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--- sb:recommended:nes [2013/08/20 23:50]
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 ====== SB Recommends NES/Famicom Games=====
-{{:fig:recommended:nes_felty.jpg }} If you were gaming in the mid-to-late eighties, lived in North America or Asia, and owned a console, this was probably it. Home to countless platformers and venerated [[people:shigeru_miyamoto|Miyamoto]]/[[people:gunpei_yoki|Yokoi]] classics, all surrounded by a thick layer of licensed crap. Through the efforts of Chinese pirates and homebrew coders, the Famicom has lived on.
+{{:fig:recommended:nes_felty.jpg }} If you were gaming in the mid-to-late eighties, lived in North America or Asia, and owned a console, this was probably it. Home to countless platformers and venerated [[people:shigeru_miyamoto|Miyamoto]]/[[people:gunpei_yoki|Yokoi]] classics, all surrounded by a thick layer of [[theme:licensed_games|licensed crap]]. Through the efforts of Chinese pirates and homebrew coders, the Famicom has lived on.
 Whether the playability of all of its games has survived the test of time is another question, but the popularity of the hardware meant that tons of stuff was released for it, so you're sure to stumble across many forgotten gems. As the large list below attests.
 ===== Recommended =====
+  ***//8 Eyes//**
+    * Toups: A sort of //[[game:castlevania_series|Castlevania]]//-esque title with a weird Russian feel to the whole game. The gimmick here is that you have a bird that can (kind of) be controlled like a //Castlevania// subweapon (or by the second player); the game is extremely difficult --- learning how to use the bird well is absolutely essential. Has a //[[game:mega_man_series|Megaman]]//-style stage select instead of linear progression. The co-op gameplay is limited but pretty interesting.
   ***//Abadox//**
     *chompers po pable: Cool shooter from [[company:Natsume]] with a //[[game:Life Force]]// vibe featuring both horizontal and vertical sections.  The vertical stages play from top to bottom as you blast down into the monster/alien.
     *Kitten ClanClan: One of the better shooters on the NES. Despite being released in late '89, it's also one of the most visually impressive, with especially detailed organic levels. Level design is good, and it uses a checkpoint system, but can become brutally difficult if you die late in the game.
+    *Professor Hector: Abadox is a highly atmospheric shooter in the same vein as //[[game:Life Force]]//. The entire game, save for the first stage, takes place inside of a giant planet-devouring entity. There's a mix of horizontal and vertical stages, and at the end of the game you have to quickly escape the beast's insides before it explodes. Notable for its interesting bosses and fierce difficulty.
   ***//A Boy and His Blob: Trouble on Blobolonia//**
     *chompers po pable: Feed your pet blob jellybeans to solve puzzles as you journey through Blobonia. Great action adventure game. Game feels like //[[game:pitfall II]]// with more blob.
+  ***//Ai Senshi Nicol//**
+    * Professor Hector: Interesting game by [[company:Konami]] which only came out on the [[nes#famicom_disk_system|FDS]]. Plays a bit like the overworld sections of //[[game:The Guardian Legend]]//. I'm surprised this title didn't receive an NES release, because it is a very good game quality-wise and it probably would have done well over here. I'd suggest you check this one out, even if it's only for the amazing intro and great BGM.
   ***//Air Fortress//**
     *Daphaknee: And god that is totally my favorite [[hardware:nes|Nintendo]] game that I always forget about it's so scary and stressful and EERIE.
     *Max Cola: I was like, "oh hey, standard side-scrolling shooter, nifty I guess" and then the guy landed and got out of the ship and went INSIDE THE FORTRESS and I was controlling him WITH A JETPACK. INSIDE. I was like "aawhao"
     *table_and_chair: Strangely, for me //[[game:air_fortress|Air Fortress]]// sits somewhere alongside //[[game:cosmic_smash|Cosmic Smash]]// and //[[game:shadow_of_the_colossus|Shadow of the Colossus]]//. The minimal narrative is told through the player's actions. Riding [[character:Agro]] to the colossus, running down the absolutely black hallway in //Cosmic Smash//, flying to the next fortress. the stoic vibe makes it almost rhythmic. parallel to this, something about air fortress just feels "now" like it would fit right in with indie games of today.
+  ***//Antarctic Adventure//**
+    * Professor Hector: //Antarctic Adventure// is one of [[company:Konami]]'s earlier Famicom releases. It is a 3D action/racing hybrid in which (if I remember the story correctly) you navigate your penguin sprite around the icy continent transporting blood to one of the hospitals at the end of each stage before time runs out. While not as compelling as its sequel //[[game:Penguin Adventure]]// on the [[hardware:MSX]] (a game which I could probably write a 5,000 word essay on) it still has its own charm. Though there is only one tune that plays throughout most of the game, it is very nice, and lends a very relaxing feel to the game which is not present in its follow-up. Like many early Famicom/NES games it has no ending but loops endlessly on an increasing difficulty level until you die or turn it off.
   ***//Arkista's Ring//**
     *secret character: It's like a weird ROM hack of //[[game:Dragon Quest]]// that completely changes the point of the game. It's like //[[game:the_legend_of_zelda|Legend of Zelda]]// reimagined as an arcade game. It's like if //[[game:Tower of Druaga]]// were designed by someone who hated //Tower of Druaga//. It's like a modern indie 8-bit homage sent back in time. Okay, I'll stop now.
+    *Professor Hector: An action game with an overhead view. Plays like a cross between //[[game:Gauntlet]]// and //[[game:the_legend_of_zelda|Zelda]]//. After you kill so many enemies in a stage you are given a key which you can use to enter the next area. Lather, rinse, repeat. Nothing too great, but probably worth playing for a little bit.
+  ***//[[game:atlantis_no_nazo]]//**
+    * Professor Hector: To be blunt, this is one fucked-up game. It has an incredible number of secrets, but most of them are extremely obscure and would never be discovered on your own unless you played this game day in and day out (unfortunately, it is not good enough to warrant this kind of attention nowadays). The levels (there are 100 in all) usually have multiple exits, some of which you might find by jumping in a certain place a certain number of times, or by falling down a random pit. Some of these exits will launch you forward 10 or 20 levels, others might send you back near the beginning. Quite a few of the levels feel very strange or even unfinished --- I once stumbled upon one with a flashing background littered with [[character:moai|easter island statues]] in the background. I only mention this game because the sheer weirdness and obscurity of it all makes it mildly interesting. Not recommended if, you know, you're actually expecting to have much fun.
+    * The Blueberry Hill: I love this game. It must be one of the most inscrutable games I know.
+  ***//Attack Animal Gakuen//**
+    * Wall of Beef: Direct re-skin of //[[game:space harrier]]// with weird animal enemies and nice music. Its fun because //space harrier// is fun.
   ***//[[game:balloon_fight_series#Balloon Fight]]//** (also on: Wii VC, 3DS VC)
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     *chompers po pable: Good beat-em-up by [[company:Rare]]. Very hard towards the end of the game...the speederbikes are just the beginning of the pain.  Really fun two player action, although the game is almost impossible to finish with two players.
     *Deets: Anyone who says that the speederbike part is the hardest section of the game is just admitting that they never got past it. Features a very wide variety of gameplay, with a very consistently hard difficulty. Success is derived almost entirely from knowledge of the game's intricacies, which include warp zones in order to skip especially hard areas, and the extremely abusable scoring system which can hand out double-digit 1ups in some areas if you know what you're doing.
+  ***//Bible Buffet//**
+    * OneSecondBefore: We booted up //Bible Buffet// expecting to spend five minutes messing about with a shitty religious game. It turned into a three hour, four-player multiplayer marathon.\\ //Bible Buffet// is a //[[game:Candy-Land]]// style pass-the-controller video board game, where each space you land on demands you play a sort of weird [[pattern:isometric_perspective|isometric]] platforming game. Each space holds a different level, and the levels can be pretty varied. Some contain bizarre one-off gimmicks, like one that takes place in a burger joint that allows you to push giant coins into an outstretched palm to receive french fries... forever. The board is way too big, with a ton of worlds with names like "Potato Land," "Snacks Land," and "Liquid Land." The game mechanics are just the right level of opaque. You can collect keys, but it's not clear what they're for. You can upgrade and acquire weapons, but it's not entirely clear how. There are occasional Bible quiz segments that ask you to refer to an absent quiz book that came with the game, but there are no consequences to just guessing answers. This is a surprisingly mysterious game. It feels like there are deep and obscure secrets hidden in it.\\ It was a very weird experience. If you have some open-minded friends around I'd recommend making a night of it.
   ***//Bio Miracle Bokutte Upa//**
@@ Line 62: / Line 83: @@
   ***//Bucky O'Hare//**
     * T.: //[[game:bucky_o_hare|Bucky O'Hare]]// is one of the top 3 or so NES action-platformers, easily. Also the most pre-Treasure [[company:Treasure]] staff working on a single game (and it shows)! It has level design tighter than //[[game:Mega Man 3]]// and the variety of //[[game:Gunstar Super Heroes]]//, except without stupid vehicle levels. It plays like //what if [[company:Treasure]] made a //[[game:mega_man_series|mega man]]// game//
-    * Kitten ClanClan: One of the best action-platformers on the NES. A variety of characters with different platforming and combat abilities give the game excellent variety. Has great level design, and it also makes great use of the license.
+    * Kitten ClanClan: One of the best action-platformers on the NES. A variety of characters with different platforming and combat abilities give the game excellent variety. Has great level design, and it also makes great use of the [[theme:licensed_games|license]].
     * RT-55J: I still don't like it. I mean, it's fascinating, brilliant, has some really well thought-out design and [is] enjoyable, but I just don't like it. The game's balance is just unpalatable to me.
       * T.: Enter HARD! as the password to play hard mode, which does away with the health-bar (everything is an instant kill), much to the game's benefit
       * RT-55J: Woah. I've heard of that before but I wasn't expecting it to improve the game so drastically.
+  ***//Bump 'n' Jump//**
+    * Mr Stegosaurus: A delightful action game that only lasts about 5 minutes because it's very difficult. Despite the cast of cars, it's not a racer; the goal is to earn points by bump enemy cars into walls, and jumping on them. My problem with most overhead car games is that cars zoom onscreen too fast to effectively dodge. //Bump N Jump// sidesteps the problem by making it great fun to not dodge (although fast-approaching stationary objects like rocks or LAKES are problems here).\\ Music's great, except for stage four. Dwuh, dwuh, DUM, dwuh, dwuh, DUM. Hate that one.
   ***//Captain Skyhawk//**
@@ Line 72: / Line 96: @@
     *Isfet: Preferably, the best way to play this game for the first time is on a Nintendo Vs. arcade cabinet in a condominium complex in St. Augustine, Florida.  Assuming you think of how the game controls as a design **choice** and not a design **flaw,** it holds up very well even today.  Regardless of how you think of it, though, it becomes very, very hard towards the end.
     *Diplocephalus: Fun game, if you're not bothered by the character being a tank. Some of the most memorable level designs in the series. Keep walking and jumping and you won't be screwed.
+    *Pijaibros: even though there are superior versions of //Castlevania//. I know //Dracula's Curse//, //Bloodlines//, the //Adventure// Wiimake and //Rondo of Blood// are all better games. that first one just feels like "coming home" for me as i march towards that tower in the distance. i can't explain why, but it's the //Castlevania// I play most. maybe because a full experience can be had in only 20 minutes?
   ***//[[game:castlevania_ii_simons_quest|Castlevania II - Simon's Quest]]//** (also on: Wii VC)
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   ***//[[game:Cocoron]]//**
     * aderack: A kind of a create-your-own //[[game:Mega Man series|Mega Man]]//. It's a crime [[game:Cocoron]] never got a Western release.
-    * L: This game is objectively a better //Little Nemo// NES game than the //Little Nemo// NES game.
+    * L: This game is objectively a better //[[game:Little Nemo]]// NES game than the //Little Nemo// NES game.
+    * Toups: This is a weeeeirdly experimental game. It starts with a robust and pretty wild character creation screen; if you're inclined, your character can be a robot head on a cloud that shoots flowers; or you can recreate some classic anime and videogame characters (including some that didn't exist at the time: you can do a pretty good approximation of [[game:metal_gear_solid|MGS]]'s Cyborg Ninja). Then you select a stage from a world map. After you fight a boss with your character, you create another one; soon you have a small team of custom created characters with different strengths and weakness. It's notable as well for having a strong amount of focus and polish for a NES game; it feels like one of those games that was reverse-engineerd from a 16 bit game or something. It depends on how you make your characters but it kind of plays like //Megaman// for the most part. Released in Japan only but you can find a pretty good translation on romnation.net.
   ***//Cosmo Police Galivan//**
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     *wourme: Possibly my favorite video game, period, if I had to choose one and was allowed to consider nostalgia in the decision.
     *Scratchmonkey: Very nice-looking and nice-playing action RPG from [[company:SNK]].
+    *setc: //[[game:Crystalis]]// is a snappier //[[game:the_legend_of_zelda_series|Zelda]]//-like by [[company:snk|SNK]] with really good music.
   ***//Darkwing Duck//**
   ***//Demon Sword//**
+    * aderack: If you want a more refined thing, there is an NES-based sequel called Demon Sword. Same ludrcrpus jumping [as //[[game:Legend of Kage]]//); more of a confident late-era NES design. Reminds me in some ways of //[[game:ninja_gaiden_series#Ninja Gaiden II]]//, //[[game:Shatterhand]]//, etc.
+  ***//Destiny of An Emperor//**
+    * dizzyjosh: It was done by [[company:Capcom]] and so it's not actually part of [[company:Koei]]'s whole //[[game:romance_of_the_three_kingdoms|ROTK]]// series, the game is still the story of [[character:Liu Bei]] and crew, starting with the Yellow Turbans and ending, uh, I think when Bei's son attacks [[character:Sima Yi]] at somewhere's capital. Anyways, it's very much a traditional RPG, except that your hit points are soldiers, and keeping them alive requires constant supplies of food. the game's story is pretty harsh, with nearly every town you arrive in being in some sort of miserable condition from the works of you and your peers and everything being ruined for large stretches of the game.\\ the game is fairly linear but there were a couple of plot tweaks which at the time were very neat, and i've always really liked the metaphorical crossover between tactics and magic and the game follows that tradition from the book. exploration is fairly open- sometimes limited by items or events but usually just by armies that were too hard to beat at the time. leveling got you around that, but made bosses harder. yr time was well-spent if you were gathering local generals and either executing them (reducing random attacks in the area) or recruiting them (and running them down in some of the terribly unfair battles)\\ but by far the coolest part was the music. big phatty synths attempting 12-tone melodies and getting all crunchy from the strain. mmm. very relaxing and charming, in contrast to the depressing tone and long-haul pace of the game.
+  ***//Dick Tracy//***
+    *evnvnv: //Dick Tracy// is perhaps not so bad ass, but maybe more interesting than //[[game:Kickle Cubicle]]//. I think my grandma gave it to me for Christmas one year or something. It is way more complicated than [[theme:licensed_games|licensed games]] usually are.\\ Each mission has you trying to track down a specific crook. You drive around in your police car, trying to find clues as to the whereabouts of whatever dude you need. There isn't too much sleuthing involved in this, if I recall correctly. You just sort of have to find where the right place to go to next is. You can shoot from the car, and you can get out of the car and run around on foot. I swear the original //[[game:gta_series|GTA]]//s ripped their shit off from this game, unless //Dick Tracy// ripped it off from something else too.\\ Once you enter a building it turns into a side scroller. You have different kinds of guns and shit, each with limited ammo. The stages are really awkwardly designed. You can't shoot guns at guys that don't have guns, or else you get killed too which is kind of interesting. You can beat the shit out of unarmed dudes with punch and SUPER PUNCH (represented by a boxing glove, hitting someone with it makes them fly across the room). Once you get to the end you can either interrogate or arrest the boss. If you arrest the wrong guy, you get in trouble. And if you try to arrest someone without collecting enough "evidence" (I think you get it from beating the shit out of people to make them snitch but that might have just been my twee childish imagination) you also get in trouble.\\ this game also has cinematics with dramatic, 'noir' lighting.
   ***//Donkey Kong Classics//**
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   ***//Donkey Kong 3//** (also on: Wii VC)
     *NeoZeedeater: This was an excellent port of the arcade game(although it's missing Stanley getting eaten alive). Unlike the other games this is a shooter of sorts.
+  ***//Doraemon: Giga Zombie no Gyakushuu//** - [[http://www.romhacking.net/translations/120/|Translation]]
+    * shnozlak: A simple light weight, strait forward, fun little RPG. Its rather humorous at times and alway a little weird and strangely dark.
   ***//[[game:double_dragon_ii|Double Dragon II: The Revenge]]//**
     *extralife: //Double Dragon II// is all kinds of awesome and don't you fucking forget it.
     *Scratchmonkey: Kick-ass music and the best co-op brawler on the system behind //[[game:River City Ransom]]//.
     *Pijaibros: Have to go with Lurky here and say //[[game:double_dragon_ii|Double Dragon 2]]// as one of my highest rated [[hardware:nes|NES]] exclusive. Even today it is fun to trot this out for co-op fun. Blasting Abobos and Schwarzeneggers with the Violent Knee is never dull. It makes this cool gunshot noise.
+  ***//Dr. Chaos//**
+    * Red_venom: I can't even explain how mesmerizing I find this game. I rented it when I was like 10 and probably watched the little title animation for about 15 minutes. Anyway it's a //[[game:metroid_series|Metroid]]//-ish platformer where you are trying to collect pieces of machinery in order to stop [[character:dr_chaos|Dr. Chaos]]. It's pretty hard, but mostly because half the game isn't platforming but rather first person duengon crawling like most D&D games(Or Goonies 2 for instance), to make matters worse there are secret doors/hidden passageways EVERYWHERE and the only way to find them is to "punch" the walls. It's a hidden gem among NES games in my opinion.
   ***//Dr. Mario//** (also on: 3DS VC, GBA, Wii VC)
     *OGC: //[[game:dr_mario|Dr Mario]]// destroys every other game. I am with Daphaknee here.
+  ***//Dragon Spirit//**
+    * Professor Hector: //Dragon Spirit// is based off the arcade game of the same name, though there are some differences in the levels and the addition of a Gold Dragon mode which makes the game both shorter and considerably easier. For some reason I enjoy the sense of atmosphere in this game more than the arcade version, though that may be because I didn't play the latter until I discovered MAME. This version of //Dragon Spirit// also has two endings --- the Gold Dragon ending is quite strange.
   ***//Dragon Warrior//** (remade for GBC)
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     *dmauro: The level select loop is only like five seconds long, but I never get sick of it.
     *Take It Sleazy: //DuckTales// expanded on [[people:tokuro fujiwara|Fujiwara]]'s games really feeling like a real living world and the music is great and I love Scrooge McDuck.
-    *Kitten ClanClan: Genuinely worth playing if only for the music. Great use of the license and a very enticing game once you're gotten used to the mechanics.
+    *Kitten ClanClan: Genuinely worth playing if only for the music. Great use of the [[theme:licensed_games|license]] and a very enticing game once you're gotten used to the mechanics.
+  ***//Eggerland//**
+    * Professor Hector: //Eggerland// is an early entry in the //[[game:eggerland_series|Lolo]]// series that predates the NES games and actually has some properties in common with //[[game:The Legend of Zelda]]//. In addition to the usual puzzle-solving gameplay, many of the rooms have multiple exits which lead to different directions on the game map. There's also a few items with their own special uses, such as a raft you can use to cross water, in addition to several hidden power-ups that do things like speed up //Lolo//, let you cut down the bushes, etc. Unfortunately the game's less linear layout makes it easier to screw yourself over on some screens, with no way to backtrack. Overall I prefer the more straightforward NES games, but //Eggerland// is an interesting novelty nonetheless.
   ***//Elite//**
@@ Line 156: / Line 202: @@
   ***//Faxanadu//**
     *Kitten ClanClan: While the difficulty is sometimes poorly balanced and the game lacks direction, fans of //[[game:zelda_ii_the_adventure_of_link|Zelda II]]// and early [[company:Falcom]] will find much to enjoy.
+    *CourierRice: //[[game:Faxanadu]]// has great clunk and atmosphere. I beat it and a year or so later I still think about returning to it, seeing if I can try it again without guide help.
   ***//Final Fantasy III//** (remade for DS, iOS, PSP, lord knows what else)
     * The Blueberry Hill: My favourite //[[game:final_fantasy_series|Final Fantasy]]// game.
+  ***//Flying Warriors / Hiryu no Ken 2//**
+    * Phoenix Rie: Successor to //[[game:Flying Dragon]]//, [[company:Culture Brain]] decided to combine a side-scrolling brawler, //[[game:street_fighter_ii|SF2]]// style 1-on-1 fighter, random RPG elements, and sprinkle it with //[[game:ninja_gaiden_series|Ninja Gaiden]]//-esque cinemas. //HnK2// yields mixed results. Control is quite stiff, and those //SF2// fights are a bit of a misnomer. They're more like plodding [[pattern:qte|QTE]]'s. Interesting nonetheless. This franchise continued on for quite a while via the [[hardware:snes|SFC]] and [[hardware:N64]].
   ***//Gargoyle's Quest II: The Demon Darkness / Red Arremer II (JP)//** (also on: Game Boy (Japan only, as Makai Mura Gaiden: The Demon Darkness)
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   ***//The Goonies II//**
-    *aderack: Sequel greatly expanding on the adventure elements of [[company:Konami]]'s earlier licensed game (only released in arcades over here). Plays like the midpoint between [[people:koji_igarashi|Igarashi]]-era //[[game:castlevania_series|Castlevania]]//, NES-era //[[game:the_legend_of_zelda_series|Zelda]]//, and //[[game:Shadowgate]]// — Cyndi Lauper thrown in for good measure. In the end, it feels almost completely organic — like [[company:Konami]]'s own homegrown response to //[[game:Metroid]]//. Nearly impossible to get anywhere, much less finish, unless you know what you're doing.
+    *aderack: Sequel greatly expanding on the adventure elements of [[company:Konami]]'s earlier [[theme:licensed_games|licensed game]] (only released in arcades over here). Plays like the midpoint between [[people:koji_igarashi|Igarashi]]-era //[[game:castlevania_series|Castlevania]]//, NES-era //[[game:the_legend_of_zelda_series|Zelda]]//, and //[[game:Shadowgate]]// — Cyndi Lauper thrown in for good measure. In the end, it feels almost completely organic — like [[company:Konami]]'s own homegrown response to //[[game:Metroid]]//. Nearly impossible to get anywhere, much less finish, unless you know what you're doing.
     * Mr. Mechanical: //[[game:The Goonies II]]//  is a bit like //[[game:Metroid]]// in more than a few ways because of the large map and focus on exploration. Plus it's //The Goonies// and what's not to like about that?
     * Adilegian: It also had one of the most memorable (for me) door sound effects.
@@ Line 186: / Line 236: @@
     *robotdell: If I ever go to anyone's house and they still have their NES, I would personally buy this game for them and watch as they slip into a world that only the graphical and musical charm of the NES could possess. In other words, this game is the fucking bee's knees.
     *Fiero: It's this hybrid game where you play as an android girl who can transform into a fighter jet. The game is divided between segments where you play as the girl, shooting and fighting your way through top-down dungeons on foot, and shmup segments to fight bosses.
-    *Kitten ClanClan: Essentially the Zelda game for shooting game fans. [[company:Compile]] knew their NES hardware, and this game really shows that off.
+    *Kitten ClanClan: Essentially the //[[game:the_legend_of_zelda_series|Zelda]]// game for shooting game fans. [[company:Compile]] knew their NES hardware, and this game really shows that off.
+    *Toups: Another weirdly experimental game. It starts out as a good, Compile shooter --- and after you complete the first stage it's... the over head sections from //[[game:Blaster Master]]//! Except maybe a little more like //Zelda//. Your character as it turns out is a cyborg girl who can transform into a ship. The shooter sections are really well designed; only problem is that the hitbox is a little big. It's impressive on technical level, just in terms of how many enemies often appear at once on screen, without much slowdown at all.
   ***//Gumshoe//**
@@ Line 204: / Line 255: @@
   ***//Hello Kitty World//**
-    *dessgeega: balloon kid with a hello kitty license. if you haven't played balloon kid, it's balloon fight world tour.
+    *dessgeega: //[[game:balloon_kid|balloon kid]]// with a hello kitty [[theme:licensed_games|license]]. if you haven't played balloon kid, it's balloon fight world tour.
   ***//Holy Diver//**
     *Kitten ClanClan: An almost satanically difficult action-platformer in the vein of Castlevania from [[company:Irem]]. Extremely tight, but equally unforgiving. Based on the song by Dio, and features pastiches of Zack Wylde and Ronny James Dio. Only released in Japan.
+    *firenze: It's basically [[company:irem|IREM]] does //[[game:castlevania_series|Castlevania]]//, but with magic spells instead of whips. Japan only release. It's also really difficult, but controls quite well (control jumps in mid air? yep!). I couldn't imagine trying to finish it on a real cart, but with save states it's excellent. For some reason this is the only NES ROM I've had on my PC for the past 2+ years. I actually go back to it semi-regularly too.
   ***//Ice Climber//** (also on: 3DS VC, GBA, Wii VC)
@@ Line 222: / Line 274: @@
     *Aderack: Overhead-view Contra with jeeps. Can't pass that up.
     *Kitten ClanClan: One of several NES games that shames its arcade counterpart with its heavily improved design. An overhead shooter that I recommend playing with rapid-fire on an NES Advantage, I consider it one of the best games on the NES.
+    *Professor Hector: //Jackal// might be my favorite [[company:Konami]] game on the NES, which is really saying something. You play as a jeep taking a joy cruise through a totalitarian state, rescuing hostages and running over/blowing up everyone else in your way. It's a visceral experience, and one of the best two-player games on the system (or any system for that matter).
   ***//Journey to Silius//**
     *monaco: Do yourself a favor: DO NOT SWEAR when playing this game, it weakens the aural bliss.
-    *Kitten ClanClan: Above-average [[company:Sunsoft]] action-platformer originally based on the Terminator license. What it lacks in living up to its peers, it makes up for by having what is by leaps and bounds one of the best soundtracks on the NES.
+    *Kitten ClanClan: Above-average [[company:Sunsoft]] action-platformer originally based on the Terminator [[theme:licensed_games|license]]. What it lacks in living up to its peers, it makes up for by having what is by leaps and bounds one of the best soundtracks on the NES.
   ***//Kabuki Quantum Fighter//**
@@ Line 231: / Line 285: @@
     *boojiboy7: You fight in a computer with your hair as a kabuki.  Seriously, this description alone makes the game worth playing.
     *Take It Sleazy: [[http://www.kabukiquantumfighter.com/|My own personal obsession]]. An incredible name and concept for a better-than-mediocre Ninja Gaiden clone. A great soundtrack and a wild, Giger-esque technorganic world go a long way into make this rise above other games of the same type. This spot would probably be Shatter Hand if I owned that one when I was a kid.
+  ***//Kanshakudama Nage Kantarou no Toukaidou Gojuusan Tsugi//**
+    * Professor Hector: platformer by [[company:Sunsoft]] in which your character, [[character:Kantaro]], is taking a year-long journey across the countryside to reunite with his love. Apparently Kantaro has a lot of enemies, because he is assulted by ninjas, samurai, psychic monks, and more at every turn. There are some particularly troublesome enemies, like Ghosts and Lovecrazed Women, which will temporarily slow you down upon contact unless you have a special item to get rid of them (you'll know when a foe of this type is about to appear because the music will change). The seasons change as you progress through the levels, giving you some indication of how far you've gotten. This is both a very difficult and a very long game to finish, but I admire it for its simplicity and steadily-increasing level of challenge. A translation (under the name "Kantaro the Pyro's Journey Across the Toukaido") [is] available, but it isn't really necessary.
   ***//Karnov//**
@@ Line 237: / Line 294: @@
   ***//Kickle Cubicle//**
     *sharc: Expanded port of [[company:IREM]]'s arcade puzzle game, dropping Buddhist themes for further adventures in fairytale Food Land. Maybe the gold standard for using varied enemy behavior patterns to create dynamic challenges for the player; different types will attack randomly, attack you specifically, hunt you down, remain completely oblivious to you, try to mess with the ice blocks you use as weapons and tools, try to //disguise// themselves as said ice blocks, attack you with your own powers, etc. Stage solutions feature a good blend of being logistically difficult to figure out and technically difficult to pull off.
+    *evnvnv: //Kickle Cubicle// is bad ass. It is one of the first NES games I ever played, and I still return to it whenever I am at my parents house where my NES remains. It is sort of like an overhead view fire n ice, maybe, maybe not. You form and push blocks of ice into the water to make platforms to walk across so you can collect magic bags of kidnapped vegetables, fruits, toys, and I think candy (depending on what "World" you are in). It features some really good cinematics before boss fights, great boss music, and weird-as-shit characters and bosses. Tanookis that fake you out by mimicking ice blocks, purple dogs, roosters with eye patches, evil turtles, etc. It's charming as shit, and probably you wouldn't miss much in emulation.
   ***//Kid Icarus//** (also on: 3DS VC, GBA, Wii VC)
@@ Line 254: / Line 312: @@
     *L: Imagine a manic shoot'emup, but with popcorn ships taking the place of bullets.
     *kiken: Completely over the top and fast as fuck! I love the shield/bomb playmechanic (s'why I snagged the PCB of //[[game:Pink Sweets]]//, //[[summer_carnival_92_recca|Recca]]//'s spiritual sequel) fused with the multiple option types. Also, the final stage of the regular game consists of an 11 boss Boss Rush.
     *The King: [[people:shinobu_yagawa|Yagawa]]'s positively brilliant little Famicom shooter. a secret hard mode, beautiful black cartridge: Everything about this game is wonderful.
+    *Professor Hector: awesome tournament shooter which only saw a limited release on the Famicom. It pushes an impressive number of sprites and features several intimidating bosses which take up much of the screen. It is also very fast-paced, and the action can get somewhat frantic at times. I would've been absolutely stunned if I played this on a NES when it came out, and it holds up very well even today.
   ***//The Legend of Kage//**
@@ Line 269: / Line 328: @@
   ***//Little Nemo: The Dream Master//**
-    *Kitten ClanClan: Although it can become too frustratingly difficult for its own good, it features impressive music and visuals from [[company:Capcom]], a name that earns its place among the best NES developers. Good use of the license and interesting mechanics, as well.
+    *Kitten ClanClan: Although it can become too frustratingly difficult for its own good, it features impressive music and visuals from [[company:Capcom]], a name that earns its place among the best NES developers. Good use of the [[theme:licensed_games|license]] and interesting mechanics, as well.
   ***//Little Samson / Seirei Densetsu Lickle (JP)//**
@@ Line 287: / Line 346: @@
   ***//M.C. Kids / McDonald Land (PAL)//**
     * BIGJ420COOLDUDE: Reasons why //[[game:mc_kids|M.C. Kids]]// is great: drop-dead honest level design. It's like every other level is that level in //[[game:super_mario_bros_3|SMB3]]// where you have to fly with a turtle in hand—well-thought-out puzzles that make you scratch your head using a really limited set of tools. Of course there's great platforming to be had in between all these puzzles too. It has really great music too though it only like four tracks. Also the story is kind of hilarious. anyhow it's pretty comparable to //[[game:super_mario_bros_3|SMB3]]//. It's much smaller and a little tighter. I've played a fucking lot of //[[game:super_mario_bros_3|SMB3]]// BTW.
-    * dessgeega: While I see what the game is doing, I don't really like that getting to the end of the level is a secondary objective, and I really don't like the license, but that's a given.
+    * dessgeega: While I see what the game is doing, I don't really like that getting to the end of the level is a secondary objective, and I really don't like the [[theme:licensed_games|license]], but that's a given.
     * Invisibleyogurt: //[[game:mc_kids|McKids]]// is basically //[[game:super_mario_bros_2_usa|Super Doki Doki Panic Brothers 2]]// plus an unfriendly utter contempt for the person playing it. And obvious retardedness. The music drives me insane, too!
@@ Line 294: / Line 353: @@
   ***//The Magic of Scheherazade//**
     *TOLLMASTER: One of the few games that actually deserve to be called action/adventure/RPG games. Has aged much better than NES Zelda, the Dragon Quests, and Final Fantasies have. While there is very little in the way of RPG number-optimization, there are a ton of allies to pick up, some of whom have combination techniques. Travel through time, talk to people still living in sunken cities, and battle huge bosses with magical wands. And don't forget to plant the money tree!
+    *superjoe: Vaguely //[[game:the_legend_of_zelda_series|Zelda]]//-inspired overhead action/RPG, broken up by the occasional turn-based random battle. The theme is somewhat [[theme:Arabian Nights]], somewhat time travel, somewhat psilocybin. It gives you a lot to do for an NES action/RPG; there are neat touches like hiring little bulldog mercenaries to use as cannon fodder in the turn-based battles, and some nice things are done with the time-travel concept.\\ Though I find it a fine game in general and undeserving of its relative obscurity, TMoS's aesthetics and logic are weird, which is a large part of what makes me love it so. For example, its versions of the standard RPG paralysis and mute spells turn you into a burger and a cake, respectively. I'm not sure why a hamburger is completely unable to defend itself, while a cake is magic-impaired but still physically capable of kicking all ass, but there you go. The only instant-death spell turns you into a firework; you shoot up into the sky and explode. And there's a stretch in which you meet a tree that promises to give you its firstborn son, so you jump 30 years into the future to collect the tree's kid, a piece of fruit. You then take it to a dollmaker to be made into a fruit-doll, which, of course, joins your party.
   ***//Mega Man//** (also on: 3DS VC, Gamecube, PS1, PS2, PSN, Wii VC, Xbox)
@@ Line 324: / Line 384: @@
     *Sniper Honeyviper: Must have really been something to behold in 1986. Absolutely unplayable for modern gamers.
     *Max Cola: And thanks to this forum and a thread I made a while back, my hatred of //[[game:Metroid]]// has grown into a grudging appreciation, and then into a genuine crazy enjoyment. Once you get a decent supply of missiles, the game becomes much easier and more fun, while still being a stiff challenge. Still like //[[game:metroid_2|Metroid 2]]/[[game:super_metroid|Super Metroid]]// better, though. Map or no map.
     *Kitten ClanClan: Although mechanically difficult to appreciate by today's standards, it's still a hallmark NES game for its innovation and sense of exploration. Playing your first time through with a map will heartily remedy much of the game's frustrations.
+    *Broco: I also am among the few who like NES //Metroid// and wish any of the other //[[game:metroid_series|Metroids]]// were as difficult as it is, yeah. The premise of spelunking deeper and deeper into a viciously alien cave system works a lot better when you're getting battered at every turn and your life total is like a clock.\\ I'm not sure I'd credit it with that much sense of pace, though. Your starting health being 30 (making you farm health before you set out) is an inexplicable waste of time. And Norfair is an endless blob of copy-pasted rooms where you may discover anticlimactic missile packs.
   ***//Might and Magic//**
@@ Line 331: / Line 392: @@
     *chompers po pable: Some of the best music, gameplay, and graphics on the NES.  This one has aged very well.  A dash of rhythm game style memorization, a pinch of puzzle game logic, and two forty oz. bottles of awesome action.
     * Mikey: I prefer the non-Tyson //[[game:punch_out|Punchout]]// - having a real person in that game (unbelievable as he may be at some times) kinda spoils it for me.
+    * Deneb: Mike Tyson is the greatest boss battle ever.
+    * wpham: The purest boss fight design, predating (predicting?) Warning Forever and Shadow of the Colossus (thanks Adilegian for the connection!).
   ***//Monopoly//**
@@ Line 340: / Line 403: @@
   ***//Moon Crystal//**
-    * T.: a cross between a cinematic platformer and a //[[ninja_gaiden_series|ninja gaiden]]// style action platformer. i like it a lot!
+    * T.: a cross between a [[genre:cinematic platformer]] and a //[[ninja_gaiden_series|ninja gaiden]]// style action platformer. i like it a lot!
-    * sharc: The game's gorgeous animation is always worth mentioning. Comparable to Prince of Persia or Castlevania (the first) in how aware you need to be of quirks in the hero's movement, especially the slight delay in changing directions while running. The platforming is enjoyably tough, though bosses are a distinct weak spot; you have to either flawlessly navigate a nail-biting route through their attack pattern, or just show up with max health and have a button-mashing damage race.
+    * sharc: The game's gorgeous animation is always worth mentioning. Comparable to //[[game:Prince of Persia]]// or //[[game:Castlevania]]// (the first) in how aware you need to be of quirks in the hero's movement, especially the slight delay in changing directions while running. The platforming is enjoyably tough, though bosses are a distinct weak spot; you have to either flawlessly navigate a nail-biting route through their attack pattern, or just show up with max health and have a button-mashing damage race.
+    * Professor Hector: //Moon Crystal// is a great platformer which plays somewhat similarly to //Prince of Persia//. Presentation-wise, the visuals and music are both excellent, and there are also cutscenes between each level which rival the ones found in //Ninja Gaiden//. The plot is pretty sophisticated for an 8-bit game as well. The whole thing just screams quality. //Moon Crystal// was supposed to get a US release, but for some reason this didn't happen (probably because the game wasn't released until 1992, when the NES was on its way out). Fortunately, there is a very nice fan-made translation of this game available. Definitely check this one out, if you haven't already.
   ***//Mother / Earthbound Zero//**
     * spectralsound: Also available on the [[hardware:gba|GBA]], with the same "easy mode", a run button and a //much// better translation.
+  ***//Mystery Quest / Hao-kun no Fushigi na Tabi (JP)//**
+    * Professor Hector: //Hao-kun no Fushigi na Tabi// (Hao's Mystery Adventure) is a fairly interesting action-adventure game by Square which was dramatically scaled down for its US release (//Mystery Quest//). Your goal in this game is to somehow become a great person by tracking down six magic symbols which represent various ideal human qualities. The overworld is larger than in //Mystery Quest//, and there are also different castle layouts and a whole second underground area. Of course, if you can't stand //Mystery Quest//, you probably won't enjoy this game a great deal either.
   ***//Nazo no Murasamejou//** | Famicom Disk System only (also on: GBA)
@@ Line 354: / Line 421: @@
     *monaco: AKA River City Ransom Melee. HOT 4-player action. If you're one of those cool kids with a modded Dreamcast, emulate this game and humiliate your friends.
     *kerobaros: I'll second that, with the addition that modded Xbox owners can do the same thing, and have just as much fun.  Amazingly fun game, even though it's spastic as all hell.  Imagine RCR, but about twice as fast, and with four people on screen.  Good Lord.
+    *dessgeega: a [[character:kunio]] and [[character:riki]] fighting game. a kunio and riki //four player// fighting game. it plays out either as a four-person free-for-all or a two-on-two team tournament (with kunio and riki as the "dream team"). what's more is that the fighting arenas are completely nuts, with conveyor belts and giant electrical walls. put in your name, date of birth and bloodtype and the game will generate a character for you. then you can wail on opponents river city ransom-style.
   ***//NES Open//** (also on: 3DS VC, Wii VC)
@@ Line 359: / Line 427: @@
   ***//Nightshade//**
+    * ManekiNeko: The recipe Beam used for //NightShade// is pretty similar to the one your mom uses for meatloaf, except they replaced the bread crumbs, ground beef, and onions with a hard-boiled detective novel, an episode of Monty Python, and a copy of //[[game:Maniac Mansion]]//.\\ Chop up the ingredients, knead them together with plenty of catsup, then put the mixture in a breadpan and set it in an oven preheated to 400 degrees. What you get after forty five minutes is something that doesn't seem all that tasty at first, until you sink your fork past the crusty exterior and into its warm, moist heart.
+    * starblood: I refuse to believe //Nightshade// (NES) is not the best [[pattern:sandbox|sandbox]] game of its kind. It is neither as grindy or unfair as when RPG's tries to be open ended, leaving you at the mercy of which enemies you get to fight, how much you can afford to improve your items. I have not found a single [[company:Rockstar]] game I enjoyed, not one, maybe they are too modern for my liking or I don't enjoy their work.
   ***//Ninja Gaiden (NA) / Shadow Warriors (PAL) / Ninja Ryukenden (JP)//** (also on: 3DS VC, SNES, Wii VC, Xbox)
@@ Line 373: / Line 443: @@
   ***//Ninja-Kun//**
     *dessgeega: absolutely the best ninja action to be had on the NES.
+  ***//Onyanko Town//**
+    * Professor Hector: An amusing early Famicom game which I first played on one of [[hardware:nes#famiclones|those Super Joy things]]. You play as a mother cat who must rescue her stupid child each stage because he is dumb enough to get lost while playing outside. This is a problem because you live in DOG TOWN, and the dogs are out for your blood. The game mechanics are nothing special, but the dark sense of humor makes it worth checking out.
   ***//[[game:Otocky]]//** | Famicom Disk System only [[http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/otocky/otocky.htm|Hardcore Gaming 101 article]]
@@ Line 380: / Line 453: @@
     *Wall of Beef: I'm in love with //[[game:Otocky]]//! I love it when a game starts out being such a mystery. I had no idea what I was doing, but as you go you start to glue things together. Your brow unfurls into a gleeful grin. I also love that you save music, by using music. No way these creepy eyeball blobs will kill music when I can sing such happy tunes!!!
     *sharc: Everyone should play //Otocky// at least once, but with advance warning that the later levels become a finger-crushing nightmare of perfect execution requirements.
+    *Wall of Beef: Very charming visuals and music integration. Sort of a [[genre:cute_em_ups|cute-em-up]] with stages that loop until you collect enough music notes.
   ***//Over Horizon//**
     *Kitten ClanClan: Somewhat obscure space shooter that shouldn't be. Although Wikipedia states otherwise, I believe it was only released in Europe and Japan, making it hard to find. Visual and sound design are both stellar, and the game features an interesting mechanic allowing the player shoot both in front of and behind them.
-    *sharc:  Was indeed released only in Japan and, for who knows what reason, Germany. One impressive setpiece after another that the game runs like a champ, with an impressively detailed editing mode that allows you to change the placement of your options and fiddle with various weapon parameters. Music is amazing; just let that title screen loop. Hell yeah.
+    *sharc:  Was indeed released only in Japan and, for who knows what reason, Germany. One impressive setpiece after another that the game runs like a champ, with an impressively detailed editing mode that allows you to change the placement of your options and fiddle with various weapon parameters. Music is amazing; just let that [[pattern:title_screen|title screen]] loop. Hell yeah.
+    *dessgeega: a hori shooter where you can shoot either forward or back depending on which button you press a la //[[game:sidearms]]//; pressing both lets you reposition your options (their positions are editable!). but where the game shines is in its level design. somewhat like //[[game:garius_series|gradius]]//, the stages are themed: there's a "plant stage", a "mech stage", an "ice stage". but there are all sorts of clever things like switches in the mech stage that you shoot to open gates for yourself and close gates on enemies that are chasing you, and giant ice blocks in the ice stage that are pushed by your bullets and bounce off one another. the bosses are suitably huge and the sprites are neat and cute.
+  ***//Panic Restaurant//**
+    * Professor Hector: A platformer by [[company:Taito]] in which you play as a chef who is trying to reclaim his restaurant from his evil rival, [[company:Oh Dove]]. Definitely falls under the "weird" category. A pretty fun game while it lasts.
   ***//Paperboy//**
@@ Line 447: / Line 525: @@
   ***//Spy vs. Spy//**
     *Cycle: //[[game:spy_vs_spy|spy vs spy]]// is the only game i've played with friends that concluded in an actual fist fight. it will always remain a favourite.
+  ***//Sqoon//**
+    * Professor Hector: //Sqoon// is an obscure horizontal shooter by [[company:Irem]] where you control a small pink submarine. Your mission is to bomb the underwater alien bases and save the human hostages which are imprisoned within. At the same time you've got to contend with the sea's inhabitants as well as paying attention to your fuel level. If you don't fill up your sub with hostages and/or gold and deposit them onto a nearby island in time it will run out of fuel and sink. There is little in the way of documentation on this game (perhaps because it is mostly unknown), so it always feels like you may stumble upon something new or interesting while playing it.
   ***//Star Tropics//**
+    * Toups: I'm not sure if this is forgotten but it's definitely underappreciated. It's sort of a cross between //Zelda//, //Earthbound//, and //Dragon Warrior// (mostly in appearance). It's an action RPG set in modern times on a series of tropical islands, with a lot of RPG-esque interaction and some pretty difficult puzzles towards the end; the most notable of which involved taking the "letter from Dr. Jones" that was packaged with the game and pouring water on it to reveal a hidden message, which gave you the password to let the Sub-C submerge. (the password is 747; I somehow still remember it to this day). The controls are kind of stiff but I like the atmosphere as the game progresses --- it gets really dank and creepy in some places, and downright bizarre towards the end. The music is great, too.
   ***//Street Fighter 2010: The Final Fight / 2010 Street Fighter (JP)//**
@@ Line 474: / Line 556: @@
   ***//Super Mario Bros. 3//** (also on: SNES, Wii VC; remade for GBA)
     *Kitten ClanClan: Obviously one of the most aesthetically and aurally impressive games on the NES, it's also one of the best designed platformers available on the console. If you've somehow neglected to play it, the praise surrounding it is very largely grounded in reality --- it's worth playing for any platforming enthusiast.
+    *Max Cola: I think SMB3 is incredible. I love the fact that the levels are sometimes only about a minute in length. And that every single one of them has a different challenge or idea behind them.
   ***//Sweet Home//** - [[http://forums.selectbutton.net/viewtopic.php?t=30816|forum thread]]
@@ Line 488: / Line 571: @@
   ***//Talespin//**
-    *stotelheim: A Capcom shmup where the B button makes the game scroll backwards. There's a shop inbetween levels, and there are hidden bonus levels where you fly some kind of boomerang/skateboard thing. The bosses are very Capcom-with-a-Disney-licence. It's pretty good!
+    *stotelheim: A [[company:Capcom]] shmup where the B button makes the game scroll backwards. There's a shop inbetween levels, and there are hidden bonus levels where you fly some kind of boomerang/skateboard thing. The bosses are very Capcom-with-[[theme:licensed_games|a-Disney-licence]]. It's pretty good!
   ***//Tecmo Super Bowl//**
@@ Line 498: / Line 581: @@
   ***//Trojan//**
+  ***//Ultima: Exodus//**
+    * DAESON: My favorite RPG for the NES is //Ultima Exodus//. It is one of the older RPGs for the system and I played it before //Dragon Warrior// or //Final Fantasy// though I'm not sure if it came out first. It had many interesting features such as: showing all of your party members on screen at all times not just in fights, you could get horses, you could talk to, steal from, or kill anyone in the game, even in towns, you had to buy food, and it had a clock/lunar calendar that affected certain parts of the game. What I like most is you have complete freedom much more like a true RPG.
+  ***//Urusei Yatsura: Lum no Wedding Bell//**
+    * ManekiNeko: A [[theme:licensed_games|licensed adaptation]] of [[company:Jaleco]]'s //[[game:Momoko 120%]]//. In it, you're a baby who must survive childhood by scaling a series of burning buildings. After escaping each towering inferno, you grow a little bit, advancing from day care to grade school to high school. Eventually, you grow to adulthood and get a chance to marry [[character:Ataru]], the horny, luckless bastard from [[people:Rumiko Takahashi]]'s popular animated series.
   ***//Vice: Project Doom//**
@@ Line 521: / Line 610: @@
     *NeoZeedeater: Half platformer, half shooter. It's a neat game from [[company:Konami]].
     *ManekiNeko: A strict diet has never been this much fun!  //Yume-peng// is the first game to actively discourage the hero from eating.  Swallow the food in your path, and you'll double in size, incapable of fighting the bad guys or winning the heart of your kidnapped penguin girlfriend.  Stick to your diet and exercise, and you become a lean, mean fighting machine; the world's deadliest arctic fowl.  It's truly a metaphor for life.  Also worthy of note: the ending is a hilarious surprise.
+    *Professor Hector: //Yume Penguin Monogatari// is a damn fine little game. It is a sidestory of sorts to the //[[game:antarctic_adventure|Antarctic]]// and //[[game:Penguin Adventure]]// games. Apparently [[character:Pentaro]] has put some considerable weight since his previous adventure, and is now trying to win back the affections of the [[character:penka|girlfriend]], who has hooked up with the evil [[character:Ginji]]. Now our hero must loose the excess pounds, but Ginji's minions will do everything they can to stop you, including throwing barrages of food at you. There's even a couple shooting levels thrown in for good measure. I'll stop talking about it now, if you still don't want to play it there must be something wrong with you.
   ***//Zanac//**
     * The Blueberry Hill: A //really// fast paced shooter by [[company:Compile]]. Most interestingly the game adapts to the player's performance; easing off on poor players, and getting tougher for better performers. Also available on [[hardware:MSX]], [[hardware:MSX2]] (As //[[game:Zanac Ex]]//), [[hardware:playstation|Playstation]] (within //[[game:Zanac X Zanac]]//), and [[hardware:Wii]] Virtual Console. In Japan it was released for the Famicom Disc System.
+    * Mr Stegosaurus: Compile shooter that punishes you for shooting your weapon (or collecting new weapons) by generating more enemy ships. If you don't shoot your gun, you can dodge and coast through large chunks of the level. If you think you can take it and want the points or want the challenge, just press down on the trigger, and swarms of enemies will appear. It's cool. It lets you pace yourself; the game is exactly as hectic as you want it to be.\\ Part of the reason that system works is that //Zanac// has no compelling story or characters, and just the absolute butt-ugliest graphics on the NES. If you had a reason to reach stage 2 --- like furthering the story or enjoying the visuals or music -- you would be tempted to play stage 1 safe and trick yourself out of enjoying the game. As it is, with the levels just different shades of ugly, the only purpose or structure the game has is determined by the rise and fall of your own adrenaline.
   ***//[[game:zelda_ii_the_adventure_of_link|Zelda II - The Adventure of Link]]//** (also on: 3DS VC, Gamecube, GBA, Wii VC) - [[http://forums.selectbutton.net/viewtopic.php?t=26385|forum thread]]
@@ Line 535: / Line 626: @@
   ***//Zen: Intergalactic Ninja//**
     *RT-55J: The play control does feel a tad clunky/weird, but it just requires a certain degree of finesse. It all feels very satisfying once mastered.
-    *starblood: Chalk [it] up as another enviro mania licensed crap. Also out the rare few NES [[company:Konami]] games that sucks. I mean really, you're the first guy I've seen praise it. It looks and sounds neat but I hate the level design.
+    *starblood: Chalk [it] up as another enviro mania [[theme:licensed_games|licensed crap]]. Also out the rare few NES [[company:Konami]] games that sucks. I mean really, you're the first guy I've seen praise it. It looks and sounds neat but I hate the level design.
 =====See Also=====
-  *[[http://forums.selectbutton.net/viewtopic.php?t=15527|Favorite NES Game?]] - Forum recommendations.
+  *[[https://selectbutton.net/t/nes-worth-rom-ing/2473/|NES- worth Rom-ing]] - August 2016 forum recommendations.
-  *[[http://forums.selectbutton.net/viewtopic.php?t=21090|Revisiting the NES]] - Forum recommendations.
+  *[[http://forums.selectbutton.net/viewtopic.php?t=32398|NES/Famicom Obscura Thread 2011]] - April 2011 forum recommendations.
-  *[[http://forums.selectbutton.net/viewtopic.php?t=32398|NES/Famicom Obscura Thread 2011]] - Forum recommendations.
+  *[[http://forums.selectbutton.net/viewtopic.php?t=21090|Revisiting the NES]] - May 2009 Forum recommendations.
-  *[[http://forums.selectbutton.net/viewtopic.php?t=38494|The 15 Games That Define the NES For Me]] - 'Kittne ClanClan' writes on NES games.
+  *[[http://forums.selectbutton.net/viewtopic.php?t=15527|Favorite NES Game?]] - August 2008 forum recommendations.
+  *[[http://www.selectbutton.net/archive/topic/280/page/1|The NES thread -- weird, rare, and unappreciated games.]] - August 2005 IC forum recommendations.
+  *[[http://forums.selectbutton.net/viewtopic.php?t=38494|The 15 Games That Define the NES For Me]] - 'Kitten ClanClan' writes on NES games.