Nintendo

June 1986

Action

1-2 Players (alt)

Mario and Donkey Kong switch roles in this sequel to the blockbuster arcade game.  This time, the plumber's the villain, holding Donkey Kong in a cage while sending wild animals and animated bear traps after you, the captive gorilla's son.  The vine-filled jungle setting means that you'll need to do a whole lot of climbing to free your father from Mario's clutches.

Nintendo

October 1985

Education

1-2 Players

It's Mortal Kong-bat as Donkey Kong Jr. and his sister compete to solve math problems by adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing numbers scattered throughout the screen.  The gameplay does feel like Donkey Kong Jr., with the same emphasis on climbing.  However, without most of the original game's fun features, Donkey Kong Jr. Math doesn't add up to a good time.

GameTek/Rare

April 1990

Game Show

1-2 Players

That icky, sticky game show we all loved as children fares pretty well on the NES.  GameTek's video game version of Double Dare is very faithful to the Nickelodeon television series, with silly questions and a close cartoon likeness of Marc Summers.  The physical challenges aren't as fun or frantic as they could have been, though, relying on timing more than anything else.

FAST FACT:  Unbelievably, Double Dare host Marc Summers was an obsessive-compulsive with an irrational fear of getting dirty.  Either he picked the wrong show to host, or he signed on hoping to get some free immersion therapy.

Tradewest/Technos

June 1988

Fighting

1-2 Players

OK, so it's not a perfect translation of the arcade game.  The two player action is restricted to a special versus mode, and most of your attacks have to be earned with experience points.  Then there's the issue of the magical vanishing weapons... hey, I was using that baseball bat!  Still, this is a really enjoyable fighting game... it's fun to play, the graphics are loaded with detail (especially in the versus mode), and the levels offer plenty of variety.

Acclaim/Technos

January 1990

Fighting

1-2 Players

Technos has taken a great fighting game and made it even better.  Double Dragon II has larger characters and the two player cooperative mode that was missing from the original.  There's also a new bi-directional combat system which helps you deal with enemies who try to sneak up behind you.  The new control scheme may be a little tricky to learn at first, but it's worth the effort.

Acclaim/Technos

February 1991

Fighting

1-2 Players

Oh, how the mighty have fallen.  Down a flight of stairs, out the window of a three-story building, and onto a barbed wire fence.  Double Dragon III is a crushing disappointment after the incredible Double Dragon II, with tiny, indistinctly drawn characters and unforgiving gameplay.  Sure, you can play as new heroes, but they hardly make up for the game's many flaws.

Konami

September 1987

Sports

1-2 Players

This early basketball game may have been a favorite of sports fans in the 1980's, but these days, it's really showing its age.  There's only a few teams, no customization options, and a computer opponent who loves to cheat.  You can't score baskets to save your life, but every time the OTHER team shoots for the hoop, it's nothin' but net, baby!

FAST FACT:  Double Dribble was best known for introducing dramatic cut scenes to sports games.  When you went in for a slam dunk, you'd be rewarded with a full screen animation of your player takin' it to the hoop.  Due to the system's color limitations, however, all the characters in these brief cinematics look like they should be given out at the Oscars, or sold by the Franklin Mint (they're made from fine pew-tah!).

FCI/Marionette

November 1988

Action/Adventure

1 Player

You won't be donning a tinfoil mask in this game.  That'd be Professor Chaos!  Instead, you'll explore the mansion of a mad scientist responsible for creating hundreds of bizarre monsters.  You'll usually see this house of horrors from a side view perspective, but there's also a 3D viewpoint which you'll use to uncover crucial items.  The bosses are the only thing in this strange hybrid of Goonies II and The Legend of Zelda II that make much of an impression.