In 2005, Nintendo came out with a puzzle game double pack, Dr. Mario & Puzzle League for the Game Boy Advance. Puzzle games never get old so when you have two addicting puzzle games like these together in one cartridge, you have something fun for years to come. Both games feature multiple modes and countless options. If you have a buddy with the game, you can play vs them in multiplayer mode in either game.

Dr. Mario

In Dr. Mario, you must remove viruses by throwing vitamin capsules into a bottle. Since many viruses are trapped at the bottom of the bottle, you must plan ahead in order to eliminate them all.

Puzzle League

In Puzzle League, you’ll need to form chains of three or more same-colored blocks. When colors are matched, they will dissapear, scoring you points and clearing the screen.

1: 10-Yard Fight is a 1983 American football arcade game that was developed and published in Japan by Irem and published in the United States by Taito. The Nintendo Entertainment System version was developed and published in Japan by Irem and published in North America and Europe by Nintendo in 1985.

2: Baseball is a simple baseball video game made by Nintendo in 1983 for the Nintendo Family Computer, making it one of the first games released for the Famicom. It was later one of the NES’s 18 launch titles when it was released in 1985 in the United States. As in real baseball, the object of the game is to score the most runs. Up to two players are supported. Each player can select from one of six teams.

3: Clu Clu Land is an arcade and Nintendo Entertainment System game released in 1985 and was later released in North America on the Wii Virtual Console on September 1, 2008. The game was called Vs. Clu Clu Land in video arcades. The game has been re-released for the Nintendo GameCube in the game Animal Crossing.

4: Donkey Kong Jr. Math is a Nintendo video game where the player must solve math problems in order to win. It was released in 1983 for the Famicom and then outside Japan for the Nintendo Entertainment System two years later. The game was released in the United States before the NES ports of Donkey Kong Jr. and Donkey Kong.

5: Duck Hunt is a video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System game console system in which players use the NES Zapper to shoot ducks on screen for points. The game was developed and published by Nintendo, and was released in 1984 in Japan. The ducks appear one or two at a time, and the player is given three shots to shoot them down.

6: Excitebike is a motocross racing video game franchise made by Nintendo. It first debuted as a game for the Famicom in Japan in 1984 for a price of 5000 yen. It is the first game of the Excite series, succeeded by its sequel Excitebike 64 and the spiritual successor Excite Truck.

7: Golf is a sports-simulation video game released in 1985 for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It was originally released in Japan in 1984 for the NES/Famicom. The golfer is a mustached man who resembles Mario.

8: Gyromite is a video game released in 1985 for the Nintendo Entertainment System, designed for use with the Robotic Operating Buddy. Gyromite is one of two games in Nintendo’s Robot Series.

9: Hogan’s Alley is a 1984 arcade game by Nintendo. It was one of the first games to use a light gun as an input device. The game flashes “cardboard cut-outs” of innocent civilians and thugs in front of the player and the player must react quickly to “take down” the bad guys and spare the innocents.

10: Ice Climber is a vertical platformer developed and published by Nintendo for the release of the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1985. The video game features Popo and Nana, collectively known as the Ice Climbers, venture up 32 ice-covered mountains to recover stolen vegetables from a giant condor.

11: Kung-Fu is a 1984 arcade game developed by the Japanese company Irem Corporation. It was manufactured under license in the United States by Data East. It was released in Japan as Spartan X and credited “Paragon Films Ltd., Towa Promotion”, who made the movie starring Jackie Chan, called Spartan X (Wheels on Meals) upon which it was based. The game contains elements of Bruce Lee’s Game of Death.

12: Mach Rider is a futuristic driving video game created by Nintendo. It was first released on October 18, 1985 for the Nintendo Entertainment System. A month later, on November 21, the title was released in Japan. On March 15, 1987 it was released in Europe and Australia.

13: Pinball is a 1984 arcade game created by Nintendo. It was ported to the Nintendo Entertainment System later that year. In 1985 it reached North America. The Nintendo Entertainment System version added an alternating two-player mode

14: Stack-Up (a.k.a. Robot Block) is a video game released in 1985 for the Nintendo Entertainment System, designed for use with the Robotic Operating Buddy. Stack-Up is one of two games in Nintendo’s Robot Series, the other being Gyromite.

15: Tennis is a video game released for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1984. The concept of the game is very basic in that the player controls one person faced against an opponent CPU player. This game uses the same scoring system as “real-life” tennis. The game also features a doubles (2-player) option. The opponent CPU player can be set at 5 difficulties.

16: Wild Gunman is a light gun game created by Nintendo for use with the Zapper peripheral was released in 1985. The Famicom version was also available packaged with a plastic, western-style revolver accessory that could be used instead of the Zapper. Perhaps due to the public outcry at the time over realistic-looking toy guns, which resulted in a 1988 US Federal Law banning unmarked toy weapons, this accessory was never released in the US or European markets.

17: Wrecking Crew is a game for the Nintendo Entertainment System where the player controls Mario and attempts to destroy all of a certain set of objects on each of 100 levels. Each level takes place on a playfield divided into an invisible grid, each space of which can contain one object. Objects include destructible walls, pillars and ladders, indestructible barrels and ladders, bombs that destroy all connected destructible objects, and various enemies that Mario must avoid.

18: Super Mario Bros. is a platform game developed by Nintendo in late 1985 and published for the Nintendo Entertainment System, a sequel to the 1983 game, Mario Bros. In Super Mario Bros., Italian plumber Mario must save Princess Peach (Princess Toadstool in the US version) of the Mushroom Kingdom from the evil Bowser, king of the Koopas. In order to save Princess Peach, the Mario Bros. must conquer the eight worlds that comprise the Mushroom Kingdom.

History:

Snowboard Kids was ATLUS’s first title released for the N64 in 1998. The game features characters that games are 10 – 11 year old characters who decide to have a snowboard tournament and battle it out across 9 levels of action. There was a sequel to Snowboard Kids, Snowboard Kids 2, released on the N64 in 1999.

Gameplay:

Snowboard Kids features three modes; battle race, skill game and time attack. It also features a board shop where the characters can buy new snowboards and choose from a few different design styles. Battle race is a multiplayer game mode where players can play each other but can only play on levels that are already unlocked. In Skill Game, there are a few modes including speed cross, shoot cross and trick cross. In these levels, the kids earn money based on things like their speed tricks and accuracy. The money earned here will unlock new levels and snowboards. In time attack, the snowboard kids travel down slopes in attempt to get a new best time and have fun while doing it.

Review:

At first the game seems childish but ends up being a lot of fun. The graphics in the game look cartoonish but that adds to the arcade feel of the game. The levels are creative and there is a decent amount of them. The music and sound is simple but catchy. The controls will take a few levels to get used to but will eventually be easy to master. What I like about this game when compared to other snowboard games is that one level has to be played multiple times before it’s done. After the character goes to the bottom of the slope, a ski-lift will take them back up two or three times where they rerun the level until it is complete. The characters can do tricks off the jumps which is fun. There are also many shortcuts to be found. The game is totally fun.

Courses Name ; Number of laps ; difficulty:

Rookie Mt. ; 5 ; Beginner
Big Snowman ; 2 ; Beginner
Sunset Rock ; 3 ; Beginner
Night Highway ; 3 ; Intermediate
Grass Valley ; 3 ; Hard
Dizzy Land ; 3 ; Hard
Quicksand Valley ; 1 ; Very Hard
Silver Mt. ; 3 ; Very Hard
Ninja Land ; Beginner

Characters:

Slash Kamei
Nancy Neil
Jam Kuehnemund
Linda Maltinie
Tommy Parsy
Shinobin

Secret Course Code:

At the menu that says: Start Lession/Option, Enter the following:

Press Down, Up on the analog, Down Up on the D-Pad, then Down C, Up C, L Button, R Button, Z Button, then Left on the D-Pad, Right C, Up on the analog joystick, B, Right on the D-Pad, Left C and then press Start.

History:

Originally, Qix was released in the arcades in 1981 by Taito. It was ported to a number of systems before it was ported to the Game Boy including Atari 5200, Commodore 64, DOS, Amiga and Apple IIGS. It was developed and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy in 1990.

Gameplay:

In Qix, the player must fence off the playfield piece by piece until 75% of the playfield is fenced off. The player does so by controlling a character that draws lines around the playfield border, and then connects the line back to the border again. Once that is done, the player has won that piece of the board and can travel on it as they try to take more pieces. The player must avoid the Sparx while claiming areas. If the player comes in contact with a Sparx, which travels around the borders, a life is lost. In addition, a Qix travels in the open space inside the border that the player has created. If the player comes in contact with a Qix while trying to complete a block of the playfield off, a life is lost. In the later levels, the game becomes more challenging including multiple Sparx and faster Qix.

Review:

The graphics in the Game Boy version of Qix are very weak but that’s not where the game shines. The game is all about gameplay and lasting appeal. In my opinion, the gameplay is almost as addictive as Tetris. The Game Boy version of Qix features Mario in some cutscenes where he’s in the desert.

History:

The Pokemon franchise all started when game producer Satoshi Tajiri wanted to design a game based around his favorite childhood pastime of insect collecting. He thought the Game Boy would be perfect for his game concept due to the multiplayer aspects of the Game Boy via the game link cable. Tajiri made it clear that he didn’t want the Pokemon to die but instead faint because he didn’t want the game to be violent. The first Pokemon games were released in Japan in 1996 and Pokemon Blue and Red were released in North America in 1998.

Gameplay:

In Pokemon, The player controls their character as they collect and battle Pokemon. The Pokemon are usually caught by finding them in their area of origin, usually fields, woods, caves and water, and throwing a Pokeball on them while hoping it stays on them without them escaping. As the player collects more and more Pokemon and builds up their hit points, it gets to the point where the player will be able to fight the gym leader of that town. Once the gym leader of the town is beaten, the players Pokemon will gain new abilities which will allow them to travel to new areas and towns in the Pokemon world of Kanto.

The difference between the red and blue versions of the game is that Pokemon Red has certain Pokemon that Pokemon Blue doesn’t have and vice versa. The plots in both versions are the same. By hooking up the Game Boy with a friend’s you can battle them and collect Pokemon that only they have in their version of the game. In addition, Pokemon from Pokemon Red and Blue could later be used to access Pokemon in later released Pokemon games on Game Boy and N64.

Review:

These original Pokemon games set the standards for the many Pokemon games after them. These games are very fun due to the addictive gameplay of trying to collect them all. The graphics in Pokemon blue and red are nothing special but do the trick for what the game is trying to accomplish. The sound and music used in the game could be summed up as inspirational.

In 2004, Nintendo released a special edition Game Boy Advance SP and 12 original NES games ported to GBA. Nintendo released these to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the NES and Famicom in Japan. The games were originally released for $19.99 and later reduced to $14.99. The GBA SP was released at $99 and later lowered. Although 12 games were released in the U.S., there were 30 games released in Japan including Japan’s version of Super Mario Bros. 2 which is much different than the U.S. Super Mario Bros. 2.

Limited Edition GBA SP

The special edition GBA SP looks similar to an NES control with similar colors and patterns. The colors of the GBA buttons are the same colors of the buttons on the original NES controller. Also, the colors of the handheld are gray and dark gray to match the NES. Of course it’s backwards-compatible and plays all Game Boy and Game Boy Advance games just like the other GBA SP’s. This GBA SP is NOT the newer backlit brighter SP+ but instead the original front-lit GBA SP.

GBA Classic NES Games

The games are almost the exact ports of the NES games. There are a few differences due to the screen proportions being different. Original NES games were played on the standard def 4:3 ratio, while GBASP is set in a widescreen format. Most of the games are from the mid-80’s which was more towards the beginning-middle of the NES lifespan. Some of the best games were left out of the Classic NES Series due to the fact that they were already released in GBA. For example, most of the Mario games were already released in 2004, remade with better graphics. In addition Kirby’s Adventure was already re-released at this time. The colors of the GBA cartridges are very similar to the original NES cartridges.

Being a huge fan of the NES, I was happy and excited to see Nintendo release these units and games. The Game Boy has a great feeling to it due to it’s color scheme. The games are all a trip down memory lane. I hope Nintendo doesn’t forget about it’s great past and continues to release things like this.

Series 1
Released in North America on June 7, 2004.

• Bomberman
• Donkey Kong
• Excitebike
• Ice Climber
• The Legend of Zelda
• Pac-Man
• Super Mario Bros.
• Xevious

Series 2
Released in North America on October 25, 2004.

• Castlevania
• Dr. Mario
• Metroid
• Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

Platform: Gamecube

Developer: Amusement Vision
Publisher: Sega
NA Release date: Nov. 18, 2001
Genre: Party
Media: 1 optical game disc 

History:

Before it was released on Gamecube, Super Monkey Ball was playable as an upright arcade cabinet arcade game in Japan. When The Gamecube was launched in 2001, Super Monkey Ball was one of the twelve launch titles. Dole bananas advertise in the game and have their logos on the bananas as well as hot air balloons in a mini-game. The game was developed by Amusement Vision and Published by Sega after Sega shifted focus from making consoles and software to strictly making software for all consoles.

Gameplay:

In Super Monkey Ball it’s up to the player to guide a monkey enclosed in a ball across a series of platforms to make it through a goal within a certain amount of time. The player controls the platform and can tilt it 360 degrees to steer the monkey into the desired direction. The player also controls the camera angle, making it easier to view the monkey character. Along the paths to the goal, the monkey collects bananas that give the player points as well as extra lives which occur when 100 bananas are collected.

The player can choose between four monkeys to help guide them across the levels. Each monkey character, AiAi, MeeMee, Baby and Gon Gon, have certain strengths and weaknesses making them more or less valuable in certain levels. There are three party mini-games included in Super Monkey Ball. Monkey Race, Monkey Fight and Monkey Target. In addition to the party games there are three single player mini-games, Monkey Billards, Monkey Bowling and Monkey Golf.

Review:

The gameplay in Super Monkey Ball is exciting due to the fact that the player controls the platforms, not really the monkeys. The graphics are bright, crisp and colorful. The controls feel good and work well. The rotating camera works well because the player controls the action. The music in the game is catchy. After the game is beat for the first time the game does lose its feel a little and isn’t quite as exciting but they can always come back and play the various mini-games.

Worlds:

• Grassland/Jungle
• Valley/Sky
• City/Mall
• Underwater
• Desert
• Arctic/Ice
• Tempest Storm
• Night Sky
• Space
• Temple
• Clouds
• Gamecube

Unlimited Continues:

First unlock the three mini games. Every 2,500 play points afterwards gets an extra continue. Once you have nine continues, get 2,500 more points to get unlimited continues.

History:

After Nintendo acquired 25% of Rareware, Nintendo decided to use new SGI technology to produce a new title based on the popular Donkey Kong character. The SGI technology allowed pre-framed 3D graphics for the Super Nintendo, which was largely 2D console. This was to be the first Donkey Kong game not produced or directed by Shigeru Miyamoto known for some of Nintendo’s best games and characters. Donkey Kong Country was released in North America on November 25, 1994.

Gameplay:

In Donkey Kong Country, it is up to Donkey Kong to recover all of his stolen bananas from King R. Rool and his gang of Kremlings. Throughout the game, Donkey Kong’s friend and nephew Diddy Kong, help him on his quest. Each character can take one hit before a life is lost. The characters are controlled through a tag feature that is controlled by the player. Donkey Kong is slower and stronger and Diddy Kong is faster and not quite as strong. Each character has strengths that should be used more throughout certain levels.

There are six worlds, each with a different look and feel. As the player passes through the levels and worlds they will need to collect bananas which act as health. After 100 bananas are collected, the player gains an extra life. Usually Diddy and Donkey can kill enemies simply from jumping on them. They can also pick up barrels and crates and use them as weapons to destroy enemies. In addition, there are five animals, each with special abilities, that will help Donkey and Diddy destroy enemies along their way.

Review:

Donkey Kong Country has some gorgeous graphics for Super Nintendo. The use of 3D rendered elements works beautifully for a system mostly designed to be 2D. The control feels accurate and not sluggish at all. The levels can get a bit repetitive throughout the game but overall there is a decent mix of variety and fun mixed in. The music in Donkey Kong Country is very good. There are also nice sound effects which add a sense of realism to the game. It went on to sell 8.5 million copies, making it the second best selling title on SNES, right behind Super Mario World.

The six worlds:

• Kongo Jungle
• Monkey Mines
• Vine Valley
• Gorilla Glacier
• Kremkroc Industries Inc.
• Chimp Caverns

The six animal helpers:

• Rambi the Rhino
• Expresso the Ostrich
• Winky the Frog
• Enguarde the Swordfish
• Squawks the Parro

History:

Way before the NES, Nintendo released a game similar to Duck Hunt in 1976 that involved a projector with a built-in game and a shooting gun. Duck Hunt was released in the arcades in 1984. Then after the NES was released, Nintendo released Duck Hunt on it. Both Duck Hunt and the Light Gun used in the game were developed by Research & Development 1. It was originally released along with Super Mario Bros. as a double pack-in title released with the NES Action Set in the U.S., and it came out on October 18, 1985 in North America.

Gameplay:

In Duck Hunt, the player uses the Light Gun (AKA Zapper) to shoot ducks or clay pigeons as they fly on the screen. There are three game modes: one duck, two duck and clay pigeon shooting. In the duck modes, the player shoots down ducks that fly on the screen. The player gets three shots at shooting the duck before the duck takes off and flies away. In addition, the player has a limited amount of time before the duck(s) will fly away. If you shoot a duck or two, the dog will hold them up to show you. If no ducks are hit then a dog will pop out of the bushes and laugh at you. The clay pigeon game is similar but instead of ducks flying around the screen, clay pigeons are shot and fly off into the distance. The clay game is more difficult in Duck Hunt because the targets are smaller.

Review:

Duck Hunt was one of the first home console video games to use a gun. Although the graphics are nothing special here, the use of the gun makes it one of the better games on the NES. The interactivity between the gun and the TV make the game very unique for its time. Other light gun games came out for the NES but Duck Hunt has always been one of the best light gun games. The game can be a bit repetitive with the levels basically repeating over, only at a faster speed. The music in the game is very catchy.

History:

Originally, Kirby 64: The Crystal Shard’s screenshots posted on Nintendo.com in 1999 show Waddle Dee, Adeliene, and King Dedede as playable characters, however, this feature was removed before the game was released. Although Kirby appears in other N64 games such as Super Smash Bros., this is the only strictly Kirby and the first 3-D Kirby game ever released. It was released on June 26, 2000 in North America.

Gameplay:

Although it’s Kirby’s first game in 3D, the gameplay remains similar to the Kirby games before it. There are 100 crystals for Kirby to find spread out throughout six worlds. Kirby still has the copy ability of swallowing enemies and being able to inherit their weapon. In fact, Kirby now has the ability to merge two seperate copy abilities for the first time ever. In the game there are 43 possible abilities of combinations and seven regular copy abilities. The game automatically saves as the player makes progress in the game.

In addition to the regular game, kirby 64 has three mini-games available where the player can play as Kirby, Waddle Dee, Adeleine, and King Dedede. The mini-games available are 100-Yard Hop, Bumper Crop Bump and Checkerboard Chase.

Review:

I was happy with the simple gameplay of the game. This is one of the easier Kirby games in comparison to the Kirby games of the past. The graphics are colorful and nice. The sound and music is good and also very similar to older Kirby games.

Seven copy abilities of Kirby:

• Burn
• Stone
• Ice
• Needle
• Bomb
• Spark
• Cutter

Six Worlds in the game:

• Pop Star
• Rock Star
• Aqua Star
• Neo Star
• Shiver Star
• Ripple Star

Controls:

• Digital pad left: Go to the left, tap twice to dash
• Digital pad right: Go to the right, tap twice to dash
• Digital pad up: Not used
• Digital pad down: Duck, swallow, get down from ledge
• A Button: Jump, fly, swim
• B Button: Inhale, throw enemy or star, exhale, use power
• L Button: Lift inhaled object
• R Button: Lift inhaled object
• Z Button: Not used
• Start Button: Pause
• C Buttons: Lift inhaled object

Overview:

Kirby’s Adventure is a platformer game which involves Kirby, a little pink circular shaped character who swallows his enemies and gets their powers. Developed by HAL Laboratory, Kirby’s Adventure is the only NES Kirby game and it was released in North America on May 1, 1993.

 Gameplay:

The game consists of Kirby trying to get through a series of seven worlds, each with four to six levels, while walking, jumping, flying and destroying enemies along the way. Kirby has six points of health on his health meter and the enemies will take a health meter away when they come in contact or fire weapons at Kirby. There are also mini-bosses placed throughout the levels. What makes Kirby unique from other characters is his ability to gain his enemies powers. When Kirby inhales and swallows his enemies, he gains a power that they had. Powers range from giving Kirby a sword to making him electrified.

Review:

Kirby’s games are usually very fun platformers often hiding in the shadows of the greatness of the Mario Bros. games. By the time kirby’s Adventure was released in 1993, the NES was towards the end of its lifespan and programmers were able to squeeze out every bit of power that the NES had. This includes beautiful, colorful, detailed graphics and 3D visuals in some areas. Sound in the game consist of some very catchy blips and bloops.

Worlds:

1. Vegetable Valley
2. Ice Cream Island
3. Butter Building
4. Grape Garden
5. Yogurt Yard
6. Orange Ocean
7. Rainbow Resort
8. Fountain Of Dreams

History:

Originally, Final Fight was designed to be the sequel of the original Street Fighter but was later spun off to be its own game in the arcades. The working title for the game was Street Fighter ‘89 but was later changed to Final Fight. When Final Fight hit the arcades it had great success spawning many versions of the game. The Super Nintendo version of the game was released in November 1991 in North America. Because of the limitations and censorship of games on the SNES, Capcom had to change a few things including leaving out a level and leaving out the character Guy. In addition, Capcom made the game single player only and gave the thugs less provocative outfits.

Story:

In Final Fight, Mayor Mike Haggar’s daughter Jessica, has been abducted by the Mad Gear gang to help the gang dominate the street and show their power. The Mayor then calls Jessica’s boyfriend Cody so they can hit the streets and get Jessica back. The player can chose between Cody and Haggar to work their way across a number of levels as they beat up the Mad Gear gang on their way to rescue Jessica. Each character has their strength and weaknesses. Cody is quick but not very powerful and Haggar is slow but large and powerful. In the game’s introduction, there is a famous cutscene that tells the story very well. The game takes place “Sometime in the 1990s…” according to the SNES version.

Gameplay:

The character you play as has an energy meter that goes down as you get hit by the thugs. The characters have a special move that can be done to do more damage to the thugs. It is best to do the character’s special move when there are many thugs around, however doing so will slightly decrease that characters energy. Characters can regain energy from picking up items that they find by breaking boxes and carts during gameplay. Weapons such as daggers and swords that the enemies drop can be picked up and used for a limited time. There are bonus stages where the character gets to destroy a car and another one where they destroy barrels. The bonus levels are found in between stages and give the player more points.

Review:

I played the game a ton in the arcades so when Final Fight came out for Super Nintendo I was very excited to buy it. I was not disappointed one bit with this game despite Capcom leaving out a few things. The graphics are very crisp, detailed and colorful for a SNES game of that time. The control is accurate and fast on Super Nintendo. The difficulty level is perfect, starting off easy early on in the game and getting much more difficult as the game progresses. The music is very simple and works great. There are even a few times on the SNES version that speech is heard which takes up much valuable ROM space. OK, there’s one thing I wish the SNES version had. I always loved that in the arcade version the characters could hang on the handles in the subway and fight people while hanging off them. I also missed Guy a little but still, Final Fight on SNES is one of my favorite games and one of the best side-scrolling fighters on the Super Nintendo.

The Heroes:

Cody

• Birthdate: 4/18/1967
• Profession: Martial arts expert
• Advantage: Balanced power and speed
• Special move: Hurricane Kick
• Favorite weapon: Knife

Haggar

• Birthdate: 9/3/1943
• Profession: Mayor of Metro City
• Advantage: Great power
• Special move: Spinning Clothesline
• Favorite weapon: Lead pipe

The Phone Call:

Mike Haggar: Hello, Mike Haggar here.

Mystery Caller: Hee hee hee, Mr. Haggar. So pleased to make your acquantance. I believe you know who I am. Don’t hang up! We have a little business proposition for you… Your daughter for your cooperation. And we’ll throw in the regular monthly bonus to your salary we offered before.

Mike Haggar: What?! What’s happened to Jessica? Who is this?!

Mystery Caller: Not so fast, Mike. Turn on your TV.

Mike Haggar: You fiend! What have you done to her?

Mystery Caller: Nothing yet…but we will if you don’t cooperate Listen to reason. Why make your job difficult? Just let us do as we please like the mayor before you did.

History:

Super Mario Galaxy was in development for about seven years before it was available. Production started around the time Nintendo finished up Donkey Kong Jungle Beat in late 2004. It was first shown to the public at E3 in 2006. After some delays, it was finally released in North America on November 12, 2007.

Gameplay:

In the game, the player controls Mario as he travels through outer space trying to find Princess Peach and rescue her from Bowser. The Levels are made up of galaxies that each have planetoids. Mario collects Power Stars by finishing puzzles and tasks and defeating certain enemies. As more Power Stars are collected, more galaxies open up to the player. What’s different about this Mario game is that each level is on a three-dimensional planet, allowing Mario to run freely while rotating around the level with some two-dimensional restrictions in certain areas. While playing on planetoids, comets can fall which add additional tasks to the gameplay.

Gameplay feels similar to how it did in 3D Mario games of the past. When traveling around levels, Mario can lose health when bumping into enemies. Coins act as health and help fill Mario’s meter. Although normally only 3 units, Mario’s health cars can be expanded to six units when Mario collects a Life Mushroom. In addition to the single player game, a two-player mode has been added called Co-Star Mode where players work together to shoot enemies.

Review:

As with most Wii games, the Wii-mote adds a great level of fun. Early on in the game, Mario earns a spin technique that is used by shaking the controller. The graphics look colorful and vibrant and control feels good during gameplay. The teamwork needed in two-player mode adds fun also, although it’s not very challenging. Super Mario Galaxy has sold very well and is currently one of the best-selling standalone Wii games.

History:

Originally slated for N64’s 64DD in the late 1990’s, Metroid Prime never made it into development due to Nintendo not coming up with any solid ideas at the time. It was developed by Retro Studios, Nintendo EAD and Nintendo R&D1. In early development of the Gamecube version, perspective was set to be in third-person but the idea was scrapped because of camera issues. The development studios canceled other games to focus on Prime and it was officially announced by Nintendo at E3 in 2001. Metroid Prime was released in North America on November 15, 2002.

Story:

The game’s genre is considered to be a first-person adventure rather than first-person shooter, due to the amount of exploration needed to be done in order to complete the game. The story is the first of the three part storyline, which takes place between the original Metroid and Metroid II: Return of Samus games. Like the previous Metroid games, the player controls the bounty hunter Samus Aran as she battles the Space Pirates and their genetically modified experimental subjects on planet Tallon IV.

Gameplay:

The game takes place in many different large regions, each with their own set of areas. The regions are connected by elevators. Samus is in search for the twelve Chozo Artifacts placed throughout Talon IV that will open the path to the Phazon meteor impact crater. While searching she will need to collect power-ups, weapon and suit upgrades and other new abilities that help allow her to reach new areas. Samus has many different things to help her on her mission. Radar tells her when enemies are near. She can exchange helmet visors to beat certain enemies. Health meters tell her when she is low on energy and needs a refill.

Review:

The graphics in Prime are very sharp and detailed. The controls take a while to get used to but once you can understand them they feel pretty accurate. As in past games of the Metroid series, the music is great. It features a sci-fi like mix with elements of sound and music from the previous Metroid games. The game will take a while to finish as there is a lot to explore. It was named 2002 Game of the Year.

History:

Wave Race 64 was originally going to be a futuristic speedboat game. Screenshot and videos shown while the game was still in development shows a different looking game with bigger jumps and higher speeds. However, because of the similarities between Wave Race 64 and F-Zero X, Nintendo decided to make Wave Race more of a realistic jet-ski simulation game. The game is sponsored by Kawasaki and shows Kawasaki jet-skis featured throughout. It was released on November 5, 1996 in North America. It was late re-released in 1997 with rumble support and is reportedly one of the most advanced N64 games of all time.

Gameplay:

In Wave Race, players race around courses on Jet-skis as they compete with other players in a goal to get the highest rank possible. A challenging aspect added to the game are the buoys placed throughout the courses. The player must weave in and out of them successfully or the player’s jet-ski will lose speed. Missing over 5 buoys in a level will result in a disqualification from that level. There are a variety of tricks that can be performed as the player jumps off ramps placed throughout the levels. There are a few modes of play including championship, warm up, time trials, stunt mode and 2p move. The game features 4 characters; Ryota Hayami (18 years old, Japan), Dave Mariner (32 years old, USA), Ayumi Stewart (21 years old, USA) and Miles Jeter (24 years old, Canada).

Review:

The graphics in Wave Race 64 are pretty amazing for their time. Not only are the characters and jet-skis well modeled but the wavy water looks really great too. The sound and music however are a bit repetitive and boring. Mastering the controls is one of the more difficult tasks to accomplish in the game. They take a while to get used to with the analog stick but eventually feel accurate and tight with a lot of playtime. The amount of modes in the game makes the replay value high here. Although there are only eight courses, they are all well designed and fun to play. Overall, Wave Race 64 is a very good game. Once initial interest is lost, you’re still likely to pick up and play every once in a while thanks to fun modes like stunt mode.

Courses:

1. Dolphin Park (Warm-up Course)
2. Sunny Beach
3. Sunset Bay
4. Marine Fortress
5. Port Blue
6. Twilight City
7. Glacier Coast
8. Southern Island

Controls:

• Right Shoulder Button – Power slide
• C-Up – Cycle the camera through 4 different positions
• C-Down – Cycle the camera through 4 different positions (reverse)
• C-Left – Turn the camera to the left of the rider
• C-Right – Turn the camera to the right of the rider
• B Button – Softens the bounce
• A Button – Accelerate
• Z Trigger – Same as A button
• Start – Pause game
• Control Stick – maneuver your craft