Game Reviews7.4/10
Ninja Gaiden Mixes Story Scenes With Harsh Levels on the NES — 7.4 of 10
A fighter seeks the truth of his father's death, between hard stages of springing, striking, and swift, fatal foes.
CLAY TRIBUNE / THE ARCHIVE
Category: Game Reviews
Every game we have scored, from the NES library to current releases.
Game Reviews8.1/10
Metroid hands players no map and makes discovery the reward — 8.1/10
A buried world of dark passages and terror, wherein a fighter seeks the dread Metroid, guided by nothing save memory and courage.
Game Reviews7.2/10
Familiar to a Fault, the Blue Bomber’s Final NES Outing Plays It Safe
A steady, familiar close to the blue robot hero's console years, with eight stages, a new Rush part, and gentler trial than before.
Game Reviews9.6/10
Mega Man 5 Polishes the Series Formula — and Adds Beat the Bird
A chronicle of Mega Man 5, wherein eight masters, a bird companion, and stages of trial prove the series holds its old promise still.
Game Reviews4.5/10
Mega Man 4 Adds a Charge Shot but Plays It Safe
Mega Man 4 grants a charge shot for the Buster, yet the war against eight new robot masters feels safe and familiar throughout.
Game Reviews6.8/10
Rush Man and Proto Man Add Plenty, but the Blue Bomber’s Third Outing Trades Tight Design for Sprawl
A review of Mega Man 3, a game of new foes, a companion named Rush, and a low move, weighed against its rougher spots.
Game Reviews8.2/10
Mega Man 2 Still Sets the Standard for NES Action
A look back at Mega Man 2, whose eight robot masters and device system remain among gaming's tightest NES designs.
Game Reviews7.3/10
Before the sequels smoothed it out, Mega Man’s NES debut was already brimming with the series’ best ideas
A tale of six robot masters, one puzzle, and a hard, unkind test upon the NES, worth the playing still.
Game Reviews6.7/10
Pit Battles Through the Underworld to Free Palutena, One Brutal Vertical Stage at a Time
A hero rises from a dark realm to save a goddess above, through narrow passages and steady running stages, in this old, rough journey.
Game Reviews6.6/10
Contra on NES: Hard, Fast, and Still Standing
Two soldiers storm an alien base alone in this hard, direct shooter of forest fights and base attacks.