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  • Nintendo Power (July 1993)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Source: Computer & Video Game Magazines – Nintendo Power – Issue Number 50 – July 1993

    If you were a Nintendo fan it was hard not to appreciate Nintendo Power, Nintendo’s official publication. While I don’t know that I would trust its impartiality, if there was a Nintendo game you could at least find info about it in Nintendo Power. In 1993 the Super NES was relatively new and the original NES and Game Boy were still going strong. The July 1993 issue includes:

    Super NES

    • WWF Royal Rumble – A great game for WWF fans. A look at the various characters and moves.
    • Run Saber – I never played this one but it’s a platform game that reminds me a bit of games like Strider. All the levels are shown here and it appears the game is fairly short.
    • E.V.O. Search for Eden – A game from Enix in which you must create creatures that survive the evolutionary process.
    • Edutainment – A look at several different educational games broken down by category, including Learning (Mario Is Missing, Miracle Keyboard), Fact Recall (Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?, Where in Time Is Carmen Sandiego?, Jeopardy), Strateg simulation and creativity (SimCity, SimEarth, Aerobiz, and Mario Paint). Not sure some of those are really “educational”.
    • Bubsy: Claws Encounters of the Furred Kind – Excellent platform game featuring the comical feline Bubsy.

    Game Boy

    • The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening – The cover story this month is the release of Link’s Awakening for the Game Boy. Includes tons of maps.
    • Gargoyle’s Quest II – Quite similar to the NES version of this game, it reminds me of a cross between Castlevania and Zelda.
    • T2: The Arcade Game – What should be a light-gun game…on the Game Boy.

    NES

    • The Addams Family: Pugsley’s Scavenger Hunt – An ok platform game. Though the naming convention for these games on the NES vs. the SNES is rather confusing.
    • Mighty Final Fight – A beat-em-up for those looking for yet another one on the NES.
    • Bubble Bobble Part 2 – 80 levels of this action/puzzle game will keep you busy for a while. It has different levels and bosses than the Game Boy version. Plus being in color on a bigger screen is nice.

    Tips from the Pros

    • Nester’s Adventures – A comic strip but I’m not sure why it’s listed under the ‘Tips From The Pros’ category.
    • Classified Information – Secret codes for MechWarrior, Road Runner’s Death Valley Rally, Super Bases Loaded, Wayne’s World, Cybernator, Prince of Persia, Tiny Toon Adventures, Bases Loaded, Super Conflict, and Mega Man V.
    • Counselors’ Corner – How to obtain the Lone Star Badge and where to get the credstick in Shadowrun; how to help Hamton collect apples and how to jump of the train in stage 2-D in Tiny Toon Adventures; how to put out the fire in level 6, room 9 plus the solution to level 9-22 in Fire & Ice; where to get the lantern and how to get out of the well in Milon’s Secret Castle.

    The Info Zone

    • Next Issue – Next month’s issue features Street Fighter II Turbo, Alien 3, Jurassic Park and Star Trek The Next Generation.

    Video Updates

    • Now Playing – Brief reviews of new games including Ultima: The False Prophet, Troddlers, Super Turrican, Dungeon Master, WWF Royal Rumble, Run Saber, Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego?, Mario Is Missing, Bubsy, Alien 3, Tuff E Nuff, Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends, Super Widget, P.T.O., Mighty Final Fight, The Addams Family: Pugsley’s Scavenger Hunt, Bubble Bobble Part II, Gargoyle’s Quest II, T2: The Arcade Game, and Star Trek: The Next Generation.
    • PAK Watch – Previews of upcoming games including Street Fighter II Turbo, Mortal Kombat, Jurassic Park, TMNT Tournament Fighter, NHL Stanley Cup, Ken Griffey Jr. Major League Baseball, Mega Man X, Wayne’s World, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Beauty and the Beast, Felix the Cat, FX Trax, Super Off-Road, Cool Spot, Family Feud, Pinball Dreams, Goof Troop, Super Tecmo Bowl (one of the few sports games I really liked), and more.

    Player’s Forum

    • Player’s Pulse – Letters from readers about Super NES button lettering and Mario Paint, envelope art, Simpsons contest winner and more.
    • Power Player’s Challenge – Player accomplishments in Street Fighter II, Pilotwings, Desert Strike, Wave Race, NES Open Tournament Golf, Top Gear, F-1 Race, Prince of Persia, and Super Mario Kart.
    • Player’s Poll Contest – A contest in which you can win a game for a week for 50 weeks, 5 Game Boys each with 5 games (not sure why you would need 5 Game Boys), a $500 gift certificate, a party for 50 friends at your local arcade, or 50 pounds of quarters. If you couldn’t tell, this was to celebrate the 50th issue of Nintendo Power. Incidentally, 50 pounds of quarters is a much better prize than the $500 gift certificate. According to the internet and my calculations a pound of quarters is about 80 quarters so 50 pounds would be $1000.
    • Top 20 – Top games this month include Star Fox for the Super NES, Super Mario Land 2 for the Game Boy, and Super Mario Bros. 3 for the NES.

    Comics

    • Star Fox – A comic based on Star Fox. Somehow I feel that Nester should have been here as well but that’s not where the table of contents has it.

    Video Updates

    • 50th Issue Special – A look back at the last 5 years of Nintendo Power. Includes things like best cover, worst cover, issue with the highest circulation, biggest mistake, worst contest, biggest giveaway, most popular strategy guide, highest power meter rating, and much more.
    • Super Power Shop – Buy the first 50 issues of Nintendo Power for $50 plus t-shirts, hats and other stuff.

    …and more!


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  • Super Princess Peach (Nintendo DS)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    https://darth-azrael.tumblr.com/post/691355782429753344/sonoshe-super-princess-peach-2005

    Super Princess Peach was released for the Nintendo DS in 2006 (2005 in Japan). As a game obviously aimed at young girls, this is not something I played or would have had an interest in at the time. Having said that, as a platform game, it is more or less on par with similar games featuring Super Mario.

    Super Princess Peach features eight worlds, each of which contains six levels and a boss battle. If you’ve played Super Mario Bros. games from the same era then much of the scenery and enemies will look at least vaguely familiar. There are, however, a few unique twists in terms of game play. Princess Peach has various “vibe” powers that are controlled by her emotions. The player can change her mood at any point. Each mood, of which there are four, comes with a different power and affects enemies differently. These moods are joy, gloom, rage and calm. Each power is needed to solve certain puzzles or defeat certain enemies. When these powers are used, the “emotion meter” is depleted but it can be replenished by collecting certain items.

    The plot of the game, not that it really matters, involves Vibe Island, a location near the Mushroom Kingdom. Bowser has built a castle there in his search for the rumored Vibe Scepter, a magical weapon that controls the emotions of others. Obviously, your goal is to stop him.

    Generally speaking, this game got good reviews. However, it is clearly aimed at a younger audience because the one significant complaint is how easy the game is. You have unlimited continues so in effect you have infinite lives. It can also be quite hard to die. While those that like platform games can find plenty to like with this game (even if you aren’t a girl) the lack of difficulty will certainly be off-putting or those wanting a real challenge.

    If you do want to give this one a try, the only release I am aware of is for the Nintendo DS so you’ll have to find an original cart or make do with emulation. There also aren’t any sequels that I know of. However, there was one previous game that starred Peach as the main character. That was a Nelsonic Game Watch (not to be confused with Game & Watch) game titled Princess Toadstool’s Castle Run. However, that one came out in 1990 and there’s no real relationship between the two other than the character.

    If you do want to give this one a try, the only release I am aware of is for the Nintendo DS so you’ll have to find an original cart or make do with emulation. There also aren’t any sequels that I know of. However, there was one previous game that starred Peach as the main character. That was a Nelsonic Game Watch (not to be confused with Game & Watch) game titled Princess Toadstool’s Castle Run. However, that one came out in 1990 and there’s no real relationship between the two other than the character.


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  • Pokemon Pinball (Game Boy Color)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    https://darth-azrael.tumblr.com/post/687882876442804224

    Most pinball fans probably have trouble finding room in their house (and the money) for a real pinball machine. Fortunately, there have been alternatives for a long time in the form of video pinball. Sure, it’s not quite the same as the real thing but it can be a surprisingly good facsimile.

    The earliest video pinball game I can remember playing was Night Mission Pinball on my Commodore 64. As I recall, there was only one table and it was in black and white. But the movement and physics were pretty solid. Later on I would play lots of other video pinball games including Pinball Adventure (NES), Alien Crush (TurboGrafx-16), Epic Pinball (DOS), and others. It turns out, there was also a pinball game for Pokemon fans.

    Pokemon Pinball was released for the Game Boy Color in 1999. It got pretty solid reviews overall but pinball fans might have mixed opinions. While it did a great job integrating Pokemon into the game, the actual physics and other pinball aspects were kind of an afterthought. Having said that, it is still fun to play.

    There are two basic tables that you can choose from, the red table and the blue table. As with many video pinball games and unlike physical pinball games, these tables are a lot bigger than you might expect. There was also a lot more to do that just keeping the ball in play and accumulating points. Each table allows advancement into different areas based on certain accomplishments. In addition, you must also “catch” pokemon…151 of them if you want to be complete. Fortunately, you don’t have to catch them all in one sitting.

    To catch pokemon, you have to enter “catch mode” which lasts for two minutes. In that time period, you have to hit certain things multiple times in order to reveal the picture of the pokemon. After that, you have to also manage to hit the pokemon a certain number of times in order to finally catch it. There is also an “evolution mode” that works in a similar manner. Some pokemon can only be collected through evolution but you can only evolve pokemon that you caught in the current session.

    While not necessarily the best pure pinball simulation, it is still fun to play if you like pinball and there is lots to do. There was also a sequel called Pokemon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire for the Game Boy Advance. Both of these are worth checking out if you are pinball fan and especially if you are a Pokemon fan. Unfortunately, I don’t think these have been released outside of the Game Boy originals so you will have to track down original cartridges or resort to emulation if you do want to give them a try.


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