A 03

 
Air Fortress
 

HAL Laboratory

September 1989

Action

1 Player

It's rough around the edges, but Air Fortress is still worthwhile thanks to its successful fusion of two entirely different game styles.  You'll start the game riding on a space scooter, blasting enemies and collecting power-ups in anticipation of the action sequences.  Here, you'll strap on a jet pack and search for the power core inside a maze-like space station.
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Airwolf
 

Acclaim

June 1989

Flight Sim

1 Player

Acclaim's adaptation of the short-lived television series takes the high-flying arcade action of games like Afterburner, and introduces missions which give the gameplay more depth and purpose.  You'll not only be shooting down jets, but rescuing hostages and blowing up airfields as well.  Rough graphics are the weak link in this otherwise solid title.
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Al Unser Jr.'s Turbo Racing
 

Data East

March 1990

Racing

1 Player

It's your typical F1 racing game, with a twist... after you've shifted into high gear, you can kick it up another notch by using a turbo boost.  When that flame shoots out of your tailpipe, you'll shoot past the other racers and straight toward the finish lane!  You'll need that advantage, too, because this game is hella tough, with aggressive racers and twisting tracks.
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Alfred Chicken
 

Mindscape/Twilight

February 1994

Action

1 Player

It may have been released late in the life of the NES, but Alfred Chicken is a surprisingly good action platformer, with impressive level design and a wide assortment of clever abilities for the main character.  The star of the game, a tiny rooster, can peck away at switches and dive beakfirst into enemies... sticking out of the ground like a lawn dart if he misses.
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Alien 3
 

LJN/Probe

March 1993

Action

1 Player

The only thing worse than being stuck on a prison planet with your head shaved and infested with lice is having your innards used as an incubator for a bunch of expecting space monsters.  Your only hope is Ripley... can she blow away your captors with her arsenal of weapons and rescue you before it's too late?  Who knows.  You'll have fun finding out, though.
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All-Pro Basketball
 

Vic Tokai

December 1989

Sports

1-2 Players

Vic Tokai was best known for quirky but surprisingly fun action games like Clash at Demonhead and Golgo 13: Top Secret Episode.  When you play All Pro Basketball, you start to understand why they usually didn't stray far from that path.  If you like your hoops with cheating opponents and a disorienting view of the action, you'll want a front row seat for this one.
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Alpha Mission
 

SNK

October 1987

Shooter

1 Player

While most overhead shooters are content to let you power up a single weapon, Alpha Mission gives you nearly a dozen of them, ranging from flamethrowers to high-powered laser cannons.  What more could a guy possibly want?  Well, a lot less slowdown would be nice.  More detailed graphics and a less cryptic power up system would make this game more appealing, too.

TO BE CONTINUED...?  Alpha Mission 2 was released for the Neo-Geo, an arcade-quality game system that packed a lot more punch than the NES... but also carried a much bigger price tag. 
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Amagon
 

Sammy/Vic Tokai

April 1989

Platform

1 Player

You won't see anything in Amagon that hasn't already been done better in a dozen other platformers on the NES.  However, there are two things about this sloppily designed Sammy release that redeem it.  First, it's TOUGH.  Secondly, the power up system forces the player to make careful decisions with their limited resources, lending some strategy to the gameplay.

OTAKU ALERT!  This incredibly strange action game was actually released by Vic Tokai in Japan.  They probably would have released it in the United States as well if they hadn't reached the six game limit Nintendo put on third party developers in the late 1980's.
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