Retro Nintendo Gaming

Here is my list of old Nintendo games defeated, destroyed, where princess' were rescued, top notch villains taken down a peg with my superior jumping skills and button mashing. The reason I love playing the old NES games is because they're tough to beat--not every game has multiple continues and lives until you eventually beat the game like in today's gaming world. You had to put in some serious time with the old games, learn through trial and error, and get a bit of help from Nintendo Power or the NES Advantage. Please share some of the games you've beaten or what you're working on now. There are two games I don't think I"ll ever beat and they are Ghosts 'N Goblins and Ninja Gaiden. They're impossible and anyone who says they've beaten them is a liar.

Super Mario Bros. was the sole reason I needed to own a Nintendo as a kid and the first game I beat. I still love playing this game today. Most games, after I've beaten them, go back to the shelf to look pretty in my collection. But Super Mario Bros. is a perfect pick-up-and-play game where if I've only got 5-10 minutes to kill I'm playing it to stomp some Goombas and get flushed down some warp pipes. And also wonder why Toad is wasting my time sending me through all these castles to find the princess.

Super Mario Bros. 2 is so different from the original it's hard to believe it's a Mario game. (Actually, it isn't. It's really the Japan Famicon game Doki Doki Panic and was redesigned to feature Mario, Luigi, Toad, and the Princess in the US. Japan's version of Super Mario Bros. 2 is nearly identical to the first game but incredibly more difficult.) The characters and smooth jumping controls are what make this game rock. Luigi can jump a mile high, the Princess can fly/glide a short while--each character had their own strengths. Toad could dig to China in a matter of minutes. Mario has a combination of everyone's strengths. This is my favorite Super Mario game from the NES era, and I'm hoping Nintendo will one day return to SubCon and remake it like they did with New Super Mario Bros. Wii. I love chucking around the Shy Guys. I'm considering forming a petition to bring back Wart!

This game took me awhile to beat. But thanks to watching the crapfest movie The Wizard and learning where to get warp whistles I was able to defeat the game. I'm still in awe that Jimmy from the movie, who had never played SMB 3 before, knew exactly where to crouch and drop down to get the warp whistle in level 1-3. Especially since there was a timer and no time for exploring. I beat this one as a kid using warp whistles and then again as an adult when it became available on Virtual Console, this time without the whistles. The new suits in this game were awesome instead of the same old fire power or star Mario power-ups. Super Mario Bros. 3 debuted the Frog Suit, Hammer Bros. Suit, and Tanooki suit (my favorite). The Tanooki suit has made a sweet comeback in Super Mario 3D Land on the Nintendo 3DS. The mini-bosses were another addition that energized gameplay in this game where you need to jump and stomp the Koopalings 3 times before they are KO'd. Make sure you have a few P Wings at the end of this game, those ships in level 8 are insane.







One uppercut from Mike Tyson in the first minute and thirty seconds and Little Mac is blasted to the canvas. When this game first came out in 1987, nobody could get past the first round with Tyson, or even get to him without using the code 007-373-5963. The dude was lights out. I gave up. Then maybe five years later I was feeling a bit nostalgic and popped in the cartridge, even blew in it a few times for good luck. I was prepared to get my ass handed to me, but for some reason I dodged the bombardment of uppercuts during that first minute and a half without a knockdown, I even sent Tyson sprawling to the floor during that first round. Then came the intermission, I had enough health so I didn't need to pound Select. Doc just told me to "Join the Nintendo Fun Club! Mac." I was now at ease with his sage advice. Round 2 commenced and Tyson was trying to plow through me, I dodged, took my shots and knocked him down again. At this point I was just praying the game wouldn't reset and that I wouldn't have to endure another barrage of uppercuts. The power stayed on but uppercuts got me and Little Mac buckled to the floor. At the end of Round 2 I had Doc rub Little Mac's shoulders by mashing the Select button, it was a bit creepy but for extra health Mac will do anything. I took down Big Mike two more times and got knocked down once. The final bell rang--I awaited the decision. Little Mac is champion! Is it sad that this is one of my greatest achievements? I know it is but I don't care. I beat Mike Tyson. Three more bouts later I TKO'd the sonuvabitch. Word up.



















The first time I beat Top Gun I cheated--somewhat. If you fly in the upper right hand corner the entire mission you will avoid all enemy planes and missiles. But you still need to land the plane--which is difficult but not impossible like other gamers tend to believe. Don't pay so much attention to the commands of UP! UP! or RIGHT! RIGHT!. Use the force, Luke, trust your feelings. The only thing this game was sorely lacking was a kick-ass volleyball scene and flex-athon.



I loved Goonies II when I was a kid and desperately wanted to beat it. Goonies was and still is one of my all time favorite movies, but sadly I could never beat the game back then. There was too much back and forth between rooms, and no save game feature, so you'd have to leave the Nintendo on for days on end. But now as an adult, and self proclaimed Nintendo Nerd, I have finally conquered it. I will admit that towards the end of the game I went to my favorite video game walkthrough site GameFaqs.com for help. This is one of the weirdest games I've ever played chockful of dragons, eskimos, the pig creature Konamiman, and to top it all off a topless mermaid Annie. Don't get excited, there's nothing to see, it's a blank chest but she is obviously not wearing a top. This game was fun to play traveling back and forth between houses and basements, even a cool level underwater with a harpoon, but you really don't need to fight enemies at all throughout this game. Just here and there on the minor ones to collect keys and bombs. I can still hear the 8-bit Cyndi Lauper song "Good Enough" in my head...and that's not a bad thing, the music in this game rocks.

If you love old school Nintendo, come visit my retro gaming site The NES Nintendo Nerd. You'll find reviews, NES memories, and a unhealthy love for the 80's.