I typically like to update every 3-5 games, but somehow I managed to knock out 7 titles since last my last blog! And there were a few delightful surprises in there too!
First game I beat was a very interesting title called Treasure Master. This game was developed in association with MTV and was basically a contest. You enter your special code packed in with the game to unlock the final stage and therefore be eligible to enter the contest. Upon completing the final stage you receive a new code to enter into a mail away form and a phone number to call for help if needed. The prizes actually sounded pretty decent with stuff like trips to see your favorite band or sports team, new home theater systems, big cash prizes and tons of game/console prizes. The game itself can be a bit frustrating at times, but its not to bad. Its a platformer with a little bit of action tossed in and an interesting exploration/puzzle aspect to it. Each level has various tools hidden throughout it and you have to figure out where to use each tool you've found. Most tools only have one area to use them in, but a few attack items can be used in any part of the game. If there is one thing to say about this game though its that the main character has one badass stride when he walks. Its probably my favorite character animation of any NES game.
[img width=639 height=480]http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk189/Crabmaster2000/TreasureMaster-Ending.jpg[/img]Since I've already taken care of the other 3 Simpsons games I figured I might as well knock Krusty's Fun House off my list too. It starts off fairly fun and simple, but quickly becomes boring, repetitive and frustrating due to the way you have to stand on the very end of platforms to solve many puzzles. There are much better puzzle games on the system so its only really worth checking out if your a huge Simpsons fan, and even then there isnt to much fanfare.
[img width=642 height=479]http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk189/Crabmaster2000/KrustysFunHouse-Ending.jpg[/img]King's Knight by Squaresoft was my next target. This one is another interesting mashup of genres. It is very much a scrolling shooter, but with strong RPG type elements in it. The game consists of 5 levels, the first 4 having to be played each with a different character specific to each level. The final stage is played by any of the 4 characters that survived their initial levels. By hitting select at the title screen after dying you can replay any of the characters levels again in order to get them all to the final stage. Each character has to be on the lookout for some special powerups in their respective stages in order to gain access to a powerful spell in the final stage, there are 4 of each of these powerups for each character to find. In addition to the spell powerups each character can collect other useful items such as: increased attack power, increased defence, faster movement or increased jumping capabilities. Depending on how many of these powerups you find your character is given a level (1-20 where every single powerup collected adds one level to your character) So the challenge is to get each character as close to level 20 as possible and have access to their spell for the final stage. Now in the final stage all for characters form a diamond shape and by hitting arrow tiles scattered through the level you can swap your front character. By some trial and error you can find which character needs to use their spell at different parts of the level. Once you are able to navigate your way through a fairly challenging castle you get to face off against the final boss. Each character is needed to beat him and all 4 of your guys must hit the boss at least 15 times a piece before you can claim victory.
[img width=643 height=482]http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk189/Crabmaster2000/KingsKnight-Ending.jpg[/img]After that was done I decided to follow in Arino-san's footsteps and challenge Mighty Bomb Jack. This was one of the best titles I've played in quite a while. Each room is scattered with treasures, secrets and randomly spawning enemies. The character controls AMAZINGLY and feels very fun to move around with such ease. Each level ends in a room full of bombs and baddies. After clearing all the bombs from the room you get to move onto the next level. A nice little trick I learned from Arino was to collect the bomb with the burning fuse last in order to skip a world. By using this technique I was able to save the king and beat the game fairly quickly, but I definitely plan to come back to this one day and see if I cant find some of the secret items and get one of the better endings.
[img width=640 height=475]http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk189/Crabmaster2000/MightyBombJack-Ending.jpg[/img]After that I had to keep my Bases Loaded legacy alive and started work on Bases Loaded 3. The win condition in this game was fairly unique. My goal was to beat a Level 5 team (the hardest) and have my rating at the end of the game be 100, which is the highest possible rating. Every error you make, such as getting struck out, throwing wild pitches or tossing the ball to the wrong base costs you 3 of your 100 points. If you can shut out their team for the inning you can make 1 point back and by making a "great play" you can score 2 points back. I took the easy route out and used the team edit tools and created a team of steroid induces berserkers in order to keep my play time with this game to a minimum. I figured I have spent enough time loading bases on the first two games that I deserved to take the easy way out. Plus it was a built in game feature so it didnt feel like cheating
[img width=642 height=483]http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk189/Crabmaster2000/BasesLoaded3-Ending.jpg[/img]Second to lastly I played a game that I've heard a fair amount of negativity about, Castelian. Each level starts you at the bottom of a tower and tasks you with figuring out some short puzzles in order to reach the top of the tower before your time runs out. After completing the tower you get a bonus stage in which you can rack up points by collecting gems and if you are able to make it to the end of the bonus stage you are awarded with some extra time for the next tower stage. I found the towers to be a lot of fun and surprisingly addictive. Definitely a game worth checking out.
[img width=640 height=480]http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk189/Crabmaster2000/Castelian-Ending.jpg[/img]And lastly I played possibly my favorite game of the bunch, Flying Dragon: The Secret Scroll. Flying Dragon starts off as a very generic side scroller, with very simplistic controls. In these types of levels you have to defeat 5 enemies in order to get a boss to appear on screen. Once you've killed 5 bosses and collected the items they were carrying you gain access to the real fun part of the game. The 1 on 1 fighting areas. To fight you have to watch for targets that appear on either your character or the enemy and react quickly before the opponent can strike/dodge. To make things even more interesting you have to defeat some enemies in very specific ways in order to get them to reveal their true form as Tusk Soldiers and then fight these demonic rivals in order to obtain the secret scrolls they have stolen. The game has the basic high/mid/low kicks and punches for you to work with, but there are also several special moves at your disposal as well as healing items that occasionally make their way across the screen for you to pick up. These fighting levels are so much fun that the side scrolling areas feel like they just get in the way. Luckily you can do all of them, even the later levels in about 2 minutes and get back to the good stuff. This game has a required second quest in order to get the real ending, but since I had so much fun going through it the first time I had no issue doing it again right after. The only difference is that you are also tasked with finding 4 crystal balls along with the 6 scrolls hidden throughout the game. Its not nearly as daunting as it sounds and its a blast to play though, even the second time around.
[img width=642 height=482]http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk189/Crabmaster2000/FlyingDragon-Ending.jpg[/img]NES Games Finished In 2012(
click on a title to view the video)
Silver SurferNinja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of DoomDouble Dragon II: The RevengeDouble Dragon III: The Sacred StonesGhosts n GoblinsTetrisPro WrestlingGradiusZanacAdventure IslandKarnovTrojanExcitebikeBaseballSpy HunterAdventure Island IITennisBattletoadsShadowgateBattletoads/Double DragonPinball QuestSection ZGodzillaHydlideMarble MadnessBack to the FutureDarkmanTerminator 2RobocopTotal RecallPredatorRobocop 2Robocop 3Hudson HawkHome AloneHome Alone 2Batman ReturnsGhostbusters IIGhostbustersDie HardA Nightmare on Elm StreetThe Krion ConquestAdventures of Dino RikiUltima: ExodusLegacy of the WizardAir FortressUltima: Quest of the AvatarDarkwing DuckUltima: Warriors of DestinyLegends of the DiamondPro Sports HockeyDusty Diamond's All-Star SoftballYoshi's CookieKick MasterZombie NationStadium EventsSuper Jeopardy!JoustYoshiDance AerobicsAdventures of Bayou BillyPipe DreamsSki or DieWerewolf: The Last WarriorSimpsons: Bart vs The Space MutantsCity ConnectionAmerican GladiatorsRoundball 2-on-2 Challenge720Athletic WorldSuper Team GamesRomance of the Three KingdomsGumshoeBases LoadedThe Addams Family Pugsley's Scavenger HuntKings of the BeachThe Blues BrothersVolley BallLode Runner3D World RunnerTwin EagleDragon's LairThe Adventures of Rad GravityBreak Time: The National Pool TourBases Loaded II
Rainbow IslandsConquest of the Crystal PalacePeter Pan And The PiratesKid Kool and the Quest for the Seven Wonder HerbsAdvanced Dungeons & Dragons: Dragon StrikeSlalomWrath of the Black MantaRace AmericaTreasure MasterKrusty's Fun House
King's KnightMighty Bomb JackBases Loaded 3CastelianFlying Dragon: The Secret Scroll
BONUS GAME -
AssimilateFuture Plans - I'm getting close to another big milestone so I'm going to try for another game that big in scope such as Romance of the Three Kingdoms II to try and make that milestone memorable.
?: [url]