Taito

August 1987

Action/Shooter

1-2 Players (alt)

It's spy versus spies in this close conversion of the Taito arcade game.  You're the hero, hunting down documents in a building teeming with enemy agents.  If they get in your way, just blast 'em with your pistol, or squash 'em with the elevators which carry you from floor to floor.  The play mechanics are clever, but the game shows its age next to other NES shooters.

Electrobrain/Sculptured

November 1991

Racing

1-2 Players

Rad Racer may rule the road, but when it comes to racing on the open seas, Eliminator Boat Duel has no competition.  This game serves up some serious excitement with three different views of the action.  During each race, the camera shifts from a side view, to an overhead perspective, to an exhilirating behind the boat viewpoint with some of the best 3D effects on the NES.

JVC/Sculptured

March 1992

Action

1 Player

It's clear that the designers of The Empire Strikes Back were more interested in making the game an authentic recreation of the movie than making it fun to play.  It's got crisp digitized pictures of the cast, it's got stages based on scenes from the film, and it's got Darth Vader's famous death breaths.  What it DOESN'T have is tight control or intelligent level design.

Asmik

January 1990

Sports

1-2 Players

The player endorsements aren't just there for show.  Chris Everet and Ivan Lendl play a mean game of tennis on the NES as well as on the real-life court.  The control's a little slippery and the graphics are only average, but the game really does feel like tennis, whether you're playing a singles or a doubles match.  Clear voice digitization adds to the authenticity.

Nintendo

January 1985

Racing

1-2 Players (alt)

There's a strategic edge to this dirt bike racing game... when you leap off ramps, you've got to readjust the position of your motorcycle while in mid-air to land safely.  Like most of Nintendo's early NES translations, this isn't as good as the arcade game, but even with the dumbed down intermissions and slower gameplay, it's not too far behind.