The show starts in:
ON The Insider:
Brittany Murphy Cause of Death Deferred
The Nintendo Years (1987 to 1996)
 |
 Born to run. |
Released: 1987
Publisher: Acclaim
System: NES
Before Square became synonymous with RPGs, it was responsible for two of the more popular games of the early NES era. One of these was 3-D WorldRunner, published in the US by Acclaim. Although the game is similar to Sega's Space Harrier, it places a greater emphasis on platform elements, such as jumping and collecting items. Your goal is to race through each level while avoiding or shooting enemies and leaping over giant chasms. The behind-the-back perspective is effective, and the forward motion of the main character is fast and smooth. The flat, repetitive levels and limited interaction with enemies hurt the gameplay, but the visuals are compelling, especially when viewed with the included red-and-blue glasses. Pressing select enables the 3D mode, which turns the screen into a flickering seizure of red and blue when you aren't wearing the glasses. This is 3-D WorldRunner's most distinctive feature, and the effect is surprisingly good. It's a gimmick to be sure, but it's a cool gimmick. Just don't keep the glasses on too long or you'll risk getting a major headache.
|
 The thrill of the open road. |
Released: 1987
Publisher: Nintendo
System: NES
Having "rad" in the title definitely dates a game, doesn't it? Just as 3-D WorldRunner seemed to be inspired by Space Harrier, Rad Racer bears more than a passing resemblance to Out Run, another Sega arcade hit from the era. But it's more than just a clone, as there are two types of cars to choose from (a 328 Twin Turbo or F1 Machine) and the addition of unlimited turbo above 100km per hour. The graphics are simple but clean, and they effectively convey the proper sense of extreme speed. The game comes with the same type of red-and-blue glasses as does 3-D WorldRunner, but the results are not nearly as successful. Some depth is added to the road and the background, but it's not worth enduring the heavy flickering. Rad Racer doesn't need the gimmick, though--it stands on its own as a fine racing game. Square would revisit the genre again in 1990 with Rad Racer II and in 2001 with Driving Emotion Type-S.
|
 It's not an RPG. Really. |
Released: 1989
Publisher: Square
System: NES
Based on its name, box art, and Square's reputation, you couldn't be blamed for thinking King's Knight was an RPG. But you'd still be wrong. Instead, it's a strange top-down shooter featuring a knight, wizard, monster, and thief as the main characters and each of your four lives. It works like this: You begin playing as the knight and move on to the next character when you run out of energy. When all four characters are dead, the game is over. Why Square decided to release this in the US when it had the first two Final Fantasy games sitting on the shelf, we'll probably never know. It plays more like a demo or an unfinished project than an actual game. The characters and enemies are tiny, there's no score, the goal isn't clear, and the sound effects sound like they're straight out of an Atari 2600 game (this isn't a cheap shot--they really do). It's sad to say, but this is Square's worst US release.
| « Previous Page | Now show me Final Fantasy » |
