Taito

November 1988

Action

1-2 Players

Bubble Bobble represents a more innocent time in the history of video games, back when it was perfectly fine to hop through brightly colored stages, capturing enemies in bubbles rather than blowing them away with hand grenades and machine guns.  Those were good times, and you're sure to agree when you play this solid NES port of the endlessly fun Taito arcade game.

Taito

August 1993

Action

1-2 Players (alt)

The backgrounds are more detailed, Bub is larger and better animated, and there's a new cast of characters... yet somehow, Bubble Bobble II is less entertaining than the previous game.  The massive selection of items has been cut in half in this NES exclusive sequel, and the color palette is even more limited, with an overreliance on light greens and blues.

Konami

January 1992

Action

1 Player

If you like your shameless Mega Man clones with obscure cartoon characters and cheap one hit deaths, have we got a game for you!  It's Bucky O'Hare, a science fiction platformer based on a short-lived animated series.  If you can handle the game's sadistic level design, you'll be rewarded with an intense, bass-heavy Konami soundtrack and four unlockable characters.

FAST FACT:  Here's one for the "Before They Were Stars" file!  According to the GameSetWatch web site, Masato Maegawa was the lead developer of this game.  Maegawa would eventually leave Konami to start Treasure, an independent game studio responsible for cult hits like Radiant Silvergun and Gunstar Heroes.  Special thanks to Freakservo for pointing this out.

Kemco

September 1990

Action

1 Player

The wascally wabbit's second NES game is a generic side-scrolling platformer that's heavy on the product placement and light on the production values.  The characters are tiny, the animation is appallingly cheap, and the action is as cliche'd as it gets, with Bugs diving into rabbit holes instead of pipes and collecting carrots rather than coins.

Kemco

August 1989

Action/Puzzle

Players

Tired of being upstaged by their smarmy co-star, the Warner Bros. characters have turned against Bugs Bunny, hunting him down in a castle filled with secret doorways and comical traps.  As Bugs, you must collect the carrots in every room, while dropping safes and buckets on the heads of your jealous rivals.  It's a unique concept, but not a particularly enjoyable game.

FAST FACT:  When it was first released in Japan, this game starred an entirely different rabbit... namely, the tightly wound, baggy pants-wearing star of Who Framed Roger Rabbit?.  This wouldn't be the last time the star of Crazy Castle would be replaced.  Kemco gave Bugs Bunny the old heave-ho and substituted him with Woody Woodpecker when they released Crazy Castle 4 for the Game Boy Advance.

Vic Tokai

December 1988

Action

1-2 Players

Like many arcade "conversions" on the NES, Bump 'n Jump takes major artistic liberties with the original, resulting in an entirely different experience.  In the case of Bump 'n Jump, these changes give the racing action more depth and personality.  You'll still be ramming cars off the road and leaping over chasms, but this time, it's with a late 1980's flair.

Taxan/Kid

March 1990

Shooter

1 Player

It's clear that a lot of work was put into this shooter, but for some reason, it doesn't grab hold of you the way that classics like Gun*Nac or Life Force do.  Perhaps it's got something to do with the shrill music, or the plain backgrounds, or the generic weapons.  Despite these shortcomings, the game is competantly designed, and the omnidirectional firing is a big plus.

Data East/Namco

May 1987

Action

1-2 Players (alt)

It's surprising how rough and unpolished the NES translation of Burgertime is in comparison to conversions on much older game systems.  The control in particular is a mess... while on ladders, Peter Pepper must position himself perfectly to perch on precariously placed platforms (and pick a pack of pickled peppers).  Plus (sorry), the graphics are poorly drawn and colored.

FAST FACT:  There's actually a fast food restaurant chain called Burger Time in the southern United States!  The first restaurant opened its doors in 1987, five years after the release of the Burgertime arcade game.