GameTek

September 1991

Game Show

1-3 Players

Super Jeopardy! is an entirely different animal from the Jeopardy! games designed by Rare.  The contestants, with their wild hair and googly eyes, look like they stepped out of the Sunday funnies, and there are higher cash payouts for answers.  On the downside, the rough digitized sound effects grow tiresome quickly, as does the robotic voice of the host.

Nintendo

October 1985

Action

1-2 Players (alt)

Super Mario Bros. brought a new level of depth to video games, giving players the freedom to explore an entire world rather than trapping them in a single screen.  It also introduced fun play mechanics which encouraged players to experiment with their surroundings.  This game is so unique and addictive that it's no wonder it sold millions of Nintendo Entertainment Systems.

FAST FACT:  The arcade version of Super Mario Bros. was far more difficult than its NES counterpart.  Nintendo removed many of the hidden paths to the warp zones, and put holes in the staircases to prevent players from earning a bounty of extra lives by bouncing on the shells of hapless Koopas.

Nintendo

October 1988

Action

1-2 Players (alt)

Adapted from the Japanese game Doki Doki Panic, Super Mario Bros. 2 takes the series in a new direction, giving the player even more freedom of movement along with the ability to lift and throw nearly everything in sight.  Even players unsure about the new style of gameplay will be won over by the game's greatly improved audiovisuals and friendly cartoon atmosphere.

FAST FACT:  The Japanese received an entirely different Super Mario Bros. 2.  This massively difficult update to the first game featured sadistic level designs along with a nasty surprise in some blocks... poison mushrooms!  The game would later be released in America as part of the Super Mario All-Stars compilation for the Super NES.

Nintendo

February 1990

Action

1-2 Players

Just when you got used to the unique gameplay in Super Mario Bros. 2, Nintendo had to go and change things back to the way they were in the first game!  Don't fret, though... Super Mario Bros. 3 is still an exceptional title, with vibrant graphics, a huge variety of power-ups to collect, and the same gentle sense of humor that went into the design of Super Mario Bros. 2.

Nintendo

October 1985

Action/Light Gun

1-2 Players (alt)

This cartridge was packaged with most NES systems, making it the most common game available for the console.  Wherever you find NES games for sale, you can be sure that at least one copy of Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt will be included in the collection.  Anyway, both games on the cartridge play exactly the way they did when they were packaged seperately.

Nintendo/Bandai

December 1990

Action/Gun/Sports

1-4 Players

There's an added bonus in this collection of popular Nintendo video games... World Class Track Meet, the Power Pad sports title originally released by Bandai.  This makes the cartridge a bit more interesting than the more common Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt, which contains, well, just Super Mario Bros. and Duck Hunt.  Don't expect any hidden bonuses, though... every game on the cartridge is identical to previous releases.

Activision/Pony Canyon

November 1987

Action

1-2 Players (alt)

This game is amazing.  It's amazing that the designers have ported a classic like Pitfall to a far superior game system, and somehow made it worse than the original in every possible way.  The new Pitfall Harry looks like a second-rate Mario, and the gameplay follows suit, with some of the most ineptly designed and creatively bankrupt action you'll ever see on the NES.

Nintendo/Technos

February 1990

Sports

1-4 Players

Technos brings the crushing impact of their popular fighting games to a whole new arena... the sandy shores of the volleyball field!  Along with cleanly drawn backgrounds and a catchy soundtrack, Super Spike V'Ball features teams of beefy characters who slam the ball harder than any mere beach bum ever could.  Best of all, four players can share the excitement together.

FAST FACT:  If you're looking to add a little punch to your spikes, you'll want to include Billy and Jimmy Lee on your team.  The stars of the Double Dragon series make a guest appearance as players in Super Spike V'Ball.