• Tag Archives Game Boy

  • Nintendo Power (January 1991)

    Posted on by Azrael 1 Comment

    Source: Nintendo Power – Issue Number 20 – January 1991

    While perhaps not exactly impartial, Nintendo Power was the go-to magazine for all things Nintendo. Early 1991 was really peak NES. The Super Famicom had already been released in Japan but it would be August before the Super NES would arrive in the U.S. Coverage was all NES and Game Boy except for a few previews. The January 1991 issue includes:

    Features

    • Mega Man III – A strategy guide for the latest Mega Man game.
    • The Immortal – A strategy guide for this isometric action/adventure game from Electronic Arts. I really wanted this game but when I got it, it did not work correctly with my TV for some reason (wavy picture) so it ended up being returned. I don’t think later reviews were very good so maybe I dodged a bullet.
    • Deja Vu – Strategy guide for this point and click murder mystery. You shouldn’t really use these guides unless you are completely stuck because they basically ruin the game. Especially this kind of game.
    • Gremlins 2 – Strategy guide for this overhead action/adventure game based on the movie of the same name.

    Video Updates

    • Now Playing – A brief look at recent releases including Conquest of the Crystal Palace, Jackie Chan’s Action Kung Fu, Silver Surfer, The Adventure or Rad Gravity, Werewolf and Arch Rivals.
    • Pak Watch – Previews of soon to be released games, including G.I. Joe, Metal Storm, Base Wars, Monopoly, Zombie Nation, Uninvited, Galaxy 5000, and Mini-Putt. Plus a look at the first Super Famicom games, Super Mario World, F-Zero, and Pilotwings.

    Game Boy

    • Dragon’s Lair – Dragon’s Lair turned into a platform game.
    • Mercenary Force – Medieval Japanese squad based combat on the Game Boy.
    • Burai Fighter Deluxe – A sci-fi shoot-em-up.
    • F-1 Race – A Pole Position like racing game featuring 4-player action using the Video Link.
    • Super Scrabble – The classic board game playable against another player via the Video Link.

    Player’s Forum

    • Player’s Pulse – Readers write in about Tetris and playing the Game Boy around the world.
    • NES Achievers – High scores and achievements in Adventures in the Magic Kingdom, Captain Skyhawk, Crystalis, Final Fantasy, The Mafat Conspiracy, Ninja Gaiden II, Pinbot, Rescue Rangers, Revenge of the Gator, Rock ‘N Ball, Rollerball, Snake’s Revenge, Solstice, Stealth ATF, Tetris, Tombs & Treasure, and Wall Street Kid.
    • Top 30 – At the top of the list of games this month are Super Mario Bros. 3, Final Fantasy and Crystalis.

    Tips from the Pros

    • Classified Information – Tips, tricks and cheats for Castlevania II, Heavy Shreddin’, Final Fantasy, Dungeon Magic, Dragon Spirit, Alien Asylum, Image Fight, Skate or Die 2, Swords and Serpents, and Thunderbirds.
    • Howard & Nester – A monthly comic from Nintendo Power. Not sure why this is in the ‘Tips From the Pros’ section but that’s where they have it.
    • Counselors’ Corner – Questions answered about Destiny of an Emperor, Dungeon Magic, Crystalis, and Swords and Serpents.

    Special Reports

    • Today’s Technology – A look at some of the upgrade hardware for the NES that was included in game paks (cartridges). These include extra RAM, MMCs (Memory Management Controllers) that added various capabilities. MMC1 = used in many games, allowed scrolling. MMC2 = used in Punch-Out!!. MMC3 = added the ability for split screen scrolling and scrolling at an ange and is used in Super Mario Bros. 3 and Play Action Football. MMC5 = improved battery backup, better color definition, partial screen scrolling, increased max cart size; used in Castlevania III among others.
    • The Miracle Piano Teaching System – A look at a keyboard and cartridge combo for the NES that teaches you how to play the piano.

    The Info Zone

    • Player’s Poll – Answer a few questions for a chance to win various prizes.
    • Celebrity Profile – A feature on New Kids on the Block and their gaming habits.
    • Next Issue – Coverage of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game, Startropics, Gremlins II on the Game Boy, and more.

    …and more!


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  • The Ren & Stimpy Show: Veediots! (Game Boy)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    A lot of younger folk probably don’t have a clue who Ren & Stimpy are. Ren & Stimpy was an animated show on Nickelodeon that was popular enough to spawn toys and video games galore. The cartoon was called, appropriately enough, The Ren & Stimpy Show. The show aired on Nickelodeon from 1991 until 1995 for a total of five seasons and 52 episodes. Ren was supposed to be a psychopathic chihuahua while Stimpy was a friendly but not very bright manx cat…not that you could really tell. The show was known for its crude humor, violence and general disgustingness (I know, not a word). A lot of parents probably weren’t particularly happy with the show at the time.

    The Ren & Stimpy Show: Veediots! is of course a game based on the cartoon. It was released in 1993 for both the Super NES and the Game Boy. In both versions, the player alternatively controls Ren and Stimpy through various side-scrolling platform stages. The Game Boy was a more limited system so some sacrifices were made, including removing parts of levels. For some reason the order of the levels was switched up as well. There are a total of four levels, each based on an episode of the show. The overall plot relates to Ren and Stimpy getting trapped in their TV show and wanting to get out.

    As far as the Game Boy version goes, the graphics were well done but the game play left something to be desired. Controls were not great and levels tended to be very repetitive. It has the feel of a licensed game fairly cheaply made to capitalize on a popular show or movie. Which is exactly what it was. Still, if you are a fan of the show, it’s probably at least worth looking at, though unless you are just a huge fan of Game Boy’s tiny, blurry, black and white screen, you are probably better off trying the Super NES version. The Game Boy only subtracts and doesn’t really add anything to that version.

    If you do want to give it a try on either platform, you’ll have to track down an original copy or make do with emulation. Veediots! has the same problem virtually all licensed games suffer from. The license doesn’t typically carry over to compilation releases or re-releases of any kind and will rarely get renegotiated for such a purpose. I guess it’s fortunate that licensed games are so often of low quality. Nobody wants to play them again anyway..

    The screenshots above are from the Game Boy version of the Ren & Stimpy: Veediots!.


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  • Nintendo Power (March 1992)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Source: Nintendo Power – Issue Number 34 – March 1992

    If there is a single magazine that most people have the most nostalgia over, it is probably Nintendo Power. I was never really that big into Nintendo Power because, even though I had both an NES and Super NES during their peak (as opposed to the Genesis or other systems), I was always curious what was out there for other systems. Also, I didn’t exactly consider Nintendo Power to be impartial. Nevertheless, it was always a great resource for Nintendo owners. The March 1992 issue includes:

    NES

    • The Empire Strikes Back – While most licensed games are pretty crappy, Star Wars has done pretty well on average and The Empire Strikes Back was a solid platform game on the NES…especially if you were a Star Wars fan. This guide will help you through it.
    • Terminator 2 – A guide to this multi-staged platform game based on the movie of the same name. Another licensed game that isn’t as bad as most.
    • Nightshade – A guide to an adventure game I’m not very familiar with. My biggest complaint with game like this was that they tended to be not long enough and lacked much in the way of replayability. Probably a good rental.
    • M.C. Kids – A guide to this advertisement for McDonald’s. Apparently it wasn’t a half bad game but I’m not sure how a McDonald’s themed game would do today.

    Game Boy

    • Mega Man II – A guide to the second Mega Man game for the Game Boy. A great game if you liked Mega Man and the Game Boy (Mega Man was ok but I was never fond of Blur Boy).
    • Tiny Toon Adventures – A guide to this game based on the excellent cartoon of the same name.
    • High Stakes – A gambling game that includes various casino games. This type of game works pretty well on the Game Boy.

    Super NES

    • Lemmings – An excellent game on the SNES (and other platforms). Though it could definitely be frustrating at times.
    • Joe & Mac – A pretty good platform game with a caveman theme and humor.
    • The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past – Even though I haven’t played all of the Zelda games, this one is still the best. Here’s an extensive guide if you need the help.

    Tips from the Pros

    • Classified Information – Tips, tricks and passwords for Rockin’ Kats (NES), Captain Planet (NES), Spud’s Adventure (Game Boy), ActRaiser (Super NES), Super Tennis (Super NES), Super Mario World (Super NES), Sim City (Super NES), and Mystical Ninja (Super NES).
    • Counselors’ Corner – Questions answered about Lagoon, Drakkhen, Dragon Warrior III, and Metroid II.

    The Info Zone

    • Celebrity Player Profile – An interview with Corin Nemec, star of Parker Lewis Can’t Lose.
    • Next Issue – Games featured in the next issue include The Addams Family, Captain America and the Avengers, Star Trek, and WWF Super Wrestlemania.

    Video Updates

    • Now Playing – Opinions on some of the latest releases, including Blazebusters, The Empire Strikes Back, Godzilla 2, Super Square Deal, High Stakes, Terminator 2, Wizardry II, Pop Up, Pyramids of Ra, Star Trek, and more.
    • Pak Watch – Previews of recently released and upcoming games including WWF Super Wrestlemania, The Addams Family, The Duel: Test Drive 2, and Gargoyle’s Quest.

    Comis

    • Zelda – For those that like Zelda and their comics based on games.
    • Super Mario Bros. – Ditto the above but replace Zelda with Super Mario Bros.
    • Nester’s Adventures – Nester was the mascot of Nintendo Power and had a regularly occurring comics trip.

    Player’s Forum

    • Player’s Pulse – Readers answer the question, “What do you want?”.
    • Nester Awards – The best games as ranked by Nintendo Power in various categories. Winners include Battletoads (NES), Battletoads (Game Boy), Actraiser (Super NES), Adventures of Lolo 3 (NES), Caesar’s Palace (Game Boy), Final Fantasy Adventure (Game Boy), PilotWings (Super NES), Final Fantasy II (Super NES), Castlevania II (Game Boy), and more.
    • Power Players – High scores and accomplishments for ActRaiser, Battletoads, Battle Unit Zeoth, Castlevania II, Drakkhen, Dr. Mario, Duck Tales, Faria, Final Fantasy II, Final Fight, The Immortal, Klax, The Little Mermaid, The Adventures of Lolo III, Ninja Gaiden III, Princess Tomato in The Salad Kingdom, Super Mario World, Tetris, The Uninvited, and U.N. Squadron.
    • Top 20 – At the top of the charts this month are Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES), Super Mario World (Super NES), and Super Mario Land (Game Boy).

    …and more!


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