Super Mario World

In 1990 Nintendo released their Super Famicom (SNES) and as a pack in title they included Super Mario World, one of the games that set the tone for the era that would follow, the Nintendo v Sega wars of the 1990's.

Super Mario World sees the player playing as the titular character in a 2D platform adventure game that not set the gold standard of Platforming for the following decade or so but actually set the standard for gaming as a whole.Not only did it build on the excellent Mario franchise but it added so much that it really just showed why Nintendo were at the forefront of video games.

The story, as with most Mario games sees the plucky plumber trying to defeat Bowser and save Princess Peach but the game it's self has so much more than just the simple story to offer. Firstly you have the excellent levels which are designed to be replayable, fun and yet also challenging. As well as the levels you have the charm of the Sonic universe, the power ups, the moves and new addition Yoshi, who you can ride about on during the game.

The graphics are charming through out and whilst they now don't look anything special they did their job
wonderfully well and are clear through out (something you do admittedly expect in a Mario game). Like wise the music in the game is equally as charming despite being very simple and limited (in fact much of it is the same tune just altered in terms of speed). This leaves the game feeling just as charm to look at and listen to as it is to actually play.

Whilst we do genuinely love the game it isn't beyond fault, most notable the complexities of some levels (though by some we are literally talking about a handful) which seem to expect the player to do things that just feel relatively out place. Other than this however the game is pretty much flawless, both as a 1 player game or as a 2-player game (where 1 player controls Luigi). With a story that will last you for a few weeks (even longer if you want to unlock all the secret content) and a game with so much charm it simple oozes brilliance, it's easy to over look the occasional flaw.

To sum this game up all I can say is that you've never played it, get it and lock yourself in a room until you've complete it.


97%

Details:

Console-Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Release-1990
Developer-Nintendo EAD
Genre-2D Platformer
Players-1or 2

Trivia-
The game was the debut of Yoshi who would return in the sequel- "Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island" amongst many other games.

Yoshi's Cookie (Game Boy)

The Game Boy really was a puzzle game heaven in the early 1990's. Whether you were old or young at least one puzzle game appealed to you...sadly however for every Mole Mania you had a Hatris and for every game that made you think and act on your toes you had one that put you to sleep. Yoshis' Cookie, featuring both Yoshi and Mario sadly falls into the second category.

The game, in the screen shots, may look like a typical falling block game (think Tetris) though it's not your normal falling block game. Rather than maneuvering falling blocks your maneuver the blocks on the bottom of the screen with an arrow type system that allows you to scroll a single line either vertically or horizontally. You need to make a single line all with the same style of cookie to delete them from the screen.

Although the game seems to merge both Tetris and Rubix cube it sadly lacks the challenge of a Rubix Cube and it lacks the charm and addictiveness of Tetris. What you are left with is a slow puzzle game that seems to be based solely at children who need a lot of time to think of their next move. Whilst I'm sure the game does eventually get hard it gets there so slowly that it's hard to keep yourself interested and find the challenge. It's game play at times seems almost sleep inducing rather than challenging and as a result it's hard to really enjoy.

Despite the game featuring Mario and a nice cheerful tune the game just feels a bit like a flop, a rarity for a Bullet-Proof Software. If you want a puzzle game that you can let your 6 year old play this is acceptable enough (even though it's in monochrome) though if you want to challenge yourself avoid it.


55%

Details:
Console-Game Boy
Release-1993
Developer-Bullet-Proof Software, Inc.
Genre-Puzzle
Players-1 or 2 (Link Cable Required)

Trivia:
A version of this was released on the SNES with much better graphics and much more to the game.

Hatris

We've all heard of "Tetris" the video game that really helped the Game Boy become the dominant handheld of the 1990's (and late 1980's) though what few know is that the game had a spiritual successor of sorts in Hatris. Created by Alexey Pajitnov (the man behind Tetris) Hatris was released on the Game Boy at the start of the 1990's and tried to replicate the success of Tetris with a similar sort of concept.

As the name suggests this game features hats, lots and lots of hats. The players job is simple, they need to stack the hats as they fall from the top of the screen into piles to remove them (as opposed to making a solid line across the screen like in Tetris.

Hats fall in sets of 2 and come in a variety of styles (such as novelty Christmas hats, top hats, caps and Mexican hats) with each stacking in their own way. The player needs to place 5 hats of the same type on top of each other to remove them from the screen as the game slowly gets quicker and more complex. After the player stacks a set amount of hats they will go to the "shop" and get to add another type of hat which further complicates matters and makes the stacking more and more difficult.

Whilst the game may seem a lot like a Tetris based game it's more complex and adds several new ideas, including a flame (which can burn through some hats) and the shop function, sadly however it over complicates it's self and lacks the magic of Tetris. Whilst it's certainly different it's impossible not to compare the two and when you do, this seems to lack the charm and heart of Tetris.

68%

Details:
Console-Game Boy, NES, Arcade, TurboGrafx-16
Release-1990 (Game Boy)
Developer-Bullet-Proof Software, Inc.

Genre-Puzzle
Players-1 or 2 (Link Cable Required)

Trivia:
The arcade version of Hatris features heads at the bottom of the screen include one that looks like Elvis.

Mole Mania

If you see a hardcore gamer and mention the name "Shigeru Miyamoto" you'll make them think of Mario, Donkey Kong, the Zelda series and Pikmin, though one of his most forgotten works was the excellent and charming Mole Mania. The god of video games designed this excellent Game Boy puzzler back in the mid 1990's and you can see his touches of genius through out the game.

You control a mole (named Muddy Mole) who needs to rescue his family from an evil farmer called Jinbe by completing a number of puzzles. The player can walk up, down, left or right, as well pushing, pulling and throwing various items and digging underground to defeat enemies and get around obstacles and clear the stage. Each stage is cleared when the player places a big black ball on the gate at the end, though this is often easier said than done as digging in the wrong place may see you needing to start the puzzle again.

Although on the basis of it all the game seems simple it becomes really challenging and you need to think about what your doing before you start the screen. For a game that looks quite cute it become a real case of planning before you start digging random holes in the level...and later on it becomes ridiculously complex and mind boggling as you get more and more obstacles thrown your way. Oddly despite the fact you'll find yourself thinking an awful lot you'll soon find yourself addicted to the game and wasting hours away trying to complete it.

Whilst the gameplay is excellent and the puzzles are wonderful the game also features bright and exciting music that adds to the games charm and sounds incredible for a Game Boy game. Though perhaps this points us to the games biggest issue, it's a Game Boy game. It wasn't given the DX treatment or even the "Advance" treatment of some other games and as a result it's lacking in any real colour  which some players will find off putting. If however you can ignore the dated looks you will find your self falling in love with yet another Miyamoto creation. It's a game that oozes charm, has wonderful gameplay and lots to explore as well as testing your brain, what more could you ask for?

88%

Console-Game Boy
Release-1996 (Japan), 1997 (US, EU)
Developer-Nintendo and Pax Softnica
Genre-Puzzle
Players-1

Trivia:
The game was known as Mogura~Nya in Japan
The game was directed by Masayuki Kameyama, the man behind Donkey Kong '94 which shares a number of similar gameplay ideas with Mole Mania.

Mario's Picross

Puzzle games have become a somewhat forgotten genre in the current video game market which is filled with sports titles, FPS' and driving games. It's a shame that if you ask a teenage what puzzle games they can think of they often reply with "Tetris, that's the only one I can think of" (my own well educated gaming sister). With the original Game Boy however puzzle games were a norm, not only with Tetris but a host of others. One of the most interesting of those games was "Mario Picross", a game that brought Picross to the video game console and managed to make the Game Boy another time waster.

The idea of Mario Picross is rather similar in someways to Minesweeper in that the player is given onscreen clues and needs to select certain boxes that correspond to the clues. If the player uses the clues well and completes the puzzle they will have drawn a picture which will be shown to the player afterwards.

Although the concept seems rather simple and monotonous it's actually incredibly challenging (especially the later levels) and oddly addictive. Whilst the pictures may not be anything great the game is genuinely enjoyable and has the same sort of charm as Sudoku, in fact in many ways it feels like the love child of Minesweeper and Sudoku.

With well over 200 levels to complete (including a hidden Time Trial mode) the game has genuine longevity that will take even the most devout of puzzle gamers a long time. While the main game is huge the Time Trial adds even more replay value to the game which really gives it a huge lifespan.

Whilst the game is huge it does have it's issues, most notably some god awful music (seriously I decided to mute it pretty swiftly as it was that awful) and a lack of commercial success outside of Japan. Oddly, despite carrying the Mario name the games sales in the US and EU were disappointing (despite the game doing very well in Japan). The game is genuinely a really good puzzle game that sadly, it seems, only Japan ever really enjoyed. Despite this I loved it and think it's a great addition to anyone's Game Boy Library.

86%

Details:
Console-Game Boy
Release-1995
Developer-Jupiter
Genre-Puzzle
Players-1

Trivia:
A sequel was released (Picross 2) in Japan that featured puzzles which were much larger than the 15x15 tiled puzzles found in Mario Picross
Another sequel was released, again just in Japan, called Mario's Super Picross and was released for the Super Famicom

Dr Mario

While Nintendo had Tetris as their lead puzzle game you could have assume they would rely on their laurels, surprisingly however they actually complimented Tetris with a number of other top puzzle games including Dr. Mario. The game which has been released on the NES, SNES, Game Boy, Game Boy Advance and most recently the Virtual Console which has helped it to have an enduring fan base.

Like most puzzle games of the time the player needs to manipulate falling blocks, this time however the blocks act as "capsules" and are 2-toned. The capsules need to be used carefully to get rid of the virus' that are shown on screen. Like a number of games of the time this is done by matching the coloured segments of the capsules to the corresponding virus'. Each virus needs to be put in a line
with 3 matching capsule segments to get rid of it and the player needs to do this before the stage (a "capsule box" type of design) become full.

As the player progresses through the levels they will notice a growing number of virus' making the game more difficult and also the pills will fall quicker. It's not long before the game becomes incredibly challenging and the game starts to rush you causing your mind to panic and oddly, for such a simple game, it gets your blood pumping.

Whilst the game doesn't look amazing and the music won't blast you away (mainly due to it now sounding aged) you will find this is a solid puzzle game in it's own right. It's not got the magic feeling of Tetris or quite the same addictiveness but it's a solid and challenging game that you can burn time with and enjoy. Though perhaps the best part of the game is the excellent multiplayer mode which sees the two players competing with each other. Whilst it may seem like a little bonus the multiplayer really brings even more life into an excellent and deep puzzler.

86%

Details:
Console-SNES/NES/Game Boy/Game Boy Advance
Release-1990 (NES version)
Developer-Nintendo
Genre-Puzzle
Players-1 or 2

Trivia:
An N64 version was released on the obscure iQue in China in 2003
Dr Mario was a hidden character in Super Smash Bros. Melee on the Gamecube

Barbie Super Model

Sometimes when reviewing these old games I have to ask myself 2 questions, 1-"Why?" and 2-"What am I doing with my life?" They have never been asked as much as when I was playing Barbie Super Model a game that has you continually wondering why you even bother with these sorts of games.

The first thing you notice is the pink overload, the game almost seems like someone has used pink paint brush and tried to use it as much as they can to create the games "look". Though rather funnily the pink is the least the games problems, in fact it's just one of many.
 The player controls Barbie who starts the game in a convertible (see above) and needs to get from the start of the level to the end of it to practice her catwalk routine. Then the player needs to guide Barbie back to the start of the level. You can make barbie go up, down slow down or speed up to avoid crashing into other cars though in the end of it it's simple, dull and boring.



Along the way you can run into a gift box or a camera and play one of the games two mini games. These games involve matching Barbie's clothes to that of a magazine cover, effectively a glorified memory game that involves the player looking at Barbie in a swimsuit (yeah it's as sexy as looking at a dead turkey).

After you get back to the start of the level you do a catwalk section needing to repeat the routine you practiced in the middle of the level. After completing this you need to do the entire thing again...this time on roller skates at the beach. It's much the same as the opening car section of the game except the obstacles have changed to include people and beach balls. Again you need to get to the end of the level to do a practice routine then make your way to the start of the 

level to put your practice into action. This same level pattern is repeated between the games final 2 levels (in which Barbie walks through a ski resort and cycles through a park).

 Whilst the game's "levels" are rather pathetic and monotonously slow they also feature frustrating items like snowballs being thrown at the player for what appears to be no reason. If the player is struck they lose a life (which is indicated in the top left of the screen) and losing all the life will see them given a Game over screen.

Sadly as well as having the fun of Christmas in Cromwell's era and enough pink and purple to make your eyes bleed the music and sound effects sound as if they were designed to give you headaches. Whilst we don't expect CD quality sounds in a SNES or Mega Drive game we don't expect to have our ears assaulted by bleeps, blips and blops that sound like our speakers are damaged.

The game has very little in case of redeeming factors and really is a nightmare of a game that is best off ignored unless your a 5 year old girl who thinks that Barbie is the perfect role model.

14%

Details:
Console-SNES/Mega Drive
Release-1992
Developer-Tahoe Software Productions
Genre-Action
Players-1 or 2

Trivia:
Their is a ROM of the unreleased Game Gear version going around

DoReMi Fantasy: Milon's DokiDoki Adventure

The title screen

 It's funny how some fantastic games were never released outside of Japan and DoReMi Fantasy: Milon's DokiDoki Adventure was one such game until coming to the Virtual Console some 12 years after Japanese gaming fans got their hands on this fantastic platforming gem. The Japanese got this classic on the Super Famicom in 1996 and sadly it was never translated (officially) into English (though RPGONE have done a fan translation of the game).

In the game you control Milon (from the games title) who has to go through 7 worlds collecting musical instruments (including an Ocarina for you Zelda fans out there) with a number of levels contained in each
 of these worlds.

Before we get onto the actual game play the first thing you will notice is just how fantastic the game looks. The characters look brilliant the backgrounds are amazing and the game just looks like it's a game that was made to look beautiful. Every level is wonderfully good looking and the presentation makes it something you want to look at and almost admire when you should be playing the game. This is aided massively by music that sounds as good as the game looks it has a very fantasy sound to it and although it was on the Super Famicom the whole presentation is second to none...except for the fact it's in Japanese (see the screen shot to the right.
So now onto the gameplay, your in control of the Milon, the little guy you can see in the screenshots (looking oddly like Link in the screenshot to the left). You can move left and right, enter doorways, jump and...blow bubbles. The bubbles are Milon's main offense and can be blown at enemies to trap them allowing you to push them off the screen, if you jump on enemies (as was typical in other platformers from that error) you merely stun them. The bubbles can also be used be used to break the various blocks you see on your travels through out the game.

As you go through Milon's adventure you come across a number of collectable items including musical notes, winged boots, extra lives, clothes, bubblegum and bowling balls which each have their own use. For example collecting 100 notes will make you invincible for a short period of time whilst the winged boots will allow Milon to "glide" when he jumps. Though it's the "clothes" that make the biggest impact to the game and it's also what acts as Milon's health meter. When he's wearing green clothes he has full health, if he gets hit his clothes will turn to blue and another hit will turn him to red. If Milon gets hit when he's red he will die.

The game features around 40 levels each of which are themed and will see Nilon going through the forest, a food world, a snow world and a fire world (amongst others) all of which look amazing and have charm oozing out of them. Within most levels is a what appears to be a star, these need to be collected on every level inside a world before the player can face that worlds boss, with many later levels having a number of routes through, many of which will see the player failing to get the star.

Despite looking cute, innocent and at times childish the game is incredibly challenging, especially the bosses (the Snow world boss had me swearing much louder than it should have) though the game is rewarding and you feel as if you MUST beat the boss and see the rest of the game.

Whilst SNES owners did have a number of excellent platformers to play around the world (including the Super Mario World and Donkey Country series) this game holds it's own with any other SNES game out there. It looks incredible, it sounds brilliant, it's oozing charm, the levels are excellent throughout, the game is challenging. Whilst the game is now available on the Virtual Console it's a mystery as to why it was never released in the US or Europe in the 90's as it really would have done very well.

Despite being totally in Japanese (apart from "Hudson Soft" and "Stereo" on the title screen) it's simple enough to play and understand and is thoroughly enjoyable from start to end. If you can get you mitts on it DO!

92%

Details:
Console-Super Famicom (Japan Only)
Release-1996
Developer-Hudson Soft
Genre-2D Platformer
Players-1

Trivia:
The game was a sequel to the NES game Milon's Secret Castle (which did get a US release)
A fan translated version of the game can be found and is called "Do-Re-Mi Fantasy: Milon's Quest"

Tetris

When it comes to immortal video games there are few that challenge "Tetris", a game almost 30 years after it was created still spawns clones, spin offs and is still as addictive as it ever was.

The game was first released in 1984 though it wasn't until the Game Boy version some 5 years later that the game become the sensation we all know and love over 20 years later.

The basis for Tetris (all the versions) is incredibly simple, you need to manipulate falling blocks (as seen in the

The game uses naive gravity
to stop lines being
automatically completed

 screen shot on the right) into complete lines across the screen by using A and B to spin them as the game slowly gets faster and the blocks fall quicker. Whilst the premise of the game is straight forward and on paper actually reads as if it should be boring the game manages to weave it's spell over you and an hour after you start playing you wonder what happened to your time. It's this addictive time consuming aspect of Tetris that helped it become an iconic game. In fact when Game And Watch was first thought of by Gunpei Yokoi it's purpose was to kill time, and that's what made Tetris such a great game for the Game Boy. The graphics were dull and monochrome (the Game Boy was only monochrome at the time), all the action was kept on a screen but yet it killed time...and then killed more time and has been killing time for years. Though away from the graphics the presentation is excellent, the music is iconic, the controls work perfectly and the tiles are all distinguishable.

Whilst Tetris has been cloned more times than anyone wants to count it's still the Game Boy one that stands out as the biggest hit. Sure the graphics are unimpressive, sure it looks a bit simple (and IS simple) but it has it's own charm as a result. The later versions of the game may have tried adding to the formula though it was never going to be easy to add anything to make the game better. In fact the additions that have been made have generally just complicated the game rather than improved it.

No one will say Tetris is the greatest game ever because lets be honest it's not, but it is almost certainly one of the most addictive, one of the most simple and yet, 22 years after it was put on the Game Boy it's still one of the must have mobile game titles. Amazingly "modern" takes on Tetris such as "Tetriss" on Android seem to a step backwards from the original, not only lacking the heart of the original but lacking everything that made the original so addictive.

If we score games on a criteria basis (such as Graphics, Sound, Lifespan) then Tetris doesn't score massively (despite brilliant music) though sometimes you need to ignore traditional criteria and just admit a great game is great...and this is great! If you want video gaming crack then this is ideal for you.

91%

Details:
Console-Game Boy
Release-1989 (Game Boy)
Developer-Bullet-Proof Software, Inc.
Composer-Hirokazu Tanaka
Genre-Puzzle
Players-1 or 2 (Link Cable Required)

Trivia:
Tetris was sold as the bundled game with the original Game Boy
The pieces are called "tetrominos"