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NES

Ms. Pac-Man on the NES

written by retrogamer71

The gameplay is very similar to that of Pac-Man. The player earns points by eating pellets and avoiding monsters (contact with one causes Ms. Pac-Man to lose a life). Eating an energizer (or “power pellet”) causes the monsters to turn blue, allowing them to be eaten for extra points. Bonus fruits can be eaten for increasing point values, twice per round. As the rounds increase, the speed increases, and energizers generally lessen the duration of the monsters’ vulnerability, eventually stopping altogether.

Differences from the original Pac-Man

The game has four mazes that appear in different color schemes and alternate after each of the game’s intermissions are seen. The pink maze appears in levels one and two; the light blue maze appears in levels three, four, and five; the brown maze appears in levels six to nine; and the dark blue maze appears in levels 10 to 14. After level 14, the maze configurations alternate every fourth level.
Three of the four mazes (the first, second, and fourth ones) have two sets of warp tunnels, as opposed to only one in the original maze.
The walls have a solid color rather than an outline, which makes it easier for a novice player to see where the paths around the mazes are.
The monsters’ behavioral patterns are different, and include semi-random movement, which prevents the use of patterns to clear each round. Blinky (red) and Pinky (pink) move randomly in the first several seconds of each level, until the first reversal. Inky (cyan) and Sue (orange) still use the same movement patterns from the previous game to their respective corners, again until the first reversal.
Instead of appearing in the center of the maze, the fruits bounce randomly around the maze, entering and (if not eaten) leaving through the warp tunnels. Once all fruit has been encountered, they appear in random sequence for the rest of the game, starting on the eighth round; a 5000-point banana can be followed by a 100-point pair of cherries.
The orange monster is called Sue, rather than Clyde; her color was later changed to purple in Pac-Land to differentiate her.
When Ms. Pac-Man makes contact with a monster and dies, she spins around, or as the back of the flier says, “she dramatically swoons and falls” rather than folding in on herself as the original Pac-Man did.
The three intermissions follow the developing relationship between the original Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man (from when they first meet to having a stork drop off their baby). The latter served as the basis for Baby Pac-Man and is referenced in Jr. Pac-Man.
The sound effects and music are all new.

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Monster in My Pocket on the NES

written by retrogamer71

The game had the same essential concept of the comic book, although it altered the personalities of Hobgoblin and Gremlin, initially the good monsters but now appeared as villains, to the extent that Gremlin was a boss.

Warlock, wanting to have power and rule over all the other monsters, creates a shrinking spell to use as punishment for any who chooses to oppose him. As time goes on, all of the monsters choose to join his side – except for Vampire and The Monster. However, the spell was miscast – causing all of the monsters to shrink in size. Warlock sends out his henchmen, led by Spring Heeled Jack, Bigfoot, Kraken, Gremlin, and Medusa while Vampire and The Monster are watching TV in the Miles home. They must fight their way through the upstairs and kitchen of the home, the street, and the sewer; they emerge in a construction site and an Orientalist garden before fighting Warlock at Monster Mountain, although that is not the end of the game.

Vampire and the Monster’s abilities in the game are the same (though 2-player simultaneous action was an option): they can make an attack that can extend slightly beyond their bodies with a bit of a blaze, and they can make a double jump from the height of their jump, something that has since become a common move in many video games.

The remaining good monsters from the comics—Werewolf, Vampiress, Golem, Swamp Beast, The Phantom of the Opera, Jotun Troll, Invisible Man, Dr. Jekyll, and Mummy—made no appearance whatsoever in the game, although Werewolf did appear on the cover. Warlock and Minotaur were the only two monsters from series 2 to appear in the game. In the comic book, however, Medusa declared that by her count, Vampire’s side had a majority, though all the other series 1 monsters were included as enemies in the game

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Action NES

Mission: Impossible on the NES

written by retrogamer71

The game is played from a top-down perspective. The player gets to control three IMF operatives from the TV series – Max, Grant and Nicholas – all of whom have different skills necessary for completion. The used character may be switched anytime in-game.

On the street at the very beginning of the game, civilians may not be harmed, and such activities will most certainly bring the mission to a highly embarrassing end, as local authorities proceed to arrest the attacker. While infiltrating an enemy’s hideout, discretion is advised as detection by the surveillance system will bring security guards.

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NES Platform

Mighty Bomb Jack on the NES

written by retrogamer71

Each level is split into two parts; an action zone and a Royal Palace room. The mechanics and level designs of the Royal Palace rooms are directly lifted from Bomb Jack. Action zones can be split up into several portions and contain power-ups usually hidden in treasure chests such as money bags, Mighty Coins and Mighty Drinks. Mighty Coins allow Jack to change colors; blue allows Jack to open orange treasure chests, orange allows him to open any treasure chest by simply touching it from the side, and green transforms all enemies on the screen into coins for 5 seconds. Mighty Drinks add 10 seconds to the game’s timer. Secret passages can also be found in the action zones, activated by finding a Sphinx in a visible or hidden treasure chest.

To prevent the player from becoming too “greedy”, the game automatically sends the player to a Torture Room if they obtain more than 9 Mighty Coins or 99 seconds on the game’s timer. The only way to escape a Torture Room without losing a life is to complete a number of jumps, which are counted down on the screen. Once the player exits the Torture Room, Jack automatically loses all Mighty Coins, the timer is reset to 60 seconds, and the game recommences from the beginning of the current level

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NES Sport

Punch-Out on the NES

written by retrogamer71

Punch-Out!! features a boxer known as Little Mac, fighting his way up through ranks of the World Video Boxing Association. After facing a series of colorful fictional opponents in three main circuits, with one hidden one called Another Wolrd Circuit, the goal is to win a final “Dream Fight” against a highly skilled boxer. In the Gold Version, this is Super Macho Man, who was also the final opponent in the arcade game, “Super Punch-Out!!; in the original version released in the West, Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!!, this is the real-life Mike Tyson, then-World Heavyweight Champion; in versions released in the West after the license to use Mike Tyson expired, this is the fictional Mr. Dream.

Little Mac has a limited repertoire compared to most of his opponents. His punches are limited to left and right jabs, left and right body blows, and a powerful uppercut. The uppercut can only be used once the player earns a star, which is typically accomplished by counter-punching the opponent directly before or after certain attacks are launched. The player can acquire up to three stars. To perform the uppercut, the player needs to press the start button once a star is earned. To defend, Mac can dodge left or right, duck, and block punches by putting up his guard.

Little Mac also has a heart counter, which decreases upon being hit, blocking a punch, or throwing a punch that the opponent dodges or blocks. When the counter decreases to zero, Little Mac temporarily turns pink and appears exhausted, leaving the player unable to attack but still able to dodge, duck, and block. At this point, Mac can regain some hearts (and his normal color palette) only by avoiding the opponent’s punches. He immediately loses all of his hearts upon being knocked down, but can regain some by getting up.

A bout can end by knockout (KO), if a fighter is unable to get up within ten seconds after being knocked down; by technical knockout (TKO), if a fighter is knocked down three times in one round; or by decision, if the bout lasts three full rounds without a clear winner. In order to win by decision, the player must accumulate higher than a certain point total by punching the opponent and/or knocking him down; the needed total varies from one boxer to the next. However, some bouts cannot be won in this manner and will automatically result in a loss for the player if the opponent is not knocked out. Mac can only get up two times during any one bout; if he is knocked down a third cumulative time, he will be unable to rise and thus lose by knockout.

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Action Adventure NES

Metroid on the NES

written by retrogamer71

Metroid is an action-adventure game in which the player controls Samus Aran in sprite-rendered two-dimensional landscapes. The game takes place on the fictional planet of Zebes, a large, open-ended world with areas connected by doors and elevators. The player controls Samus as she travels through the planet’s caverns and hunts Space Pirates. She begins with a weak power beam as her only weapon, and with only the ability to jump.

The player explores more areas and collects power-ups that grant Samus special abilities and enhance her armor and weaponry, allowing her to enter areas that were previously inaccessible. Among the power-ups that are included in the game are the Morph Ball, which allows Samus to curl into a ball to roll into tunnels; the Bomb, which can only be used while in ball form and can open hidden floor/wall paths; and the Screw Attack, a somersaulting move that destroys enemies in its path.

In addition to common enemies, Samus encounters two bosses, Kraid and Ridley, whom she must defeat in order to progress. Ordinary enemies typically yield additional energy or ammunition when destroyed, and the player can increase Samus’s carrying capacities by finding storage tanks and defeating bosses. Once Kraid and Ridley have both been defeated, the player can shoot their statues to open the path to the final area and confront the Mother Brain

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Action Adventure NES

Metal Gear on the NES

written by retrogamer71

The player controls a military operative codenamed Solid Snake, whose objective is to infiltrate the enemy’s base while avoiding visual contact and direct confrontation with patrolling guards. If the player is seen, the game enters the “Alert Mode.” In this situation, Snake must escape from enemy’s sight in order to resume infiltration. The method of escaping varies depending on the circumstances behind discovery:

If Snake is seen and only a single exclamation mark appears over an enemy’s head, only the enemies in the player’s present screen will attack and Snake can escape by simply moving to an adjacent screen.
However, if two exclamation marks appear over the enemy (or the player triggers an alarm by being spotted by a camera, infrared sensor or by creating a loud noise through an explosion or an unsuppressed gunshot), reinforcements from off-screen will appear as well. Snake can only escape by eliminating all incoming enemies, going outdoors, entering an elevator, or entering a boss battle.

Snake starts his mission unarmed, but can arm himself with numerous firearms and explosives that can be obtained throughout the enemy’s stronghold. Each weapon has limited ammunition or supplies and can only be replenished by obtaining ammunition caches or additional supplies. A suppressor can also be obtained that allows the player to fire the handgun and submachine gun without making a noise. Some weapons can also be used to clear obstacles such as hollow walls and electrified floors. Snake can also use his fists to punch and defeat patrolling enemies. Occasionally, if the player defeats a guard with punches without alerting anyone, the defeated guard will yield a single unit of rations or an ammo box that can be picked up. In addition to enemy guards, the player will also be confronted by mercenaries who will challenge the player to combat, serving as the boss characters.

The enemy base consists of three different buildings, with multiple floors (including basement levels) within them. The player uses key cards and other items to unlock doors and explore new areas. Each door will only open with a corresponding key card. Information can be obtained by rescuing hostages being held within the buildings. After rescuing five hostages, the player’s rank will increase by one star (with the maximum rank being four stars), allowing for increased carrying capacity and maximum health. However, if a hostage is killed, the player will be demoted to the previous rank.

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Action NES Platform

Mega Man 6 on the NES

written by retrogamer71

The gameplay in Mega Man 6 is largely similar to its five NES counterparts.

The player takes control of Mega Man to complete a series of side-scrolling platform stages littered with smaller robot enemies and occasional larger mini-bosses. The player’s primary method of attack is the “Mega Buster” cannon, which can be charged for more powerful shots. At the end of each of the initial eight stages is a boss battle, where the player inherits that Robot Master’s unique “Master Weapon” if successful.

These eight levels can be completed in any order, although all Robot Masters are weak to a specific Master Weapon, adding an element of strategy to the order chosen by the player.

The player’s health is represented by a gauge that can be refilled by picking up energy pellets. Extra lives, reserve energy tanks, and pellets that refill Master Weapon power can also be found throughout each level. Mega Man 6 introduces the “Energy Balancer”, which automatically refills the weapon with the lowest energy when picking up Master Weapon power.

Previous Mega Man games typically allowed the player to call on the transformable dog Rush or use other support items in order to traverse difficult or otherwise inaccessible parts of a stage. Mega Man 6 instead features a pair of “Rush Adaptors” that fuse Mega Man and Rush into special forms. The first, “Jet Mega Man”, lets the player fly upward or hover for a brief period of time, but prevents the use of charge shots. The second, “Power Mega Man”, utilizes a powerful, short-range punch attack for destroying large blocks.

The player cannot slide when using either adapter. Mega Man 6 also presents less linear ways to complete the stages than in previous entries in the series. There are two pathways in many of the stages that lead to boss rooms, but the player is often required to use one of the Rush adaptors to begin an alternate route. Although either one will clear the stage, only one of them will give the player a letter circuit board for assembling the helper bird Beat.

Collecting all four parts will allow the player to call on Beat to attack enemies

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Action NES Platform

Mega Man 5 on the NES

written by retrogamer71

Mega Man 5 is an action-platform game that is very similar to previous titles in the series.

Gameplay revolves around the player using the central character Mega Man to run, jump, and shoot his way through a set of stages. If the player takes damage, Mega Man’s life meter can be refilled by picking up energy capsules scattered about each level or from fallen enemies. Mega Man’s default Mega Buster arm cannon can be fired an unlimited number of times. The Mega Buster’s charge feature, introduced in Mega Man 4, has been upgraded to allow its powerful, charged shots to encompass a slightly wider area.

Each stage ends with a boss battle with a Robot Master; destroying that Robot Master lets the player copy its special “Master Weapon”, which can be toggled and used throughout the remainder of the game. Unlike the Mega Buster, Master Weapons require weapon energy to use and must be replenished if it is depleted in the same selected stage.

Other power-ups including extra lives, “Energy Tanks”, and a new “Mystery Tank”, which fully refills health and all item power, can be picked up as well.

After completing certain stages, the player can call on Mega Man’s faithful dog Rush to reach higher platforms or cross large gaps using his “Coil” and “Jet” transformations. These abilities require refills with the same weapon energy that Master Weapons use.

Some of the level designs in Mega Man 5 are different from earlier games in the series. For example, in Gravity Man’s stage, the gravitation is reversed from the floor to the ceiling, while in Wave Man’s stage, the player drives a water craft from the halfway point to the boss room.

Hidden within each of the eight Robot Master stages is a collectible circuit board. Gathering all eight of these boards (spelling “M-E-G-A-M-A-N-V”) gives the player access to a robot-bird friend by the name of Beat. The player can then call on Beat to attack any onscreen enemies

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Action NES Platform

Mega Man 4 on the NES

written by retrogamer71

Mega Man 4 features similar gameplay to the previous three games.

The player must complete a series of eight stages in an order of the player’s choosing. The protagonist, Mega Man, is able to run, jump, shoot, and climb his way past obstacles and enemies; the game also retains the slide ability which debuted in Mega Man 3. At the end of each stage is a Robot Master boss. Upon defeating a Robot Master, Mega Man gains the Robot Master’s signature weapon, which can then be used by the player in subsequent stages.

Once all eight Robot Masters are destroyed, two separate sets of linear stages must be completed to finish the game. One major addition to the gameplay in Mega Man 4 is the “Mega Buster”, an upgraded version of Mega Man’s arm cannon. By holding down the firing button, the player can now charge a shot, resulting in a blast far more powerful than the standard shot.

This feature was later used in subsequent incarnations of the franchise.

The hero’s dog Rush makes a return from Mega Man 3 with the ability to transform into “Coil”, “Jet”, and “Marine” modes for navigating different environments.

Aside from Rush, two additional support items called the “Wire Adaptor” and the “Balloon Adaptor” also aid the player in reaching areas not normally accessible. However, these hidden adaptors must be found in the stages rather than being awarded for defeating a Robot Master.

Like the Master Weapons, the three Rush modes and the two adaptors are each limited to an amount of weapon power that drains when in use. The character “Flip Top” Eddie is introduced in Mega Man 4. Eddie, who went on to appear in later Mega Man games, provides the player with a random item at designated points in some of the levels

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