Game Reviews7.2/10
Bionic Commando on NES: The Hook Replaces the Spring, and It Works
A mechanical arm and hook stand in place of the spring on NES, forcing players to draw themselves across open space in this old shooter.
CLAY TRIBUNE / THE ARCHIVE
Category: Game Reviews
Every game we have scored, from the NES library to current releases.
Game Reviews7.1/10
Battletoads at 7.1: Rare’s NES Brawler Shines Until the Vehicle Stage Hits
A remembrance of Battletoads for NES: fierce fighting, a harsh vehicle passage, and a difficulty that never eases.
Game Reviews7.1/10
Zelda II Swapped the Overhead View for Side-Scrolling Combat and RPG Leveling, and Fans Remain Divided at 7.1
A princess lies under a spell, and a champion must fight from the side, gain strength, and cross a chart of towns and dungeons to wake her.
Game Reviews8.4/10
The Legend of Zelda Endures Because It Never Explains Itself
An ancient adventure of secrets, no guide, and a solitary sword against an unknown realm — still worthy after all these years.
Game Reviews9.2/10
Tanooki Suits and a World Map Pushed Nintendo’s 8-Bit Hardware as Far as It Could Go
A chart of eight worlds, four suits, and seven guardians stand before one final foe — a marvel of the console age, worthy of highest praise.
Game Reviews7.5/10
Super Mario Bros. 2 Trades Stomping for Throwing, and Four Heroes Make It Worth the Return
A singular game wherein four companions gather and cast what strange foes have wrought upon them.
Game Reviews8.9/10
Super Mario Bros. Review: Simple Rules, Sharp Design
A hero springs through eight kingdoms toward a distant fortress to save a princess, in a tale of perfect motion and fair peril.
Game Reviews6.1/10
Super C: More Contra, Little More
Super C returns two soldiers to the battlefield against wave after wave of foes, a solid but familiar follower to Contra on the NES.
Game Reviews7.5/10
Ryu’s Return Sharpens the Action but Keeps the Cheap Deaths
A hero bears a dark sword of chaos, his path beset by many foes and open gulfs, in this tale of trial and steel.
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.