as the battle is truthfully a bit pitiful. In this state the chain gun will serve you just fine. But getting to him will prove tricky as the final castle floor is littered with pesky guards, crack shot officers, nasty elite guards and vicious mutants all hell bent on your destruction.

THE MANY FACES OF B.J. BLAZKOWICZ

I like the various reactions of B.J. Blazkowicz. When you grab a big gun he’ll signal his approval with a fat grin. When he’s low on health he will look the part. But best of all, he turns his head in the direction he was shot from, which can save you some extra damage points if you react quickly enough. Not just a cosmetic feature, this was pretty cool stuff. Doom Guy seems to get all the love but let’s not forget B.J. did it first.

THE GAME

The key to success... — The key to success…

Each stage contains two different types of locked doors with two corresponding keys to find. Some keys lie around in the open while others are guarded by a horde of bloodthirsty soldiers and mutants.

These guys give you a 1-UP.

There are many secret passageways hidden within the 30 levels of Wolfenstein 3D. Simply approach any section of a wall, painting or closed curtain and press the A button. A portion of the wall will slide back if a secret room is hidden behind the panel. These rooms may contain valuable items such as 1-UPs, ammo, guns, etc. One secret room will even warp you to a special bonus level!

Imagine a dozen of him... — Imagine a half dozen Hans…

See if you can locate the hidden warp to play the bonus level where MULTIPLE Hans Grösse bosses call home. It’s quite the barn burner! HINT: it’s hidden somewhere in level 25.

The levels have been reduced in size as compared to the original computer game, but they’re still plenty big. I still occasionally find myself getting lost within the mazes and labyrinths despite the reduced size.

What SNES Doom lacked! — What SNES *Doom* lacked!

After each level a password is given. This is how all passwords should be. Succinct, clear and only takes five seconds to input. None of that “Is this a 5 or S? ARGHHH!” crap.

The graphics took a hit but are still serviceable

Although many of the more questionable designs have been removed (the Hitler portraits and the swastika), the levels still maintain a nice look all things considered. Chandeliers can be found on the earlier floors, while later things become more depressing and macabre. You’ll find decaying walls, human bones and so forth. I like how the game handles these transitions and becomes progressively more bleak.

Enemies popping out of nowhere can make ya flinch

The goal is simple: reach the exit of each stage before the Nazi soldiers can take you out. It’s a classic concept that has stood the test of time. The game still makes me flinch on occasion when I turn a corner and blindly walk right into a bad guy from seemingly out of nowhere. It’s me versus him. Only one of us can survive. It’s raw and visceral like no other genre can offer. Good stuff.

Be weary of alcoves in particular. They are usually home to soldiers and mutants just waiting to ambush you. Strafing (shoulder buttons L and R) will be key to your success and thankfully works rather smoothly.

Always unhinges me a bit to see this…

Wolfenstein 3D gives you a great feeling of being a one man strike force. The destruction you can dish out is, at times, a great rush. Despite the lack of blood, it’s still a satisfying experience to mow down a room full of Nazi soldiers in no time flat.

"I prefer the dark..." — *“I prefer the dark…”*

Here’s another detail to the game that I’ve always appreciated as a kid. Early on the sky has a nice, cheery look to it with a few clouds. It almost feels serene… as if you’re at the park about to enjoy a picnic. However, later in the game if you peek outside the sky will be dark and gloomy. It’s a nice touch that reminds me of a quote from the 2004 film Sideways.

Great movie, great acting, great characters :) — Great film, great acting, great characters

When asked if he preferred the strawberry or chocolate cake, Paul Giamatti’s depressed character answered, “I prefer the dark…”

I like their spacious and clunky exits. Charming — I like the spacious and clunky exits

Seeing an exit always made me happy. Not just because it’s on to the next level but because I just enjoy the quirky design of the exits. It’s one of those things you can’t really put into words, but seeing an exit never fails to make me smile.

By the way, don’t always assume an exit means you’re home free. Some exits contain elite guards and mutants just waiting to take advantage of lackadaisical players.

Yeah, you know it can't be that easy... — Yeah, you know it can’t be that easy…

One of my favorite parts from the game… the next door lies in waiting straight ahead. But between you and that door?

This picture illustrates the beauty of this game. The bosses (as well as the regular enemies) stalk you relentlessly once you’ve been spotted. No short term memories here. Navigate around those walls strategically, using them to your defense. Wolfenstein 3D is far from being simply just a gung-ho kill kill affair. There is some strategy and crafty skills required in order to succeed.

In your face, Staatmeister Hitler! — In your face, ~~Hitler~~ Staatmeister!

CENSORSHIP

It’d be easy to blame the developers for censoring the game when in fact the preview version contained plenty of gore. Unfortunately, Nintendo censored the bloody thing — pun intended. Keep in mind this was half a year before Nintendo changed its stance and adopted a ratings system, which allowed such violent games as Mortal Kombat II to exist.

The rabid dogs were originally present in the SNES port but after Nintendo got through with it, we got mutant rats instead. It’s largely cosmetic for the most part, but it’s easy to see why this degree of strict censorship left a bit of a sour taste for many people.

In fact, you can play the beta version as it’s floating out there in the vastness of cyberspace. Those of you adamant on experiencing Wolfenstein 3D on your SNES with red blood over sweat will be pleased — all two of you. Be forewarned though, it’s incomplete. After the first three missions or so it loops. That way you’ll never be able to finish the game. Bummer.

Glorious sight indeed. But alas, it just wasn’t meant to be.

Blood doesn't make a game — Blood doesn’t make a game

Does the censorship hurt? Sure. Game killer? Definitely not. The game still plays very well and that’s the most important thing.

It's a blast, blood or not — It’s a blast, blood or not

THE ESSENTIALS ARE STILL INTACT

It’s impossible to deny that the SNES port was stripped and gutted — killer dogs have been turned into mutant rats, the blood is missing, the levels are smaller and all Nazi signs have been removed. But at its core, Wolfenstein 3D is a good game and that hasn’t changed.

The gun sounds are relatively weak, but everything else is very well handled. The music has a great beat, the boss themes are intimidating and the voices are surprisingly rather clear. Playing this in stereo is a treat. Hearing “STOP!” from the left and right side simultaneously will get your heart racing. I’ve flinched more times than I care to willingly admit simply by turning a seemingly innocent corner only to be greeted by a loud “STOP!”

Bosses are huge and will make you sweat a little upon first glance.

Better not run out of ammo or else you’re stuck with a puny knife!

Doctor Schabbs is unsettling to the core. First of all, why is his fat ass grinning so much? And check out the dirty syringes that he chucks at you. Ugh, it kind of makes me shiver. There’s nothing worse than a creepy doctor.

Seriously creepy. Stop smiling at me! But you get a key for your troubles.

The bosses utter their one liners with a strange inhuman tone. “I’M COMIN’ TO GIT CHU!” and “I’M COMIN’ FER YOOH!” works surprisingly well. You’re in awe of their sheer size the first time you see the towering bosses. The ÜBERMUTANT in particular is quite the sight for sore eyes. You know he’s waiting for you… you’re strafing the corners and just waiting to find him… finally, when you let your guard down and turn the turner — “I’M COMIN’ FER YOOH!” It’s a rush, no doubt. Not many SNES games are as (in)tense as this one.

Backpacks (which allow you to hold more ammo) and first aid kits are scattered about. You’ll also find turkey meat and cheese. The cheese health refills are hilarious. They only recover 4% (!) health. What a strange low number. And why haven’t the mutant rats already eaten the cheese? It’s odd as all hell!

This can't be a good sign... — This can’t be a good sign…

CHEATS

299 Rounds
Press and hold R while turning the power on. Release R at the title screen, then start a game. Pause and press R, up, B, A

All Weapons + Maximum Ammo
Hold R on controller 2, turn on the SNES and release R at the title screen. During game pause and press R, up, B, A

Full Map + All Keys
Hold R on controller 2, turn on the SNES and release R at the title screen. During game pause and press A, A, up, B

God Mode
Hold R on controller 1, turn on the SNES and release R at the title screen. During game pause the game and press B, up, B, A

Level Select
Hold R on controller 1, turn on the SNES and release R at the title screen, then immediately press up and select

Level Skip
Hold R on controller 1, turn on the SNES and release R at the title screen. During game pause the game and press up, B, R, B

WHAT THE CRITICS SAID

Wolfenstein 3D received scores of 8, 7, 7 and 6 from EGM.

Ed Semrad- 7: Good music and huge mazes help you come back for more and more. While there are changes it is still a very good translation… a great game that moves fast

Danyon Carpenter- 8: So the blood was removed. Who cares? The game is still a riot! Not many other games put you in the role of gun-toting soldier running rampant through a maze shooting guards and mutants

Al Manuel- 6: Although the Swastikas on the wall and Hitler have been removed, this is a pretty good translation

Sushi-X- 7: As one of my favorite PC games, this Super NES version almost has everything in the sense of the game play. A good translation

Super Play gave it a 78%, citing “Blocky but fun shooter”

GameFan gave it scores of 89, 89, 80 and 77% citing “Major fun, buy it!” and “Hair-raising action and sweat-inducing intensity!”

CLOSING THOUGHTS

There have been quite a few critics of the SNES port but I’ve always loved it. And quite frankly I still do to this very day. Granted, I’ve never thoroughly played the original computer game and thus can’t compare it to the superior originator. I can only base Wolfenstein 3D to other SNES games of its era. There simply aren’t many games like this on the Super Nintendo. Running through mazes mowing down guard after guard is a rush few other SNES games can replicate. It’s a raw and visceral experience. I still break it out every now and then as it’s fun to revisit even after all these years.

Yeah, the graphics get very pixel-y up close but considering the hardware it’s a relatively admirable job. Enemies can still be spotted from afar, which is critical. The boss sprites are incredibly massive, detailed and menacing. The music is catchy — I can still hear some of those tunes in my head. “STOP!” will make you flinch in your seat on occasion and the large mazes are complex and well designed. The gameplay is simply timeless and holds up well. It’s not just a mindless shoot ‘em up. Strafing throughout the labyrinths is key to success as well as using doors and corridors to your distinct advantage.

The enemy AI is very strong to boot. Enemies bum-rush you relentlessly upon sight. They’ll even come from other rooms when they hear the crack of gunshot. Not all doors are soundproof! This lends Wolfenstein a realistic feel and makes things much more interesting, not to mention extra tense! You never know when one innocent shot will lead to a summoning of the undead from many rooms over. You’ll hear doors opening in the far distance faintly. Then as the bad guys come closer and closer, the sound of the door opening gets louder and louder. You’re being stalked throughout the mazes. And it’s an absolute rush laying waste to 20 bad guys within the short span of 30 seconds! Some games never get old, and Wolfenstein 3D is definitely one of those games for me.

Graphics: 7
Sound: 8
Gameplay: 9
Longevity: 7

Overall: 9.0
Gold Award

3 Ninjas Kick Back (SNES)

**Pub: Sony | Dev: Malibu | November 1994 | 16 MEGS**

It’s Friday, March 3. This date is known for two things. First, Nintendo released their brand new Nintendo Switch on this day. But the even bigger thing? Today marks 3 Ninjas Day. March 3. 3/3. 3 Ninjas. Geddit? OK, all kidding aside, 3 Ninjas Kick Back has its place in Super Nintendo lore. The box and manual command a small fortune. Diehard collectors place insane bids whenever either shows up on eBay. The game itself is rarely talked about and whenever it is, people usually bash the hell out of it. Released with no fanfare, 3 Ninjas Kick Back came and went like so many other SNES games in the mid ’90s. But for once, I’d like to take a moment to highlight the game itself rather than the box and manual. Is the game really that bad? In short, no. In fact, from where I sit at least, it’s actually pretty decent. But before I get to that, I have to address the elephant in the room…

SERIOUS BUSINESS

SNES collectors, be ready to pay a premium

It’s no secret that SNES games these days tend to command a pretty penny. Particularly the boxes and manuals. The market has steadily climbed the past seven years or so. Sure, prices have fluctuated but I don’t think the “bubble” will burst any time soon. Take, for instance, 3 Ninjas Kick Back. If you didn’t know by now, the box and manual for this game is rather scarce. So when it does pop up, it fetches a staggering price. It’s seemed to come down a bit in recent times, though. But the cartridge itself has gone from $20 to $100+. Go figure. A few years back, a complete copy actually sold for $2,000. You read right — TWO THOUSAND FREAKING BUCKS. Holy crap. But a check on eBay reveals a complete copy recently ended at “just” $500. That’s still plenty nuts when you think about it! It makes me glad I got back into the scene when I did (January 2006). The demand for these relics from our youth is at an all-time high like never before.

Mind.Blown.FATALITY — Insanity. The game itself now hits $100+ as of 2017

When I got back into all things SNES in January 2006, I didn’t really care about owning the boxes and manuals. Aside from RPG manuals, I was fine with having just the cartridge. Once I bought the majority of the games I wanted, I bought a few boxes and manuals where I could due to how cheap they were at the time. As I saw my collection expanding, the urge to own a “complete” collection grew and grew. I took that goal seriously when I began snatching up boxes and manuals to complete my cartridges in 2007. Due to boxes and manuals typically going for peanuts (relatively speaking), I was able to cross them off my list one by one between the years 2007-2011. Only one eluded me all those years: 3 Ninjas Kick Back. I only saw the box and manual maybe three or four times in the five years I’d been hunting. Each one sold for a fair amount. I was lucky to buy the manual in late 2011 before acquiring the box in March 2012.

I consider my acquisition of the 3 Ninjas Kick Back box to be the moment I more or less retired from active SNES collecting. This month actually mark five years since I bought the box. I didn’t even realize that until just now. It’s pretty cool when these random things happen like such. Time flies!

A high price sucker I sold to fund the 3 Ninjas Kick Back box — I sold this rare box to fund the *3 Ninjas Kick Back* box

To fund the insane amount it took to buy the box, I parted with some highly sought after SNES items of my own that I was willing to sacrifice. I sold off my copy of Incantation. It included the manual and a pretty banged up box for $200 (it’s another high end SNES collectible). I sold some doubles as well to finally amass enough to cover the charge. Nothing feels sweeter than not having to pay out of your own pocket, so to speak!

It feels damn good to be retired ^_^

INSTANT CHILDHOOD CULT CLASSIC

Every kid liked this back in the early '90s — Every kid liked this back in the early ’90s

Movies like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Home Alone were smash hits in 1990. Someone had the brilliant idea of crossing the two and thus, in the summer of 1992, 3 Ninjas was born. My brother and I loved it. We rented and watched it dozens of times, damn near wearing out the tape. Take three young brothers trained in ninja techniques from a young age, throw in Victor Wong as the ass kicking Grandpa Mori along with some dim-witted hooligans to serve as the perfect foil, and you get an instant childhood cult classic.

Rocky, Colt and Tum Tum rock out with Grandfather Mori — Rocky, Colt and Tum Tum jam with Grandpa Mori

If you mix Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with Home Alone, you would get something very similar to 3 Ninjas. It was so successful that it spawned three sequels: 1994’s 3 Ninjas Kick Back, 1995’s 3 Ninjas Knuckle Up, and 1998’s 3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain (starring Hulk Hogan who at the time was leading the nWo… Ninja World Order). I’ve only seen the first two. The first film is the best. The first sequel was decent but clearly the magic was gone by then. I rather not watch the last two films based on what I’ve heard…

Such a guilty pleasure childhood movie :) — Such a guilty pleasure childhood movie this was!

Loved every second of this childhood classic

THE STORY GOES…

Grandpa Mori is one to talk. He's been eating good too — *Grandpa Mori’s one to talk;* he’s been eating good too

A plot matched by only Citizen Kane, it's ninja time! — A plot matched by only *Citizen Kane*, it’s ninja time!

Yo have to love Victor Wong and his lazy eye — Yo have to love the OG Victor Wong and his lazy eye

Grandpa Mori is an OG. Don't mess with Texas or Mori — Grandpa Mori is legit. Don’t mess with Texas or him

Tum Tum might be the smallest SNES protagonist ever — Tum Tum — the smallest SNES protagonist ever?

While an action platformer at heart, there is a slight beat ‘em up feel to 3 Ninjas Kick Back. This is thanks to each ninja having his own special move. It’s good for taking out a crowd of enemies but it comes at the expense of some health. This platforming / beat ‘em up hybrid style works!

Nice looking manual covers the game mechanics nicely — The manual is well written and designed

I love these intros. The rays throb as catchy music plays — I love the intros. The rays throb as catchy music plays

Stick it out to get to the better stuff... — Stick it out to get to the better stuff…

You start out on a small ledge which is magically suspended in mid-air. A giant boulder rests behind you. As soon as you start moving to the right, it falls and gives chase. This can easily frustrate players right off the bat; the game doesn’t start off so hot. But press on because it does get better.

As you try to outrun the rolling rock of doom, stalactites fall on cue. You have two options here. Eat each of the three falling attacks, or stop and wait for the stalactite to drop harmlessly while the rock rolls you over. Thankfully, the rock only saps four of your six health boxes. Or you can race through the three stalactites and eat three hits of damage before leaping to safety. Either way, you can’t avoid getting hit here. I can see why this left a bad taste in people’s mouth right off the bat -_-

What good would a platformer be without some swinging? — Can’t have a platformer without some swinging…

You can propel yourself to new heights by grabbing onto a rope, vine or tree branch. It does take a bit of working out to get the hang of things, but once you do you’ll be swinging around like a monkey. The control isn’t perfect but it’s not terrible, either. Workable describes it best.

Only Tum Tum is small enough to duck the shurikens — Only Tum Tum is tiny enough to duck the shurikens

Very nice indeed, those red crystals. They even cause unseen items high above the screen to fall down for the taking. I also like how the screen turns red as a bursting sound effect rips across the land. Good stuff, and it was little details like this early on that gave me hope this might actually turn out to be a decent little game.

I usually don’t care for collecting items in platformers. It’s something I do out of necessity rather than enjoyment. But in 3 Ninjas Kick Back I’ll actually go out of my way to collect them all. That’s because when you collect one, you hear a sweet sound effect. Plus it’s fun to see the mini stars and point bonuses popping up.

Looks just like Victor Wong, little white goatee and all! — Looks just like Victor Wong, little white goatee and all

Speaking of burns, who put that evil campfire there?! — Speaking of burns, who put that evil campfire there?

Um, let's move on. This level lasts like ... 10 seconds — Um, let’s move on. This level lasts like… 10 seconds

The training dummies are from the actual movie itself — The training dummies are from the actual film itself

Finally, a level you can sink your teeth in

Nice. But this one is at the beginning of the level. D'oh! — But this one is at the beginning of the level. D’oh!

Take care of Mori's shrivel up old ass! [DAT visual -Ed.] — Take care of Mori’s shriveled old ass! *[DAT visual -Ed.]*

Remember when video games had health boxes? 3 Ninjas Kick Back does. There’s also a timer which adds a sense of urgency. This game elicits a bit of an old school 8-bit NES platforming feel, which is perfectly fine by me.

Destroy all eight training dummies before the timer expires. Scattered throughout the forest, you’ll be searching high and low. Some are tucked away in alcoves. Others are heavily guarded by obstacles and various dangers. And never forget: look before you leap. Dummies require several hits to break. I love the way their limbs go flying in every which direction! My personal method of preference? Why, swinging overhead until they submit to my heart’s foul desires!

That caramel green apple restores two health boxes

Being a youthful nimble ninja certainly has its advantages. You can leap pretty high on your own, but you’ll soar like a bird when combining your techniques with your environment.

Love the swirling mist that permeates this forest

Grabbing onto a rope can be a little tricky. You have to press up while jumping. Be ready to aim for the tree branch there should you miss the rope. Any port in a storm, eh?

Gray bombs drop while black ones can be flung

That was way too close! — That was way too close…

"You've heard of ingenuity. I call this NINJA-NUITY!" — *“You’ve heard of ingenuity. I call this **NINJA-NUITY!**“*

Mori and rival ninjas will occasionally fire a series of shurikens at you from high above. Thankfully, you can block these ninja stars with a well-timed overhead attack. I love that this offensive strike doubles as a defensive tool. And look at how the shurikens bounce harmlessly off your weapon — nice!

Evokes memories of childhood birthday piñata parties — Just like your childhood birthday piñata parties

Don’t look scared now, Rocky. This dummy thought he was clever hiding out in this alcove but even his most deceptive and cunning strategy cannot evade your deft ninja senses. It’s time to do the honors. Give the piñata a couple stiff whacks. NEXT!

"You taught me... a TRUE ninja never accepts a bribe. HI-YAAA!" — *“A true ninja NEVER accepts a bribe. HI-YAAA!”*

As the dummies start to dwindle down and Mori realizes your true ninja potential, he decides to employ a different strategy — good old fashioned bribery!

That's a big piece of wood in-between Rocky's legs... — Big piece of wood you got there, Rocky [… -Ed.]

Bridges, ledges, alcoves. Every square inch here is teeming with danger. Wooden blocks shoot out sharp needles while bloodthirsty bats are out on the prowl. Thankfully, you’re skilled enough to attack while hanging from a ledge. Once you show that flippant bat who’s boss, use your core strength to flip up and put that block out of its misery.

I like playing as these nimble little bastards. They can hang on, flip up or flip down. Different options lead to more gameplay variety. Being able to do a number of things from this position presents you with a set of choices and really puts you in the driver’s seat. It’s details like this that help make 3 Ninjas Kick Back surprisingly decent.

3 Ninjas Kick Back is often misjudged. Give it a shot! — *3 Ninjas Kick Back* is often misjudged. Give it a shot

This is where the game begins to pick up some steam. I suspect those that bash this game quit before getting to this level. The first couple levels are uninspiring and meh. It’s easy to stop there and declare the game worthless. But players who press on may find some actual merit.

Faithful to the film, we see the three bumbling idiots

Can Glam, Slam and Vinnie, bring the knife home? — Can Glam, Slam and Vinnie bring the knife home?

"Steal it BACK? But you never had it." "SHADDUP YOU FOOL!" — *“Steal it BACK? But um… boss, you never had it.”*
***“YOU SHADDUP, YOU GAWD DAMN FOOL!”***

Before entering Mori's cabin you must survive this — Before entering Mori’s cabin you must survive this

Collect the bombs quickly. Not a moment to waste!

Tum Tum is so small he can actually duck these attacks — Tum Tum is so small he can actually duck that punch

You’re hanging precariously on the ledge as a black ninja (with an even blacker heart) maliciously heaves a barrage of shurikens. But being the nimble ninja you are, you manage to evade the attack by flipping up and snapping his neck in two. All in one fell swoop. It doesn’t get much better than that.

[This game rocks? No, but it has rocks... -Ed.] — *[This game rocks? No, but it has rocks… -Ed.]*

The troll-looking nurse also comes from the movie

[Now THAT'S what I call the "blind leading the blind..." -Ed.] — *[Now that’s what I call the “blind leading the blind” -Ed.]*

One of my favorite levels, this is right out of the movie — One of my favorite levels, this is right out of the film

You never know what you might get — You know what Forest Gump said about chocolates…

Really?! Another Mori Marker to start out the stage. You can’t help but laugh a little bit. Grandpa Mori straight up trolling us now!

Ever get hit in the nuts by a basketball? Yeah... — Ever get hit in the nuts by a basketball? Yep…

You’ll run into Koga’s nephew, Glam, and his two bumbling lackeys, Slam and Vinnie, throughout Mori’s not so secluded cabin. This is the first stage that lets you interact with the environment. For example, you can kick a basketball at the fumbling Grungers. The amount of different ways you can dispose of them is rather humorous.

It mimics the spirit of the film very well — It mimics the spirit of the movie very well

You have three options here:

1. Bash him until he sees little yellow birdies.

2. Shatter his shin with that rolling Tonka truck of doom!

3. Cranium crushing chandelier!

Whichever method you prefer, it suits the game’s goofy slapstick atmosphere extremely well.

Electrocution via drenched toaster? Nice!

The hi-jinx and shenanigans continue. You can either lure one of the goons and let him slip on the water, or for the truly sadistic folks out there you can knock the toaster over into the pool of water. You can imagine what happens next when one of the bumbling buffoons stumble right into your trap — ZAP! Come on, can a game with this kind of humor really be THAT bad?

Seriously, how bad can a game really be when it lets you electrocute the hell out of an enemy in such a comical fashion? You can’t help but appreciate the dash of black comedy here.

"Hey, ninjas don't play that!" — *“Hey, ninjas don’t play that!”*

An epic war, or the greatest sleepover party ever?

Michael Jackson would agree [STILL too soon! -Ed.] — Michael Jackson would agree… *[STILL too soon! -Ed.]*

The exterior of Mori's Cabin is even more dangerous... — The exterior of Mori’s cabin is even more dangerous

Glam just doesn’t know when to quit. But you have bigger fish to fry, such as finding the last three items. Make your way to the rooftop where things get a wee bit hairier.

Time to take out the ninja trash. FLASH SOME STEEL — Time to take out the ninja trash. Flash some steel

These black ninjas rule the rooftop, making life more difficult than Glam, Slam and Vinnie ever could. Watch out for the sandwich attacks. When they toss their deadly shurikens from high above, swing your weapon overhead to cancel their foul plans. Few things in this game satisfy like hearing and seeing a bevy of ninja stars clank off your sword.

"DAMN SPIDER-MAN... save some for me!" — *“Save some for me, Spider-Man!”*

Up until now you may have noticed there hasn’t been any bosses. If you’re anything like me, then you get a big kick out of confronting a traditional boss at the conclusion of each stage. 3 Ninjas Kick Back actually does have a few bosses, but only a few. The first of which will come in the next stage. Typically, it annoys me when there isn’t a boss at the end of each level, but for this game, I didn’t mind it. It even seemed to fit the game, oddly enough. The few bosses that do exist are by no means memorable boss battles. A few of them are downright annoying.

That is REALLY disturbing... — That is REALLY disturbing…

A fun level due to its highly interactive environment

Slam should have stayed in school... — Slam clearly should have stayed in school…

Hospitals are places you’d rather avoid if you can. But this wacky hospital is a fun romp thanks in large part to its black comedy moments.

This summer's blockbuster... CAN OF STEEL — This summer’s blockbuster: *Can of Steel*

Strike this metal trash can to send it packing. The interactive environment adds to the game’s charm and is true to its source material. These hi-jinx opportunities occur in only a few levels, but I like how they’re sandwiched in-between the more serious stages.

One man's junk is another man's treasure — One man’s junk is another man’s treasure

“NOTHING STOPS THIS TRASH CAN” as the great Heisenberg would say. It doubles as a defensive and offensive prop ^_^

Rescue the hostages and free the slaves!

Confirms what we already knew: hospitals are lethal

Mori Salamanca! "Ring your bell if ya can hear me!" — Mori Salamanca! *“Ring your bell if you can hear me!”*

I can see it now... 3 NINJAS: KICKING BAD. Or not — I can see it now… *3 NINJAS: KICKING BAD*. Or not

Mori goes from ninja assassin to wheelchair madman — Mori goes from *ninja assassin* to wheelchair madman

“Who are you talking to right now?
Who is it you think you see?
Do you know how much I have made from the 3 NINJAS movies?
I mean even if I told you, you wouldn’t believe me.
No you clearly don’t know who you’re talking to, so let me clue you in.
I am NOT in danger, Mister MUTHA-FUKKEN Grunger.
I AM THE DANGER!“

“Who the hell are you?”

“You know exactly who I am. Say my name.”

“DO WHAT? Man, I don’t have a DAMN clue who the hell you are.”

“Yeah you do. I’m the kook. I’m the man who killed the box office.”

“Bullshit. The CROW got the box office. 50 million. May 11, 1994.”

“You sure? That’s right. Now… SAY MY NAME.”

“… MORI-SAN-BERG.”

“YOU’RE GOD DAMN RIGHT!”

PSST, WHAT’S THE PASSWORD?

WHAT THE CRITICS SAID

It's got a bit of a rocky rep, this one... — It’s got a bit of a rocky rep, this one…

3 Ninjas Kick Back received minimal press back in the day. I don’t recall one review or preview for the SNES version. Keep in mind that both EGM and GameFan Magazine covered a LOT of games. So it was pretty rare for a Super Nintendo game to miss the cut entirely. Part of that no doubt is the fact that 3 Ninjas Kick Back arrived at a tightly contested time. That holiday season of ’94 was a star studded lineup for the SNES. Being a licensed game of a movie series that wasn’t exactly hot at the time didn’t do it any favors. A 3 Ninjas game released in 1992 would have done much better. Instead, 3 Ninjas Kick Back found itself stuck between a rock and a hard place with nowhere to go but down into a spike-filled pit. This game has a negative reputation online. I wonder how many people who wrote this game off actually played it beyond the first couple levels. It’s no gem by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s really not that shabby and doesn’t deserve the hate that it seems to get.

WHAT THE BOX SAID | WHAT I SAY

Let's address these seven points... — Let’s put the back of the box to the test…

1. The visuals are a little bland in some parts while decent looking in others. “Scorching hot” is classic mid ’90s hyperbole.

2. Interacting with the various items is probably the best thing about this game, but sadly it is only for a few levels.

3. A two player co-op option is definitely nice. But I’m not sure about “intense.”

4. If by “tons” they meant “some” then sure, OK.

5. Sound effects are surprisingly pretty cool, but not “awesome.”

6. Definitely not many nasty looking bosses as there are only three or so.

7. While the later levels have a bit more “meat” to them, the earlier levels are incredibly short. There’s even one level that you can polish off in about 10 seconds flat. So yeah, not exactly “huge.”

All in all, your typical exaggerated back of the box to hype the game up as much as possible. To their credit, while the hyperbole is a bit off, at least it’s a playable game. It is very faithful to the film and Malibu did the best they could with the license.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

While 3 Ninjas Kick Back will never be mentioned in the same breath as the classics of the SNES library, it shouldn’t be lumped in with some of the true SNES stinkers, either. It’s a decent game that has a quirky quasi-beat ‘em up feel to it, spliced in with copious amounts of platforming action. Then pepper in a few sprinkles of dark comedy for good measure and you get a surprisingly decent effort.

One of the great things about this hobby is the ability to play these old games for the first time and form your own opinion. After playing this game thoroughly I was genuinely shocked at all the negative feedback this one received in the past. The beautiful thing about this hobby is you might like a game most people don’t. The longer I played 3 Ninjas Kick Back, the more I appeciated what the programmers did. Little details like flinging a toy truck into a bumbling lackey’s shin or deflecting a projectile attack from above with a well-timed overhead swing, 3 Ninjas Kick Back is a lot more playable than one may initially expect. Besides, what can beat throwing your old wheelchair bound Grandpa Mori into an unsuspecting punk?

With three different characters to select from, a two player mode and some quirky levels to navigate, 3 Ninjas Kick Back is a surprisingly solid licensed video game. Whether it’s rigorous skirmishes with your grandpa in the forest, or outwitting the Grungers and crew in the hospital, the game features some nice versatility. I love the levels with objects in the background that you can interact with. It’s a game that doesn’t take itself too seriously; I find the dark humor to be rather subtle and effective. The game can be a bit difficult in certain spots, but it can be vanquished with some good ole persistence and smarts. There aren’t a lot of bosses, and the few that exist aren’t particularly well executed, so in the end perhaps the lack of bosses is a blessing in disguise. It’s the level designs instead that somewhat deliver. They’re not original or overly brilliant but they’re competently structured, providing some platforming fun along the way. 3 Ninjas Kick Back is a fairly decent game that offers a somewhat enjoyable mix of the beat ‘em up and platforming genre. It was much better than I anticipated it to be, but of course, your mileage may vary. Not every game has to be a classic — there’s definitely a place for quirky decent games with a healthy dose of humor. And this game fits that bill better than expected.

Graphics: 6.5
Sound: 6.5
Gameplay: 6.5
Longevity: 6.5

Overall: 6.5

"LET'S MURDER-LIZE THEM!" — ***“LET’S MURDERLIZE THEM!”***

ADDITIONAL MEDIA

Admittedly, these were cheesy films. And some things are better left to your childhood memories

Donkey Kong Country (SNES)

**Pub: Nintendo | Dev: Rare | November 1994 | 32 MEGS**

Released on November 21, 1994 — the four year anniversary of the Super Famicom — Donkey Kong Country ushered in a new era of SNES gaming. Using pre-rendered 3D graphics and a technique known as ACM (Advanced Computer Modeling), Nintendo pushed DKC as an answer to the 32-bit war machines looming over the horizon. Nintendo’s message was loud and clear: 16-bit ain’t dead yet. No, as a matter of fact, 16-bit has a lot left in the tank. Donkey Kong Country is arguably the most hyped game to ever come out on the SNES. One thing is for sure: it’s the second best selling game on the system. Moving NINE MILLION copies, it’s second in sales only to Super Mario World. So whether you love DKC or find it overrated, there’s no denying the game was a commercial smash hit in every respect of the word. Let us return to the jungle…

HOW RARE REINVENTED 16-BITS

Hard to believe this was running on our SNES!

In the fall of 1994, Donkey Kong Country dominated the gaming press. You couldn’t pick up a video game magazine without seeing DKC on the front cover. It was a revolutionary effort set to redefine 16-bit gaming as we knew it. Magazines like EGM and GameFan hyped it beyond the moon. The screenshots looked absolutely amazing. We never thought such visuals were possible on the SNES and nearly crapped our pants the first time we saw it live in the flesh. It’s one of those moments in your gaming fandom that you never forget.

Here's to 10 more years! :D — DKC was simply breathtaking

One of my favorite memories with this game came over 20 years ago. My old best friend Nelson was in love with Donkey Kong Country. I vividly remember one frosty Friday morning Nelson and I were chatting on the playground before school. Nelly said, “I’m buying Donkey Kong Country after school. I’ve been dying to play a good adventure game!” For some reason that always stuck with me. When I think about Donkey Kong Country, the very first word that comes to mind is adventure. From snowy mountains to lush treetops to shark-infested waters, this game exudes ADVENTURE. Whether you control Donkey or Diddy Kong, one thing is for sure… it’s going to be one hell of an adventure. At the end of the day, isn’t that what video games are all about?

IT WAS A DARK AND STORMY NIGHT…

Looks like EGM got wasted on the "waisted" part there... — Looks like EGM got wasted on the *waisted* part there

Thankfully, you rescue and play as Diddy Kong early on — Thankfully, you rescue and play as Diddy early on

OTHER KONGS IN THE JUNGLE

Funky cornered the market. That's a dude I'd trust... — Funky cornered the market. That’s a dude I’d trust…

Candy, a sweetie, will save your game free of charge

Cranky is the original Donkey Kong now aged

He's Cranky all right. Pal, try nearly 10 MILLION sold! — He’s Cranky all right. Pal, try nearly 10 million sold!

"Yo Cranky, UP YOURS!" I'd say these guys did alright — *“Yo Cranky, UP YOURS!”* I’d say these guys did alright

LEVEL 1: JUNGLE HI-JINXS

I love having multiple ways to kill an enemy

Barrels featuring the letters DK unlocks your partner (if necessary). These barrels somehow always seem to be positioned just right on most stages. A job well done by Rare who clearly thought out each centimeter of their game with meticulous care.

Break the barrel to free a young and vibrant sidekick by the name of Diddy Kong. Now you can switch off to play as either Diddy or Donkey. Diddy is faster and can jump a bit farther than Donkey, but Donkey has the power advantage. Donkey can kill certain enemies that Diddy can’t. The differences in the two add to the fun and strategy of the game.

Rescue animal friends throughout the levels to assist you in your quest. The first being Rambi the raging Rhino! These animal friends each have their own pros and cons. Rambi is one of my favorites. It’s tough to beat riding a rhino and goring the hell out of anything that gets in your way.

Hidden bonus rooms are scattered throughout. Try to find them all.

Cranky Kong interjects with his classic “back in MY day” spiel. I love how he breaks the fourth wall. Back in 1994 this blew my 11-year-old mind.

LEVEL 2: ROPEY RAMPAGE

A tropical thunderstorm has turned into a downpour — A tropical thunderstorm made this level atmospheric

The sound effect upon impact is just the best

LEVEL 3: REPTILE RUMBLE

Slippas are satisfying to kill due to the sound effect

Break the barrel to free Diddy AND kill a bad guy

Being a sidekick isn't always great, as seen here... — Being a sidekick isn’t always great, as seen here…

Barrels can be used to find hidden bonus rooms. Be experimental!

LEVEL 4: CORAL CAPERS

Thanks, TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES! (NES) — Thanks, *TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES* (NES)

Where's Cranky Kong when you need him? — Where’s Cranky Kong when you need him?

Not to mention the soundtrack as well. Ahhh — Not to mention the soundtrack as well. *Ahhhh*

No wonder he's such a fan favorite — No wonder he’s such a fan favorite

This level restores my faith in water-based stages

STAGE 5: BARREL CANNON CANYON

Barrel Cannon Canyon (try saying that fast five times) is, as one might expect, littered with a classic Donkey Kong Country staple: barrel cannons. Some spit you out instantly while others rotate continuously, forcing you to manually leap out. Timing is everything!

You get a bonus life if you clear eight in a row

Barrel cannons were to DKC á la shells and Mario — Barrel cannons were to DKC á la shells to Mario

Zingers made going from one barrel to the next a bit more difficult. Laugh it up while you still can. Because later on you won’t be laughing so much…

LEVEL 6: VERY GNAWTY’S LAIR

You almost feel bad hurting the poor guy. Almost

LEVEL 7: WINKY’S WALKWAY

It's a small detail but it sticks in my mind 20+ years later — It’s a small detail but I remember it 20+ years later

LEVEL 8: MINE CART CARNAGE

It claimed many lives, and even some controllers... — It claimed many lives, and even some controllers…

LEVEL 9: BOUNCY BONANZA

Diddy is just loaded with charm and personality

I like how he holds the barrel out instead of over

[Hey, I'm just returning the favor from earlier! -Diddy] — *[Hey, I’m just returning the favor from earlier! -Diddy]*

He's loaded with charm, but not so much brains... — He’s loaded with charm, but not so much brains…

Small gimmick here and there helps keep DKC fresh — Small gimmicks here and there helps keep DKC fresh

[Only reason I've kept you around all these years -Ed.] — *[Only reason I’ve kept you around all these years -Ed.]*

LEVEL 10: STOP & GO STATION

[On second thought, perhaps longevity IS overrated! -Ed.] — *[On second thought, perhaps longevity is overrated -Ed.]*

Interesting gimmick here. The rock-like monsters with red glowing eyes cannot be killed. You have no choice but to skillfully avoid them. Do this by touching the various barrels carefully positioned throughout. When you touch a barrel to stop, Rockkrocs assume the fetal position, allowing you just enough time to safely pass by. It’s a nice change of pace.

DKC has a decent deal of variety to spice things up

LEVEL 11: MILLSTONE MAYHEM

Diddy is too weak to kill Krusha. But TNT barrels will

[Diddy's facial expression there matches mine -Ed.] — *[Diddy’s facial expression there matches mine -Ed.]*

LEVEL 12: NECKY’S NUTS

LEVEL 13: VULTURE CULTURE

[The Tammy twins beg to differ... -Ed.] — *[The Tammy twins beg to differ… -Ed.]*

LEVEL 14: TREE TOP TOWN

Someone at Rare was a huge fan of Ewok Village... — Someone at Rare was a huge fan of Ewok Village…

Barrel cannons galore — only the boldest of adventurers will pass.

LEVEL 15: FOREST FRENZY

LEVEL 16: TEMPLE TEMPEST

Some break dance but only one can do it with a millstone — Only Diddy can break dance with a millstone

LEVEL 17: ORANG-UTAN GANG

At five, this level has the most hidden bonus rooms

Such a gorgeous level! — Such a gorgeous level — love it!

LEVEL 18: CLAM CITY

Who could forget the music for these underwater levels? — The underwater levels had such soothing music

The sound effect is perfect, too. It's the little things! — The sound effect is perfect, too. It’s the little things!

LEVEL 19: BUMBLE B. RUMBLE

B stands for Bee? [I was thinking something else... -Ed.] — B stands for bee *[I was thinking something else… -Ed.]*

[Like my ex-wife -Ed.] Which one? [You got jokes -Ed.] — *[Like my ex-wife -Ed.]* Which one? *[You got jokes -Ed.]*

More bosses await... — More bosses await…

LEVEL 20: SNOW BARREL BLAST

Particularly if you try to beat it without the shortcut

... and then SHIT JUST GOT REAL. Bless that shortcut... — … and then *SHIT JUST GOT REAL*. Bless that shortcut…

EXTRA EXTRA — READ ALL ABOUT IT!

33 levels + 67 bonus rooms + one final boss = 101%

“B-B-BUT IT’S TOO EASY!”

Many found Donkey Kong Country to be too easy. Rare probably knew that as well, because they weren’t afraid to poke fun at themselves. While I do agree it was easy on the whole, there are a few levels sure to kick your ass.

Cranky breaks the fourth wall, AGAIN. What an endearing character!

Amazingly prophetic, I now understand how he feels

WHAT THE CRITICS SAID

Donkey Kong Country quickly developed a mystique — *Donkey Kong Country* quickly developed a mystique

Donkey Kong Country was a critical and commercial success. Prior to its release, the hype surrounding it was off the charts. It graced endless gaming magazine covers. And not surprisingly, Donkey Kong Country was met with rave reviews. EGM awarded it Game of the Month with scores of 10, 9, 9 and 9. GameFan gave it a perfect trifecta. It scored 100, 100 and 100%. Super Play was a bit less than overly impressed, but still gave it a robust 90%. The hype for Donkey Kong Country stirred much gaming discourse, lifting the game to nearly mythic proportions even before it could reach gaming stores worldwide.

Yup, the hype was MASSSIVE. King Kong proportions! — Yup, the hype was **MASSIVE**. King Kong proportions!

EGM didn't hand out 10s too often... — EGM was stingy with their 10s…

But not so much GameFan. Still, impressive — Not so much GameFan. Impressive, nevertheless

American magazines loved it. Let's see if Super Play did — DKC was **EVERYWHERE** in late 1994. What a time…

Classic Super Play: praising while pumping the brakes — Vintage Super Play: praise while pumping the brakes

EGM and GameFan were easier to please than SPLAY — EGM and GameFan were easier to please than *SPLAY*

Nintendo Power rated it #39 in its Top 100

WHAT *YOU* SAID

Whichever your favorite, you can't go wrong with any — Really can’t go wrong with any of them

Curious as to see what my readers consider to be their favorite DKC game, I put it to the test with a survey years ago. The results of the poll were pretty much what I expected, and matched overall online consensus. Donkey Kong Country received the most votes at 39.3%. Diddy’s Kong Quest finished just a hair behind with 37.5%. And Dixie Kong’s Double Trouble came in last, with a respectable 23.2%. From my online travels over the years across various retro gaming forums, when discussion of the DKC trilogy pops up, it seems to be a dead even tie between the first and second games as people’s favorite. Those who prefer the first game find it to be most “pure” of all, plus the nostalgia never hurts.

OK I like the first DKC best — OK so I like the first DKC best

Folks who prefer Donkey Kong Country 2 love it for its refined and more difficult gameplay. They tend to also prefer controlling Dixie (with her smooth hair spinning ways) over the bigger and more cumbersome Donkey Kong. Last but not least, there’s even a small pocket of fans who claim Donkey Kong Country 3 to be the best of the trilogy. They often cite it as having the best graphics and the most satisfying level design.

This game is on fire [You're fired -Ed] — DKC is on fire… *[You’re fired -Ed]*

I can see the argument for all three games — it’s just a matter of personal taste. There’s no right or wrong answer. Myself, I agree with the majority. The first game is my favorite in the series. I concede that perhaps Donkey Kong Country 2 does play a bit better overall, but for pure fun and enjoyment there’s nothing like the original. The first one has a special spot in my heart and that will never change.

None of them however can touch Super Mario World — None of them however can touch *Super Mario World*

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Donkey Kong Country ended 1994 with a bang — *Donkey Kong Country* ended 1994 with a bang

Donkey Kong Country isn’t the mega epic adventure it was hyped up to be back in ’94, but it’s definitely a great overall package. I love the sense of adventure that it exudes — lush jungles, snow-capped mountains, mining caverns and more bring the action to vibrant life. The game’s adventurous atmosphere resonates deeply with me. The journey that Donkey and Diddy Kong embarked on left an indelible mark on countless gaming hearts. Rare did wonders on the Super Nintendo that few thought was even possible. By the end of 1994, with the 32-bit era looming, Donkey Kong Country stood as a proud testament to the power and potential still remaining in Nintendo’s trusty old 16-bit wonder. Do not go gentle into that good night. Your time is no doubt coming soon, 32-bit, but DAMNIT — NOT TODAY!!

You had to be there back in '94 to fully appreciate it — You had to be there back in 1994 to fully appreciate it

Some complain that the game is too easy. I’ve always cared more about how fun a game is rather than its difficulty. Whether it’s easy or hard, if it’s fun then I’m sure to play it. And do so with a big fat grin on my face. I love romping through the diverse world of Donkey Kong Country. It’s one of those games where you can race straight to the exit or you can take your sweet time carefully uncovering all of the secrets. It’s as basic or complex as you want it to be. The game has a lot more depth than one might initially think. DKC has layers of substance behind the style and to me that’s the mark of a great game. The visuals were revolutionary for its time (hell, I still think it looks awesome today) but more importantly the gameplay holds up to this very day. It may not be one of the top 10 greatest Super Nintendo games but it’s certainly a bonafide SNES classic.

A thumping adventure! — It’s worth beating your chest for

The additions of Diddy Kong and a fun diverse group of animal allies round out a remarkable adventure. Diddy was an instant star. Switching between Donkey or Diddy was seamless and smooth, helping to make Donkey Kong Country feel different from other platformers of its era. And of course, that soundtrack. Some of the most memorable tunes in all of SNES lore. While not a flawless masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination, Donkey Kong Country is a fantastic game that has stood the test of time. Even more than 20 years later it’s still as fun to play today as it was back in the fall of 1994. Well done, Rare. Well done.

Graphics: 10
Sound: 9
Gameplay: 9
Longevity: 8

Overall: 9.0

DKC 2: Diddy's Kong Quest review coming soon(-ish)... — *DKC 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest* review coming soon(-ish)…

DKC has a track that reminds me of Field of Dreams — DKC has a track that reminds me of *Field of Dreams*

Give both a listen for yourself…

Listen to the first 10 seconds in particular…

Pretty similar, right? I love both tracks. They’re so whimsical and fun ^_^

See you in the sequel! — The **tree** stooges strikes again

Michael Jordan: Chaos in the Windy City (SNES)

***Pub: EA | Dev: EA | November 1994 | 16 MEGS***

The Super Nintendo enjoyed many years of commercial and critical success, but of all the years I’ve always considered 1994 to be its most memorable. It just seemed to have the best games that year in terms of quality and quantity. 32-bit systems were starting to seep into the pages of gaming magazines in ’94 but it was still largely all about 16-bit. ’94 saw the release of such iconic titles as Super Metroid, Super Punch-Out!!, Donkey Kong Country, Final Fantasy III and so much more. EGM and GameFan didn’t miss a beat, either, as I felt ’94 was also the best year for those respective magazines. 1994 was just a great time to be a kid. But aside from your AAA classics, there were a bevy of games that flew under the radar that year. Michael Jordan: Chaos in the Windy City was one of them. Sure, the concept was bizarre. Control one of the greatest basketball players ever in an action platformer? Doesn’t exactly ring my bell. And made by EA Sports of all people? They weren’t known for their action games. But when I saw it in the pages of GameFan, a big part of me was instantly intrigued. It took me two decades to finally play it…

AIR JORDAN

GOAT? Arguably yes — GOAT? Arguably he is the greatest of all time

Michael Jordan was a freak athlete. Born February 17, 1963 (happy belated, Mike), Jordan went on to become one of the most iconic figures in all of sporting history by the year 1993. However, with the tragic murder of his father during that summer, Jordan announced his retirement from the game of basketball on October 6, 1993. Citing the death of his father and a loss of interest in playing basketball, Jordan went on to pursue his dream of playing professional baseball.

MJ's athleticism was stunning — Michael Jordan’s athleticism was stunning!

He toiled in the Minors for a year and a half before declaring his infamous two words on March 18, 1995: “I’M BACK.” Jordan went on to 3-peat once again, leaving the game with six championship rings and an amazing 6-0 record in the NBA Finals. Today he is still considered in many circles as the greatest NBA player to ever play the game.

There was nobody like Mike. ***NOBODY***

CHAOS IN THE WINDY CITY

Michael Jordan: Chaos in the Windy City came out while Jordan was attempting his hand at playing baseball in the Major Leagues. The game acknowledges this and uses it (somewhat) as part of its storyline.

Jordan unearthing an underground prison where his friends are held captive deep within the bowels of a museum? You can’t make this stuff up… and this is how our adventure begins!

Rescue your friends in the holding cells (five levels there) and make your way through the rest of Chicago. This includes riding the local trains, the laboratory, the factory and more. Unfortunately, the lab and factory have five levels each themselves and the backgrounds can get a bit repetitive and dull. Although the game has a decent number of levels, they’re not spread out very well since the theme is repeated for five levels.

WEAPONS OF CHAOS

Mike begins the game with a regular standard orange basketball. It shoots in a straight line and has unlimited ammo. It shoots out pretty fast too and you can fire multiple balls at once. For a standard default weapon it’s more than serviceable.

I see what you did here, EA. Clever. One of the balls is, appropriately, a baseball. I like this one as you can fire it through walls and solid objects. Sweet!

Bounces around when it hits a horizontal surface, or splits into two balls when it hits a vertical surface. I like using this in tight spaces — it turns you into a killing machine.

Does double damage to enemies. Spike it to create a trail of flame along the floor.

Tracks down enemies who are within range. Spike it to split it into multiple missiles. I like how spiking certain balls can change its use.

Channeling his inner Sub-Zero, Mike’s Blue Ice ball freezes most enemies into a solid chunk of ice. It’ll shatter if you hit it with another ice ball. Enemies will thaw out and escape if you don’t destroy them while they’re frozen. You can stand on frozen enemies and use them as platforms. Spike an ice ball to coat part of the floor with a layer of ice and make it slippery.

Spiking certain balls can lead to different effects. It added a nice layer [I C WAT U DID DERE -Ed.] to the game and also added some strategy in addition to picking which ball to use.

Doesn’t go far if you throw it, rolling along the floor to hit enemies. It explodes when spiked, doing one point of damage to all enemies on-screen.

It makes everything shake when you spike it, doing massive damage to all enemies within range.

THE HOLDING CELLS

Be on the look out for your friends, and watch out for mutant spiders. Keys are key (sorry) to success.

Backboards are scattered throughout. Dunking on them has a different effect. Some drop items (like keys) when you dunk. Others may even damage all enemies on-screen. It’s a neat little way of bringing basketball into the gimmick.

Saving your friends opens up a bit of dialogue. It’s nothing to shout about, but it adds a bit of variety as it breaks up the action a bit. Hell, you may even get a key for your troubles at the end. But the way Mike’s friends evaporate is slightly bizarre.

Sometimes there’s a weak wall that Mike can bust through. Ah, Wheaties. The Breakfast of Champions.

Dunking in an action platformer — who woulda dunk it… [har har -Ed.]

Spiking the ball isn’t just a secondary option, sometimes it’s necessary to advance. Spike balls to break away weak floorboards.

Where's Jeff Daniels?! — Where’s Jeff Daniels?!

Talk about a black eye... — Talk about a black eye…

Nice no look pass there, Mike — Nice behind the back pass, Mike

You can't keep down a champ — You can’t keep a champion down

Purple swirling doors lead you to bonus bits that range from slam dunking to killing enemies to bouncing off giant springs. Find these doors to unlock extra goodies and points.

Bastards zip fast so be ready for the fast pitch. BOOM [SHAKA LAKA -Ed.]

Classic signal to end a stage — Classic MJ signal to end a stage

Ride that pulley — Grab the shoes for invincibility

Whoever thinks that Jordan never passes never played this game.

Enemies on a tier below you can be damaged by the spiking technique.

Defense is played in the form of nullifying. Wish more games did this.

Use the White Knuckleball to retrieve items lodged away. Sweet!

You know what’s cool about that animation above? You know how in most games if you let it ride out nothing happens but the status quo? Well, not so here. If you leave Mike in that vulnerable position for more than a few seconds, he actually falls over. I was quite taken aback the first time I saw it as I don’t recall many platformers from the ’90s that did this as well. The animation is ugly but I can appreciate the concept.

Don't mess up your kicks — Don’t mess up your kicks

Some backboards have the number 23 on them. If they do, slam it home and you’ll be rewarded with everything freezing for 15 seconds. A shot clock just like the NBA appears on the screen, counting you down. Pretty cool integration.

Speaking of timers, there are none in this game. I hate it when there’s a timer that presses you to zip through a level. A generous timer is all good in my book but even better is when there’s no timer at all. Make sure you take the time to explore all the nooks and crannies, as you don’t want to miss out on bonus doors.

Golden hearts add another ball to your health meter. Super valuable!

Jordan hates swimming — Jordan ain’t no Michael Phelps…

D’OH! MJ might be the GOAT when it comes to basketball. But when it comes to swimming he doesn’t stand a chance! He automatically bites the dust the moment his head is submerged in water. Boo! Come on…

Press the L button to break into a sprint. Jumping while running allows Michael to do a super jump, which allows him to reach items in faraway places. Not bad, right? Until you factor in EA Sports wasted the L button on running when they could have made running double tap. Then that frees up the L button to cycle back on the special balls. Cycling one way only with the R button can get a bit annoying when you have all eight balls in possession.

No crazy puzzles here, folks — No complex puzzles here, folks

Oh crap it's David Stern! — Oh crap it’s David Stern!

One of the all-time greats — One of most legendary basketball shots of all time

Get ready for a Ballz flashback — Get ready for a *Ballz* flashback

MJ seems to be REAL concerned — MJ seems to be real concerned…

This ball boomerangs back — Boomerang action for more hits

Sorry, you can't freeze it — Sorry, you can’t freeze Mr. Ballz

This ledge you need to duck — You need to duck on this ledge

Back to back like the wild west — Back to back like in the wild west

Remember the epic shot Jordan hit over Craig Ehlo in the Playoffs on May 7, 1989? Props to EA Sports for recreating that celebration here.

THE F*CKING SHOT. Nuff said — **THE F*CKING SHOT**. Nuff said

Looking like Teddy Long! — Teddy Long, *HOLLA!*

THE L TRAIN

Stay on the inside... — Stay on the inside…

THE FACTORY

You're 6'6"... for now at least — You’re 6’6″… for now at least

A giant whistle. I've seen it all — A giant whistle. I’ve seen it all

Charles Barkley on steroids? He has good defense. So not Chuck, then.

Maybe his D isn't so good... — Maybe his D isn’t so good after all

PSST, WHAT’S THE PASSWORD?

As many action platformers did from the 16-bit era, there’s a password system in place. However, you’re only awarded a password after defeating the entire section. For example, the Laboratory has five levels. You have to beat all five to get the password rather than just one level. As far as user friendliness is concerned, passwords are 11 characters. Not the best but definitely not the worst. Although the passwords do take into account your lives. Beat a section with 0 lives? That password is essentially useless. Pretty unforgiving…

WHAT THE CRITICS SAID

7th worst game of all time -- really? — 7th worst game of all time — really now?

Michael Jordan: Chaos in the Windy City is one of those games that you expect to be crap, but isn’t. It has a pretty decent reputation with most retro gamers. GameFan gave it respectable scores of 82, 79 and 74%. Browse online and you’ll see most people find it to be pretty decent despite the odd use of the license. However, Nintendo Power back in 1997 had a different opinion. They posted a list of their top 100 games but they also posted a list of their top 10 worst games. Chaos in the Windy City made that list at #7. That always bugged me. Especially when they wrote in the description: “Not that this game was even that bad, but it wins the award for Totally Blowing the Best License in the Universe. What’s next, Michael Saves Nike Town?”

[I'M DEAD! Not... -Ed.] — *[**I’M DEAD!** No, not really… -Ed.]*

It bugged me that they put a decent game on the worst list. A list plagued by such filth as Bebe’s Kids. Chaos in the Windy City deserved better. I love Nintendo Power otherwise, but that one blurb always rubbed me the wrong way. Put it on your Top 10 Wastes of a Good License list but don’t put it on the Top 10 Worst list. Anyway, I told myself I’ll write that whenever the day comes that I review Chaos in the Windy City so yeah.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

This game proves MJ has balls — Jerry Lee Lewis would be proud

Like I said earlier, 1994 was a good year to be a Super Nintendo owner. We got so many good games. But it wasn’t a good year to be a Michael Jordan fan. We did get Chaos in the Windy City as a bittersweet reminder that Jordan had retired from the game of basketball. His minor league baseball career was pretty bad in 1994, but thankfully his video game turned out to be fairly decent. I like the versatility of the different powered balls. I also like the locked doors and keys formula that EA incorporated here. It helped to give it a slightly different feel from most other action platformers. The visuals are grimy and pretty much the complete opposite of most 1994 SNES games in terms of style and tone. The animation could have used some extra work, though.

Decent game? Most shocking... — A decent game? Most shocking…

For all the nice things Chaos in the Windy City does, however, there are a few missteps here that prevent it from being a hidden gem. For starters, the music is pretty forgettable. And what I do recall is only average. The control is a bit loose and the scrolling suffers from slight bouts of herky jerky action. Enough for you to notice it in a negative light. But perhaps the most annoying thing of all is that whenever you pick up a powered ball it automatically becomes your default weapon. This wouldn’t be such a big deal if either the ammunition was plentiful or if you could scroll the other way. The problem is… bingo. The ammunition is low (single digit only) and you can’t cycle the other way. R cycles one way, but L is used to run. Being that there are a total of eight balls, imagine trying to cycle back to your regular ball in the heat of the moment. Not only is it infuriating but it can also prove to be costly. Zombies Ate My Neighbors also suffered from a lack of two way cycling. It’s not a huge deal when you only have a few different weapons but that’s not the case for either ZAMN or Chaos in the Windy City. And speaking of low ammo, why do I have, say, five Knuckeballs but I pick up another Knuckleball icon and still only have five? It makes zero sense. The game would have been better served if you could bump the ammo count into double digits. I understand they probably didn’t want Michael to be overpowered but c’mon, throw us a bone here. The low ammo saps some of the joy away.

This is fun. Wish we got more! — **WE WANT MORE BALLS!** *[… -Ed.]*

It just feels like a bit of a wasted opportunity. The different powered balls are pretty fun to use but you never feel like you really get to. At least in the way that you really want to. I give EA props for the spiking system and how it changes the effects of different balls, but I wish they shored up a few of the shortcomings that I listed above. Had they done so, this game could easily have been a high 8 and considered a hidden gem. Instead, it falls shy of its potential and is one of those weird games that’s both decent and slightly disappointing all at once. To EA’s credit you can tell they put in some effort here. It’s a pretty well thought out game that’s better than it probably had any right to be, but it’s far from being a slam dunk. Still, it’s a decent action platformer worth checking out if you’ve already conquered the giants that the SNES has to offer.

Graphics: 7
Sound: 5
Gameplay: 6.5
Longevity: 5

Overall: 6.5

No, Michael. Not 6. 6.5 — No, Michael. Not 6. ***6.5*** — oh, I see. Carry on, my man…

Spoiler alert... he came back — Spoiler alert… he came back

Loved this song and commercial back in the day!

But Mike, please don’t tap kids on the butt.

The stuff you got away with in 1991…