Genre: Platformer/Rail-Shooter/Driving

Developer: Aicom
Publisher: American Sammy
Year: 1991

Basic Idea: Just say no to drugs, and kill everyone making them!

Review: The best hybrid game on the NES.  The game begins with a racing stage, much like Spy Hunter.  After completing this stage is when you see the title screen.  Then, much like the Ninja Gaiden series, there are frequent cinematic breaks to advance the plot.  Most of the stages are platformers, and they are solidly designed with good play control.  Some cheap falling deaths are the game’s greatest problem.  The power-ups are also fairly unimaginative.  There are also some rail-shooter stages like you often see in the arcade and another driving stage.

The graphics are stunning at times and it’s impossible to get bored as there’s something new around every corner.  If you like Ninja Gaiden you can’t pass this up.