Thursday, September 22, 2011

SPC Quickies Volume Ten - 3DS Ambassador Edition Part Two

Two weeks ago we examined half of the Ambassador line of NES games Nintendo provided early adopters for the Nintendo 3DS. Today we conclude our examination of the ten NES titles with Volume Ten of the SPC Quickies. We have five more games to briefly review including Donkey Kong Jr., Ice Climber, Wrecking Crew, Balloon Fight, and Yoshi. Those who have no clue whatsoever as to how Quickies are reviewed, here's the scoring guidelines:

5 - Fantastic

4 - Great

3 - Fair

2 - Poor

1 - Awful


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Donkey Kong Jr.


The roles have reversed! Mario has put Donkey Kong in a cage, and it's up to Donkey Kong Jr. to free the loveable ape. This game utilizes a four level cycle where players go through four levels until the entire rotation repeats itself over and over until the player loses all their lives. This junior-sized gorilla has new tricks in his repertoire including the ability to climb and swing on vines as well as drop fruit onto the heads of enemies. Sadly, the drop-two-feet-and-you-die clause is still here and in effect which makes for some frustrating gameplay. If you can stomach these problems, then Donkey Kong Jr. might be a decent replacement to the original Donkey Kong.

[SuperPhillip Says: 3/5]


Wrecking Crew


Mario takes up a demolition gig in the underrated Wrecking Crew. The object of Wrecking Crew is to obliterate everything from iron girders to ladders while avoiding the indestructible enemies that plague each single-screen room. To dodge these precarious foes, Mario must enter doors and change levels at the drop of a hat as these aforementioned foes can dish out major trouble in the form of fireballs. Enemies, too, can enter doors, and for a brief amount of time they will cast a harmless shadow in the background as they move to another location. After everything that can be destroyed has been eviscerated, Mario moves onto the next stage. Addicting as it is puzzling, Wrecking Crew is a welcomed addition to the lineup of NES Ambassador classics.

[SuperPhillip Says: 4/5]


Ice Climber


Traverse your way up thirty-two different mountains in Ice Climber. The goal of the game is to use the heroic duo's hammers to chip away at the various blocks and enemies the game puts before the player. There's eight levels to ascend on each mountain, and each gets more challenging than the last. Then there's the baddies to watch out for from condors to sunglasses-wearing polar bears. The controls feel a little slippery and take getting used to, but that's to be expected from a game where you're sliding around on ice. The game can get a bit repetitive and monotonous after a while, but those who persevere will find an enjoyable game in Ice Climber.

[SuperPhillip Says: 3/5]


Balloon Fight


Balloon Fight is an entertaining enough game where players must travel around a single screen, popping the balloons of enemies, sending them to the shark-infested waters below. Just don't fly to close to the sea yourself, or you'll get bit! Enemies who don't fall in the water and arrive on land can blow back up their lost balloons, coming back stronger than ever. Competing for high scores is the main attraction here, and Balloon Fight is an engaging romp. Everything from the simplistic visuals against a night sky to the catchy main theme, Balloon Fight is a decent game for those interested.

[SuperPhillip Says: 3/5]


Yoshi


This puzzler was one of the first introductions of everyone's favorite ride-able dinosaur, Yoshi. The titular character needs Mario's help to match two enemies of the same type to clear them away and score points. Sometimes the bottom of an egg will fall into place. Only the top half will fit and clear that away for points, too. Yoshi is a puzzle game that is as simple as it gets. There's really little depth to be had, but if you have a little free time to spare, you can get a game of Yoshi in whether you're riding the bus, train, or subway to work or just biding time for class. Regardless, Tetris and Planet Puzzle League this game is not. It's just too simple for my liking.

[SuperPhillip Says: 2/5]


We're all finished with our viewing of Nintendo's NES Ambassador offerings. Stay tuned in the coming weeks for another installment of the SPC Quickies!

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