Taito

August 1994

Action

1 Player

Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble have lost their kids, and it's up to the kooky cavemen to rescue them before their wives come home and clobber them with stone rolling pins.  This game captures the look of the cartoon series, but the chance to play as both Fred and Barney, each with their own abilities, is what makes this otherwise ordinary side-scrolling platformer fun.

Taito

August 1989

Fighting

1 Player

This is really two games in one... the only problem is, one of the games is a lot more enjoyable than the other.  While competing in fighting tournaments, you can exploit holes in your enemy's defense, throw your sparring partner, and even perform bone-crushing super moves!  This makes up for the side-scrolling journeys, full of easily dispatched goons and lame bosses.

Culture Brain

February 1991

Fighting

1-2 Players

There's good news and bad news about this sequel to the innovative fighting game Flying Dragon.  The good news is that the graphics are more detailed, the characters are larger, and the storyline has more meat to it.  The bad news is that the side-scrolling action scenes are still here, made even more annoying with stiff jumping control and a buttload of pits to fall into.

Seta

November 1990

Racing

1 Player

You can tell from the model of your car alone that this game isn't going to be great... that boxy jalopy has no business being on the road, much less racing.  Bland graphics, predictable rivals, and absolutely miserable sound make it even more clear that Built to Win well, isn't.  However, the customization options and cute anime babes do make it tolerable.

Bandai

July 1991

Action

1 Player

When Frankenstein's grave gets hit by lightning, the towering golem comes back to life and steals a bride from a nearby village.  To rescue the lass, you'll have to fight your way through linear stages full of, uh, water fleas... and mutant anteaters?  The audiovisuals are OK, but the overall game feels contrived and (dare I say it?) stitched together.

Sunsoft

April 1988

Light Gun

1-2 Players (alt)

Freedom Force teaches us that nothing's more fun to blast with your Zapper than terrorists!  This is one of the best light gun games on the system, and certainly the most intense.  You'll sweat bullets as doors pop open, revealing both dangerous hijackers and their hostages.  There are also intense bonus rounds, best described as Wheel of Fortune with firearms.

LJN

February 1989

Action

1 Player

The only thing scarier than the films is the horror of finding this immensely frustrating game in your NES!  As one of six different camp counselors, you've got to rescue kids from the marauding, and damn near impossible to kill, Jason.  He's armed with huge muscles and an axe.  You've got a handful of stones.  You can tell how this is gonna go.

Hi-Tech Expressions

January 1991

Action

1-2 Players

You probably don't remember the game show hosted by J.D. Roth, but this fun and innovative overhead view action game will definitely stick with you.  You'll race against the clock in a series of cleverly designed rooms, picking up coins, slipping past obstacles, and tossing balls at targets.  You'll have a blast with Fun House... once you get the hang of the wacky control.

FAST FACT:  Part game show emcee, part children's show host, J.D. Roth has had a long history of flirting with the video game industry. Along with Fun House, he was the host of GamePro TV, one of the few television series exclusively devoted to video games in the early 1990's.  He also wrote several guest reviews for the magazine of the same name.