Let’s conclude NBA week (in honor of the recent 2017 NBA Finals) with arguably the Super Nintendo’s best basketball title prior to the NBA Live series. You know, there was a time when Tecmo had a foothold on the market of sports video games. EA Sports was rising but with smash hits like the Tecmo Super Bowl series, Tecmo was king. Tecmo was well known for the Ninja Gaiden games back in the ’80s but for me and my friends we found Tecmo synonymous with “good sports games.” Tecmo released Tecmo Super NBA Basketball to the Super Famicom on Christmas Day, 1992. The North American version would arrive in March of 1993. There weren’t a lot of basketball games on the market at the time, and of the ones available, this was the best one. But has it stood the test of time? Let’s take a look.
8-BIT EDITION
Supporting the NES to the bitter end
Tecmo NBA Basketball arrived on the 8-bit Nintendo in November of 1992. The NES was on life support by that time; the SNES had been out in the North American market for over a year by then. But many of us still owned the NES, and I remember playing this game with my brother and our friends. We had a good with it. That was no shock to any of us. After all, it was a Tecmo sports game.
Lay it in, Paxson!
Tecmo NBA Basketball, similar to Tecmo Bowl, still has something of a cult following to this day. In fact, there are new versions still being released. It says something about the longevity of these old sports games and how much people enjoy them.
Long Live The King (Tecmo of course, not LeBron)
Barely four months after the 8-bit version came the 16-bit version. You can see the clear technical jump in graphics. Still got those sweet official NBA logos, too.
16-BIT EDITION
Tecmo Bunny for life! Them some fancy double doors.
Optimus Prime? No, still them fancy double doors.
[Watch The Last Knight on June 20, 2017 -Optimus Prime]
Fancy intro gets you hyped to throw down with the pros.
Tecmo sports games shared this classic menu. Like seeing a dear old friend, it brings a certain sense of comfort and nostalgia. Hint: put game speed to fast. Trust me…
Notice the striking similarity of their abilities. Hakeem the Dream Olajuwon, Patrick Ewing, David Robinson and Karl Malone — four of the best NBA big men of all time. I’m such a sucker for player ratings. Always fun to compare and scout.
Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley were MIA in some other basketball games after this but they’re both here in all their glory. Well, the SNES version anyhow. The Genesis version has “Roster Bulls” player instead of Jordan.
Reggie Lewis tragically died during an offseason basketball practice in the summer of 1993. In the Genesis version of this game, he was replaced by “Roster Celtics” player. Speaking of Reggie, “Miller Time” was bad news for 26 other NBA teams.
Larry Bird and Magic Johnson — two legends that I never tire of using. One of the perks of this game using the 1991-1992 roster. Later NBA games lost out on these icons.
Select from any of the (then) 27 NBA teams.
Similar to Tecmo Bowl, you can select certain plays but unlike Tecmo Bowl, it’s completely at your discretion rather than forced. You can strategize as much as you want or as little as you wish. Let’s relive the ’92 NBA Finals: Bulls vs. Blazers!
Cinematic cutscenes appear here and there. Not the biggest fan of them as they kind of impede the flow a tiny bit. Must be pretty intimidating to see Michael Jordan coming down the court ready to attack.
Scottie Pippen with the sick turn around hook shot.
Jordan swishes an 18 foot jumpshot. Nice.
Jordan doing what he does best: throwing down!
Details… it always bugged me how players jump for their free throw shots. Come on Tecmo, you’re better than that…
Cinematic cutscenes can be great when used effectively. Not really here as it interrupts the flow. Not a fan. It worked for the Ninja Gaiden games, but not here.
Paxson’s 3 pointer bounces around the rim and falls through. Making 3 pointers in this game isn’t as easy as breathing (as it was in the NBA Live games). Really satisfying when you nail them.
Jordan cocks the ball and jams it home with ferocity.
Halftime stats are shown including a dance number. Good thing this isn’t 2016 or that cheerleader would have dabbed.
REJECTED! [Story of your life… -Ed.]
Annoying pet peeve: when you think you’re close enough for a dunk but your guy decides to try a layup instead. Layups will occasionally bounce off the rim. Ugh!
Scottie Pippen with the exclamation mark.
Terry Porter heaves a halfcourt prayer and it bounces in, bringing the final score to Bulls 36, Blazers 20. Nice shot, Porter, but simply window dressing.
Making 3 pointers is pretty damn hard.
WHAT THE CRITICS SAID
It was a slam dunk for its time
Prior to Tecmo Super NBA Basketball, SNES basketball games were slow and plodding. This game is no barn burner by any means but it played faster than the other available choices at the time. GameFan gave it ratings of 83, 89, 89 and 95%. Super Play rated it 86%. Critics applauded it for its control, stats and playability.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
Paxson for 3… GOOD!!!
My friends and I enjoyed playing Tecmo Super NBA Basketball back in 1993. For its time, no other SNES basketball game could compare to it. One year later NBA Jam came out and took over as basketball king. Admittedly, that’s a bit unfair as the two games were so different. However, NBA Live ’95 was released in October 1994 and suddenly made it really difficult to go back to the 5 on 5 “action” of the much slower Tecmo Super NBA Basketball. NBA Live ’95 increased the speed and even had a turbo button. Suddenly, penetration in the paint was not only possible but it was relatively easy. It did a much better job of simulating the game of basketball. That’s not to say Tecmo Super NBA Basketball is no longer playable. It certainly still is. But it’s one of those games that has become something of a victim to the passing of time. I can still enjoy a game now and again but only when nostalgia knocks. More often than not, when the basketball itch strikes on the SNES, I turn to either NBA Live, NBA Jam T.E., Looney Tunes B-Ball or Dream Basketball: Dunk & Hoop.
R.I.P. Jerome Kersey
It’s hard to recommend this game when you have several better examples of the genre on the same system. However, if you don’t mind a slower, more methodical experience then it’s worth a look. The graphics and sound were decent for its time. There are tons of stats to keep simulation freaks happy and a battery backup memory allows you to save your progress throughout a long NBA season. But unless you have nostalgic ties to this game, there are many better basketball titles I would personally rather play on the SNES. I wouldn’t go so far as to call Tecmo Super NBA Basketball obsolete, but it’s definitely an acquired taste from a bygone era.
Graphics: 6 Sound: 6 Gameplay: 6 Longevity: 6
Overall: 6.0
R.I.P. Tupac (Sup Oak!)Oakley been pushing fools for lifeThey became teammates in 1991-1992!Classic moment in NBA history. Jeff Van Gundy!Oakley still pushing fools in 2017
Ah, the NBA Live series. Anyone who grew up with a Super Nintendo and loved basketball back in the mid ’90s most likely would remember this franchise well. The first one, NBA Live ’95, came out on Halloween of 1994. NBA Live ’96 came out exactly one year later (Halloween 1995). NBA Live ’97 was released in December 1996 and the final entry, NBA Live ’98, made its way to the SNES in March of 1998. What made these games so special? GAMEPLAY. Never before did SNES owners enjoy such fast paced basketball in the traditional 5 on 5 sense. NBA Jam might be the king of arcade style basketball, but when it came to simulation, NBA Live ruled the roost.
BEFORE NBA LIVE…
Before NBA Live the pickings were pretty slim. I mean, these games weren’t bad for their time, but even as kids we knew there was something missing about them. Namely, SPEED. NCAA Basketball (October 1992) was certainly groundbreaking for its time, but it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. Then came Bulls vs. Blazers and the NBA Playoffs (what a terrible title) in December 1992. Again, for its time it was something we played but man was it slow. Tecmo Super NBA Basketball (March 1993) was a step up and easily the best of the lot prior to NBA Live ’95. But even then it failed to replicate the excitement of the NBA. NBA Showdown (October 1993) was infamously known as NBA Slowdown. Finally, a year later EA Sports got it right when they unleashed NBA Live ’95.
2017 NBA CHAMPIONS
Congrats to the Warriors for winning the 2017 Finals
The Golden State Warriors defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers this past Monday evening at the Oracle in Oakland, California, to secure their second championship in three years. Kevin Durant dominated the Cavs and Steph Curry was an afterthought despite averaging nearly a triple double. That’s how good KD was. It was great to witness and definitely put me in a basketball state of mind.
The scene in Oakland just yesterday. Wow
Yesterday the Warriors and their fans celebrated their Finals victory with a parade. Over one million people attended, according to estimates. Crazy.
Draymond Green trolling Cleveland like only he can
The Cavs were a little petty with their celebration last year coming back from a 3-1 deficit. For their Halloween party they made “R.I.P.” cookies for Steph Curry and Klay Thompson. They also had a band named “3-1 Lead.” At the parade LeBron James wore an “Ultimate Warrior” t-shirt. Naturally, Draymond Green had to respond. He wore a “Quickie” shirt at the parade yesterday. This represents the Q (Quicken Loans Arena, where the Cavs call home) and the fact that it was a quick series with the Dubs winning 4 games to 1. Classic Draymond. Never change, my man. Never change.
Steph Curry, his dad Dell and his lovely wife, Ayesha
Barring injury, I look forward to Cavs-Warriors Part IV next June. Jason, Freddy and Michael Myers would be proud [Don’t forget Capcom -Ed.]
“IT’S IN THE GAME!”
Electronic Arts, better known as EA, created a monster with this first edition. How about that skyline there — what is this, Streets of Rage?!
The gorgeous city backdrop from Streets of Rage
Shaquille O’Neal that is. Your eyes do not deceive you. Shaq didn’t appear in the SNES versions of NBA Jam, but he’s here in all his 7 foot 1 inch glory.
Simulation-based, yes. But there’s a healthy amount of arcade style thrown in there as well. You can adjust various options to make it as arcade-like as you wish. It strikes a nice balance.
Player ratings are ranked out of 99. It was always fun to see how each player was scored in all the categories they had.
Veterans of the NBA Live games know the “secrets” of the numbers. For example, when it came to 3 point shots, 75 was the magic number. If you were rated 75 or better, you could hit a good percentage of your 3 point shots. 74 and under drops dramatically. So guys like Derrick McKey of the Indiana Pacers were screwed, but Mark Jackson and Haywoode Workman could nail a decent amount of their 3’s, despite being separated by just one point. The Milwaukee Bucks in NBA Live ’96 had a whopping six guys rated 77 or higher in 3’s, making them extremely dangerous beyond the arc.
Dribbling is even rated. 75 is once again the magic number. If you were a 75 or higher in dribbling then you can do the crossover dribble. Guys like Jeff Grayer got the short end of the stick with a 74. But Donyell Marshall, barely cracking 75, could perform the crossover dribble. The (then) Washington Bullets had six guys rated 75 or better.
Cavaliers vs. Warriors was a different look back in the mid ’90s…
Switch substitution to manual in the strategy option screen. Trust me. If you left “fatigue” on then be sure to monitor your guys’ stamina bars throughout the game. Like I said, you can customize it to be as arcade-like as you want.
Statistic guy? If you’re like me then you’ll appreciate the amount of facts these games threw at you. You can see everything from total games played to points per game and more. Remember, this was back when the internet wasn’t really a thing, so having these features made it feel like your very own basketball encyclopedia!
Curious about a guy’s field goal percentage? Check. Curious about his exact number of shots made and attempted? Check. This game had it all.
THE MAN, THE MYTH, THE LEGEND
David mother f*cking Wood!
My brother was once a big basketball card collector in the early to mid 1990’s. One day he ripped open a fresh pack and out popped this curious little card. I remember us laughing at David Wood’s expression like it was the funniest thing we had ever seen. But I also became a David Wood fan that day. He was an end of the bench player who bounced from team to team. There was something incredibly endearing about his playing style, however. He was fierce, and although he lacked talent compared to his NBA contemporaries, David Wood could never be accused of not trying. Wood was the motherf*cking man!
We shall never forget
The reason why I’m highlighting David Wood here is because he really was my favorite player in the NBA back in the mid ’90s. Some people were Jordan fans. Others, Patrick Ewing or Reggie Miller. But me? I was team David Wood all the way. Even back then I was rooting for the underdogs and a supporter of the obscure! I mean, look at those staggering statistics there. How did this guy never make a single NBA All-Star team?! Highway robbery.
Here’s a five minute highlight reel of David Wood. Some of the footage is grainy due to the age, but it’ll give you a sense of why so many NBA fans in the ’90s adopted him as a pet favorite. Dude was scrappy and 110% heart.
GAME 7 OF THE NBA LIVE ’96 FINALS
Cleveland gets on the board first with a nice little push shot.
David Wood attempts to answer back. A little strong there, my friend…
Chris Mills stuffs it home to end the first quarter.
Warriors are off to a hot start shooting 75% from the field. They’ve doubled up Cleveland. Let’s head to the second quarter.
David Wood nudges Bobby Phills (R.I.P.) out of bounds. Crafty bastard.
SENSATIONAL move by Mark Price!
Michael Jordan did it best, thoughNever gets old seeing MJ’s switch of hands layup
Battle of the Chris!
Mullin filled up the stat sheet at the half. But he had zero blocks. That’s now been taken care of. He even knocks down the 3 pointer in transition. Cold blooded Chris Mullin. Steph Curry would be proud.
David Wood was known to knock down the occasional 3. For a 6’9″ Power Forward at the time, it was rather uncommon (unlike in today’s NBA). Wood could stroke it from downtown!
Sloppy pass leads to a fast break monster jam.
Bobby Phills channels his inner JR Smith to end the quarter and keep the Cavs within striking distance. Even though NBA Live is more of a simulation based basketball game, you can make a lot of crazy running shots like such. It really blends the two (simulation and arcade) masterfully.
Trivia question is presented at halftime. The answer is revealed end of the third quarter. Some of the questions are tough enough to stump even the most knowledgeable of NBA fans.
David Wood times his leap perfectly to block Mark Price’s shot. Wood dribbles down the court and launches a 3 pointer. Hey Mullin, whatever you can do Wood can do better. OOF. Or maybe not. Wood’s 3 point rating, by the way, 74. One point shy of the magical mark. ROBBERY!
Fortunately, Mullin grabs the offensive rebound. Yo Wood, this is how it’s done. OOF. Or maybe not.
Critical basket by Mark Price puts the Cavs up by 3. 50-47. 30 seconds left. Game 7. Who’s going to save the day for the Dubs?
Latrell Sprewell makes eye contact with a streaking David Wood. Wood wants it. Sprewell passes the ball to Wood who then rises for the potential game tying 3 point shot…
WHAT?!? DAMN THAT 74 RATING! SHOULD BE 75!!
Luckily, Latrell Sprewell manages to steal the ball and launch a game tying 3 point shot with less than a second to go! We’re all tied up 50 a piece — it’s Overtime!
Nothing beats a Game 7 Overtime.
Absolutely ruthless, that Mark Price. 53-50 Cavs.
Mullin answers! Tied at 53 a piece.
Victor Alexander tries to scoop the ball off to a wide open cutting David Wood, but sadly Big Vic is too slow, resulting in a critical turnover.
Remember that play earlier where Wood nudges the Cavs player out of bounds? Deja vu! Wood was always one scrappy son of a gun.
REDEMPTION! This time Big Vic reacted faster and made the connection with David Wood for the clutch game tying reverse jam!
Nothing beats a Game 7 DOUBLEOvertime.
ZOINKS!Mark Price blows the layup! Fatigue has set in. Those legs aren’t as light as they were in the first quarter. Hey, just ask Kyrie Irving…
Massive dunks both ways to tie it up 61 all.
Hardaway with the vision and excellent deep pass to a wide open streaking Chris Mullin for the clutch go ahead 3 pointer in transition! This is another aspect that the NBA Live games nailed down. Other SNES basketball games struggle with the passing game. They often result in annoying turnovers and it was practically impossible to make a long pass like you just saw here. These little details go a long way and really separate NBA Live from the pack.
Kyrie Irving is much better but man Mark Price had some game. Big 3 point shot here to put the Cavs up by two with less than 30 seconds to go!
David Wood for the tie!? … Nope.
Hardaway, the smallest guy on the court, with the big offensive rebound and game tying layup! Tim Hardaway was sick back in the day.
Hardaway with the heads up defense!
David Wood gets a shot, literally, at redemption. Nothing but net!
Warriors win 68-66 in Double Overtime! Mark Price might have won the Player of the Game award, but the Warriors win the war.
Player stats can also be viewed.
Bloody hell, Wood had a bad shooting game but hey, he made them when they counted the most!
FREE THROW GIMMICK
Every NBA game back in the ’90s had their own free throw system. Nobody did it better than EA Sports with their NBA Live franchise. A crossbar appears on the screen and your job is to center both basketballs in the middle as best as you can. The speed of the ball traveling is dependent on your player’s free throw rating. The higher his rating, the slower the ball travels. The lower his rating, the faster.
Failure to align the balls closely in the middle results in bricks. The best part of this gimmick? The away team’s basketballs in the cross section become clear circles with white outlines. And the home player can madly tap buttons to cause the fans in the free throw background to wave their arms around. It’s such a small detail but one that my brother and I loved back in the day. It truly brings forth the meaning of “home court advantage.” Brilliant.
Ratings were based off their actual performance from the free throw line that season of 1994-1995. I have to say, though, that Chris Mullin was robbed. He shot 87.8% on the season but EA gave him a free throw rating of 87. Round that sucker up to 88, would ya?! Talk about stingy
Nothing like a pure swish. Love the way the net either sways to the side or straight up. By the way, NBA Live ’96 has the best sound effects in the series. For some reason, the other entries are a bit muted.
WHICH ONE IS THE BEST?
’96 introduced create a player
For my money, NBA Live ’96 is the best of the lot. NBA Live ’95 started the groundwork, but NBA Live ’96 refined the foundation. This included crossover dribbles, a create a player mode, trading players and so forth.
NBA LIVE THROUGH THE YEARS
Going from top left to bottom right: NBA Live ’95, ’96, ’97 and ’98. Notice that the Boston Garden looks the most different in NBA Live ’95. I actually like the look and aesthetic of NBA Live ’95 the best. But ’96 captured the magic of the series in general. ’97 and ’98 are great too, but feel more like afterthoughts milking the cow. It’s interesting to note that Hitmen Productions developed ’95 and ’96, not EA Sports (they were the publisher instead). NuFx developed ’97 and Tiertex Design Studios developed ’98. ’97 added a half-court 2 on 2 and 3 on 3 mode, for what that’s worth.
CREATIVITY AROUND THE HOOP
Hello, Dennis RodmanSometimes you get caught up around the hoopThis doesn’t look like it’ll end well…Whoa, what?Take that, Worm!
WHAT THE CRITICS SAID
NBA Live was a slam dunk
The NBA Live series on the SNES is often regarded as the finest simulation basketball titles of the 16-bit era. And rightfully so. Talko from GameFan fame gave NBA Live ’95 a whopping 98% score. He called it unquestionably the best sports game he had ever played. Super Play rated it 84%. Some folks go back and back on whether they like the NBA Jam or NBA Live series better, but it’s a bit like comparing burgers and pizzas. Both are excellent; it just depends on your mood.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
Basketball done damn right
I have such fond memories of the NBA Live games. They played great back then, and still to this day they hold up remarkably fine. The new isometric perspective brings the action full throttle like never before seen. You can finally throw baseball passes and execute fast breaks properly, just like you see in the pros. Best of all, NBA Live added a turbo button (not unlike NBA Jam) which allows a speed burst to add some spice to the gameplay. Previous SNES basketball titles had no turbo option, making them a bit clunky to play and penetration in the paint proved to be difficult. Not the case here. It really brought a new sense of life to the way we viewed basketball games. There’s never a moment of slowdown and although NBA Live is more simulation-based, there is a great mix of arcade action as well. It’s a near perfect marriage of the two.
Rock on, NBA Live. Rock on
You can’t go wrong with any entry from this series. But if I had to recommend just one, I’d definitely go with NBA Live ’96. I still occasionally replay it these days from time to time. As far as sports games go on the Super Nintendo, this is one of the very best. It’s simply a ton of fun and has aged remarkably well. Yes, it’s a little too easy to hit shots, and you probably shouldn’t be able to make so many 3 pointers fading away, but it’s all part of the charm. Maybe it won’t convert non basketball enthusiasts, but basketball aficionados are sure to be in NBA heaven here.
On the eve of Game 5 of the 2017 NBA Finals, pitting the Golden State Warriors against the Cleveland Cavaliers, I can’t help but be in a basketball state of mind. Yesterday I reviewed Looney Tunes B-Ball, which is one of my dear childhood favorites. It clearly drew inspiration from this next game. NBA Jam dominated quarters in the arcades and later living rooms across the nation in the mid ’90s. It was basketball like never seen before. Prior to NBA Jam, many basketball games were serious and more simulation-based. Sure, you had games that came before it such as Arch Rivals and Midway’s very own Basketbrawl. But it was NBA Jam (also developed by Midway) that really broke the ceiling, appealing to even non-basketball fans with its wild acrobatic dunks and frenetic gameplay. Once in a blue moon, a game comes along and becomes more than a game. It transcends the hobby, becoming a beast and fusing its way into pop culture. In the history of video games, only a small handful of games can truly claim that. NBA Jam is one of those select few that etched itself into our hearts. It is still fondly revered to this day. So put on your squeaky sneakers and tiny John Stockton shorts [wait, WHAT?? -Ed.]… because it’s time to jam.
The battle of the NBA titansCrank up the drama — things are getting chippy!
SATURDAY NIGHTS WITH THE BOYS
Nothing like being with the boys on a Saturday night
Growing up I was lucky enough to have a local best friend as well as a tight-knit band of brothers and sisters who lived about two hours away. The birth of this connection all started during the Vietnam War. It was there that our dads met on the battlefield. They were blessed enough to survive. Their bond continued post-war. They each went on to marry, have a family and kept in touch. Our countless family friend sleepovers during the late 1980s to mid 1990s were legendary. Staying up until 2 AM, the adults would be downstairs laughing up a storm, dancing the night away, singing bad karaoke songs and reminiscing about the good old days. Not to mention the occasional war story retold for the 90th time. Meanwhile, upstairs, a group of young boys and girls were busy hanging out, chilling, filming crappy home movies, and of course, playing video games galore. It was the greatest time of my childhood. So many epic sleepovers and events that took place whenever my “Gaming Crew” got together. They’re a big part of what made my childhood such a special time in my life.
Many Saturday nights spent blasting one another
My gaming crew and I played hundreds of games together back in the good old days. But of all the titles we played, there were three we constantly came back to. The first was Super Bomberman. It was our first foray into 4 player party gaming bliss. Dropping bombs like mad men, cavorting around the various maps and praying that the flames will miss you by at least a pixel was incredibly addicting. Add to that the natural chemistry our group shared and WOW. It was video gaming magic.
You became a hero if you could knock off Sushi-X
The second game my group loved to play on Saturday nights was Street Fighter II Turbo. In our group the top dog was a guy we all affectionately nicknamed as Sushi-X. He earned this nickname thanks to his lavish love of EGM and all things Street Fighter II, just like the Sushi-X persona from EGM fame. One glance at our disfigured thumbs would clue you in at just how many bloody hours we spent dragon punching one another. Like a guitar player’s calluses, we were proud of our battle scars. There was nothing better than all 11 of us huddled around the Sony monitor, determined to finally down Sushi-X, the tough bastard. Many tried but few ever did.
Everyone was kung fu fighting… and JAMMING
Before we get to the third game my crew was madly obsessed about [I’m pretty sure they already know what that third game is -Ed.], let’s continue this stroll down memory lane. THE YEAR WAS 1993. Fighting games were all the rage. Everywhere you went it was all about Street Fighter II or Mortal Kombat. Fighting games dominated the arcade scene. They graced gaming magazine covers month after month and every kid on the playground was buzzing about them. What could stop this roaring freight train? Or at least steal some of the thunder? That’s when NBA Jam swooped in and took a gaming nation by storm. The unique and outrageous arcade style of 2 on 2 basketball immediately caught on like gangbusters. In a nutshell, 1993 was conquered by fighting games and NBA Jam.
Yes, NBA Jam was THAT big of a deal…
NBA Jam became a monster in its own right, captivating the imagination of a gaming nation so much that some people were forced to beg the question, is NBA Jam better than even Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter II? Walk into any arcade hall back in 1993 and you would hear the eclectic medley of “HADOKEN!” “FINISH HIM!”and “HEATING UP! HE’S ON FIRE!!!” Man, those were the good old days right there. Coupled with the 16-bit war, it was a hell of a time to be a robust 10 year old boy growing up in suburban America. In March 1994, NBA Jam hit home consoles to much fanfare. My brother and I bought the SNES version on launch day. What made NBA Jam so compelling? What made it such an amazing phenomenon? I came up with six reasons why. Fittingly so, in the form of NBA JAM, acrostic style.
SIX REASONS WHY NBA JAM RULES
N = No Holds Barred B = Boy on Fire A = Aerial Assault
J = “JAMS IT IN!” A = Al Gore, ‘Nuff Said M = Multiplayer Madness!
1. NO HOLDS BARRED
It was Arch Rivals on steroids
The very first thing that strikes you about NBA Jam is the simplistic 2 on 2 tornado tag team style of play. After that you quickly realize there are no rules. No fouls, no out of bounds, hell, you can even push the opposition as if you’re in the WWF. This made for a unique, frenetic and exciting experience.
2. BOY ON FIRE
Three simple, iconic words
Sometimes an athlete gets locked into the zone. You catch fire on your best days, and this is the case here almost literally. There was nothing better (or worse, depending on which side of the coin you’re on) than hearing those infamous words, “HE’S ON FIRE!” To enable this, nail three consecutive shots with the same player without letting your opponent score. Your shot percentage shoots way through the roof once you’re on fire. This lasts until the opposition scores or you score several times in a row. It is essentially a built-in temporary cheat code!
Literally scorching hot! I love how the net is temporarily singed. Best of all, besides your three point shot being nearly automatic (even if you’re not a good 3 point shooter), your turbo meter never runs out. This means you can shove to your heart’s content without discretion. I love the sweet sound of the ball scorching its way through the hoop. It’s beautiful. MAKE IT RAIN, BABY!
3. AERIAL ASSAULT
More dunkin’ than a donut shop
You can’t talk NBA Jam without mentioning the crazy slam dunks. It would be like talking about the Civil War sans Abraham Lincoln. Or discussing all-time movie monster icons sans Godzilla. In other words, it just wouldn’t be right. Here at NBA Jam, there are no limits to what these athletes can do. They flip, twist and launch themselves 20 feet in the air to throw it down with the best of them. Everything’s larger than life here!
Favorite dunk? I like the one where you soar in the air spinning like a mad top before you come crashing down with a thunderous one-handed jam. But the best part of dunking occurs in the 4th quarter. With the right power dunk, you can actually shatter the glass!
GLORIOUSTell them, Jim Ross“WHAT A SLOBBERKNOCKER!”
It’s pandemonium up in here, folks! Sir Charles has shattered the soul of Texas — Houston, we have a problem! Hakeem “The Dream” Olajuwon is step dancing all over Barkley’s face! Mad Max Vernon Maxwell’s flesh is being pierced and mutilated by the shards of glass — WOULD SOMEBODY PLEASE STOP THE DAMN MATCH! It looks like a 10 car pileup on I-10 here folks, and I don’t like it a damn bit! Bodies are strewn everywhere. For the LOVE OF GOD, these are human bodies! As God is my witness, he is broken in half!
Shattering the glass is such a rare occurrence in real life basketball that anyone who does it becomes a small part of basketball lore. From Darvin Ham to Shaquille O’Neal, few things in sports match the sheer spectacle of a grown man ripping down the rim as thousands of glass pieces engulf him and anyone nearby in a shower of broken glass. NBA Jam replicates that!
Collins was the first openly gay player in NBA historyThe best glass shattering though was Slam ‘N Jam ’96The perspective alone puts it in the driver’s seatSimply a thing of beautyMade for good trash talkin’ times
4. “JAMS IT IN!”
The zany announcer was in your face. You had to smile
NBA Jam is known for many things: wild slam dunks, being on fire and basketball brutality. But that list would be incomplete without giving proper credit to the game’s wacky announcer. Being in an arcade hall filled with fervent screams of “HE’S ON FIRE!!” and “BOOM SHAKA LAKA!!” is something arcade goers of the early-mid ’90s will never forget. Some of the zany catchphrases have gone on to become rooted in American pop culture. NBA Jam transcended video gaming itself, something in which very few games could claim.
5. AL GORE, ‘NUFF SAID
“EVERYBODY HAVE FUN TONIGHT!”
Full of easter eggs and fun oddities, NBA Jam has more secrets than a congressman. I mean, for goodness sake, you could play as the chief-of-state himself, Bill Clinton. Or the vice president, Al “Brings The” Gore. At the time this was rather unheard of and made for some interesting water cooler discourse among the boys. The developers of NBA Jam were wise; they knew having a logjam of secrets meant extra and prolonged publicity. It helped fuel the fire and made NBA Jam even bigger and stronger. Indeed, it was a brilliant strategy. The proof was right there in the pudding. Because in 1993 *AND* 1994, everyone was NBA JAMMING.
6. MULTIPLAYER MADNESS!
The memories live on to this day
I spent countless quarters on this game when it ruled the arcade scene in 1993. It was only a matter of time before it would come home to the 16-bit Super Nintendo. Sure enough, when it did in March 1994, my brother and I rushed out to buy a copy and we never looked back. My gaming crew and I spent countless hours buried in this game, basking in the glow of highly addictive 4 player jam sessions. Between Super Bomberman, Street Fighter II Turbo and NBA Jam, we spent countless Saturday nights in ’93 and ’94 bombing, dragon punching and slam dunking on one another. Nearly 25 years later, I still look back to those good old days every now and again, recalling the special moments those epic and classic games produced for us. There was nothing better than spending a Saturday night with your boys playing 4 player NBA Jam, with the winners playing on and the losers rotating out. We played this amazing port until the cows came home. What an idyllic time to be a 10 year old boy growing up in suburban America. It truly was a special period in my life that I’ll always remember and carry with me.
TONIGHT’S MATCH-UP
Give Iguana Entertainment credit for a great portTHE definitive arcade style basketball game of the ’90sAlmost 25 years old? Damn I’m getting oldIts simplicity is part of the charmNBA Jam is at its best when experienced with four
RAISING THE BAR
Player ratings in NBA Jam reminded me of Marvel ’91The greener the better
Back in the day, 1991 to be precise, my friends and I were obsessed with collecting and trading cards from the Marvel ’91 series. I couldn’t get enough of the cool pink bars on the back of the cards. You can see where someone fits in the pantheon of the Marvel universe at a quick glance. NBA Jam used a similar system, evoking fond Marvel memories of days gone by. Here’s a look at the 26 other NBA teams below.
Although I love the rating system in general, I did find some of the ratings a bit suspect. Reggie Miller’s 3 point rating should be MUCH higher. Also, I have no idea why Nick Anderson’s 3 point rating is zilch, as that season he shot 35% from distance. Interestingly enough, in the sequel, he was rated a perfect 9 out of 9 from downtown.
Halftime’s FMV blew my mind a bit back in the day Always satisfying to hit that magical 100 point markPatrick Ewing was the manNo battery back up memory? BOO!
Yup, sadly NBA Jam uses a password system rather than a battery backed save. Thankfully, that was rectified in the “sequel” which appeared less than a year later… not to mention NBA Jam T.E. featured some new tricks (literally) that made it more than just a minor upgrade.
NBA Jam was such a smash success in the arcades and later at home that a sequel was bound to happen. Some see NBA Jam T.E. (Tournament Edition) as a minor upgrade but others see it as a legitimate follow-up and THE definitive NBA Jam title. I fall in the latter camp. Here are some differences highlighted below.
Akklaim or Acclaim? Yeah, you weren’t the only kid who was confused by that growing up back in the ’90s! Anyway, after a nifty little intro we come to the options menu. This is where you can customize the game to be as crazy or as “normal” as you want. This includes hot spots, power-up icons and juice mode. The higher the juice, the faster the speed. x4 is blazing fast — I personally like it on OFF. But it’s there to be tweaked with if the urge ever strikes. More on hot spots and power-up icons in a bit.
Remember how the first game only gave you two players on each team? NBA Jam T.E. starts you off with three, but a secret code expands the roster to give each team 4-5 players. That’s what I’m talking about! At the title screen press start, Y, up, down, B, left, A, right, down, start. Then enter JAM as your initials.
Golden State Warriors start you off with Tom Gugliotta, Latrell Sprewell and Rony Seikaly (damn, my spellcheck just went bonkers). The expanded roster adds in Tim Hardaway and Chris Mullin, two of the better NBA players in the early ’90s who were part of the vaunted RUN TMC (Tim, Mitch, Chris). Wow, talk about two major additions! Not only that but the ratings have also been expanded. Instead of four measly categories the players are now rated in eight! Multiplied by two is kind of the theme here.
Dennis Scott, 3 point extraordinaire, is the fourth man on the Orlando Magic squad. Sadly, no SHAQ to be found here (same with Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley and a few others). The Magic is my go-to team. Nowhere else will you find three bombers like Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway, Nick Anderson and Dennis Scott!
Hersey Hawkins of the Charlotte Hornets used to freak me out / pump me up as a kid. He was the only character in the game that when you pick him, his eyes light up white like a demigod. It was the only reason I used the Hornets on occasion, to freak out my brother and friends. Hersey’s white eyes remain a mystery to this day. Perhaps mankind is never meant to know… and yes, that is Dell Curry there, the father of NBA superstar Steph Curry.
Enabling hot spots in the options menu causes pinball-like markers to randomly appear on the court. Score on said marker and be rewarded with the number of points appropriately marked. They range from 4-8 points and can really change the tide of a battle.
Power-up icons if enabled randomly pop up during play. This one is the D icon, which stands for Dunk. Grab this and you can dunk from anywhere on the court, even beyond half court. Made you feel like E.T.
Outrageously fun, you gotta turn on the hot spots and power-up icons. This is the only way to experience NBA Jam T.E., baby!
Other power-up icons include:
3 = better 3 point accuracy
B = bomb that knocks out everyone else
F = automatically on fire
P = increased power
S = increased speed
T = infinite turbo
All temporary, of course.
Jazzy Jeff and Will Smith were megastars in ’95
And in typical NBA Jam fashion, you knew NBA Jam T.E. was going to crank up the number of hidden selectable characters. The first game had a dozen secret characters, including Al Gore and Bill Clinton. The sequel more than tripled that, with over 35 extra secret characters. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was one of my favorite TV sitcom shows back in 1995, so when my friends and I heard the rumors that you could play as Will Smith and Jazzy Jeff… well, a picture is worth a thousand words…
That’s what we thought
I mean, sure, president Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton and Prince Charles of England were all in play… but THE FRESH PRINCE OF BEL-AIR? Get the hell outta here! Well…
WHAT! OH SNAP
Yup, NBA Jam T.E. went there. I was a huge Will Smith fan back in ’95. I thought he was going to be the next megastar of Hollywood (and he proved that with films such as Independence Day and Men In Black). So to be able to play as him on NBA Jam T.E. was a thrill and a half! We used to joke about how Robert Horry of the Houston Rockets was a Will Smith lookalike. Well now, we can use the real McCoy!
Rock out with your boysHmm, looks like Will was ready for JAM all along
WHAT THE CRITICS SAID
They absolutely freaking loved it
NBA Jam made a killing with the critics. EGM appointed it “Game of the Month” honors by awarding it with scores of 9, 9, 9and 9. GameFan gave it ratings of 83, 90, 94and 94%. Super Play rated it 87%. NBA Jam T.E. fared even better. EGM gave it an 8 and 9 while Super Play rated it 90%. In Nintendo Power’s 100th issue, they ranked NBA Jam as the 28th best game of all time. Interestingly enough, they decided to go with the original instead despite admitting that the sequel “refined” certain aspects of the first game. Personally, to me that makes zero sense. If a game refined pretty much everything to its prequel, then give me that sequel any day of the week. But I digress. You can’t go wrong with either title.
Give me Tournament Edition any day of the week!
CLOSING THOUGHTS
“IS IT THE SHOES?!”
NBA Jam slammed its way into our consciousness nearly 25 years ago and to this very day it still resonates deeply and fondly in our hearts. It took the simple sport of basketball and made it even simpler by stripping it down to 2 on 2. Add to that no rules and wild exaggerated slam dunks. Above all else, it tapped into something many video games would kill to have: it was simply a total blast to play. With three buddies in tow, it’s super competitive, highly addictive and downright magical. Although the game features greater than life abilities, I still enjoy executing the basic fundamental plays. For instance, going for the slam dunk only to throw a mid-air pass to my teammate for the wide open 14 foot baseline jumper. It’s immensely satisfying to trounce someone with a sound strategic play in a world that promotes the complete exact opposite. And that’s also what makes NBA Jam (and its sequel) so layered. You can play it as crazy as you wish or as basic and sound as you want. Or, the best of both worlds, which no other game at the time presented the player with. To me that’s always been a very underrated aspect of what makes NBA Jam so timeless and classic. Yeah everyone talks about the crazy plays and what have you, but at the end of the day it’s still a basketball game that allows you to win by simply making the simple fundamental plays, if you choose to do so.
“BOOM SHAKA LAKA!”
Graphically, both NBA Jam and NBA Jam T.E. look great, but I give the slight edge to T.E. for looking just that little bit more refined. I love the music in both games. Composer Jon Hey did a tremendous job with some catchy tunes. Of course, you can’t talk NBA Jam without mentioning its zany announcer, Tim Kitzrow. His voiceovers made the faithful leap to the Super Nintendo in brilliant fashion. NBA Jam T.E. is the definitive Jam on the SNES simply because it plays faster, there are more players (and hidden characters), more options (the hot spots and power-up icons help spice things up) and oh yeah, MORE MEGS!NBA Jam T.E. is boosted up to 24 MEGS while the original is just 16 MEGS. But in all seriousness, like I said earlier, you can’t go wrong with either game, but make no bones about it — NBA Jam T.E. is the better of the two. Having said that, NBA Jam captured the imagination of a nation and reinvented the way sports video gaming was presented and perceived, cementing itself in gaming lore for all eternity.
Last night saw the Cleveland Cavaliers pounce the Golden State Warriors, 137-116. It was Game 4 of the 2017 NBA Finals and we’re back to the infamous 3-1 internet meme. Things are a little different this time around, however. Namely, the Cavs would have to win four straight instead of three, Draymond Green won’t be suspended for Game 5, Steph Curry is healthy and oh yeah, a man by the name of Kevin Durant. Last night’s game got a little, well, looney at times. The refs lost complete control of the game as seven technicals were dealt and even a fan got ejected. Speaking of looney, it made me thought of a dear old childhood SNES favorite of mine, Looney Tunes B-Ball. Best described as the cast of Looney Tunes meets NBA Jam, it’s a shame the game never really achieved the status or notoriety that it should have. So while we wait for the highly anticipated Game 5 Monday night, let’s take a moment to shine the spotlight on one of the better 4 player games on the Super Nintendo.
An intense battle of NBA titansCrank up the drama — things are getting chippy!
TINY TOONS, BIG FUN
One of my favorite Genesis games ever
Growing up in the early ’90s I was blessed to own both the Sega Genesis and the Super Nintendo. While I loved both systems dearly, it was clear that by ’94 the SNES had pulled (way) ahead for me. But one weekend in ’94 I rented Tiny Toons Adventures: ACME All-Stars. It featured a colorful and zany basketball mode that my brother and I absolutely loved. Even though my allegiance in ’94 had switched over to the SNES side, this game reminded me that my old buddy, the Sega Genesis, wasn’t going down without a fight. My bro and I played that basketball mini-game to death that weekend! I remember wishing that someone would make a full game out of it for the SNES. Little did I know, my wish came true some months later with the arrival of Looney Tunes B-Ball. OK, so it featured Looney Tunes instead of Tiny Toons and it was 2 on 2 instead of 3 on 3, but the point remains. It was its own full game! But was it as good as the Genesis one? My brother and I rented a copy pronto in early ’95 to find out for ourselves…
Not only was it good, it was better
THE STORY GOES…
Daffy Duck: Another day, another ARTISTIC triumph.
Bugs Bunny: Not bad. Think you can keep up in a game o’ hoops?
Daffy: Surely YOU JEST!
Bugs: ^_^
Daffy: Lead the way, rabbit. I’ve got more dunks than a donut shop.
Riveting stuff, really.
Sadly, Aero is not a hidden character. What a tease!NBA Jam meets Looney Tunes is a winning formula
OPTIONS
I love games that allow you to customize, as is the case here. You can play a versus game or partake in a tournament. Up to four can play. The wacky meter determines how crazy your game will be (more on this later). The difficulty is adjustable from levels 1-10 and the quarter length ranges from 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 10 minutes (I prefer the default 2). If you’re playing with a CPU player, put Follow Mode ON if you want to control whoever has the ball.
It’s like an egg hunt except it’s a, er, code hunt
There’s even a code hunt option. Remember the code craze of that era with games such as Mortal Kombat II and NBA Jam? Yup, it was just a sign of the times!
LOONEY LINEUP
Eat your carrots kids and you too can ball like him
Bugs is my favorite baller. Sure, he ain’t much of a defender, but boy, can that rabbit shoot. He’s lights out anywhere below the 3 point arc. Although his 3 point rating is only halfway, I find him to be a fairly reliable 3 point hand as well. Plus, he’s Bugs Bunny. He’s the man, er, rabbit. You know what I mean!
His 3 point shot is DETH-PICABLE!
Poor Daffy can’t shoot 3 pointers to save his life, but the duck is the best defender in town. He’s also a stamina monster. Must be all that cardio he does in-between takes.
Taking a break from wabbit season
There is only one man (almost quite literally) that can match Bugs Bunny shot for shot anywhere on the court sans 3 point land, and it’s Elmer Fudd. When you factor in the 3 point shot as well, he’s much more efficient than the “wabbit.” It’s a shame though the guy is as slow as molasses in January. No wonder he can never catch that bloody rabbit!
Road Runner is sitting this one out
Like Daffy, Wile E. Coyote can’t shoot 3 point shots for squat, but like the duck again, Wile can run for days. He also possesses above average defense and speed. Pair him up with a shooter to maximize gains.
Not even one full bar?! Taz fans are OUTRAGED :P
Taz is what you might call a “scrub.” The poor git can’t shoot a lick and is only above average in defense and speed. He’s the only player who doesn’t have at least one full bar. We’ve all seen this type of player at the local YMCA or playground. No real skills, but, bless his heart, always gives 100% effort.
ROCK THAT FU MANCHU, SAM!
Arguably the best shooter in the game, Yosemite Sam is quite a fine talent. But just like Elmer, dude can’t outrun a turtle. Dat facial hair tho.
No Tweety Bird here
His ‘D’ and 3’s are just about nonexistent, but good thing he’s fast and can last for a good length of time. He’s also not a bad shooter at all — as long as it’s below the 3 point arc that is.
He’s your guy if you like speed and 3’s
Marvin is a strange player. He can’t really hit squat anywhere on the court unless it’s beyond the 3 point arc, where he then transforms into Steph Curry. He’s also as fast as a cheetah. If you’re not careful Marvin will be bombing 3 pointers on your head left and right before you even know it!
THE GAME
Quarters begin with the ball dropping from above. From time to time the ball is replaced with an anvil instead, just to keep players on their toes. Using your turbo will change your character’s avatar from happy to exasperated. How long their turbo can last depends on their stamina rating. Some expire rather fast, which makes the stamina monsters like Daffy, Wile and Sylvester all that much more valuable.
Similar to other basketball games from that era, release the ball at the peak of your jump for best results. I love the net swishes in this game.
Each character has their own unique layup
Do you expect anything else other than zany antics galore?
I prefer slam dunking, myself
But better than wacky layups are crazy dunks. Though oddly, the dunks in NBA Jam are more wild than the ones found here. Sure you have some nutty 720° dunks, but most are of the “jump really high in the air and come slamming down” variety. Slightly disappointing, but not that big a deal.
You shouldn’t be shooting anyway, Taz!
It’s really neat how you get a big fat REJECTED sign whenever a shot is blocked. It adds to the taunting and teasing. Few things are as satisfying as timing your opponent’s shot perfectly — to rise up at JUST the right time (not a second late, not a second early) and swat that ball back in their face!
WHAT A MASSACRE
Your final stats are shown at the end. Sadly, assists are not accounted for. Bugs Bunny, the two point extraordinaire, proves it here with 21 makes.
SPECIAL OFFENSIVE PLAYS
Remember the options screen where you can set the Wacky Meter from 1-5? If you set it anywhere from 2-5 then gems will randomly appear on the court. Grab these gems to earn money. It allows you to use special offensive plays. The “Long Range” special costs 10 cents and lets you launch the ball beyond half court. It’s not an automatic make and also it depends on how good your guy is from 3 point land. But with the Long Range shot the chances are pretty good that it goes in, even from full court! Each character has his own unique Long Range shot. For example, Taz chews up the ball and spits it out. Bugs Bunny, on the other hand, or foot, kicks the basketball like a field goal attempt. Good stuff.
Feeling lucky? Then for 50 cents (you can only carry a max of 99¢ by the way), pull the lever. If you make the shot and match three icons, you’ll score more points than normal. However, beware the 3 bombs, which will TAKE AWAY 10 points. VEGAS!can completely change the outcome of a tight game in the closing seconds…
Speaking of wacky, it just wouldn’t be Looney Tunes if cream pies weren’t somehow involved. For 10¢ you can throw a cream pie straight ahead. Your opponent is momentarily stunned if hit, thereby allowing you a clear pathway to the basket. Is there a downside? Well…
OH THE EMBARRASSMENT! But how yummy, tooThe evil bomb causes a game of HOT POTATO!“THAT’S ALL FOLKS!”Poor Elmer. That wabbit always gets the last laugh
Remember how in NBA Jam players could be “HEATING UP!”and then “HE’S ON FIRE!” ? Well, the same applies here. After scoring three baskets in a row, YOU’RE IN THE ZONE. Now every stat gets a super boost. It lasts until either the quarter expires or the opposition scores.
Sure you will, playa. Sure ya will!Talk about getting a big head… *ba-dum tish*
NBA Jam sure didn’t have this though eh? Imagine how freaking cool it would have been to see Muggsy Bogues’ mug plastered at mid-court. Or maybe not.
SPECIAL DEFENSIVE PLAYS
Additionally, each character has a unique special defensive play that will cost 25¢ (only available on Wacky Meter Level 2 or higher). These unique defensive plays don’t guarantee success but it sure increases your odds — particularly since there are no stinkin’ foul calls to be found here! For example, Daffy busts out the jackhammer and causes the ground to shake so hard that the player drops the ball (unless he’s in the act of shooting). Taz breaks into a tornado spin and knocks down anyone he touches. It all adds to the zany fun of the game, not to mention the strategy.
Personal favorite goes to Wile E. Coyote, who really gets a BANG out of using ACME products. The Detonator Defense blows up the person with the ball, leaving it up for grabs. NBA Jam sure didn’t have this!
Just another day at the officeYes, Taz got ball… FOR NOW…
Why is Elmer sporting some opera garb there? And what sort of foul manner is he conjuring?
Elmer’s mug says it all, and so too will yours
OUCH! Being struck by lightning will ruin anyone’s day. And doesn’t Elmer look like a WILD THING there? Max and Maurice Sendak would be proud ^_^
Er, wait. I see Taz. I see Sam. Um, where’s Sly?
Marvin gets into the act with his Disintegrator Defense zapping what unlucky soul stands before him.
ZOINKS!Sam’s Dance Defense can only be done up closeShenanigans galore…
Bugs Bunny’s Disguise Defense is trickery at its finest.
The same can’t be said for egos and friendships…
Sly gets the final laugh with his Remote Control Defense. When activated, a 16 TON weight drops on whoever has the ball. Talk about a massive headache!
THE SHOT HEARD ‘ROUND THE WORLD
… or not
Thanksgiving 2010 was one for the ages. It started out as a simple family night spent with my cousins, nieces and nephews. Toward the end of the night my brother and cousins began discussing Black Friday plans. Having participated the year before, I didn’t care to do it again. So I went home and fired up Looney Tunes B-Ball around the witching hour. I cranked up the difficulty level to the max (10). And it turned out to be the most epic game ever. Coming down to the final closing seconds, I was up 37 to 36. The computer had the ball with about five seconds to go. Elmer Fudd began dribbling down the court. Knowing that he had to heave a half court prayer, I timed my leap of faith with Daffy Duck. Sure enough, Elmer began his shooting motion for the half court prayer. And at the exact same time, I also rose. What happened next was one of the record books…
OOOH, DENIED AND REJECTED!Oh noes, Elmer gets the ball right back…
However, the ball came right back to Elmer with a second left on the clock. OH CRAP! I desperately jumped back up as Elmer gave it one last heave. Look at Daffy trying his damnedest there. Unfortunately, I jumped too early and Elmer managed to release the ball with 0.1 left on the clock! This would be a brutal loss to suffer. The ball flew through the air as time froze and the buzzer sounded…
NO GOOD!
The ball bounced hard off the left side of the rim. WOW, WHAT A FINALE. One of those rare moments in gaming where you just sit back for a second staring at the screen in disbelief. What a game, and what a night. Kiss my ass, Black Friday!
WHAT THE CRITICS SAID
Sadly, Looney Tunes B-Ball didn’t receive much publicity back in the day. GameFan featured it in a lovely two page preview in January 1995 but they never reviewed it. When you consider the fact that this game and the mega popular NBA Jam: Tournament Edition were both released in February of 1995, it’s easy to see how Looney Tunes B-Ball slipped through the cracks. It’s a shame it wasn’t released a few months prior because it would have made a killing during the holiday season of ’94. Alas, it wasn’t meant to be. Regardless, it’s one of those games that fly under the radar but ask anyone who has ever played it and you’re sure to hear only good things in response.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
Boys, I sure hate to break this to y’all but…
Looney Tunes B-Ball is plain fun and zany. It’s very customizable — you can play a serious straight up game or make it as ridiculous as you want by cranking that wacky meter to the max. I mean, where else can you drop 16 ton ACME weights out of the sky, play the Vegas slots, cross dress, throw cream pies and disintegrate folks into a pile of dust? It really is NBA Jam meets Looney Tunes. OK so maybe the basketball isn’t the best around. You can’t expect that from this type of game. That’s not to say it isn’t functional, though. Far from it! It plays very well, just not at the level of a pure basketball sim. And if that’s what you’re after then look elsewhere. But if you’re looking for a fast, crazy, fun street ball type basketball game, this will scratch that itch and then some. It’s not a deep game by any means. There’s no stat-tracking or 82 game seasons here. All you have is a simple versus mode and a tournament. But when a game is as fun as Looney Tunes B-Ball is, that’s really all you need. If you can round up three buddies, it only gets that much better. Be prepared though for some bruised egos…
[Really? REALLY? -Ed.]From all the cool special defensive measures to all the wacky and silly offensive techniques, Looney Tunes B-Ball comes recommended to any and all basketball fans. Even if you don’t particularly care for the sport, if you like fun fast-paced party games in general then this is worth a look. Its appeal goes beyond basketball. It’s a perfect example of what I like to call a sleeper hit. It never got much press and praise back in the day, but behind closed doors everyone I knew growing up loved it. If you’ve dismissed this game for whatever reason without giving it a fair shake before, don’t hesitate to give it a chance. It’s simple, competitive and straight up looney. Featuring those timeless and iconic cartoon characters, it also stands the test of time. The likes of Chris Mullin and Patrick Ewing have faded and given rise to current day stars such as LeBron James and Anthony Davis, but Bugs Bunny will never go out of style. If you’re looking for a fun-filled NBA Jam alternative, you’ve found it here.
The Super Nintendo is loaded with plenty of good games for every genre. However, if there was a genre I wish we had more representations of, it would definitely be the top down shooter. Sure you got the Pocky & Rocky series, True Lies, Soldiers of Fortune, Super Smash TV and so forth, but I wish there were even more. Thankfully, Jaleco did their part and gave SNES players a solid addition to the genre. Not a stand out title, but it makes for a quality addition to any Super Nintendo collection.
FORTIFY THIS
Operation Logic Bomb is a sequel to a Game Boy title
How many SNES games can you say is a sequel based off a Game Boy title? Not many, right? Operation Logic Bomb would be a good answer to such an obscure trivia question. Jaleco developed Fortified Zone (AKA Ikari no Yōsai in Japan) and released it in September of 1991.
Ikari no Yōsai means “The Fortress of Fury”The Japanese only Game Boy sequel, Ikari no Yōsai 2
OPERATION SNES
Operation Logic Bomb opens up with a futuristic intro.
Advanced technology created this super soldier warrior. As Agent Logan, you’re tasked with rescuing some scientists from a lab that has been taken over by unwanted intruders. Failure to save the lab will result in the imminent destruction of the entire planet. Good luck, Agent Logan.
Simple but cool intro got me hyped a bit.
Shatter the glass entrance. Nice way to start things!
Exploding barrels? What is this, a top down Doom? TAKE MY MONEY. Unfortunately, this is the only time in the game this happens. A wasted opportunity…
Destroy whatever that “thing” is, and the lights turn on. Nice.
Positioning and playing the angles right is what it’s all about.
Panels may hold a map. The levels aren’t big so there’s little risk of getting lost, but it’s nice to have a map anyway.
Enemies appear in set patterns. When there’s only one it usually means there’s more to soon come.
Purple hives produce enemies. Once you kill the set amount, they stop coming. Take your time to strategize the best plan of attack.
These crab-like robotic creatures are the bosses of the game. They start out very easy but progressively get harder.
They’re very protective of these containers. You’ll see some cutscenes as you play through the game, as seen here.
Obliterate that generator in the corner there to open the door. Ah, it’s the container the crab is so crazy about protecting. Blow it to Kingdom Come.
Cutscenes like this allow you a glimpse into past events. Those scientists stand no chance against the red troopers.
Enemies can only shoot at 45 or 90 degree angles. Use this knowledge, and the various walls and barriers, to your advantage. Moments like this is when the game is at its best.
Containers just sit there defenseless. Always feels good taking them out.
Beginning the game with a single shot and a spread shot, you can gain up to three more weapons as you progress throughout. The first one being this sick ricochet shot.
Bounce your shots with this gun off walls to take out the opposition. It allows you to tinker around with different angles and can be a true Godsend.
Nothing like bouncing it off multiple surfaces to kill the baddies!
Blowing up the generator eliminates those pesky plasma shots that relentlessly pursue you.
Certain generators can only be taken out with the ricochet shot.
Teleporters appear later in the game.
Ricochet shots from a safe angle to take out the bad guys. Later on you’ll face crabs as mid-bosses. This one is a pushover as it can only shoot forward.
Things start to get hairy when you either rush in or the enemies come at you in waves. It’s all about using the right gun for each situation.
Another cutscene previews an upcoming badass boss that’s extremely protective of its territory… but we also get a preview of the flamethrower…
Flamethrower is short, but very potent. Thankfully, all guns have unlimited ammo. So feel free to hold down on that fire button. But damn, you can eviscerate the remains of those guys there. A bit brutal but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t like it a bit…
Golden [State -Ed.] Warriors are a pain in the ass. Look at those four — who do they think they are, Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson? Although low on health, they move fast as hell and can quickly injure you something bad. Speaking of bad news, better kill those generators fast before any more damage can be incurred.
Ricochet shot doesn’t work here. Try the flamethrower…
YOWZERS. Talking about a dramatic, intimidating entrance. This mother crab attacks you with homing missiles and a whole lot of piss and vinegar.
Finally, we get a little change of scenery. The scene shifts outdoors and we’re introduced to a new rock type enemy.
Position yourself correctly and there’s nothing they can do!
Things get a lot tougher when enemies attack in droves. Also, variations of enemies can appear at once, forcing you to adjust on the fly and select the best strategy for each given situation.
Formations vary and moments like these in particular are a bit nasty. Having a new wave of enemies nipping at your heels while you’re contending with another wave in front of you is where the game gets a bit tough.
Flamethrower curls around corners. Love that! But damnit, here comes another wave of baddies eager to chomp your ankles off!
Nothing beats finding a health refill station right in the nick of time.
Generators stand in your way of locked doors.
Halfway through the game you’ll find the PID-R1, AKA the Personal Image Duplicator-Release 1. This handy item allows you to place a holographic decoy image of yourself which attracts your enemies and draws them away from you. Not only the bad guys but also situational obstacles such as this force field. Use your Reflecting Pulse Laser to take care of the generator.
Certain sections can only be accessed after some, ahem, gentle prodding.
Speaking of “gentle prodding” …
Trickiest part of the game is when those Golden [State -Ed.] Warriors come at you in waves [Just ask the “King” and Cleveland… -Ed.]. Later on, more crab mini-boss battles ensue.
Satisfying as hell to pick off bad guys from a safe angle.
Choosing the right weapon for the right moment is the name of the game. It’s kill or be killed. You can’t just walk by enemies — you gotta terminate them all. Some doors remain locked until you clear them all out.
Remember all the special tools you gained earlier on? The holographic decoy and the mine? You’re going to need to use both to beat this sucker!
Employ both techniques to wear this bastard down.
Finally, another level that takes place outside the lab. I wish more levels had a unique look like this last one. That would have made this game even more interesting. The last boss isn’t as hard as the one before it.
Defeat this monstrosity and save the scientists by blowing these bad boys up.
Restore peace to the land! #DefendTheLand [Someone has to… -Ed.]
WHAT THE CRITICS SAID
Operation Mixed Bag…
Operation Logic Bomb did OK with the presses. EGM gave it scores of 9, 8, 8 and 6. Super Play, however, rated it 68%. They knocked it for featuring slow and unimaginative gameplay. I sort of agree with that assessment yet at the same time I kind of don’t. The game is no barn burner by any means, but it’s not exactly plodding, either. It’s somewhere in the middle. It’s nice being able to strafe and lock your position. That’s one of my biggest beefs with a game like Zombies Ate My Neighbors. However, Operation Logic Bomb is not as fast as that game is. Its pacing is much more deliberate and cerebral. It sure could have used a rolling option or some kind of evasive action (similar to True Lies and how Arnold could do a somersault).
CLOSING THOUGHTS
Truly a game of angles
Sadly, Operation Logic Bomb rarely gets the credit it deserves. You could call it something of an “obscure hidden gem.” It doesn’t seem to get talked about much when people recommend SNES games, even when asking about lesser known titles. But it definitely deserves to be in that conversation. I like that the guns have unlimited ammo and that there is no time limit. You really get to dictate the pace of the game. I also like that each weapon has its pros and cons. Some are weak but they cover the entire length of the screen. Others may be potent but lack range. The two extra items (the mine and the decoy) are also great tactical tools to employ throughout. The enemies aren’t terribly varied, but there’s just enough of them to keep you switching guns and strategies on the fly. It’s kind of pure in that sense. Not too unlike Doom where certain weapons work better on certain demons than others, and it’s a matter of switching to the proper gun for each situation.
Rage against the machine!
Unfortunately, the game is pretty short and can be beaten in around an hour or so. But I suppose this is also a good thing since there are no saves or passwords. It’s an arcade experience that’s meant to last not too long. Although it is short, I do find myself coming back to it occasionally, just because of how fun it is. Nothing beats selecting the right gun for the right situation — especially when it involves bouncing shots off a wall to dismantle a hapless enemy. The visuals are pretty good although there isn’t much variety to speak of in the lab levels. And sadly that’s where the bulk of the game takes place. The sounds get the job done but nothing to write home about, like the music itself. I do enjoy the arcade action although I wish it were a smidgen faster and some sort of evasive action would have made life easier. But all in all, Operation Logic Bomb is a simple, fun arcade-like game that would make a nice addition to any Super Nintendo library.
I was never the biggest Star Wars kid growing up. Hell, even today I’m not the most ardent fan. I’ve grown to appreciate the franchise over the years, namely after purchasing the original trilogy VHS set off eBay in the late ’90s. I had a childhood friend who was OBSESSED with Star Wars. My brother and I used to sleep over at his place all the time in the early ’90s, and one of my fondest memories is watching him play through Super Star Wars. That stunning intro with that iconic score blasting through in stereo sound is entrenched in my soul. I can’t tell you the number of nights I spent watching this opening intro in sheer awe and never growing tired of it. My friend let me play the game here and there but I never got past the second or third level. I recently sat down to finally play this game seriously. Not only did it scratch a childhood itch, it took me right back to my friend’s living room circa late 1992. All those lazy Saturday nights spent watching him save the universe, at last it was my turn. My turn to be the Jedi master. Or try to be, anyway. But I digress. Let us take a galactic stroll down memory lane.
40 YEARS… GOD DAMN, MAN
One of the most iconic shots in cinematic history
Today marks the 40th anniversary of Star Wars: A New Hope. 40 gawd damn years. Who knew what an impact Star Wars would have when it was released back on May 25, 1977? What can I say about this film that hasn’t already been said a million times before? It just hits all the right notes. It had the classic underdog protagonist, Luke Skywalker (what a name). An absolutely iconic villain (Darth Vader), a charming rebel (Han Solo), a gorgeous female lead (Princess Leia) and several different themes running throughout. It was lightning in a bottle.
Thanks for the memories. R.I.P. Carrie Fisher
IN A GALAXY FAR, FAR AWAY…
Sculptured Software, the developer, got no love in the intro.
Presentation was on point. But the best is yet to come…
INSTANT GALACTIC GOOSEBUMPS.
Wouldn’t be Star Wars without the classic text crawl.
Intros became more popular and common place during the 16-bit era. Sure, they were extremely simple in many cases but that’s also why I like them so much. There’s a charm to their simplicity. Super Star Wars easily has one of the more memorable intros on the SNES, thanks in large part to its epic music.
Nostalgic feels! Talk about bringing back memories! The Sea Dune is one of the most memorable first levels in SNES history.
Starting out with a standard blaster, Luke can upgrade his firepower several times over. Beware of the sand worms.
Showing off his new flame gun, Luke’s in for a giant surprise as the terrible, hideous Sarlacc Pit Monster nearly swallows him whole for lunch!
Sarlacc Pit Monster is such an unforgettable first boss. Probably the very first thing that comes to mind when I think of Super Star Wars. It perfectly sets the stage (no pun intended).
Cutscenes occasionally appear after clearing a stage, moving the plot forward.
Admittedly this hasn’t aged terribly well, but back in late 1992 it was quite the sight.
Destroy all 12 Jawas to free R2-D2. Then head for the Sandcrawler.
Outside the Sandcrawler, Luke must penetrate the defenses and power his way in. Tell me that second shot doesn’t scream Metal Slug…
Jumping on ledges of varying sizes is the meat of this level. Some of the jumps can be a little tricky as some ledges are a bit small and the control isn’t as tight as say a Super Mario World. Eliminate those annoying Jawas before they can attack you right off a ledge. Pretty soon you’ll upgrade to the Seeker gun.
LIGHT SABER?!Relax, that will come later. That light saber icon increases your health bar a bit but oddly only for that level. Each level it resets back to the norm. This stage ends by simply dropping into a hatch. No boss fight. Boo.
Inside the Sandcrawler we go. Run to avoid becoming a human s’more.
Skywalker looks over his shoulder only to spot a Jawa coming his way with ill intentions. Instead of turning around and shooting the Jawa, Luke fires straight ahead at the wall in front of him. The Rapid Ion shot bounces off walls and can take enemies out in unconventional ways. Sick.
There’s no switching of guns, though. Once you upgrade your shot, that’s the only gun you have. Dying sadly drops you back to the very first gun, rather than a step down (how unforgiving). The Plasma shot is the most potent.
Sliding through tight spots never felt so good.
Massive mechanical monstrosities and strange creatures await.
Shades of Contra III: The Alien Wars eh? Speaking of shades, is it just me or does the Hydra boss from Shinobi III remind anyone else a bit of Lava Beast Jawenko?
Hydra from Shinobi III
[More like Kraid from Super Metroid I say… -Ed.]
Defeat Jawenko and rescue R2-D2.
Another cutscene ensues [Boy, nothing gets by you -Ed.]
Attention to detail 101! Love the way Luke struggles to free himself from that sticky goo. More Jawas to kill. Watch out for those crumbling ledges.
Sandwiched between a sand worm and a Tusken Raider. Gee, where’s Beetlejuice when ya need him?
Tricky bit, this is. It’s a long way down…
“GODDAMNIT, LUKE!”
Gifted with the light saber, shit just got real.
Everyone at some point has imagined what it would be like to wield a light saber. Super Star Wars lets you experience it about halfway through. Better late than never! Besides, by the time it’s available, it really feels special.
Banthas die in this dramatic, explosive fashion. Quirky.
Wonder where all those little womp rats come from? Say hello to the mother.
Another vehicle section breaks up the action. Make your way to Mos Eisley. This is where you encounter your first Storm Trooper. Almost brings a tear to my eye. Arguably the most iconic cannon fodder in history. Foot Soldiers and Putties have nothing on these guys!
There’s something really satisfying about slicing a Storm Trooper with your light saber. Especially when you’re jumping. I love how those blocks split up when damaged. Mos Eisley is home to some deadly plant life. Avoid stepping in them.
Chewbacca joins the fray! Let’s give the big wookie a shot…
Chewie’s turn to shine. It’s an old fashioned barroom brawl at the Cantina! Creepy images and enemies abound. I remember being a little spooked whenever my childhood friend made it this far and I sat in the back looking on…
Kalhar is a hulking mess. Watch out for its long neck and limbs.
Everyone’s favorite rebel, Han Solo, crashes the party!
Escaping from the Cantina, there’s a bounty on your head so you better hightail it fast. But being Han Solo, you know no such thing…
Differences between the three playable characters? Chewie is the strongest (his default health bar is the longest). Han Solo has a longer rolling slide than Luke Skywalker. But only Luke can wield the light saber. It’s a small price to pay however to be the coolest rebel this side of the galaxy on your SNES.
Maybe a little TOO cool, though. That’s the last time they get me…
Massive mechanical monstrosities abound.
Consider yourself an excellent gamer if you make it this far without cheating.
Those giant tie fighters fly by and clip our hero. There are quite a few moments in this game where damage is pretty much unavoidable. A little annoying but thankfully there are plenty of heart refills. Ah, nothing warms my heart more than seeing a couple dumb Storm Troopers rushing into the scene.
Nothing beats blasting them to oblivion… except seeing them fall through those pits on their own volition!
Death Star Hangar Bay is a simple but fun little stage. An Imperial Defense Droid greets you at the end. It’s reminiscent of the ED-209 from RoboCop fame.
Switch off to the light saber to make this even more challenging!
Damnit, Luke! Yeah, I’m talking to you! Way to cut it close…
Spider robots can be a pain. Damn, the Storm Troopers are tall in this game.
Detention Guard Boss is no match for a true Jedi. Congratulations on rescuing Princess Leia, but the battle is far from over.
Blasting Storm Troopers left and right makes me happy.
Deactivate the Tractor Beam. Shades of Elevator Action a bit…
Switch over to the light saber and take it out like a real G!
Darth Vader’s token cameo. Maybe he’ll appear more in the sequel…
Death Star — you’re going down!
Gratuitous Mode-7? Check.
Before you can tackle the Death Star head on, you must first obliterate 20 tie fighters and 20 towers.
November 1992. This looked absolutely stunning back then. Some images are just burned into your core. Watching my childhood friend play this over and over is something I still vividly recall… even nearly 25 years later.
Super Star Wars was the first SNES game to combine side-scrolling action with first and third person sequences. Props for the innovation!
Foreshadowing at its finest…
And boy, did they ever strike back
Sculptured Software followed up Super Star Wars with Super Empire Strikes Back (October 1993) and Super Return of the Jedi (October 1994). If I’m not mistaken, Star Wars holds the distinct honor of being the only film trilogy to make it onto the same console in three separate games. Indiana Jones’ Greatest Adventures doesn’t count since the three Indy films are jammed into one game. As of this writing I have yet to thoroughly play through Super Empire Strikes Back or Super Return of the Jedi. It’s said that they’re even better than Super Star Wars, thanks to more refined gameplay, more playable characters and a much welcomed password feature.
FAITHFUL TO THE FILM
Presentation of Super Star Wars, from the opening text crawl to something as little as the very font itself, is extremely faithful to the film that was released 40 years ago today. Sure, a few of the enemies and bosses were added in but thank goodness — it sure would get boring battling just Jawas, Tusken Raiders and Storm Troopers. Some minor plot points were also tweaked, but it’s forgivable. Overall, Super Star Wars nicely captures the spirit and essence of the 1977 film.
USE THE FORCE (OF CHEATING)
Mercy, sweet mercy…
Super Star Wars has a reputation of being one of the toughest SNES games ever crafted. Enemies come at you with relentless hunger. Many attacks are seemingly unavoidable. There are around 15 levels and no save or password feature. The game does become easier when you power up your gun to the max, but as soon as you die you’re back to using the initial gun. Power-ups are somewhat rare so you’re kind of screwed if you die. You’re almost better off starting back from the beginning. To top it all off, the jumping feels a bit rigid. It’s not impossible to beat, but I definitely recommend playing this on Easy. Thankfully, Sculptured Software was so kind as to provide several cheats. Among these include a debug menu, invincibility, a level skip and even a cheat that allows you to begin the game with Luke’s light saber.
Debug Menu: Press A, A, A, A, X, B, B, B, B, Y, X, X, X, X, A, Y, Y, Y, Y, B at the title screen. During game, press L+R on controller 2.
Stage Skip: Press A, A, A, A, X, B, B, B, B, Y, X, X, X, X, A, Y, Y, Y, Y, B at the title screen. During game, press START on controller 2.
Light Saber: At the title screen, press Y, Y, X, X, A, B, X, and A.
Even the cheats were hard!
WHAT THE CRITICS SAID
So hot that it’s on fire…
The critics loved Super Star Wars. EGM gave it ratings of 9, 9, 9 and 9. Super Play scored it 89%. It was a smash hit success when it came out in November 1992. Many considered it as the first truly playable Star Wars game that held true to the vision of the iconic film. From the theme being perfectly replicated to flying the X-Wing in the trench, Super Star Wars knocked it out of the park. Producer and lead designer of Super Star Wars, Kalani Streicher, had some interesting comments to share. In an interview conducted with Retro Gamer Magazine, Kalani had these following remarks: “From the beginning I wanted to retell the story of the movies in an interactive fashion. I also knew, being a huge Star Wars geek myself, that I wanted to bring in elements that never were explained or expanded upon in the movies, especially areas or characters that were mentioned briefly in the films, such as fighting the Star Wars chess monster as a boss in the Cantina.”
Kalani expanded on the Star Wars universeFrom a hologram chess piece…
Regarding the trilogy’s infamous difficulty, Kalani had this to say. “These were difficult games. We were aiming at the hardcore. Everybody was a hardcore player back then! I definitely could not deliver such difficult games today. In hindsight, I would reduce the enemy damage by 10-20 percent, make the player character able to absorb more damage, add more power-ups and improve level design.”
But overall, Kalani admits there isn’t much else he would change. “I’m very happy with how all three games in the SNES trilogy turned out. We did an incredible job getting this trilogy out back-to-back-to-back each Christmas. There are a couple of elements I wish we could have incorporated if we had more time, such as all the levels, characters and bosses we had to cut from the game — with each game we built more levels than we actually shipped. I’d also make the games a bit easier to play. I’m very fond of the Super Star Wars trilogy and very pleased with its popularity. They were my very first games and we had such fun designing and developing them.”
Needless to say, long live Star Wars (it won’t ever die)
CLOSING THOUGHTS
Classic. Timeless. Quintessential. Happy 40th!
It’s hard to believe today marks 40 years since the first Star Wars film marched its way into theatres. May 25, 1977. Who would have ever thunk that it would go on to become the biggest grossing film franchise of all time? Many films come and go. Only a select special few manage to leave an indelible mark. Even fewer go on to become a mainstay in the very fabric of pop culture. Super Star Wars is a fine space action platforming blaster. It’s not without some flaws, but all in all it captures the spirit of the film and was a small landmark achievement back in the early ’90s. As difficult as the game may be, it’s still a blast traversing the landscapes of Tatooine both by foot and vehicle. I love all the little details like the way Luke Skywalker breaks the fourth wall to stare back at you. Or how the pieces of a shattered machine warhead can nick you for damage. Or how the blocks section off into tiny pieces when shot at. It’s a fully breathing universe that feels a bit lived in. It’s convincing and really puts you in the shoes of Luke, Han Solo or even Chewbacca. Well, if he had shoes. Look, you get the point. It’s not perfect but if you’re a fan of the franchise then you can’t help but appreciate the effort and authenticity.
I feel the glow, not the force
Super Star Wars was the first SNES game to incorporate side-scrolling action with first and third person shooting sequences. It was tough as nails but thankfully playing on easy makes it somewhat manageable. If you’re really struggling though, you can enable a secret debug menu to make life a bit easier. The visuals were very good for its time, despite some drab looking deserts scattered throughout. The music was amazing. This is one of those games you want to crank the volume up for. Each track fits its stage perfectly, ranging from sweeping and epic (Land of the Banthas) to jazzy and toe tapping (Cantina). Of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the near perfect rendition of the legendary Star Wars theme. The iconic John Williams score was masterfully handled by one, Paul Webb of Sculptured Software. The sound is also on point, from the guns to the enemy cries to the WHOOSH of the light saber. Explosions are glorious. It’s all part of an engrossing game that sucks you into its digital world and makes you forget for a second that you’re playing a video game. You really do feel like you’re smack dab in the middle of the Star Wars universe. Speaking of which, it’s a good game on its own but when you factor in it’s FREAKING STAR WARS, it’s something quite special.
Just as memorable 25 years on
All of this of course would be for naught if the gameplay didn’t hold up its end of the bargain. Thankfully, while it may not cross over into the upper echelon of SNES action games, Super Star Wars delivers for the most part. On the downside, jumping can be a bit stiff. There is a fair bit of slowdown that occasionally plagues the action. And the boss battles don’t require much strategy. It’s just a case of firing away at them mindlessly for the most part. The game is generous with its heart refills but the constant barrage of oncoming enemy waves can quickly overwhelm to the point of undue frustration. It’s still very playable and enjoyable, particularly on the easy setting, but these factors prevent the game from receiving an even higher score. There are minor differences between Luke, Han and Chewie but there could have been a bit more differentiation. The good far outweighs the negatives, though. Old school hardcore gamers will welcome the challenge but less ardent players may find this game overly irritating. For what it is, especially for its time, Super Star Wars is easily one of the more memorable SNES games ever created. Not necessarily one of the best, although it is very good, but definitely one that sticks in your mind long after the dust settles.
Movie game adaptations back in the ’90s were hit or miss. Often times seemingly more miss than hit, especially when you saw the infamous dreaded letters of LJN on the box cover. Alien³ has a mixed reputation when it comes to the film. So you factor all these things — somewhat shoddy film with a very shoddy firm such as LJN — and it’s easy to see why some folks had their doubts about how this game adaptation would turn out. Thankfully, Probe handled developing the game and Probe strayed away a little from the film’s stifling creative choices. This included strapping Sigourney Weaver with enough arsenal to start a small war and oh boy, were there aliens galore! Compare this to the film which had only one alien and zero guns. A most fine creative choice by Probe. The box wasn’t lying when it said 3 times the suspense, 3 times the danger, 3 times the terror…
AN ICONIC FRANCHISE
Not one to play “Telephone” with
The first Alien film, released nearly 38 years ago on May 25, 1979, was a smash success. It was a tense sci-fi thriller starring Sigourney Weaver as the iconic Ripley character. And of course, one badass alien that scared audiences the world over. The sequel, Aliens, hit theatres on July 14, 1986. It scored rave reviews but the franchise would go on to remain dormant for six years. That’s when Alien³ marched into theatres on May 22, 1992. Today actually marks the 25th anniversary of Alien³. It received mixed reviews and is considered by many as the black sheep of the franchise. However, there’s a decent smattering of Alien³ backers who will claim otherwise. It’s one of those “controversial” sequels in a franchise that warrants another viewing if you haven’t sat down to watch it in over 15 years or so. A year later Alien³ was released on the Super Nintendo. Let’s take a closer look…
The game certainly captures the film’s gritty, grimy feel
NO ONE CAN HEAR YA SCREAM IN SPACE
Nothing like that classic slow Alien fade in effect.
Shiver. That damn facehugger dropping always gets me.
Lieutenant Ellen Ripley, one of the most iconic characters in sci-fi cinematic history, is the sole surviving member. She may wish otherwise…
Alien³ is not your typical side-scrolling platformer, which tends to be the fate of most movie licensed games. It plays more like an interconnected adventure, which is a nice change of pace from your typical hop ‘n bop affair. Throughout each level you’ll find computer terminals. Select a mission, discover your objective(s) and view blueprints. There’s some slight strategy at play here, such as being able to select the missions in an economical fashion where you travel the least amount of distance from mission to mission. Obviously the less ground you cover the greater your chances of survival.
Missions don’t vary too much, which can lead to a spell of repetition now and again. One type of mission is locating and rescuing all the trapped prisoners. Right away you notice the game has this gritty, grimy feel to it. It’s faithful to the movie in that regard, perfectly capturing the bleakness and futility of the maximum security prison. It stands out in a crowd of bright, cartoony looking SNES games for sure!
Ripley’s energy bar is only shown after she incurs damage. I rather liked this as it’s not eating up your HUD space. Although your health bar will occasionally flash once your health drops to 25% or below. It adds to the tension of the game and is a bit reminiscent of Metroid, but less annoying. The smaller aliens inflict little damage but the bigger ones pack a nasty punch.
Speaking of the bigger aliens, I love the way they explode. You can really feel the impact. The screen also seems to shake ever so slightly, just to further play up the gravity of the situation.
Climbing ladders and crawling through the claustrophobic air ducts are two things you can expect to do a lot of. Watch out — those air ducts can quickly fill up with deadly facehuggers and other buggers…
Another mission type is repairing broken electrical boxes.
Creepy shadowy figures watch you from the safety of the sidelines. Use the flamethrower on the eggs when they open up. And beware of falling facehuggers!
Always the little details in a video game that makes me go, “Nice.” Look no further than spotting an item, collecting it and watching it split into several different pieces as it goes into your inventory. I also like the ability to shoot up and kill aliens that may be scurrying high above.
Nothing like taking a flamethrower to those nasty eggs. Also equally satisfying is rescuing all the hostages held captive within the prison.
Ripley’s hand-over-hand technique is brilliantly animated. Finding that tricky final hostage is quite a fist pump worthy moment.
Mission completed? Head back to any given terminal and select the next one. You can choose them in any order you wish, and a blueprint allows you to see exactly where you need to go. It can slow down the action of the game but I do like the touch of strategy that comes with the ability to view a map.
Multiple pipe fractures are compromising your safety, so find them all and seal them up. I like how you see the meter charging from 0 to 100%. Sometimes aliens will come scurrying at you so you must take them out first, and then resume reconstructing the pipes.
Medikits are scattered throughout the game and replenish 30% health. They’re a Godsend when you’re low on health. The game will remind you if your health dips below 25%. There’s nothing like healing up and not having to deal with the annoying low health warning.
Sometimes you need to hang around for a bit. Watch out for the alien’s acid spit!
Roasting the bigger aliens and seeing them explode into tiny pieces is disturbingly satisfying…
Speaking of roasting, the flamethrower is by far my favorite weapon of the three. Just a shame then that it eats up ammo super fast.
Creepy! Alien corridors are exactly that.
Nothing beats an ammo room! You’ll need it too as ammo in this game can dry up fast with the insane amount of aliens that the game throws at you. Probe had mercy and even makes the ammo and various goodies reappear after each successfully cleared mission. Trust me, you will need to restock…
Alien³ can be a pretty tough game. Not impossible by any means, but hard enough to send you to the game over screen a few times. And what a game over screen it is, too…
Scrambled? Sunny side up? Over easy? None of those. I simply prefer my eggs to be alien-free, please. Thank you.
Another type of mission sees you picking up a device in one area only to place it in a control unit in a different area. This back and forth gives it a slight Metroid feel as opposed to an all-out hardcore action affair. And for the most part, this works well.
Sealing certain doors is another type of mission. Notice in the first shot there you are sealing off the door that leads to the ammo supply room. This is where strategy comes into play. I recommend saving this particular mission for last since you will probably need to restock on ammo. Killing all eggs is another mission variant. Watch out for them bloody facehuggers leaping out at you!
Facehuggers should naturally make your skin crawl. They definitely do that in this game. Falling from the ceiling and scurrying about… it really adds to the horror vibe of the game.
Quick, better fix those fuse boxes! But don’t forge ahead if a nasty bugger is quickly heading your way. Pause and dispatch of the threat. You’ll have to start over from scratch charging the bar but thankfully they charge pretty fast.
Grenade launcher will light up your TV screen. Potent sucker!
Hidden goodies are usually lurking about if you explore enough. Once you clear all missions you receive a (funky) password and a time stamp of your adventure. I love games that provide the time it takes to complete a level or mission.
Things get progressively more difficult as you proceed. For example, multiple eggs and xenomorphs call the various hallways home. You’ll be amazed at how fast the ammo flies… and watch out for the changing colors of the aliens. They do grow stronger, like the blue ones…
Missions galore, as usual. I like the little titles they each get too, rather than a generic “Mission #1,” “Mission #2″ and so forth. Take advantage of the blueprint by examining it carefully before accepting and carrying out a mission.
Ooooh, ahhh. A nice change of pace from the more depressing looking visuals of certain other locales.
Reminder: DON’T F*CK WITH RIPLEY.
3 TIMES THE GUNS
Sometimes an action shooting game doesn’t need a whole lot of guns. Alien³ only has three, but they work extremely well and each has its pros and cons. Take the pulse rifle, for instance. It can kill aliens from a low angle but it’ll miss aliens crawling up top. That’s when you bust out the flamethrower instead. However, the flamethrower eats up a ton of ammo fast. The third gun, a grenade launcher, does massive damage but is used more sparingly. Three guns may not seem like a lot but in this case it actually works so well that you don’t find yourself wishing there were more weapons. All three guns are also instantly accessible from the very start. Deciding when to use which, or sometimes even not using any of them at all (if you can safely evade the alien hordes that is), is all part of the ever shifting strategy as the game unfolds. There’s a brilliant simplicity to it all.
Roasting aliens never gets old. The flamethrower goes through three upgrades. Red-green-blue. Red is the weakest. Green is medium and blue is extremely potent. You’ll find the different colors accordingly as the game progresses. Of course, the aliens themselves grow stronger too…
DARKNESS FALLS
Interestingly enough, the beta version is a lot lighter by contrast. The finished product however is much darker. I’m glad Probe went the darker route because it creates a creepy and foreboding atmosphere that is perfect to play on a stormy night with all the lights turned off.
JUMP TO MY LOU-TENANT RIPLEY
Unfortunately, Alien³ isn’t without its share of flaws. While Ripley can jump a great distance, the jumping can feel a bit floaty. In particular, jumping straight up is awkward. It causes Ripley to leap straight up and then float forward a bit. Don’t ever jump straight up if you can help it. And then there are some instances where you need to make a bit of a “blind jump” and it’s tough to land on a platform. This can lead to unnecessary damage and some frustrating moments.
WHAT’S THE SECRET WORD?
Passwords are simple and easy
There are a total of six levels, each containing six to eight missions per level. Due to the nature of these various missions, each level can last you a decent 45 minutes or so. As such, thank goodness for the password feature. The passwords have these odd words, as opposed to random strung together letters and numbers. For example, one password is MOTORWAY and another is CABINETS. Um, OK? It kind of adds to the weird charm of the whole game though, for sure.
“GAME OVER, MAN!”
Ah, rest in peace, Bill Paxton
In the 1986 film, Aliens, Bill Paxton had a classic line that simply stated, “GAME OVER, MAN!”Alien³ gives you a Bill Paxton voice over of that same line. Brilliant. It just fits like a glove. Even though they’re different films, it was still nice to see, er, hear.
S³GA G³N³SIS
Which is better: SNES or Genesis Alien³?
Alien³ is a vastly different game on the Genesis than the SNES. Which one is better? There seems to be an equal amount of fans in each camp. If you’re seeking a more action-oriented rendition then you’d do well to play the Genesis version. But if you’re looking for more of a Metroid style action adventure then check out the SNES version.
The Genesis version came out in 1992
WHAT THE CRITICS SAID
Alien³ made Nintendo Power’s Top 100 at #100
While the film Alien³ flopped with the critics, the Super Nintendo version of Alien³ was by and large considered a success. Often hailed as one of the better movie to video game adaptations of the ’90s, Alien³ was praised for its dark atmosphere, challenging gameplay and an intensely moody soundtrack. The visuals were also heralded as being top of the line in its day. EGM gave this game ratings of 8, 8, 8and 8. GameFan scored it 95, 90, 89 and 87%. Super Play rated it 84%. It was a hit among critics and players alike. Nintendo Power in their 100th issue ranked their top 100 games. Alien³ cracked the list at exactly #100.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
BURN BABY BURN
Don’t let that LJN logo on the box fool ya. Probe took their time developing this game and it shows. While the movie itself wasn’t great, anytime the video game is better than the movie that’s a win in my book. The graphics are amazing. They almost seem to have, at times, this photo realistic style to them. The music fits the game’s dark creepy corridors to a tee. It’s moody, intense and helps to craft one hell of a nightmarish atmosphere. There’s a sense of dread and bleakness that seeps throughout Alien³. It’s bloody brilliant.
The action rarely stops
Aliens come scurrying after you at almost all times. There’s hardly a moment to breathe as just when you think you’ve exterminated the last batch, here comes another wave. However, it’s not to the point where you feel suffocated so much that the game becomes overly difficult and thus no fun. It manages to keep you on your toes at all times yet skillful navigation and strategic conservation of ammo keeps you on the winning side. I love the alien variety, too. Although there may not seem to be that many, the different attacking styles and whatnot keep the game fresh as you adjust combat strategies on the fly. Facehuggers, chestbursters and then three kinds of alien warriors: small, medium and DAMN. The first time you see the big one is one of those moments you never forget. It’s an all out barrage of alien warfare the likes of which is sure to satisfy any action aficionado.
Sweet mother of God…
Alien³ has its share of flaws, though. The jumping can feel a bit wonky in spots. Ripley also has this annoying control scheme where you press down and she’ll kneel. You have to tap down and shoot. Hold down too long however and you’ll aim down instead of shooting while crouching. I lost way too much health to this than I care to recall. It’s not something you can’t overcome without a little practice but she’s definitely not as easy to control as, say, Mario. It’s not a deal breaker by any means but it’s little things like this that prevent me from giving this game an even higher score. Having said all that, this game is packed with action, intensity, violence and an underrated soundtrack. Killing aliens never felt so good before. You can really feel the “weight” behind the guns and the sound effects are top-notch, right down to the aliens’ screeches and death cries. Alien³ is easily one of the better movie video game adaptations not only on the SNES but of the entire 16-bit era.
Graphics: 8 Sound: 9 Gameplay: 8 Longevity: 6
Overall: 8.0 Silver Award
Sweet dreams my dear…Catch Alien: Covenant in theatres as of this writing!
This past Friday (May 12, 2017), King Arthur: Legend of the Sword limped its way into theatres to mixed (but mostly poor) reviews. It grossed under 15 million in its opening weekend. Mind you, it was produced on a budget of 175 million, not counting advertising. It is a box office bomb in the ultimate sense. Damn, as if everybody didn’t see that coming. King Arthur has definitely seen better days, and I’d be damned if Knights of the Round doesn’t qualify as such. A conversion of the Capcom arcade beat ‘em up, it arrived pretty late into the SNES’ lifespan (November 1991 to April 1994) but hey, better late than never. As far as beat ‘em ups on the Super Nintendo go, this is easily one of the better ones.
A GOLDEN TIME
Timing is everything…
In January 2006 I was struck hard by an overwhelming desire to revisit my childhood in the form of one, the Super Nintendo. There were so many great games from my youth I wanted to play again and even more that I always wanted to play back in the ’90s but never did. Early 2006 was a special time. Most SNES games sold for a measly $5. There was a paucity of nostalgic collectors back then; the market had yet to explode. It was a classic case of right place, right time. I acquired most of my SNES games on the internet, but I also bought more than my fair share in real life. And there’s something special about that. It’s kind of like playing a video game with your buddies in the same room rather than online play. There’s a purity to the real life exchange that simply can’t be beat. I’ve had some great deals and met some interesting cats in those early days of 2006. One of my favorite memories was the day I ran into an old college acquaintance while out hunting.
March 25, 2006. 12:27 PM. Two months into my SNES resurrection, I left my house that Saturday afternoon full of hope and optimism. Burnt out on Saturn gaming, it was during a long University winter break that the urge to play my childhood favorites, and discover the gems that I missed back in the day, hit me like a ton of bricks. But I digress. Back to March 25. The night before I made my local rounds on Craigslist and found an ad of some guy liquidating all his old 16-bit games. I emailed him and he promptly replied, asking me to come visit his store (a good 45 minute drive both ways) on Saturday to browse his selection. He promised to give me a good deal.
And so the next morning I was off on yet another trek. I fondly recall those early hunting days. There was sort of a magic to it all… like the possibility that anything could happen and any game on my want list was laying out in the open. Having a want list of literally hundreds meant a good chance I was always going to find something. It was a peaceful spring Saturday morning. Listening to my blaring music, windows rolled down, driving all over town to reclaim bits and pieces of my childhood… there was something very ‘romantic’ about those early days.
Upon my arrival I met Aaron, the guy whom I had been in contact with. He looked oddly familiar… I couldn’t escape the feeling that I’d seen this fool somewhere before. As I browsed his SNES offerings it suddenly hit me. I had a college class with him back in the spring of 2002! In fact, we were groupmates for the final! How’s that for a weird little story? It had to be destiny.
He was looking at me sort of funny too. It had been four years since we seen each other. As we looked at each other my memory started flowing back to me. For our Final we had to share with the class something we were passionate about (it was a rec class). I talked about my love for playing basketball. At that time my love with the game was at its peak (thanks largely to Coach Butler and 9/11). Meanwhile, Aaron shared with the class his passion for video games, which included Nintendo, Sega and even the Atari Jaguar.
As I stood there recalling to myself exactly who this guy was, as if on cue, he came over to break my train of introspective thought.
“Finding everything good?”
I answered his question with a question of my own. “Hey man, didn’t we take a rec class together in college like four years back?”
“Man, I knew you looked familiar! … Steve, right? Yeah I totally remember that class… easiest A+ of my life! How the hell ya been?”
We chewed the fat for a while. So random and crazy! Turns out Aaron’s dream has always been to own his very own game store. And at just 22 years young, he was the manager of this little gaming store. I was happy for him. We were never best buddies in college but we were cool, and just seeing him randomly on this day and finding out that he achieved his dream at just 22 years old, that was sweet. It’s always nice to run into an old face and find them doing well in the game of life.
Found my shining knight…
I eventually brought these four games to the counter. I was so excited to dig up Knights of the Round; it was my first time in two months spotting a copy in the wild. Such good childhood memories spent playing it and Super Baseball 2020 (which I also bought). Never got to play the SNES port of Power Instinct but I always wanted to. Aaron gave me a good deal. Knights of the Round was price at $8 but he sold it for $6. Power Instinct was $8 but he took $4. Super Baseball 2020 went for just a measly $1 (!) and Super Soccer Champ ran $2. What a wild trip, all courtesy of my checking Craigslist the night before. Little did I know I would run into an old face from my early college days, see that he was doing well and that life had been good to him, and get a nice little deal in the process. Driving home that Saturday afternoon, I rolled down the windows and blasted the music. There was such a feeling of excitement in the air. It was a fascinating time where I was getting ready to wrap up college and look to the future yet at the same time I was also looking to the past. I looked at the four games sitting on my passenger seat, smiling as old fond memories of playing them began surfacing. It was the perfect drive home. Those early hunting days… man, I’ll never forget those exuberant days. The feeling of excitement in the air… reclaiming my childhood… running into old faces… crossing want after want off the list. Good times indeed.
THE STORY GOES…
Legend says that whoever extracts Excalibur…… would rule the land!“Arthur, only the Legendary Grail can save the world”“You three must find and use it to unify all of Britain”“Now go forth, ye Knights of the Round!”
Note: original review written May 2014Blocking enemy attacks is crucial to your success
KNIGHT CLUB
A strong all-around fighter and a jack-of-all tradesKing Arthur was quite the swinger in his day…Makes up for his lack of power with blazing speedNo one strikes fasterA lumbering brute blessed with the power of 10 menHe’s the classic slow but strong fighter
KINDERGARTEN KNIGHTS
Before…… after
They say everything you ever needed to learn, you learned in Kindergarten. If true then these knights pass with flying colors. One of the unique things about Knights of the Round is the ability to split up treasure into multiples. That way, when playing with a buddy, both players can reap the benefits. Nice!
I can’t eat all this…Meal prep, check!
And not only can you split up the treasure but the food as well. I can’t think of another beat ‘em up that does this off the top of my head. It makes Knights of the Round unique as it really highlights the true co-op nature of this game.
ALL MINE, BWAHAHAHAHA…
WELCOME TO THE NEXT LEVEL
Not many beat ‘em ups can claim this
Another cool feature is the leveling up system. Your character will level up after reaching a set amount of points. This results in increased strength and tiny cosmetic changes. It adds a slight RPG flavor. It also serves as a way to refuel your health bar even mid-way through a stage, which can turn the tide in your favor. My brother Kevin and I raved about this scoring system back in ’94 and I still appreciate it to this day. There’s nothing better than having a sliver of health only to level up. In the process your character receives a new piece of armor and your health bar resets to 100%. It’s these little moments that make this game such a joy to play. Love these gimmicks!
Lots of different ways to earn pointsLeveling up when you’re near death never gets old
WHEN IN DARKEST KNIGHT
Oh yeah!
Perhaps the best item of all, this allows you to automatically level up whether you’re one point away or 30,000. Hopefully you’ll run across it soon after leveling up on your own, since that really maximizes the odds of winning.
Arguably the second best item in the game
Along the way you’ll find some key items, such as this red orb. This will destroy all enemies on screen. On the downside, this does eliminate the chance of scoring more points. It’s a small sacrifice…
KNIGHT-MARE
Wouldn’t be King Arthur without some horses
This was so cool but sadly it’s a one time deal. The mare puts you in prime position to smash and bash their skulls in. Playing with a friend? You and your buddy will have to decide who gets to ride the beast. Yeah, my brother and I used to always to discuss this, ahem, “peacefully.” And by that I mean if I didn’t let him mount the mare he would smack me upside my head with a pillow. Nothing like brotherly love, is there? No worries bro, I’ll get you back with my best man speech (edit: I sure did…)
“I like long walks and horses”
OK, so you can ride a horse *twice* in the game, but only one time outside of the Braford boss fight. It’s still a shame to have it happen only two times in the entire game. Since you can’t pick up weapons, grab enemies, throw them or steal their weapons, things can get a bit repetitive. The horses manage to break up the action nicely, and thus it’s a shame they only crop up twice.
THE JOURNEY BEGINS
Look for the goodies hidden inside various barrelsPROTIP: AVOID BEING SANDWICHEDGood thing then that Percival loves crashing partiesMinus clapping and balancing the pike on his noseI could never max out the leveling up, though…Capcom was the master of the small detailsMask Men are quite agile and rather annoyingGet it before they turn you into a royal sandwich!Hit detection here in particular was a bit offWolfgang Krauser would surely be proudNothing like stealing another man’s ride
[HAR HAR -Ed.]
[Wow… that explains a lot. Now it makes sense… -Ed.]I love Andore-type enemies. LOVE ‘EM!I’m warning ya — LAST CHANCE!They never learn…The tiger lands on the soldier’s sword. OUCHArlon the Silver King is the first tough boss you faceWe’re not even halfway through the game yetHand that flag over, OR ELSEGood. I was hoping for the hard way!But thank God we didn’tTaking out some of your comrades in the processYou shouldn’t have done that…Which one, hmmm…
You could say it’s “falcon” awesome [No -Ed.]Don’t falcon touch my treasure! [No -Ed.]
MC Hammer would be proudThe sunset paints a gorgeous backdropNow that’s poetic“Damn sure could use a cup of joe right about now”Fat Men: “Head straight and turn left at the escalator”The stakes are a little higher here, though…It’s like the Lovecraftian Samurai from 47 RoninKnights and samurais? Yes, pleaseWhoa — after a certain level Percival goes bald!PROTIP: BLOCK EARLY AND BLOCK OFTENLightning reveals a pair of dragon statues. NicePalette swaps suck. Who are you, Arlon’s brother?Garibaldi is by far the toughest boss in the gameIndeed it is. Nothing beats a close call…ALL HAIL KING ARTHUR… ER… PERCIVAL!
MEET THE MEDIEVAL GEAR GANG
Soldiers have the smallest energy bar ever seenNo good medieval game is without some sorceryCompensating for something, hmm?Sounds like a Broadway musical in the making…Every beat ‘em up must feature some fat guys, eh?You can never go wrong with samuraisBest chocolate ever [IT’S GHIRARDELLI YA FOOL -Ed.]
WHAT THE CRITICS SAID
Capcom and the SNES go together like PB & J
Knights of the Round had a pretty respectable reputation for the most part. EGM gave it scores of 9, 8, 7, 7 and 7. GameFan never reviewed it but spoke favorably of it in its preview. Super Play Magazine, who were notoriously hard graders, particularly of beat ‘em ups, rated it a paltry 51%. They didn’t like the genre a whole lot, so I pretty much disagree with the majority of their beat ‘em up scores. They were excessively hard on these games and found many to be too derivative. Fans of beat ‘em ups may view otherwise, yours truly included. Super Play aside, this is regarded as a solid conversion of the 1991 arcade brawler. This medieval mash ‘em up is yet another solid Capcom SNES effort.
3-player mode was axed, but it’s still fun with two
The arcade featured a 3-player mode that didn’t make the SNES cut. No surprise there, as there is no 3-player simultaneous beat ‘em up on the SNES. It’s a damn shame, but something you accepted as a kid back in the ’90s. Some sound effects are missing as well, such as the stomping of Hammer Balbars. But all in all, Capcom captured the spirit of the arcade well and it’s a blast with two gladiators at the helm. Knights of the Round is the closest thing to Golden Axe on the SNES! Capcom delivers yet again, to no one’s surprise.
Super Play often graded beat ‘em ups very toughEGM, as they did more often than not, nailed it
CLOSING THOUGHTS
“I swear, the fish was THIS big I tell ya!”
Knights of the Round is a solid beat ‘em up and one that SNES fans of two player games should have in their collection. It covers a lot of familiar ground that gives it an instant comfortability. This includes having three varying characters to select from, special desperation moves and a typical hierarchy of enemies including several nasty bosses. In addition, it also has some clever tricks up its sleeve that helps differentiate it from the crowd. Being able to split up the food and money is a neat gimmick — I’ve never seen that before in a beat ‘em up. Also, being able to block and gain a split second of invulnerability adds to the strategy of the game, elevating it from the rest of the pack. Last but not least, the ability to level up is brilliant and makes racking up points all the more crucial.
Good times with a friend in tow
But of course, the game isn’t without some flaws. The graphics and music are both good, but the sound is a bit muted and doesn’t have the kind of convincing slicing and slashing one would expect coming from Capcom. There’s also a tiny bit of slowdown (though mainly when battling Iron Golem) to work through. And because the Arthurian bunch come armed with their weapons, there are none to pick up along the way. Picking up various weapons along the way is one of the genre’s classic simple joys — being able to pick up a Louisville slugger or a lead pipe is typically all part of the fun. Another staple of the genre missing from this game is the ability to grab, pound and throw. Therefore, Knights of the Round is more like a slash ‘em up. It offers less choices than your average beat ‘em up since there are no weapons to pick up and no way to throw your enemies. This can lead to the game growing a bit dull from time to time, but overall, it’s still a blast playing with a friend. Despite its imperfections, Knights of the Round is a solid beat ‘em up that features some unique ideas and deserves a spot in any Super Nintendo library.
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.
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.
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…
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…
CLOSING THOUGHTS
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.
Ah, such vintage SNES visuals
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.
I’ve got my eye on you, sir
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!
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…
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…
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…
The Japanese only sequel
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.
Happy 25th anniversary!
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, 9and 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
A sign of the times this was
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
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.
Oh poor Tina
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.
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