Mindscape/System 3

February 1991

Action

1 Player

I'm not convinced that this game has anything to do with the Conan film series.  With its crazy thirty foot high jumps and its rocky, blocky playfield, it could just as easily be a video game re-enactment of the first moon landing.  Whatever this is, it's no fun to play thanks to a stupid control scheme that makes Conan do exactly the opposite of what you tell him.

FAST FACT:  This was actually a conversion of a Commodore 64 computer title called Myth!  The two games are remarkably similar in a number of ways, but there's one major difference.  Myth is cited as one of the best games released for its host system, while Conan... isn't.

Vic Tokai

March 1990

Strategy

1-2 Players

If you're looking for a strategic military simulation with plenty of technique, tons of firepower, and a soundtrack you'll swear was stolen from a Latin ballroom, brother have we got a game for you!  It's Conflict, a Vic Tokai release that's quite a departure from the company's usually lighthearted fare.  There are no cute and quirky characters; just soldiers battling on interconnected hexagons.

Asmik

November 1990

Action

1 Player

It looks like just another side-scrolling platformer, and for the most part, it is.  However, Conquest of the Crystal Palace features one thing that really makes it stand out... a canine sidekick.  Zap is fiercely faithful, tackling your enemies even at the risk of his own personal safety.  This, along with the picturesque Chinese setting, elevates this game above the norm.

Konami

February 1988

Action/Shooter

1-2 Players

Crack those knuckles and grab that machine gun, because it's time to take out a whole army of alien soldiers in Contra.  This brutally hard shooter paved the way for dozens of other games, but there are some features in Contra that the imitators haven't copied... like a behind-the-back view of the action when your muscle-bound heroes infiltrate enemy strongholds.

Konami

September 1992

Action/Shooter

1 Player

When is a Contra game not a Contra game?  When it's Contra Force.  This spinoff trades the lightning fast action of previous Contra titles for more complex gameplay and a diverse cast of characters.  On the down side, the less aggressive enemies and a power-up system straight out of Gradius rob Contra Force of the intensity that made the last two games so exciting.

Ocean

June 1993

Action

1 Player

Does a raunchy film like Cool World even belong on a system like the NES?  After playing this, I'd have to say no.  I couldn't follow the plot, but the gameplay goes something like this... you find a pen, use it to vacuum up cartoon enemies, then deposit them into randomly placed inkwells when the pen is full.  It's even less fun than it sounds.

Romstar

January 1992

Action

1-2 Players

Cowboy Kid may be set in the Old West, but the chubby Japanese characters make this game as authentic a Southwest experience as salsa made in New York City.  Nevertheless, it is playable, with a fair amount of variety to help offset the simplicity of the gameplay.  The music's not bad, either... it does a better job of selling the setting than the graphics ever could.

Technos

October 1992

Sports

1-2 Players

The name might not sound familiar, but Crash, or Kunio as he's known in Japan, has starred in his fair share of Nintendo games, including the excellent River City Ransom.  This time, he's challenging a rival high school to a series of contests that encourage poor sportsmanship... for instance, in the swimming event, your goal is to drown your opponent!