Welcome to the inaugural edition of Super Thumbs! I, Captain Eric will be giving my onions of no less than FIVE games every month here for GAMECOLA. This month I have a range of games from the 90’s that were released for Nintendo systems.
Mace: The Dark Age (N64, 1997)Now as I remember it this was one of my first few games for the Nintendo 64 so I may have a soft spot for it. Mace is a pretty standard 3D fighting game complete with combos and ever so impossible finishing moves other more talented gamers probably pulled off, of course I never could. All in all it is an enjoyable game, the controls are quite easy to learn and special moves and combos come very easily, some only needing a single button to use, and if you’re like me the simpler the better! Mace is a port of an arcade game which is exactly the same. However, since it is a port from an arcade it lacks any real unlockables that many 3D fighting games are known for nowadays. Mace does have some of those handy dandy button combination codes that are pretty snazzy. They let you open the basic sound test and music tests and such but also has codes for two hidden characters. Two of the best characters in the game infact! One is a dwarf in a wooden war mech that can shoot cannon balls, the other is a Janitor who’s weapon of choice is a push broom.. GOOD TIMES!
Captain Eric’s Super Thumb Says… Thumbs up!
Rampage World Tour (N64, 1998)
Rampage World Tour is an update to the classic NES Rampage game. Now instead of just leveling your way through the United States, you’re running wild through the entire world! This game has one feature that just blows the old NES version away, and that is having the ability to SAVE. The NES version doesn’t allow you that option.. so you have to chew your way through the US all at once.. for that reason, I never finished it. The gameplay for Rampage is pretty simple, you climb buildings and punch them until they fall, eating delicious treats.. and people along the way while avoiding anything bad and thwarting the military’s attempts to destroy you. When you lose all your health you shrink down to normal human size until you hit the magical bring me back button.. very simple stuff but very fun, scenically with friends as it is multiplayer, each player being able to choose from The Lizard, The Gorilla and the Wolf.
Captain Eric’s Super Thumb Says… Thumbs up!
Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers (SNES, 1995)
Power Rangers is a simple side scrolling beat up the bad guys kind of game. Much like any Ninja Turtles games, or Double Dragon games. The game itself is a bit bland, uneventful and very forgettable, not to mention short. It only takes about two hours or so to get to the end bosses where the game becomes a fighting game where you control the Megazord against a couple super sized monsters. And then it ends, shows some credits and yeaah that’s pretty much it. This game really has no replay value what so ever, as the only time I’ve ever replayed it was because it was so forgettable that I had totally forgotten how short and boring it actually was.. not so good times
Captain Eric’s Super Thumb Says… Thumbs down
The Simpsons: Bart’s Nightmare (SNES, 1993)
The huge phenomena known as The Simpsons has spawned quite a few games, some good, some bad. This game is a bit unique in my opinion. You are Bart Simpson and your mission is to collect your pages of homework that have flown out your window while you sleep. To do this you navigate the streets of Springfield looking for these magical papers. Now navigating the streets is no easy task! There are all sorts of things in your way such as bullies, fairies that turn you into frogs, bouncing balls, bouncing heads, jazz musicians, the works! Once you find the paper you jump on to it.. leading to some games inside the games. These are a few different games, each having its own colored door in the paper, that you must complete to save Bart. This games range from being Bartzilla and wreaking havoc on Springfield to being chased by Itchy and Scratchy. The games are pretty fun and there is lots of verity, though you can run around for a pretty long time without actually beating one. It becomes a rather challenging game as the homework games can go on for quite a while themselves but it does hold your interest and even if you keep getting your ass kicked.. its always nice to shoot lasers out of your eyes as Bartzilla.
Captain Eric’s Super Thumb Says.. Thumbs up!
Clay Fighter (SNES,1993)
Clay Fighter always seemed to be a better concept in theory then in execution. When you heard about it you really thought it was going to be something special, however it turned out to be a duller version of Street Fighter. Clay Fighter is a 2D fighter that tries to be a 3D fighter with its claymated characters. The controls are ok for simple kicking and punching and such or whatever you call what some of their strange characters do, however, trying to execute any sort of special attack is always a challenge, and never offers up much reward. Clayfighter does offer a nice range of characters and levels but beyond that it just feels like a slower version of every other 2D fighter I have played.
Captain Eric’s Super Thumb Says.. Thumbs down
And there you have it! Three up and two down, not too bad for the first edition of what will undoubtedly become the most popular article GAMECOLA has ever known.
