Nintendo

March 1987

Sports

1-2 Players

Sock it to me...?  Er, no thanks.  The first soccer game on the NES is playable, but far from outstanding.  Not only are the computer opponents as dumb as dirt, but the gameplay is so slow and the control so stiff that it's hard to enjoy yourself, even after you've sent the ball streaking past the dimwitted CPU-controlled goalie and into the net for the fifth time.

Tradewest/Rare

September 1990

Action

1 Player

If you like your shooters a little different from- and a lot harder than- than the rest, Solar Jetman was made for you.  In this release, you'll carefully guide a tiny rocketship through the craggy caverns of a series of planets, collecting items and weapons.  Things get brutal when the gravity pulls you down faster than Bill Gates' pants at a bully (or Linux) convention.

Tecmo

July 1987

Action/Puzzle

1 Player

What happens when you give Super Mario Bros. a more cerebral spin?  You get Solomon's Key, arguably the best puzzle game on the NES.  As the diminuative wizard Dana, you'll use your elfen magic to conjure up blocks, trapping mythological beasts and building bridges to the key and door in each stage.  The challenge is high, but the gameplay is oh so very satisfying.

CSG Imagesoft/Software Creations 

June 1990

Action/Adventure

1 Player

When an evil wizard kidnaps a comely lass, planning to drain her youth and use it to strengthen his dark powers, it's up to you to save the girl and put an end to her captor's wicked plans.  In Solstice, you'll explore a vast isometric environment, solving tricky puzzles and casting spells with your collection of magic potions.  It's a good game, but man, is it long- and hard!

Absolute

November 1991

Action

1 Player

Space Shuttle Project dispenses with the complicated interfaces of early space shuttle simulations and gives the player a series of simple, arcade-style challenges.  Precisely timed button presses launch the ship into space, where you'll build space stations and set satellites into orbit.  Like in a real space shuttle launch, you're not given much room for error.

Broderbund/Irem

September 1987

Action

1-2 Players (alt)

In this port of the computer game, you'll explore a series of caves, hoping to collect the treasures held within them.  The caverns also hold great danger, but anything that can't be stunned with your flashlight can be blown up with bombs.  Spelunker's incredibly fragile hero ensures that it will remain buried under all your other NES cartridges for a long, long time.

LJN/B.I.T.S.

October 1992

Action

1 Player

Officially, the Sinister Six are a bunch of Spiderman's greatest foes, working together to squash the wallcrawler for good.  However, the six things YOU need to worry about while playing this game are as follows:  muddy graphics, unimpressive sound effects, mindless enemies, retread gameplay, awkward control, and a poor use of the Marvel Comics license.

Arcadia

September 1990

Strategy

1-2 Players

You're probably thinking that this is just crass 7*UP merchandise, but you'd be very, very wrong.  A lot of hard work went into this release, which borrows elements from classic board games like Othello and Checkers and throws in spectacular animated sequences that keep the gameplay fresh.  Half the fun of Spot is just watching your pieces move from square to square!