juliusaurus
1985
Pros: Two really fun game modes, one where you're on a single screen arenas where you can be joined by a friend in co-op/competitive gameplay to try and take down each enemy, the other mode, Balloon Trip, is a single player challenging gauntlet of scrolling through fields of lightning sparks trying to collect every single balloon, while also avoiding a giant fish waiting for its chance to eat you below... It's all really fun! And I think it's aged pretty well too!
Cons: It's a rather small and simple arcadey style game, once you've got your fill, that'll be mostly it. The controls and physics, while well made, do take some getting used to, and you'll find yourself careening into obstacles quite a lot.
What it means to me: As someone with a lot of siblings, old NES games with simultaneous multiplayer got a lot of play time from us, and this one was some great fun. Had a lot of fun playing it in Animal Crossing on the Gamecube of all places, and it just added to the joy of that title, and the memories of that time.
Cons: It's a rather small and simple arcadey style game, once you've got your fill, that'll be mostly it. The controls and physics, while well made, do take some getting used to, and you'll find yourself careening into obstacles quite a lot.
What it means to me: As someone with a lot of siblings, old NES games with simultaneous multiplayer got a lot of play time from us, and this one was some great fun. Had a lot of fun playing it in Animal Crossing on the Gamecube of all places, and it just added to the joy of that title, and the memories of that time.
1983
Pros: Really fun action of dodging projectiles and shooting incoming bugs and critters, as well as DK's rump! It's a decent mix of vertical shooter and platformer, and in the arcade especially, it can be pretty exciting! Great presentation in the arcade version too, much higher quality than the NES counterpart.
Cons: A far more limiting experience than either previous DK arcade games. It's just not as fun as pure platforming. DK himself feels kind of like an afterthought in this compared to the prior two games.
What it means to me: Took me a long time to even find out this game existed at all, and when I did, I was perplexed by it! Didn't properly play it until adulthood, where I enjoyed it at a great arcade spot, and now I really do appreciate it.
Cons: A far more limiting experience than either previous DK arcade games. It's just not as fun as pure platforming. DK himself feels kind of like an afterthought in this compared to the prior two games.
What it means to me: Took me a long time to even find out this game existed at all, and when I did, I was perplexed by it! Didn't properly play it until adulthood, where I enjoyed it at a great arcade spot, and now I really do appreciate it.
1983
Pros: The only official Donkey Kong II in existence (yeah, they skipped 2 in the arcades and went from 1 to JR. then directly to 3... weird). It's a fine playing Game & Watch too, takes the basics of the DK Jr. Game & Watch and adds two screens, with the bottom being a version of stage 3 from DK Jr., and the top being a version of stage 4 from DK Jr., which are both probably more involved and challenging than the DK Jr. G&W as a whole.
Cons: it being more involved, isn't always a good thing, and the screen can get cluttered and confusing rather quickly.
What it means to me: First played this game in Game & Watch Gallery 3, and I really dug it! I just really love the novelty of this being the only official Donkey Kong 2 in existence, haha! So much so, that I actually bought the original Game & Watch of it, and it of course plays best that way too! A nice gold foil clam-shell G&W, with cute art of DK and DK Jr., really nice! Of course, I'm a DK fanatic, so I gotta be real, it's not gonna be everyone's cup of tea. I like it a lot though!
Cons: it being more involved, isn't always a good thing, and the screen can get cluttered and confusing rather quickly.
What it means to me: First played this game in Game & Watch Gallery 3, and I really dug it! I just really love the novelty of this being the only official Donkey Kong 2 in existence, haha! So much so, that I actually bought the original Game & Watch of it, and it of course plays best that way too! A nice gold foil clam-shell G&W, with cute art of DK and DK Jr., really nice! Of course, I'm a DK fanatic, so I gotta be real, it's not gonna be everyone's cup of tea. I like it a lot though!
1986
Pros: Tons of gameplay variety, from sidescrolling platforming to dungeon crawling, and even a fun shooter segment. There's a decent amount of challenge here too, but was never too much for me to quit. The world of the game is pretty charming as well, with a fun sense of humor and hummable melodies.
Cons: The controls aren't great, would be nice if you could slide around while aiming upwards for instance. And some elements feel rather cheap, like falling into pits as the camera scrolls up, on stage one of all places. Of course, there's being turned into an eggplant, that's a chore, heh... And without save scrubbing, the game is a lot more... painful.
What it means to me: I don't know why I was compelled to play this game, perhaps it was because of Smash Melee, which discussions of characters like Pit joining, had me curious to try the titles. So I did! And I played through the game multiple times to get the best ending, and y'know, I think I enjoyed myself with this more than the original Metroid for NES, not bad at all!
Cons: The controls aren't great, would be nice if you could slide around while aiming upwards for instance. And some elements feel rather cheap, like falling into pits as the camera scrolls up, on stage one of all places. Of course, there's being turned into an eggplant, that's a chore, heh... And without save scrubbing, the game is a lot more... painful.
What it means to me: I don't know why I was compelled to play this game, perhaps it was because of Smash Melee, which discussions of characters like Pit joining, had me curious to try the titles. So I did! And I played through the game multiple times to get the best ending, and y'know, I think I enjoyed myself with this more than the original Metroid for NES, not bad at all!
1986
Pros: Great sense of isolation and trepidation as you explore corridors and caverns. The world feels pretty big and interconnected, with an immersive chilling alien atmosphere.
Cons: A bit clunky, hasn't aged the best in the way it plays.
What it means to me: First played this game within Metroid Prime on Gamecube, and it was a really cool step back in time, seeing the roots of the series and how faithful Prime was to the core of the franchise as a result. And I enjoyed it! Not a bad time, really.
Cons: A bit clunky, hasn't aged the best in the way it plays.
What it means to me: First played this game within Metroid Prime on Gamecube, and it was a really cool step back in time, seeing the roots of the series and how faithful Prime was to the core of the franchise as a result. And I enjoyed it! Not a bad time, really.
1984
Pros: Simple, intuitive, funny. There's not a whole lot, but what is there, has personality and charm, and it's hard not to enjoy yourself. I love the character designs, the music, and that there's even an additional clay disc shooting mode. Also, the zapper gun itself works great, a satisfying click of the trigger, it's pretty fun and makes you want to play more of the game just to feel like a dumbass... I mean... badass!
Cons: that... that LAUGH.... I... will never be able to forget the feeling of being mocked by my very own hunting companion, man's best friend, my frickin' DOG, for the first time... (also the game is a bit basic, but hey, not the worst thing)
What it means to me: This along with SMB was my first Video Game ever, and unlike SMB, I was actually able to play this one as a little kid! It's extremely intuitive and easy for anyone at any age to jump in and play. And I did! Early memories of laughing with my siblings trying to shoot all the ducks in fear of the dog laughing at us, and not wanting to experience that trauma! Great motivator, haha!
Cons: that... that LAUGH.... I... will never be able to forget the feeling of being mocked by my very own hunting companion, man's best friend, my frickin' DOG, for the first time... (also the game is a bit basic, but hey, not the worst thing)
What it means to me: This along with SMB was my first Video Game ever, and unlike SMB, I was actually able to play this one as a little kid! It's extremely intuitive and easy for anyone at any age to jump in and play. And I did! Early memories of laughing with my siblings trying to shoot all the ducks in fear of the dog laughing at us, and not wanting to experience that trauma! Great motivator, haha!
1985
Pros: Big adventure filled with 8 worlds. Tough platforming challenges, variety of level types, useful power-ups, and cool secrets. Incredibly fun to speedrun through too!
Cons: The platforming mechanics are a bit stiff, the timer is annoying (as it is in most Mario games), and not being able to scroll the camera back from where you came to the left, is a bit of a bummer... Otherwise, I got no real complaints, I can play this game again and again and again.
What it means to me: Most likely my very first video game, as it came packaged with the NES, though too young to understand and play it well at the time. But as I discovered more and more about it, the more I loved it, and then to finally conquer the adventure and defeat Bowser at the end, saving the princess, I felt a sense of accomplishment I'd never felt with any other game. This one is special, it pretty much changed the world.
Cons: The platforming mechanics are a bit stiff, the timer is annoying (as it is in most Mario games), and not being able to scroll the camera back from where you came to the left, is a bit of a bummer... Otherwise, I got no real complaints, I can play this game again and again and again.
What it means to me: Most likely my very first video game, as it came packaged with the NES, though too young to understand and play it well at the time. But as I discovered more and more about it, the more I loved it, and then to finally conquer the adventure and defeat Bowser at the end, saving the princess, I felt a sense of accomplishment I'd never felt with any other game. This one is special, it pretty much changed the world.
1988
Pros: Two classic games in one, well playing versions of the arcade icons. Title screen music, a couple new animations, and DK Jr. itself plays better than the arcade original, imo.
Cons: Still missing the cement factory stage from the arcade, it's not 1:1 with the original in many small areas either, and a little odd to omit the third game in the DK arcade trilogy.
What it means to me: One of my first games ever. I recall vividly my dad buying it for us as kids at a Toys-R-Us, seeing it at one of those front booths, I knew this was gonna be a special one. And it was, playing as that little DK Jr. was the highlight for me, loved animals, loved the apes, and it made me curious for what adventures these gorillas would go on next.
Cons: Still missing the cement factory stage from the arcade, it's not 1:1 with the original in many small areas either, and a little odd to omit the third game in the DK arcade trilogy.
What it means to me: One of my first games ever. I recall vividly my dad buying it for us as kids at a Toys-R-Us, seeing it at one of those front booths, I knew this was gonna be a special one. And it was, playing as that little DK Jr. was the highlight for me, loved animals, loved the apes, and it made me curious for what adventures these gorillas would go on next.
1986
Pros: Complete open world from the get-go, the sense of freedom and exploration is wonderful. Cool weapons, fun puzzles, lots of secrets, and it's more fun when you have friends playing along with ya.
Cons: a bit archaic, sometimes you feel like you need outside help to progress, but again, having friends or a social system is part of the game.
what it means to me: First played this game prior to OoT releasing, and it was magical, it prepared me for the brilliant world of the Legend of Zelda, and the games to come. Nothing up until Breath of the Wild matched the sense of discovery and exploration, other than small moments like Hyrule Field in OoT, and the Great Sea in Wind Waker. Truly an iconic game.
Cons: a bit archaic, sometimes you feel like you need outside help to progress, but again, having friends or a social system is part of the game.
what it means to me: First played this game prior to OoT releasing, and it was magical, it prepared me for the brilliant world of the Legend of Zelda, and the games to come. Nothing up until Breath of the Wild matched the sense of discovery and exploration, other than small moments like Hyrule Field in OoT, and the Great Sea in Wind Waker. Truly an iconic game.