Little Nemo: The Dream Master - Retro Playthrough - August 2015

[Schlibby]

Not as creepy as the clown in the opening video though that goes into Nemo's room at night and takes him away

[singlebanana]

Some happy Nemo jams to start the weekend and the playthrough:

[singlebanana]

Not as creepy as the clown in the opening video though that goes into Nemo's room at night and takes him away

Worse than hobo Jiminy Cricket at the beginning?

[MetalFRO]

Some happy Nemo jams to start the weekend and the playthrough:

I wonder if he has a camera person slowly panning the camera left or right, or if he has a motorized tripod to accomplish that effect?  It's very subtle, but it's so steady it makes me think it's a motor.

[singlebanana]

Today's the big day!  Checkpoint is up. I know that there is no password system, so checkpoints may be irrelevant, but if you're playing on the Retron 5 like I am, you can use the save states.

[Ikariniku]

Mushroom forest down, but Flower Garden is a complete nightmare.  Little Nemo really gives you the feeling of being a kid lost in a strange land.  You're small, weak, alone, everything is bigger and stronger than you, the people (well, animals) you trust betray you and are generally useless.  I thought I had played some frustrating games, but Little Nemo takes the cake.

Of course, countdown to JerryGreenwood saying the game is for babies and he's already beaten it...

[singlebanana]

Mushroom forest down, but Flower Garden is a complete nightmare.  Little Nemo really gives you the feeling of being a kid lost in a strange land.  You're small, weak, alone, everything is bigger and stronger than you, the people (well, animals) you trust betray you and are generally useless.  I thought I had played some frustrating games, but Little Nemo takes the cake.

Of course, countdown to JerryGreenwood saying the game is for babies and he's already beaten it...

That's actually a pretty apt description of the game. One of the more frustrating parts of the game is that you really have no weapon. The candy can be used to stun enemies, but this typically does little good, since the platforming is mostly about timing and jumping over enemies and obstacles. Stunning enemies sort of breaks up your rhythm and is useless IMO.

And errrr......yeah.......I hate to do this, but uhhhh........... I beat the game today.

It's a tough game, but I played it a lot as a kid, beat it then, and still have a pretty good handle on it. It was helpful to have played it on the Retron5 this go round. Since there is not a password system on the game, the save state allowed me to play through the chapters over a few evenings.

Spoiler (hover to show)

[img width=700 height=522]http://i1029.photobucket.com/albums/y359/necrom99/Playthroughs/BD16B4DB-AC7D-42DA-90F8-1A5D1B94699E_zpslnup4jwe.jpg[/img]

[Schlibby]

I'm up to level 5. 2nd level was very frustrating. And the 3rd was pretty damn hard. But seems to be getting a bit easier after that.

[singlebanana]

I'm up to level 5. 2nd level was very frustrating. And the 3rd was pretty damn hard. But seems to be getting a bit easier after that.

Yeah, the first few levels are much tougher than the middle levels. But not to worry, it gets tougher again toward the end.

[russlyman]

I will fire this bad boy up tonight when I get home at 10. Do wish there was some sort of save states, unless I play it on my modded Wii heheheheheh. But I like using the NES controller. ha

[Disposed Hero]

All of the save state talk got me thinking... I just looked it up, and apparently there are Game Genie codes that let you start the game on later levels.  Might be a good option for those who don't have the time to complete it in one sitting.

No cheating and skipping levels you haven't finished! 

Also just noticed that this was added, and I have to use it just once:   

[Shadow Kisuragi]

Also just noticed that this was added, and I have to use it just once:   

Yes, I added it as a memorial. An old member and friend of the site recently passed away over the weekend:
http://www.rfgeneration.c...14895.msg227192#msg227192

[Ikariniku]

It's a tough game, but I played it a lot as a kid, beat it then, and still have a pretty good handle on it. It was helpful to have played it on the Retron5 this go round. Since there is not a password system on the game, the save state allowed me to play through the chapters over a few evenings.

All of the save state talk got me thinking... I just looked it up, and apparently there are Game Genie codes that let you start the game on later levels.  Might be a good option for those who don't have the time to complete it in one sitting.

You don't need fancy hardware like a Retron 5 or Game Genie to skip completed levels.  There's a level select code built into the game.

The code: Up, Select, Left, Right, A, A, B at the Title Screen.  "Dream Select" will appear under "Start".  Press A as many times as levels you want to skip (for example, pressing A once will skip Level One and start you on Level Two).  Press Start and you'll start on the selected level.

Apparently, a previous owner of my copy of Little Nemo was having as much success in the game as I was, as this code is written on the cart.

I can see why this game is remembered fondly.  It had good graphics, good music, and an interesting play mechanic.  However, some of the good feelings seem like Stockholm Syndrome from those who spent the time between their birthday and Christmas one year with only Little Nemo to play.

While images of Little Nemo in Nintendo Power sparked my imagination, I am very glad I never wasted a present on this game.  I am much, much better at games than I was as a kid, and I find this game impossible and the opposite of fun.  I had a much better time with Astyanax and Punch-Out!! back in 1990.

[singlebanana]

Awesome information Ikariniku!  Thank you for the level code.

To your other point, I wouldn't call purchasing this game or receiving it when I was younger as a "wasted present." I think that there are far more superior games out there on the system for sure, and that even most of them made by Capcom are much better. Printing that specific developer's name on a cart automatically commands a high expectation for any game, especially a platformer.

I can assure you that there is no "Stockholm Syndrome" as you call it on my part. I enjoyed the game, as frustrating as it might be, when I was a kid, and I still enjoy it today. It seems that many of the games I enjoyed as a kid (and still do today) were very difficult. I think that spending a great deal of time with games back then and mastering them until I finally beat them was an incredible feeling and commanded some serious schoolyard respect (ha!).  I never owned this game, but borrowed it from a friend for a few weeks, and I can assure you that I didn't have a Nintendo Power subscription or hotline to help me out.  Sure, there are games like Contra that I feel are incredibly easy and that I enjoy, but the time I spent as a kid beating Nemo is more significant to me; it was frustrating for sure, but at the same time fun. I think when you're a kid, time or ungodly amounts of attempts isn't really something you care about as much as you do when you are an adult. Plus, I always had friends over to play games with and we would switch turns (something you don't see in modern gaming). When you're older, you have a job, kids, family, etc., time is more precious and you understand the limited nature of it as well.  Sure, I agree, the game has it's issues and there are games I enjoy far more, but it's a good platformer with a pretty original "skin" mechanic and a fun open concept.  

[MetalFRO]

I was planning on participating this month, but I think I'm going to sit this one out.  I've been busy with household projects, and I'm behind schedule (my own, arbitrary one, at least) for Game Boy reviews, and I want to not lose focus on that, so I'm going to just do other casual game playing this month outside of the review scope.  Maybe next month I'll pick back up, but I didn't finish 2 of the 3 games from last month, so I feel like I need to slow down just a touch.