Nintendo News The Classic Games by Leslie Mizell [Appeared in the October 1989 issue of "Game Player's"] Nintendo videogame machines are becoming such a fixture in the U.S.-- nearly half of all homes with children have one--it's hard to believe they've been around for only four years. Yet, the first Nintendo machines and game cartridges didn't hit the stores until the autumn of 1985. In four short years, Nintendo has just about cornered the videogame market. Sega and Atari are a distant second and third. And while Nintendo machines are still too new to have what can really be termed "classic" games, some of the early games hold up quite well against the latest releases. Let's take a look at some of those old favorites, just in case you missed them the first time around. Playing Pinball Without Quarters Nintendo's Pinball was one of the very first cartridges released, way back in October 1985. Most of those early games were simple action-adventures or sports simulations that have been surpassed by more recent titles. But Pinball still compares well with newer pinball games. Pinball was a perfect game for the newly introduced Nintendo system because you can play it--and play it well--even if you have never held a controller before. The buttons control flippers similar to those on a real pinball machine, and the feel of the silver ball bouncing around is quite like the real thing. Nintendo Pinball doesn't have animated penguins on springs, but it does have charming graphics, decent sound effects, and enough special features to please any pinball fan. Pinball also gives a supporting role to a character who went on to star in his own Nintendo games--Mario. When you enter a bonus round, you get to help Mario with what could be his very first rescue of a princess. Mazes and Space Zapping Perhaps Section Z remains popular because of its "special solar- energized, jet-propelled super-sonic spacesuit," as it says on the box. But a more likely reason is that Section Z was one of the first games to take a space game beyond simple arcade action. In Section Z, the Balangools are threatening Earth with galactic tyranny. Not only are they thoroughly bad characters, but they have also joined a host of other despicable aliens at a base near Earth. As Captain Commando, you must infiltrate the Balangoolbase, a maze of connected hallways labeled from A to Z. At the end of each corridor is a generator and two exits. Choose the correct exit, and you'll end up a little closer to Brain-L, the center of the base. But take the wrong exit, and you might have to retrace a lot of steps. Section Z is more complex than many arcade games, although it's still a long way from Zelda. Since most gamers' interests fall between thc two extremes, Section Z remains a happy compromise between relentless action and the demands of thoughtful planning. Slam-Dunk Action Double Dribble is sure to get a lot of competition from the new kids on the block, including Hoops, Jordan vs. Bird: One on One, and Magic Johnson's Fast Break. But there's something exciting about Double Dribble that the other games have been hard-pressed to equal. Most basketball games give you options for teams, skill levels, and time limits. In Double Dribble, there are only four teams to choose from-- Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York. You can pass the ball down the court from player to player, find someone open, and watch the screen graphics as he slam-dunks. The switch from full court action to the slam dunk is terrific, even though the players don't always follow through with scoring a basket. But then, neither does Michael Jordan. The rest of the action, which includes jump balls, free throws, fouls, stealing, and a half-time show, is smooth and easy to control. Double Dribble is a good two-player game, and the computer is a formidable opponent as well. The Winner... And Still Champ With the exception of the Zelda and Mario Bros. series, no other Nintendo game has been as popular as Mike Tyson's Punch-Out. Almost all polls still rank this boxing simulation in the top ten, where it has been since its release in October 1987. Punch-Out is very easy to play--even gamers with little or no Nintendo experience won't have any trouble jumping right into the middle of the action. Little Mac, the diminutive hero of the game, must fight his way up through a list of has-been boxers and real contenders before taking on Mike Tyson. Luckily, Little Mac's opponents have idiosyncracies that help defeat them. Bald Bull, for example, always charges at you. If you wait until his third jump and then hit him with a left, he'll go down for the count. Likewise, if you sock King Hippo when he opens his mouth, he'll leave his ample stomach unprotected and present you with a perfect target. Passwords allow you to replay any half-finished game or choose any opponent--even Tyson. But don't expect an easy fight. Even the best game players have a very tough time against the champ. That Karate Movie Comes Alive Since the great majority of Nintendo hits originated in Japan, it's not surprising that there are so many martial-arts games. But many of these games can't combine the art of self-defense with a strong story line, so you end up with either a tutorial game or a pure fighting game in which you do battle not only with your hands, but also with any weapon you can find, from baseball bats to knives. Since The Karate Kid was based on the popular movie The Karate Kid II, it had a ready-made plot. And unlike some other video-games based on box- office hits (Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom or Back to the Future), The Karate Kid was effectively translated into the videogame format. The hero, Daniel, begins in the United States, taking on competitors in a karate tournament. Then he travels to Okinawa, where he fights dozens of opponents alongside Japanese pagodas and other colorful scenery. Enemies keep coming, even when a typhoon strikes, and Daniel must protect himself and rescue a small girl. There are three bonus rounds in which you have to catch flies with chopsticks, chop through six slabs of ice, or dodge a swinging hammer. Other than the chopsticks, you never use a weapon in The Karate Kid--except for your own drum punches and crane kicks. The Best Game That Never Quite Caught On It's surprising that Karnov never became truly popular. Terrific graphics, fast action, nine complicated (but not impossible) levels--it seemed Karnov had everything it needed to reach the top. It was released in January 1988. If you can still find a copy, you might want to give Karnov another chance. In this game, the treasure of Babylon has been stolen, and Karnov-- a famous circus strongman-- is the only one with the muscles and brains to recover the cache. It's no easy trek. You are beset by stone-throwing monsters, deadly sea creatures, flame-throwing lions, androids, pirates, and hordes of other enemies. But you can pick up boots for extra jumping power, eyeglasses for seeing hidden enemies, clappers that kill all enemies on screen, bombs, boomerangs, wings, swimming masks, and shields. Karnov has vivid, varied graphics. The game's nine levels take Karnov from rocky terrain to an ice world to an arid desert to a fortress in the sky. Karnov can walk (he's a little too large to run), swim, and even fly in search of the stolen treasure. Some NES games have remained popular from the moment they were released. Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 2, The Legend of Zelda, and Zelda II: The Adventure of Link are all phenomenal and long-lived hits. Castlevania has been a hit since May 1987, and Metroid since August of that year. We still receive letters from fans of Mighty Bomb Jack and Rambo, other releases from 1987. But how many people remember Clu Clu Land? Or Ice Climber? And look how far sports simulations have come since the generic and outdated Baseball and Golf cartridges. It takes a game with a little something extra to get (and keep) everyone's interest. [Scanned and edited by Dennis Brown -- dgbrown (at) pixesthesia (dot) com]