Taito

December 1992

Action

1 Player

As George Jetson, humble working man from a strange and distant future, you must stop rival corporation Cogswell Cogs from building smog-producing, environment-ruining factories on other planets.  You'll throw boxes, leap onto moving platforms, and reduce Cogswell's best robots to piles of scrap in this formulaic side-scroller with appropriately goofy artwork and animation.

Ubisoft/NMS

November 1993

Sports

1-2 Players

You'd think a professional tennis player like Jimmy Conners would deserve a better game than this.  There are two big problems with Jimmy Conners Tennis.  The first is that the graphics are pretty dull, with stiff and lifeless animation.  On top of that, the gameplay lacks depth, and the computer opponent's defense is impenetrable, even on the easiest difficulty setting.

Data East/Elite

December 1992

Action

1-2 Players

You've gotta give the programmers credit for trying, but an advanced arcade game like Joe and Mac, with its enormous bosses and stunning use of color, is a little out of the Nintendo Entertainment System's league.  The gameplay in this port of the prehistoric platformer has been preserved, but that was never really one of the arcade game's strengths.

Tradewest/Rare

March 1989

Sports

1-2 Players

It's the battle of the gridiron robots in this conversion of the Leland arcade title.  All the players look like they belong in a 1960's science-fiction film, and their stiff-legged marching takes a lot of the thrill out of the game.  The computer opponents are relentless, but at least you can guide the path of the ball before you throw it... if you get the chance.

Milton Bradley/Rare

August 1989

Sports

1-2 Players

Two of the sport's greatest players go head to head in a marathon battle to determine who's best.  Choose either Michael Jordan or Larry Bird and take it to the rim in this competant basketball title with large, well drawn characters.  The wide variety of play modes (including slam dunk and three point contests) compensate for the gameplay's lack of depth.

Sunsoft

September 1990

Action

1 Player

Sunsoft packed some of the best music they've ever written into this game... you'll be thrashing your head to awesome rock tunes and chewing your nails to the quick when the boss theme adds even more tension to a tough battle.  The futuristic graphics are very nice too, but the predictable run 'n gun gameplay is the weak link in this otherwise solid chain.

FAST FACT:  Journey to Silius was originally planned as a game based on the film Terminator... until companies like Acclaim and Virgin stole the license away from Sunsoft.  Too bad the creators of Blaster Master couldn't travel to the past to reclaim it!

HAL Laboratory

October 1988

Action

1-2 Players

That beloved arcade classic makes its comeback on the NES.  Hal Labs did a better job with this conversion than either Defender II or Millipede... the control is a bit slippery and the colors don't leap off the screen the way they should, but the game plays well, with nearly all the wing flappin', buzzard battlin', pterodactyl dodgin' action of the arcade game.

Virgin

August 1994

Action

1 Player

This game offers the bare necessities found in versions of The Jungle Book for more advanced game systems, plus a whole lot more.  You'll be impressed by the quality of the animation... when Mowgli swings from vines, he really swings, baby!  On top of that, there are spunky 8-bit renditions of the film's best songs, along with open level designs that encourage exploration.