Game Reviews9.2/10
Mario’s Raccoon Suit and the Level Design That Outlasted Its Console
Super Mario Bros. 3 hit Japan in 1988, not 1993 — that was the All-Stars remaster. A look at Miyamoto's stage-play platformer and why it still holds.
CLAY TRIBUNE / THE ARCHIVE
Category: Game Reviews
Every game we have scored, from the NES library to current releases.
Game Reviews7.5/10
Mario’s Oddest Sequel Holds Up Better Than Its Reputation Suggests
A review of Super Mario Bros. 2 as remastered in Super Mario All-Stars, covering Subcon, Wart, four characters, 20 levels, and its Doki Doki Panic origins.
Game Reviews8.9/10
Super Mario Bros.: World 1-1 Taught the World How to Play, and It Still Does
Super Mario Bros. (1985) review: how Shigeru Miyamoto's NES classic saved the console business and built the template every platformer still follows.
Game Reviews6.1/10
Super C Review: Red Falcon Returns, Co-op Carries the Load
Super C brings Red Falcon back to Earth in Konami's 1990 run-and-gun shooter. Co-op is the real draw, but a 6.1 Metacritic score says the rest coasts.
Game Reviews7.5/10
Ninja Gaiden II Sharpens Its Combat and Stumbles on Its Cutscenes
Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos review: Ryu Hayabusa returns on NES with wall climbing, new power items, brutal difficulty, and a weaker story.
Game Reviews7.4/10
Ninja Gaiden on the NES: Cinematic, Brilliant, and Cruel Enough to Break You
Ninja Gaiden on NES, reviewed: Tecmo's 1988 classic that pioneered cinematic cutscenes and brutal difficulty. Score: 7.4 of 10.
Game Reviews8.1/10
Metroid Review: Alone on Zebes, and Better for It
Metroid (1986) review: Samus Aran alone on Zebes, the power-up loop that invented the Metroidvania, and why the ending still lands. 8.1/10.
Game Reviews7.2/10
Mega Man 6 Sends the NES Series Out Without a New Idea in Its Head
Mega Man 6 (1993) was the NES's last 8-bit Mega Man game. Review of its Robot Masters, Rush Adaptors, Energy Balancer and 7.2/10 score.
Game Reviews9.6/10
Mega Man 5 Is Where the Series Stops Trying
Mega Man 5 hit the NES in 1992 with eight Robot Masters, Beat the bird, and the Dark Man twist, a confident high point for the classic series
Game Reviews4.5/10
Mega Man 4 Adds a Charge Shot and Not Much Else
Mega Man 4 review: Capcom's 1991 NES sequel added the charge shot, Eddie, and the Kalinka reveal. It earns a 4.5 out of 10.
Game Reviews6.8/10
Tiger Electronics’ Mega Man 3 is a different game from the NES one
Tiger Electronics' 1991 Mega Man 3 handheld is a licensed LCD spin-off, not Capcom's NES game — a look at what it actually is.
Game Reviews8.2/10
Mega Man 2 Fixed What the First Game Got Wrong
Mega Man 2 review: Capcom's 1989 NES sequel, its eight Robot Masters, Energy Tanks, and why it's still ranked the best in the series.