Game Reviews9.2/10
Mario’s Dinosaur Sidekick Was the Real Revolution of Super Mario World
Super Mario World review: how Nintendo built the SNES platformer around Yoshi, the Cape Feather and a branching Dinosaur Land map. Score: 9.2 of 10.
CLAY TRIBUNE / THE ARCHIVE
Tag: Nintendo
Game Reviews8.4/10
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars Review — A Crossover That Shouldn’t Have Worked
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars review — Square's 1996 SNES crossover put Bowser on Mario's side, destroyed the Star Road, and scored 8.4.
Game Reviews7.4/10
Super Mario Kart Sets the Template for Every Kart Racer That Followed
Super Mario Kart launched September 1, 1992, sold 8.76 million copies, and set the template for the series. A retrospective review scoring 7.4/10.
Game Reviews8.9/10
EarthBound Review: Nintendo’s 1994 RPG Still Casts a Spell
EarthBound, Nintendo's 1994 SNES RPG, swapped swords for a meteorite in the backyard. A look at Ness, Giygas, and why it still scores 8.9/10.
Game Reviews5.8/10
Pro Wrestling Review: Nintendo’s 1986 NES Wrestling Game and Its In-Ring Referee
Nintendo's Pro Wrestling put six wrestlers, a live referee and a twenty-count in a cartridge. We revisit the 1986 NES rules machine and score it 5.8/10.
Game Reviews4.9/10
Mario Bros. Is Barely a Game, and That’s the Point
A retro review of Mario Bros., the 1983 arcade classic by Miyamoto and Yokoi, covering the flipping mechanic, POW block, enemies and NES port.
Game Reviews6/10
Donkey Kong Jr. flips the original’s roles and puts Mario behind the lock and key
A review of Donkey Kong Jr. (1982), Nintendo's arcade sequel where Mario becomes the villain, plus its four stages, vines, NES port and level-22 kill screen.
Game Reviews6.5/10
Donkey Kong on Game Boy Starts as the Arcade Game and Turns Into Something Else Entirely
Donkey Kong on Game Boy starts as an arcade remake, then becomes a 97-level puzzle adventure. A look at its design, sales, and 6.5/10 score.
Game Reviews5.4/10
Clu Clu Land Review: A Clean Maze With One Good Trick
A retro review of Nintendo's 1984 puzzle game Clu Clu Land, where Bubbles hunts gold using Turning Posts. Score: 5.4/10.
Game Reviews5.6/10
Balloon Fight Is a 5.6, and There Is Nothing Above It
Balloon Fight review: Nintendo's 1985 NES port of a 1984 arcade game earns a 5.6 — a Joust-like floater saved only by its two-player co-op mode.
Game Reviews7.2/10
Nintendo’s black sheep sequel still refuses to play by the series’ rules
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link broke the series in 1987 with side-scrolling combat, leveling, and a sleeping princess. A 7.2/10 experiment worth revisiting.
Game Reviews8.2/10
Punch-Out!!’s Fights Are Rhythm Puzzles, Not Boxing Matches
Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! is a rhythm game in boxing gloves — a review of Nintendo's 1987 NES classic, its heart meter, star punches and three-loss career.