The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
4,329 films were submitted to the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. This blog had 13,000 views in 2012. If each view were a film, this blog would power 3 Film Festivals
It doesn’t sound like anyone was particularly agonizing over any games in particular not making the cut. Or if they did, they didn’t say anything. That said, some visitors may be wondering why the games below didn’t make it on the list. Take a gander and if you have a favorite never mentioned in the countdown, go ahead and mention it in the comments.
Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest: Great idea, poor execution. Incredibly slow game, with annoying pop-ups and not-clued-at-all puzzles. Terrible translation really did this game in. Game play itself is pretty good, and graphics and sound were great as usual, but the game is impossible without outside hints.
Ghosts ‘N Goblins: This game isn’t quite as hard as I remember as a child. I just remember being insanely frustrated that you get hit twice and you die, especially with enemies that just appear on the screen with no way to dodge them. I didn’t even realize you had to go through the game twice to reach the real final boss. If it weren’t for the awful sound and repetitive graphics, I may have enjoyed it more.
Maniac Mansion: Funny adventure, but agonizingly slow with too many ways to put yourself in an unwinnable situation. Besides, if you’re going to play this, the NES is probably the slowest platform to play it on.
Metal Gear: Fantastic idea. Few games on the NES rewarded stealth over blitzkrieg. But Metal Gear struggled mightily with awful hit detection, confusing directions, and terrible translation. I’ve tried playing this several times and wonder why it was consistently a favorite of Nintendo Power.
Rush’N’Attack: Just missed the top 100. Kind of a poor man’s Contra.
TMNT 2: The Arcade Game: I love this in the arcade. I don’t care for this port. There’s just something about playing this four-player with strangers that gives it an extra thrill. Plus, the arcade version had better music and graphics. On its own, this is just a medicore beat ’em up.
TMNT 3: Turtles Take Manhattan: This is a much better beat ’em up, and on a different day, this may have squeezed into my top 100. But I just don’t think beat ’em ups got that good until the 16 bit era so few made my list.
Today I released a Sporcle Quiz for my Top 100 NES Games list, if you’re into that sort of thing.
Tomorrow’s post will be about your favorite games that didn’t make the list.
With one week to go, we had to write a 59-word story about a road trip. I was story #1.
The sun fell over Puget Sound as the crisp autumn wind rolled through Nelson’s yellow Mustang. Thirty-seven years they had made this trip to the Northwest. As tradition, they’d be staying somewhere new. This year, Robinswood House. In two days, they’d be married.
Turning east on Interstate 405, Nelson shifted gears. Ethan’s hand met his. The sky turned red.
Matthew: Well, Ethan’s a funny name for a girl! Okay, just kidding, story 1, but I dig what you were trying to do here. I think you were a bit too reliant on the twist delivering some potency, however, that you didn’t really give much meat in the story. Maybe the twist was given up a bit early. WINNER: Story 2
Novak – These stories both really bring it. They both manage to imply so much, without going too far. #1 is definitely clearer in its meaning. It capitalizes on recent political developments without being political itself. I’m ok with political commentary, so I wouldn’t have held that against the story, but not everyone feels that way. It isn’t the biggest reveal in the world, but the personal character history contained in the story is amazingly profound, and is deepened with the revelation. In the Close Call, #1 wins.
ANDY: I see you guys rolled your way into the semis. These entries are certainly worthy of a top four. #1 is a sweet little tableau. I enjoyed it, and the emotion comes across as sincere. In most circumstances, I wouldn’t have any gripes. Unfortunately, I have to be a little more critical as we approach the end, and my nitpick is that it feels like it’s just barely crossing the line into sappy territory. Well done to both, but my winner is #2.
Result vs. Sarah Johnson: LOSS (1-2)
And so my season ends. It wasn’t my favorite story of the season, but I did put quite a bit of work into it. I hoped to gain some poignancy without being corny, and I’m not sure I completely achieved that.
So far I’ve played three writing competitions at Casa de Leche. I’ve finished 4th, 2nd, and now 4th again. One of these days, Alice…
Genre: Football
Developer: Tecmo
Publisher: Tecmo
Year: 1991
Basic Idea: Ready! Down! Hut! Hut! Hut! Hut!
Review: It feels kind of weird putting a sports game at the top of the countdown, but Tecmo Super Bowl is more than a sports game. It’s also an arcade game that at times feels like an action game. And it’s so incredibly addicting. I am not exaggerating when I say I have spent at least 2,000 hours playing this game. It’s tapered a bit over the years, but not completely.
I remember the first game I played. My brother and I faced off, Chicago vs. Minnesota. I was down by four points with only a few seconds left. Using the reverse/flea-flicker, I launched a 50 yard bomb to Anthony Carter, who leapt over two defenders in a brilliant cinematic display, caught the ball, and gave me my victory. I was hooked.
Every thing about this game was programmed with the idea of making every moment fun for the player. The extensive, detailed, thrill-inducing cinema shots enhance nearly every play. The sound effects, from blocking to kicking, to the ball whistling through the air all make the game pop. And, of course, being rewarded with a “Touchdown!” call is the icing on the cake.
But the game is more than all the arcade effects. The play control is impressive, with the ability to dodge and cut with ease depending on the skills of each player. My only critique of the control is that fighting off tackles has more to do with your ability to rapidly press the buttons than the strength of your player. This put me at a disadvantage against most everyone I played with, as I just don’t have a fast finger.
The computer A.I. is pretty easy to figure out, so there’s little challenge there. But there’s endless possibilities for friends to play against each other. And we did. Not only did we go through the entire 1990 NFL season multiple times with different teams, we also would use a second cartridge to play fantasy football on. We’d draft teams, skip the games, count our points, and down lots of Mountain Dew. This is the game I’ve played at 3 a.m. more than any other. I also admit to playing many season using the coach function, just to give myself a challenge.
I am still crazy in love with the rosters. Randall Cunningham. Barry Sanders. Christian Okoye. David Fulcher. Wayne Haddix. Lawrence Taylor. Derrick Thomas. Ronnie Lott. Bob Nelson. And, of course, Bo Jackson. I’ve changed my mind: Bo Jackson is my favorite boss on the NES. Finding ways to stop him, Cunningham, or Lott were the cause of friction. We would handicap each other. You can only run for a first down with Cunningham on 3rd down. You could only use Lott once per four downs. Of course, if it weren’t for tackling being often dependent on button mashing, things may have been different.
This was also the first game to keep extensive statistics. For a guy who loves numbers and records, this was a dream come true.
Add in awesome, awesome music, crushing injuries, a great halftime show, and a solid ending, there’s no other game I’d rather play. The sequel on the SNES fixes a lot of minor issues with the game (e.g. no touchbacks, no blocked punts, clock issues) and adds some features (e.g. weather), but when push comes to shove I usually pick the original. Tecmo Super Bowl, even today, remains a beast and as far as sports/arcade games go, has yet to be equaled.
Genre: Slice of Life
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Year: 1986
Basic Idea: Your life will never be the same.
Review: I have never been more inspired by a game.
Remember the end of the The Breakfast Club, where Judd Nelson is walking across the football field to “Don’t Forget About Me?” When he pumps his fist in the air, that’s how I feel every time I load Urban Champion. A simultaneous rush of excitement and melancholy–every time.
Like everything John Hughes accomplished, this game has layers upon layers. What initially appears to be your typical street fighting game is really about the quest of two misunderstood young men to find their path in life. Many feel that the character’s identical looks indicate that they are twin brothers, fighting through a sibling rivalry. If one looks deeper, it is obvious that they merely represent how society views all street thugs: worthless and no different from any other.
This is accentuated by several other subtle touches. Notice how each area looks the same, other than a palette swap and the names on the building? This represents how for the life of a poor urban citizen, the days and places run together as they struggle for food and shelter, sometimes resorting to fighting each other for resources.
It’s unfortunate this is the only part of these men’s lives we get to see, but it’s really the most heartbreaking. Imagine Boyz N the Hood in a video game, only more redemptive. The controls aren’t the greatest, but how else to better represent these men’s struggles than to show how little control they have over their destiny?
Also notice how the bourgeois middle-class occasionally tries to throw flower pots during fights? This is a painful reminder of how most of society treats those less fortunate, not knowing that they could be one tragedy away from being in the same position.
Finally, one “wins” this by knocking their opponent into a sewer hole. Talk about gut-wrenching, that despite the depths of sadness of these men’s lives, they still have farther to fall if they’re not careful. Even when one arises victorious, it’s just another reminder of the real costs to society. Confetti is thrown on the winner by the middle-class apartment dwellers, a pathetic reinforcement of behavior, equating their struggles to that of a cockfight.
Sure, there are more modern games like Street Fighter II that have better graphics and more “moves.” But for a pure, stripped down view about what it’s really like to be a street fighter, look no further than Urban Champion.
Genre: RPG
Developer: Chunsoft
Publisher: Enix
Year: 1992
Basic Idea: Rescue missing children, help a princess become a warrior, run your own shop(!), rescue the father of a fortuneteller and a stripper, and if you have time, save the world.
Review: A rare and mostly forgotten game in the NES library, Dragon Warrior IV should not be ignored by fans of classic RPGs. While, like its predecessors, it remains underwhelming in the graphics and music department, it more than makes up for it with a tight, epic story.
The game is incredibly long, straining the memory capacity of the system. There are five separate chapters to the game. The first four, where we meet (and plays as) all of the ancillary characters, is close to the length of Final Fantasy. The fifth story is where the game really opens up, slowly merging all of the stories together while starting you on a rewarding journey. While there are more in-depth characters in future RPGs, this is easily the most impressive story line in an RPG for this system. There are also some rewarding sidequests that don’t dominate the main story.
One significant change from Dragon Warrior III is that once the game merges, you only fight with one character. With your other party members, you must assign general tactics (e.g. aggressive, defensive, conserve magic) and the A.I. takes over the rest. At first, this annoyed me, but I came to enjoy this change immensely. The A.I. does what I would have done 90% of the time, and can actually respond quicker to healing needs than I can. It also negates the need for endless menu scrolling during battle, making them quicker, less tiring. And, unlike previous games, there is little need for endless level-building as long as you don’t run away from most enemies.
One aspect of the game I always loved (which was in the previous game as well) is the monster pit where you can wager on which monster will win in a face-to-face battle. Nothing like betting on the slime to beat two more powerful monster at 80:1 odds and somehow coming out victorious. This game also adds a casino where you can gamble your hard-earned gold as well. Unlike the last game, the purpose here is not to win more gold, but to win tickets in order to purchase some rare, exceptional items. They’re not necessary to win the game, but can be a fun diversion.
Despite this game being ranked #2 on my list, there is no need to play this version of the game. Find it on the Nintendo DS under the title Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen. It markedly improves the graphics, music, and interface while leaving all of the great parts fully intact.
Genre: Platformer
Developer: Tecmo
Publisher: Tecmo
Year: 1988
Basic Idea: Get shot and watch everyone you care about get kidnapped or murdered. Including yourself.
Review: The only game in the top 10 that can be really considered difficult, Ninja Gaiden remains to this day my favorite platformer. Granted, I stopped playing platformers in about 1992, but bear with me. People seem to be equally divided as to whether they prefer this game or its sequel. I’m in the former camp, obviously. I think the primary reason is that it just came easier to me. The learning curve is more gradual, though by the end of the game it is significantly more difficult and to be honest, unfair. But since the first three-fourths of the game was less frustrating, I fell in love.
The opening cinema is amazing. I still get chills watching it today, thanks in part to the game’s perfect soundtrack. The plot itself is a pretty standard vengeance story, but it’s done incredibly well considering how mediocre the dialogue is during each cut scene. My favorite scene during the game is the one where Ryu is taken by the CIA and explained what he’s being asked to do.
And if I say no?
You know the answer to that…
Even the ending is pretty solid, bittersweet. Nearly every game that had been released to this point had a story no more important than that of a pornographic film. Tecmo decided to up the ante by providing the gamer with a full experience and they hit a home run.
The action is intense. Ryu moves with grace that is still noticeable today. The main annoyance is the kickback and subsequent falling deaths, much like in Castlevania. Memorization of enemy patterns, especially that of the eagles and the bats is necessary. The only thing that makes it palatable is Ryu’s responsiveness. And, of course, the music.
I’ve never won Ninja Gaiden without a game genie. The last level is just too damn hard for me. I think one time I made it to Jacquio, but I couldn’t beat him once, let alone the three times you have to do it. And, irritatingly, if he defeats you, you go all the way back to the beginning of the level. I was able to win the game one time with a game genie, but even that took tons of effort as there was no “infinite energy” code. I just hang my hat on the fact that at one point I could get to the final level without losing a life.
Genre: Action Adventure
Developer: Nintendo; Locomotive
Publisher: Nintendo
Year: 1990
Basic Idea: Save dolphins, pirate ships, and just maybe the entire human race.
Review: I’m not even quite sure how to describe this game. You’re this dude named Mike, who’s going between tropical islands trying to save them from monsters, and you’re using a yo-yo to do it. It plays a bit like Zelda games in that you have an overworld where you can talk to townspeople and find heart containers, but it’s significantly more linear and the only enemies are in dungeons. Conceptually it’s silly, and the plot never has much intrigue or sense. The dialogue is often laughable, though there is some cute tongue-in-cheek (or banana-in-ear) humor along with colorful locations. For example, one entire stage takes place inside a whale.
With throwaway plot and characters, why do I love this game so damn much? The caves and dungeons are amazingly fun. Almost every room is its own puzzle, as there is often triggers, platforms, or patterns you have to follow to open up doors or treasures. There are just a few rooms like this in The Legend of Zelda. If you were annoyed by them there, you’re going to hate Startropics. But I adore them, as it makes the game more than just killing enemies. My favorite involves a parrot and a huge piano. Even the bosses generally require more than simple dodge-and-attack. However, the enemies are still a blast and are some of the most creative on the system. One of my favorites is an insanely large bowling ball that tries to run you down.
Movement is awkward at first, because Mike can never move diagonally. However, the enemies never move diagonally either, so it’s fairly simply to get used to. Attacking with your yo-yo or other items (like bolas) is pretty intuitive. The game’s learning curve is progressive and fair. The last couple of stages become difficult without ever feeling unfair, and require much more planning and focus than earlier stages. And I adore the final stage for its atmosphere and a final boss that rivals Wart as the best on the system. Winning this game is incredibly satisfying.
I considered ranking Startropics as high as #2 on my list. One royally annoying decision they made drops it down a couple of spots. There is a fucking copyright protection puzzle. At one point in the game, you have to enter a three-digit code. Now, you can spend days trying every three-digit number, or take a piece of paper that came in the game box and dip it in water to reveal the answer. Now, we owned the game, and it was actually the most fun I’ve ever had solving a copyright protection puzzle. But if you ever wanted to play the game again, you had to memorize the code or not lose the paper. And if you rented the game or bought the cartridge used? Unless you had a friend who knew the code, you wouldn’t be able to finish it.
If you’ve never played this game, it might be difficult to get into today, especially with the funky control. But with some patience you’ll likely be pleasantly surprised. I’ve won it at least four times, one of those times being on a day I was home from school sick with strep throat. If I could only play one NES adventure game the rest of my life, it would be Startropics.
In the first round of the playoffs, our job was to write a 59-word story about revenge. I was contestant #2 this week.
Juror eight was quite proud. After days of exhausting effort, he finally organized a swing in the verdict.
“On the sole charge, attempted murder, how does the jury find?”
“Not guilty,” the foreman replied. Gasps filled the courtroom. The victim turned pale.
Juror eight knew the defendant was guilty. But the defendant didn’t run over Buster sixteen years ago.
MATTHEW: Story 2…I feel bad about this one. 12 Angry Men is one of my all-time favorite films (and plays, and Westinghouse Studio One teleplays), so I appreciate that you worked that reference into the story, and did so with a soft and nimble touch. But the reasoning you left us with, necessarily truncated by a need to adhere to the word-count, wound up lacking some needed heft. Arranging to sway the jury of an attempted murder charge is a pretty serious undertaking. The reasoning behind it feels barely there. WINNER: Story 1.
ANDY: I’m missing the subtlety in both these pieces. They both just kind of lay it out there for you and there’s not much between the lines, or any edge to either piece. Sorry. I’m going to give the win to #2 for at least trying for a twist ending, although I didn’t find it that compelling.
Novak – #2 is a strong story, with great showing vs. telling. The ultimate impact of the revenge being on the victim of the crime is a solid twist, but somehow the motivation felt like a let down. Still, it does everything else right, so for me #2 wins.
Result vs. Christina Pepper: WIN (2-1)
Semi-final Matchup: Sarah Johnson (#2 seed)
Whew. I agree with the judge’s critiques. My motivation for juror #8’s revenge is not fleshed out enough, and this story really needs 100 words. I rewrote the last paragraph several times and was never quite satisfied with it. Thankfully, the concept was strong enough to advance me to the semifinals.
Death By Troggles 
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