Nintendo Archives

Welcome to
Nintendo
Archives
Few gaming developers will leave a legacy behind them as rich as Nintendo’s. Founded
in 1889, the Japanese giant started off selling all sorts of different things, including
Hanafuda playing cards and even a taxi service before it moved into videogames in
the mid Seventies, where it found great success with the release of Donkey Kong in
1981. Nintendo really hit it big with the release of its Famicom, or NES as it was known
outside of Japan, and great games such as Metroid, Super Mario Bros. and The Legend
Of Zelda quickly followed, becoming massive franchises in their own right.
The NES turned Nintendo into one of gaming’s biggest publishers, and as the likes of
Atari fell by the wayside, Nintendo grew ever more powerful. The company continued
to make waves by releasing innovative consoles like the Game Boy, the DS and the Wii,
all of which were worldwide success stories.
We’ve hand-picked the content of this book to reflect the best that Nintendo has had
to offer over the years, concentrating on its numerous home consoles and handhelds
and the greatest games that were released for them. If Nintendo’s games have ever
brought you joy, then you’ll find this tome to be an essential read.
In association with magazine

Nintendo
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© Nintendo
Nintendo Archives First Edition

© 2016 Future Publishing Limited
Part of the
bookazine series
42
08
Nintendo
Archives
Contents 28
38 44
8 THE BIG FEATURE: 44 THE BIG FEATURE: 30 MAGICAL 82 GREATEST GAME BOY GAMES
THE HISTORY OF NINTENDO MARIO MOMENTS Ever wondered what the best games for Nintendo’s
From the arcades to the Nintendo Wii U: we chart Key developers from all generations help relive legendary portable were? With this fantastic reader-
the dizzying highs and lows of one of gaming’s some of the greatest Super Mario Bros. moments of compiled list you can wonder no longer
most important and influential developers all time. How many did you experience?
88 RETRO REVIVAL:
18 THE BIG FEATURE: 30 YEARS OF 66 RETROINSPECTION: GATOR: REVENGE OF THE PINBALL
ENTERTAINMENT GAME & WATCH This quirky little spin-off to Capcom’s Ghosts ‘N
Masayuki Uemura explains how he helped create Damien McFerran speaks to key experts and Goblins series is well worth tracking down
Nintendo’s 8-bit console, the NES explains why you really should consider collecting
games for Nintendo’s first portable series 90 THE BIG FEATURE: PLAYING
28 GREATEST NES GAMES EVER WITH POWER
We asked readers to name their favourite games 72 PERFECT TEN: GAME & WATCH It’s been over 25 years since Nintendo released
for Nintendo’s 8-bit system. They didn’t disappoint If you’re planning to collect for the Game & Watch its 16-bit follow-up to the NES. Damien McFerran
and the end result is a selection of fantastic games then these are the releases you should consider reveals why the SNES remains one of gaming’s
looking for first
38 MAKING OF: BATTLETOADS best-loved consoles
Kev Bayliss explains how he helped create Rare’s 74 THE BIG FEATURE: CELEBRATING 100 TOP 25 SNES GAMES
answer to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles THE GAME BOY Interested in collecting games for Nintendo’s
42 RETRO REVIVAL: SLALOM It might not have had a colour screen, but it did have amazing 16-bit console? These classics are the best
a killer app… We reveal the story behind Nintendo’s place to start
It’s not the most well known of games, but that iconic handheld
doesn’t mean you should ignore this excellent NES
debut from Rare
6 | NINTENDO ARCHIVES
82
66 100 74
150
166
106 THE LEGACY OF FZERO 148 RETRO REVIVAL:

Key developers reveal how Nintendo’s 16-bit racer TUROK: DINOSAUR HUNTER
helped influence their own hi-tech racing games Love dinosaurs? Then you’ll love Acclaim’s
adaptation of the cult graphic novel
116 RETRO REVIVAL: SUPER SOCCER
Why you need to experience Human 150 THE BIG FEATURE: CELEBRATING
Entertainment’s Mode 7-based football game THE GAME BOY ADVANCE
118 THE BIG FEATURE: It only lasted five short years, but it made a big
impact on gamers. We take a look at the very last
NINTENDO’S MIDAS TOUCH console to be part of Nintendo’s Game Boy range
Nintendo 64 developers from Acclaim, Rare and
Blitz explain why Nintendo’s 64-bit console had a 158 TOP 25 GBA GAMES
host of killer games available for it All the best games for the Game Boy Advance,
including Advance Wars and WarioWare
134 TOP 25 NINTENDO 64 GAMES
From Super Mario 64 to Beetle Adventure Racing
166 THE BIG FEATURE: CELEBRATING
and Banjo-Kazooie, readers reveal their favourite THE GAMECUBE
games to grace the beloved N64 It may have ended up in third place, but Nintendo’s
GameCube is still a fantastic console
142 ULTIMATE GUIDE: SUPER MARIO 64
Discover why Nintendo’s first 3D Mario game is still 174 RETRO REVIVAL: RESIDENT EVIL 4
considered one of its finest examples of the series, Darran Jones reveals why Capcom’s horror sequel
and the genre in general left a lasting impression.
NINTENDO ARCHIVES | 7
The History of
THE HISTORY OF NINTENDO
Arguably the most famous videogame

company in the world, Nintendo has a long
history. Join Damien McFerran as he digs
deep into its past, present and future
T
he games industry has undergone
seismic levels of change over the
past few decades, but since the
Eighties one name has stood out
as a constant in the ever-shifting
sands of interactive entertainment: Nintendo. At
one point, Nintendo was a brand totally and utterly
synonymous with videogames as a medium, such was
the company's domination of the console market. Since
the glory days of the NES we've seen the Nintendo
rollercoaster dip and rise; systems like the SNES, Game
Boy and Wii have achieved the kind of critical and
commercial success that their rivals could only dream
of, while missteps such as the Virtual Boy and the Wii U
have proven that, despite its legendary status, Nintendo
is just as prone to mistakes as any other corporation.
Arguably one of the most influential companies
operating in the videogame space, Nintendo has sold
over 670 million units of hardware and 4.23 billion units
of software to date, and despite the less-than-stellar
performance of its most recent home console, is still a
creative force to be reckoned with. With the company
planning its next console and preparing to take its first
tentative steps into the world of smartphone gaming,
now is the perfect time to look back on its illustrious
history and chart the highs and lows which have made
Nintendo such an iconic and noteworthy challenger in
the interactive entertainment arena.
Before gaming
Nintendo may have joined the videogame industry
around the same time as companies such as Sega,
Namco, Taito and Atari, but it has a history that far
outstrips these firms – and every other major player
in the videogame arena. "Nintendo was founded in
1889 as manufacturer of playing cards," says Erik
Voskuil, founder of Before Mario, a site devoted to
covering Nintendo's early history. Established by
Fusajiro Yamauchi in Kyoto, the company would focus
almost exclusively on the production of Hanafuda
cards for the first 70-odd years of its life. By the Fifties,
Fusajiro's grandson Hiroshi had ascended to power
and became acutely aware that sticking with playing
cards was limiting Nintendo's potential for expansion.
He signed licensing deals with Disney to maximise the
appeal of its range, but by the Sixties sales had dipped
dramatically, forcing a rethink. "In an attempt to grow
business, Nintendo started branching out in a wide
range of other markets – mostly short-lived endeavours
including instant rice, a taxi company and opening
a 'Love Hotel' – before settling on toys and games,"
explains Erik. It would be the arrival of Gunpei Yokoi
in the Sixties that would take Nintendo in an exciting
new direction. "Yokoi provided Nintendo with its first resourceful as ever, Yamauchi proposed using the
original toys and laid the foundation for what would inventory for a new title, and the relatively inexperienced
Nintendo
eventually become known as Nintendo's approach to Miyamoto was tasked with creating the concept.
product design, practiced to this day," explains Erik. 1981's Donkey Kong was Nintendo's last throw of the
"It was no surprise that his design philosophy was dice, but thankfully it was a triumph and has gone on
Key Players embraced by Nintendo, as his inventions became

million-sellers, earning the company lots of cash to
to become one of the most famous videogames of all
time. "Donkey Kong was very important," states Erik. "It
fund further growth and more innovations." Yokoi's first was a huge arcade hit that established the company as
The key figures from Nintendo’s history best-seller – the Ultra Hand – was created during his a worldwide player in videogames and put Nintendo Of
initial role as a lowly maintenance engineer. "A lot of America on the map. The game design by Miyamoto
FUSAJIRO YAMAUCHI connections are often made to the early toys produced has been hugely influential in many ways, including
QYamauchi founded Nintendo in 1889 by Yokoi in the Seventies, such as the Ultra Machine," being the first platform game to use a jumping character
as a playing card business. The company says Nintendo Life's Thomas Whitehead. "His role in – a jumping character who evolved into one of the most
grew rapidly, expanding to nearby Osaka. catching the eye of President Hiroshi Yamauchi cannot enduring videogame icons." Erik is, of course, referring
Yamauchi would retire in 1929, leaving be overstated, effectively kicking off the move into to Mario, who has gone on to become one of the most
his son-in-law Sekiryo Kaneda in charge videogame entertainment." The Ultra Hand would be recognisable faces in entertainment.
of the business. He died from the effects of a stroke in 1940. the company's first million-selling product, and the
follow-up – a baseball pitching device called the Ultra The Golden Years
HIROSHI YAMAUCHI Machine – would be even more successful. The period Donkey Kong was a turning point for Nintendo, and
QThe grandson of Fusajiro Yamauchi, that followed was packed with invention and innovation, elevated the company's status in North America –
Hiroshi became the third president of with Yokoi dreaming up products which seemed to arguably the biggest market of them all for videogames.
Nintendo in 1947 and would guide the capture the imagination of people of all ages. 1969's Home conversions quickly followed on the popular
company away from playing cards Love Tester gave young couples the means to 'prove consoles of the period, earning Donkey Kong and its
and into videogames. the strength of their relationship', while the Kousenjuu
series of lightgun toys allowed the normally withdrawn
SHIGERU MIYAMOTO Japanese public to live out their cowboy fantasies in
QThe creator of some of the most iconic the comfort and privacy of their own homes. Despite
games – including Super Mario, Zelda some initial success, these products couldn't give
and Star Fox – Miyamoto joined Nintendo Nintendo the long-term commercial stability that it
in 1977 and his breakthrough success craved. Given the company's penchant for electronic
was the arcade smash-hit Donkey Kong. toys, it is unsurprising that when the home TV
gaming revolution began, Nintendo was one of the
GUNPEI YOKOI first Japanese firms to put a product on the market. It
QResponsible for some of Nintendo’s distributed the Magnavox Odyssey in 1974, and would
most successful ventures. He came up produce its own console – the Color TV-Game – three
with the Game & Watch, Game Boy and years later. It is at this point that an important figure
produced many famous games. He was enters the story. Design student Shigeru Miyamoto was
killed in a traffic accident in 1997. fresh out of college when he joined Nintendo in 1977,
and one of his first tasks was to design the casing for
MINORU ARAKAWA one of the Color TV-Game variants.
QHiroshi Yamauchi’s son-in-law and the
founder and former president of NOA,
Arakawa was instrumental in making Entering the arcade
the NES a success in the US. He is also While Nintendo's first forays into the world of domestic
credited with giving Mario his name. gaming were significant, the arcades were where
the real money was to be made at the time. Titles
HOWARD LINCOLN like Space Invaders and Pac-Man had turned into
QLincoln assisted Nintendo in its legal money-spinners, and Yamauchi was keen to muscle
case against Universal Studios in 1981. in on this lucrative market. Nintendo wasn't totally
He would join Nintendo in 1983, by 1994 wet behind the ears when it came to location-
he was chairman. He is the current CEO based entertainment, though. "Nintendo's first
of the Seattle Mariners baseball team. arcade games, launched at around the same time
as Atari's Pong in the early-Seventies, they weren't
SATORU IWATA videogames but electromechanical lightgun games
QIwata started as a programmer at HAL that incorporated film and later video footage," says
Laboratory. In 2000 he joined Nintendo Erik. "These were original games, based on Nintendo
and two years later assumed the role of own very early lightgun toys for use at home, but
company president. Iwata sadly passed had no commercial success." The company's first
away after a battle with cancer. true arcade title was EVR Race – designed by Genyo
Takeda, who is still with Nintendo today as a technology
TATSUMI KIMISHIMA fellow – and clones of Breakout and Space Invaders
QMintendo’s current president, followed. None of these gave the company the smash
Kimishima was president of NOA from hit Yamauchi wanted, and 1979's Radar Scope almost
2002 to 2006. His background is in proved to be the final nail in the coffin. The game had
banking, but he has been with performed well in Japan but had flopped in North
Nintendo since 2000. America – the market Yamauchi was desperate to
crack – and Nintendo was faced with the prospect
of disposing of unsold Radar Scope cabinets. As
» Nintendo found success in

its early years with devices
such as the Game & Watch and
tabletop systems.
Entering the
videogame market once it succeeded Nintendo had a monopoly for many
years. In this period playing videogames and playing
with a new system Nintendo were synonymous."
When Nintendo revealed its plans to repackage the
aer the big crash of The twin-screened units, preceding Nintendo's DS
Famicom as the NES for release in the west in 1985,
many assumed this upstart Japanese firm was crazy.
the early-Eighties was handheld by decades, seemed particularly futuristic at In North America, home consoles were seen as a dead
that time." Erik adds that gameplay was the driving force end, but Nintendo persevered and soon enjoyed a
a risky decision behind the success of this range. "They were playtested near-complete domination of the US market – a mirror
Erik Voskuil and fine-tuned until the result was a fun and challenging of its overwhelming triumph in Japan. It is during this
game," he says. "The graphic design and quality finish time that the company began a relationship with tiny
maker even more fame. Nintendo's next venture was also played a role. They looked desirable and provided a UK developer Rare. Paul – a Rare employee since
with games you could effortlessly slip into your pocket. lot of value, which attracted customers and made them 1988 – reveals that the company was set up to fully
Inspired by the sight of a businessman idly tapping away come back for more." The Game & Watch was also exploit the success of Nintendo's hardware in the US
at his pocket calculator while on the train to work, Yokoi notable for introducing the world to another innovation – and Japan. "Just as Ultimate Play The Game had largely
created the Game & Watch line in 1980. While they the Directional Pad, or D-pad as it is now known. Used been a success in the UK and was not hugely known
used crude LCD visuals and were limited in terms of on the 1982 Game & Watch adaptation of in those distant territories, so Rare was
scope, the range was a massive commercial success Donkey Kong, the pad has since become to conquer abroad where the NES was
and sold over 80 million units between 1980 and 1991. an ubiquitous feature on pretty much every strongest, and not have the visibility in
It also inspired a flood of copycat releases from the gaming controller you could mention. the UK that Ultimate did for a while," he
likes of Tiger and Bandai. "A lot of people were building Growing in confidence, Nintendo remembers. In the days before Nintendo
battery-powered handheld game systems, but they decided to push forward in the home invested in Rare, the latter used the
tended to revolve around rudimentary display hardware console arena with a new piece of former as a sort of guide for quality.
such as grids of LED lights," says Rare's Paul Machacek. hardware. 1983's Family Computer – or Whenever outside games were brought
"Whilst the images on the LCD screens that Nintendo Famicom as it was more commonly into the studio for inspection and analysis,
used were pre-baked rather than very low resolution known – launched just as the videogame Rare's founders – the legendary Stamper
software-driven pixels, they were immersive and industry in the west was about to implode. Brothers Tim and Chris – encouraged its
packed tightly enough to take you beyond noticing such The crash of 1983 destroyed consumer staff to have a hands-on with Nintendo's
limitations and really get engrossed in the gameplay. and retailer faith in home gaming, but offerings. "We largely only brought in
thankfully it didn't reach the shores of other titles on Nintendo platforms in the
Japan, where the Famicom became a early years because I think Tim and Chris
commercial success. By the end of the wanted everyone to see that market,
following year, it was the nation's most and understand what worked and why,"
popular home console. "Nintendo's first- continues Paul. "So we were all exposed
party titles were a big attraction – Super to a sort of Nintendo ethos – the Super
» Super Mario Bros. was a
huge success for Nintendo, Mario Bros., Zelda, Metroid – combined Mario series was the true ‘North Star’
and helped sell its NES with many fantastic third-party releases, that guided us."
console to the masses.
such as Final Fantasy, Dragon Nintendo would complement the
Quest and Mega Man," Erik all-conquering NES with the
comments. "Nintendo was also Game Boy in 1989, a handheld
lucky with the timing. Entering console which was a direct
the market with a new system successor to the aging Game
after the crash was risky, but & Watch line. Another
» A masterpiece in game
design. Little wonder you
all love it.
Nintendo as it was branded over here

in the West. In the
Regarded by some as Nintendo's
best console and one of the most Know
acclaimed home systems of all time, this 16-bit QThe actual meaning of the name
powerhouse played host to some of the period's ‘Nintendo’ is open to interpretation,
most critically-lauded videogames. Hits such as Super but a rough English translation is
Yokoi masterpiece, this portable system became Mario World, The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past, ‘leave luck to heaven’.
a cultural icon and must-have gadget, with many Secret Of Mana and EarthBound all followed, and when
comparing its popularity to that of Sony's Walkman. it became clear that 3D visuals were slowly overtaking QBefore videogames, Nintendo
However, as the Nineties dawned it was becoming 2D graphics in terms of popularity, Nintendo was smart tried to take on Lego with its own
abundantly clear that Nintendo no longer had the enough to make sure that the SNES could stay the range of building blocks, known as
global games market all to itself. Japanese rivals such course. It introduced the Super FX chip with 1993's Star the N&B Block.
as Sega and NEC launched viable challengers at the Fox, and gave the console a massive shot in the arm
end of the Eighties– such as the Mega Drive and PC in its battle against the Mega Drive. "Everything came QNintendo was once the sole
Engine – and these began to slowly but surely chew about because of a 3D demo I had developed for the Japanese distributor of the
away at the market share of Nintendo's 8-bit system. Game Boy," recounts Dylan Cuthbert, former Argonaut popular game Twister.
In the US, this encroachment was felt especially staffer who worked on the iconic title. "Jez San, my
keenly; an aggressive Sega attacked the NES via boss at the time, was showing the demo around at the QLawyer John Kirby – who helped
a combination of savvy marketing, licensed sports CES show in America and a Nintendo Of America exec Nintendo win the Donkey Kong
titles and arcade conversions, eventually managing saw it and realised the potential of new technology and court case – has a special place in
to become the nation's best-selling home console – hooked everything up very quickly to Nintendo Japan. Nintendo history. The character
an event which would have been unthinkable just a They flew us to Kyoto and we had lots of meetings, out Kirby was named in his honour.
few years previously. New blood was needed, and of one of which, the FX Chip was born." Dylan set up
it came in the form of the Super Famicom, or Super shop in Nintendo's Kyoto HQ for some time afterwards, QDonkey Kong was originally
supposed to star characters from
Popeye, but Nintendo failed to
Ten innovations Nintendo improved on secure the licence and Miyamoto had
to come up with a new concept.
How Nintendo helped shape the games industry
QNintendo owns the Seattle
DIGITAL CONTROL KIOSKS COULD WIRELESS DATA THE GAME THE GAME BOY Mariners baseball team.
QJoysticks were the input BE USED TO PUT TRANSFER BOY ADVANCE CAMERA
method for gaming of the NEW GAMES ON QThe GBC came with an IR EREADER QToday, we’re used to QHiroshi Yamauchi was
Seventies and Eighties, but OLD ONES port on the top which was QUsing special bespoke having a camera at all times Nintendo president for more
were too bulky to be used on QThe Famicom Disc System pretty much only useful for cards and the GBA e-Reader thanks to smartphones, but than half a century.
portable devices. Nintendo is another Japan-only one thing – exchanging data device, it was possible to back in the Nineties Nintendo
came up with the D-pad and peripheral, and Nintendo in the popular RPG Pokémon. access special content caused a storm by releasing QThe iconic NES Zapper is shaped
used it on the Game & Watch introduced kiosks which It was another example of for certain games. Sadly a monochrome snapper for like a real gun in Japan.
version of Donkey Kong – it allowed users to wipe discs Nintendo leveraging cheap the peripheral was not a the Game Boy. The pictures
has become an essential and write new games to and common tech in new and success, but the curio lives were terrible, but they have a QMario’s voice has been supplied by
control method ever since. them for a reduced fee. interesting ways. on as a collector’s item. strange appeal to them. actor Charles Martinet for 20 years.
QNintendo may be family friendly

today, but in 1970 it produced a
series of pin-up playing cards
featuring nude women.
QCurrent Nintendo Of America

president Reggie Fils-Aime
MEMORY REWRITE, NOT TOUCHSCREENS MOTION CONTROL AUTOSTEREO previously worked at Pizza Hut.
MANAGEMENT FADE AWAY QSure, touch panels existed SCOPIC 3D
QThe Wii might have been
QPC owners are used to QThe 64DD – or ‘Bulky Drive’ prior to the launch of the underpowered compared to QThe 3DS introduced QThe amazing sound chip inside
adding in RAM to improve as it was known – never saw DS, but Nintendo’s handheld its peers, but the inclusion of glasses-free 3D to the the SNES was designed at Sony, by
performance, and Nintendo release outside of Japan, really popularised the motion control helped set it masses in 2011, taking PlayStation creator Ken Kutaragi.
applied this to the N64. but the idea was genius. To technology, introducing it to apart in the console war at cutting-edge tech and
Demanding titles like Donkey combat the high cost of N64 a new generation of gamers the time. Nintendo opened planting it into the handheld. QNintendo Of America produced its
Kong 64, Perfect Dark and cartridges, 64DD games and paving the way for up gaming to casual players The New Nintendo 3DS own magazine during the NES era
Zelda: Majora’s Mask worked would come on magnetic smartphones and tablets. and sold over 100 million Wii refines the tech by using a named Nintendo Power, which only
with the 4MB RAM pack to discs which were cheaper consoles in the process. camera to sense the position recently closed in 2012.
offer better visuals. and could be written to. of the user’s head.
QNintendo’s taxi service – called
Daiya – was successful initially, but
succumbed to pressure from labour
unions and eventually closed.
QThe code-name for the N64

was Project Reality.
VIRTUAL BOY
0%
NES GAMECUBE
0% 30%
Wii U
GAMEPAD
7%
Your favourite
Nintendo controller
N64
16%
Wii
7%
and is ideally placed to explain what made the company
such a magical place during this period. "Nintendo was
a peak point," he says. "The cost of games development
was so low and teams so small, yet each game was
SNES
The cost 40%
selling millions and at quite a high price. It helped it have
a lot of freedom." Dylan also got the chance to work
of games alongside the legend that is Miyamoto. "It was a lot of
fun," he recounts. "We went to lunch with him every
development day for most of the development of Star Fox, primarily
because he wanted to learn English, I think. We were
was low and the quite a novelty for Nintendo at the time and probably
the first group of 'gaijin' to be located there for so long."
teams small, yet Argonaut and Nintendo arguably pushed the SNES to its
limits, and today Dylan has a soft spot for the console.
each game was "It was simple, and fairly easy to do a lot of interesting
things on," he smiles. "The sound chip was amazing at
selling millions the time, giving games a richness that was beyond the
simple sprites and colourful backgrounds."
Dylan Cuthbert
Franchise Starters The
Decline
Nintendo has created some of the industry’s most enduring games The success of the
SNES was tempered
THE LEGEND SUPER MARIO BROS. 21 slightly by the fact that
OF ZELDA 17
Nintendo now had a
powerful rival in the form
of Sega, which had pushed
Nintendo hard in the West. To
make things more complicated, other companies were
entering the arena with their own hardware. 3DO, Atari,
Philips and Sony all made inroads during this time and
Sega leveraged its arcade lineage to produce the 32-bit
Saturn, which used CD-ROM for game distribution.
Sony's PlayStation – a system born out of an earlier
agreement with Nintendo which was cancelled in
dramatic fashion when Nintendo decided to ditch Sony
at the last minute – also utilised CDs, and was perhaps
the most worrying rival for the veteran. Nintendo's new
METROID 11 console – the Nintendo 64 – was announced around the
same time but delayed until 1996, by which point both
Sony and Sega had gobbled up many consumers. While
its competitors switched to cheaper and higher-capacity
disc-based media, Nintendo stubbornly stuck with
cartridges, claiming that they avoided long load times
and prevented piracy. While both of these points were
true, carts were also expensive to produce and couldn't
hold as much data as a disc, and many publishers
PIKMIN 3 DONKEY KONG COUNTRY 12 FIRE EMBLEM 14 turned their backs on the console as a result – notably
Squaresoft, which switched development of Final
Fantasy VII from the N64 to the PlayStation. To make
matters worse, Nintendo's focus was weakened by the
Virtual Boy, the company's most noteworthy hardware
failure. Released in 1995, it tanked and Gunpei Yokoi
apparently left the company under a cloud of shame, his
legacy seemingly tarnished due to a single failure. He
would be tragically killed in a traffic accident in 1997.
FZERO 6 The N64 was host to some of the most influential
videogames of the time, such as Super Mario 64,
GoldenEye 007 and The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of
Time, but it failed to replicate the sales performance
of the NES and SNES. While former rival Sega
stumbled with the Saturn and eventually bowed out
of the hardware arena with the Dreamcast, Sony was
unstoppable, and its PlayStation became the NES of its
era. As the next console war loomed, Nintendo had to
MARIO KART 9 SUPER SMASH BROS. 4 deal with the presence of yet another challenger in the
form of Microsoft, which announced it was entering the
games arena with its own games console, the Xbox.
Nintendo's 2001 offering, the GameCube, was arguably
FAMICOM WARS /
ADVANCE WARS 9 PILOTWINGS 3 STAR FOX 7
» Many feel that Super

Mario 64 revolutionised 3D
gaming for the generation.
KIRBY 23 POKÉMON 22 WARIOWARE INC. 7
QIt restored faith in

consoles after the US
videogame crash
QIt was hands-on with

third-party games, ensuring
great quality.
QIt popularised portable

gaming with Game & Watch
» Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi
Tezuka have been instrumental to
and the Game Boy.
the success of Nintendo.
QIt kickstarted the trend
for accessories, peripherals
and hardware add-ons.
QIt introduced touch and

motion control to gaming.
QIt showed the importance

of strong mascots.
incredibly exciting, as we were marketing Nintendo

QIt made retro gaming
product to families and to older demographics, some
cool and accessible with its
of which may of never even thought to play a game
Virtual Console service.
before. We had a product in the Wii that was accessible
to the whole family and the DS had such a wide variety
QIt never blindly rushes a
of titles we could appeal to the 55+ demographic as
game to market.
successfully as we could kids. We were very lucky to
have such incredible products covering such a wide
» The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of
Light
the one and only time that the company has bowed Time highlighted the strengths of range of audiences at the time."
to industry trends and tried to produce hardware that Nintendo’s 64-bit console. For Thomas, the company's ethos of marrying
emulated that of its rivals. Aside from using smaller software with hardware really came to the fore at this
discs and the odd-looking controller, the GameCube
was dancing to the same tune as the PlayStation 2 and
point in time. "The funny thing is that this approach
didn't seem prominent in the NES and SNES era, but Side
Xbox, but with three systems on the market that did
the same thing, something had to give. The GameCube
arguably became more relevant with the N64, with
iconic games like Super Mario 64 utilising the controller Dark
Side
came in third after Sony and Microsoft's consoles, and technology in amazing ways," he says. "Particularly
despite offering some amazing games, like Super Mario since the Wii and DS era, this design approach
Sunshine and The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. » Chibi Robo started off life on the of producing hardware and software in tandem
GameCube and remains a surreal, yet has delivered some memorable, game-changing QIt monopolised the
Resurrection delightful game.
experiences. Nintendo made touch gaming popular industry during the NES era.
Although its handheld Game Boy range remained before smartphones rose to prominence on the DS,
dominant throughout the Nineties and early-Noughties, and had millions of 'non-gamers' playing Tennis on QIt introduced region
casting aside rivals such as the Sega Game Gear, Atari Wii Sports or doing exercise with the Wii on Wii Fit. It locking, a practice it
Lynx, Neo-Geo Pocket and Bandai WonderSwan, ultimately benefits customers because this approach supports to this day.
Nintendo was finding it hard to remain relevant in the can deliver distinct, wonderful entertainment, and it
home arena. However, its next home console would benefits Nintendo as it helps the company to stand out QIt stifled innovation
flip the industry on its head and ultimately emerge and maintain its own identity against its rivals." by taking legal action
» It didn’t launch with a Mario game,
victorious in the next console war. The Wii – joined by but Luigi’s Mansion was still fun to against companies like
Nintendo's already-successful handheld, the innovative play on your GameCube. Uncertain Future Codemasters.
dual-screen DS – established a new period of mobile While the Wii and DS have sold in excess of 250 million
gaming success for the firm. "I joined Nintendo UK units combined, Nintendo found that the market had QIt inflicted the headache-
» While the 3D could be gimmicky,
the week that Mario Kart Wii was released," says the actual 3DS boasts some changed by the time it launched their successors. The causing Virtual Boy on us.
former Nintendo UK brand manager Roger Langford. incredible games. rise of smartphone and tablet gaming has had a marked
"At this point both Wii and DS platforms had already impact on the handheld arena, and while the 3DS has QIt used cheap packaging
begun to take off and it was apparent from the initial managed to shift more than 50 million units globally, it is for many of its games.
sell-through of Mario Kart that the company was in way behind the performance of the DS, which clocked
uncharted territories." The titles Roger had to promote up three times that figure in its lifespan. "I feel smart QIt was too slow to pick up
were indicative of the new direction Nintendo was devices have had a huge impact," says Roger. "DS on the online revolution.
moving in. "Like many others, I have grown up on really caught fire before smartphones were around
Nintendo products and I was extremely excited to and it was the norm to see people playing out and QIt’s a little too keen to
be involved with the company," he says. "I did not, about. When smartphones arrived the DS became keep re-releasing the
however, get to work on titles such as Zelda and redundant, as it was more convenient to play same retro titles.
Mario straight away. Instead my time was focussed apps on phones." The Wii U, however, has been
on many of the Touch Generations titles, such as a shocking dud for the company. "Timing can be QIt ignored CD-ROM tech to
Brain Training, More Brain Training and Cooking Guide everything, and when Wii U was released technology stick with costly carts.
– not what I had originally envisaged! But, to me, it was had moved on since the launch of Wii," says
Wii 2006
101,006,000
VIRTUAL BOY 1995

770,000
Wii U 2012
10,730,000*
NINTENDO DS SERIES 2004
154,000,000
NINTENDO 64 1996
32,930,000
FAMICOM/NES 1983
61,910,000
Nintendo
console history
Your instant guide to Nintendo’s many consoles and how much they sold
GAME BOY SERIES 1989

154,000,000
GAMECUBE 2001
21,470,000
GAME BOY
ADVANCE SERIES 2001
81,510,000
SUPER FAMICOM/SNES 1990

49,100,000
Roger. "The idea of the GamePad was and still is Nintendo is already looking to its next challenge.
revolutionary, but I do not feel that a killer title ever nailed First up is a move into smartphone gaming. It's also
the use of it. With the Wii, Wii Sports was a great demo working on its next system, recently announced as
of how to use Wii and really set a positive benchmark Nintendo Switch, which is a handheld system you
for the system. Wii U never really had this." can also connect to your TV. While many fear that
Thomas feels that the Wii U is a great platform that Nintendo's smartphone venture could be seen as grim
was simply dealt a bad hand. "The more I consider the tidings for the veteran, Thomas has a positive outlook. NINTENDO
Wii U, the more I think it just got caught out by bad
circumstances," he says. "I imagine at the design phase
"I like the fact it's taking its time with Miitomo – its first
mobile app. All roads point to [Switch] and key releases 3DS SERIES
– when tablets were only just gaining popularity, the Wii on smartphones, and if both work together there's 2011
was dominant – the idea of the name, GamePad and
approach would have seemed right. Unfortunately the
potential for iOS and Android to make the company a
lot of money while [Switch] maintains the dedicated 54,340,000*
GamePad concept just wasn't exciting enough to many, gaming business. Regardless of its lows, Nintendo
and the controller also contributed to the system being has brand power and recognisable IPs. Those trump
too expensive. The graphical power of the console cards can see Nintendo make a comeback. Let's not
also meant that those with a PS3 or Xbox 360 won't forget times were a little tough in the GameCube era,
have rated that aspect, while third-party developers of and Wii and DS changed the whole picture – when
various types were starting to look at the more powerful Nintendo misreads trends it can often recapture them.
technology of PS4 and Xbox One. It struggled to appeal I think 2016 could be hugely exciting." Can Nintendo
to anyone beyond core fans. Nintendo systems sell at really bounce back to greatness when the playing field
their best when they're affordable luxuries, cheaper and has changed so much? "I seem to remember such a
more creative than rivals. The Wii U was at a premium question being bandied about ten or so years ago and
price when it launched and lacked a killer app, so only then they launched the DS and Wii," chuckles Paul. "I’d
dedicated fans were willing to take a punt." watch what they do next with great interest."
*sold to date
30 YEARS OF ENTERTAINMENT
Official
Seal of Quality
Seal
SPOT THE
DIFFERENCE
console, his background was in television
technology rather than games.
“I went to Sharp as an employee before
Nintendo because I wanted to develop TV
The many faces of Uemura’s 8-bit console hardware,” he says. “The fact I knew a lot about
the hardware of a TV really helped when developing
videogames. TV engineering is a good background for
FAMICOM console development!”

Of course Nintendo itself was not yet involved in
the emerging world of videogames when he joined in
QThe distinctive colour scheme of the
Famicom was taken from Nintendo President
the early Seventies. The company had a long history
Yamauchi’s scarf, though Uemura says they of producing Hanafuda cards, something Uemura
never quite got the shade right. credits with instilling an obsession with the quality of
Nintendo’s output. These playing cards were used
amongst the gambling fraternity and if your product was
shoddy, you risked the ire of some potentially unsavoury
types. “And you could play a lot of different games with
them,” he adds, “like a videogame console.”
The famous ‘Nintendo Seal Of Quality’ may indeed
have its origins in the ancient cards which the business
had been built upon, though by the early Seventies the
QThe second controller had a company was starting to experiment with electronic
QThe controllers were wired into the console to built-in microphone which could toys. One of the first projects Uemura was involved
save on production costs and could be clipped be used as an input device, an idea with was a lightgun game and Nintendo had some
into place on either side of the machine. clearly ahead of its time. success in the public arena with its Laser Clay Shooting
System and Wild Gunman, the latter game combining
this lightgun technology with a full motion videos of
NES
revolver-toting cowboys.
In the home market, 1974 saw Nintendo secure
the rights to distribute the original games console,
QThe front-loading system the Magnavox Odyssey, in Japan and so it was no
was designed to make the surprise when it began releasing its own standalone
machine look like a video TV games, which offered various flavours of Pong and
recorder rather than a sold in their millions in the latter half of the decade.
games console. Nintendo even produced dedicated machines such as
Breakout clone Block Breaker and Racing 112, a generic
driving game with its own steering wheel attached
to the console but Uemura remembers the arrival of
the all-conquering Space Invaders in
1978 made the company refocus
on its arcade business. After a
few moderate successes such as
Space Firebird and Space Fever and
QThe restyled controllers adopted the QCartridges were shielded once inserted a notable failure in Radar Scope,
colour scheme and more angular look of the to discourage children with wandering a coin-op shooter he worked
NES and could now be plugged in and out. fingers getting an electric shock. on which left American arcade
gamers distinctly unimpressed,
Nintendo tried a different
TOP LOADER
QThe remodelled NES-101 came
out in 1993 as a cheap ‘entry level’
console and allowed cartridges to
be inserted from above, hence
its nickname.
QThe rounded controllers clearly

used the same template as the QIts smaller size and sleeker appearance is
SNES and were considerably more something of a nod to design of the original » Duck Hunt made great use of the Zapper that came
comfortable in the hand. Famicom, though grey still prevails. with the NES and it still plays well today.
KONG
© Matt Taylor
STORY
If you’ve read David Sheff’s excellent
history of Nintendo, Game Over,
you’ll be aware that Nintendo initially
approached Atari about distributing
its console in the United States,
and Uemura was one of the people
tasked with showing Atari its work in
progress. “They were really surprised
we were making our own hardware
[for a home console],” he recalls. “We
had to show them the blueprint of the
PCB to prove we had made it. They
» Super Mario Bros. was an important release for Nintendo and » Uemura has been travelling the world talking about his famous didn’t believe it was our work! But the
massively boosted sales of the system. console. He remains staggered by its incredble success. reason we could make such hardware
is because we had made such amazing
arcade hardware. That was very
approach. Repurposing the ‘fire’ button as a ‘jump’ The huge success of Nintendo’s handheld series,
important. We weren’t just looking
function, Donkey Kong was a huge hit in 1981 and had particularly at the beginning of the Eighties when titles
at other consoles. We were thinking
a profound effect not just on Nintendo’s fortunes in the like Turtle Bridge and Snoopy Tennis sold over a million about Donkey Kong!” Indeed, it was a
coin-op world, but in its console ambitions too. units, may have hindered progress on his console squabble over the rights to the home
“We licensed Donkey Kong to Coleco for their home plans in the short term, but it gave Uemura valuable conversions of Donkey Kong which
console and of course we needed to evaluate it,” smiles thinking space. “Because of the lack of personnel [in my contributed to the deal breaking down.”
Uemura. “Coleco was a toy company, like Nintendo, division], I couldn’t work, which meant I could talk to a Does he think a partnership between
so we had a long history of looking at what they were lot of people outside of the company to find out what Atari and Nintendo could have ever
doing, not just with videogames. We looked at the was going on. Of course, I talked to Atari. I could get a happened? “That’s unimaginable now,”
specifications of their hardware and what they’d done lot of information about console games. This research laughs Uemura. “I wasn’t in charge of
with our licensed product. They had done a very good time was very precious if you think about it. I could making decisions like that so I can’t
really say.” What he can say is that
version of Donkey Kong, [quite] like the arcade game. come up with a specific idea of what I wanted to do.”
Donkey Kong remains his favourite
That was a surprise! It made us feel confident…” Uemura leans back in his chair and starts to explain
game. Taste and technical nous,
The commendable version of Donkey Kong that the thought processes which would determine the
Professor Uemura…
appeared on the ColecoVision not only became the internal workings of his console. He wanted a CPU small
‘killer app’ for that console, it suggested to Nintendo enough to allow a sound chip to be integrated onto the
the commercial viability of producing its own machine. board, thus keeping costs down, and Nintendo had a
Uemura, who at this stage was heading up the relationship with chip manufacturer Ricoh, whose 6502 would be needed to recreate his games,” says Uemura,
videogame division, certainly saw the potential of a processor would fit the bill. “But it was a huge problem “and he would tell me how many colours the console
cartridge-based system and, as early as 1981, began within the company because Donkey Kong was made would need [to display]. I would ask and he would
work on designs for what would become the Famicom, with a Z80,” sighs Uemura, “so using a 6502, we answer. That was how we worked!”
though not everyone shared his optimism. couldn’t use the source code. It was like throwing away With some key hardware decisions made, Uemura
“Back then at Nintendo, no one was imagining we’d a precious resource! I decided to do it anyway as chief and Nintendo also settled on cartridges as the storage
make a console with interchangeable cartridges because engineer. Others said I could only do that because I medium for the console. “We had decided its sole
Game & Watch was huge,” he says. “Everyone wasn’t programming it myself! It did mean we had to function was to play videogames. If it’s dedicated
thought that was the kind of product we’d make in the do Donkey Kong from scratch…” to that, we won’t need to alter data, so we chose
future. All the engineers I had were dispatched over to At least Uemura considered the needs of those poor ROM over RAM but then in 1983, the USA had a big
that division to help them out. I couldn’t do the work I programmers tasked with converting the game to a new videogame shake-up with Atari. The media thought a
wanted to do because of that.” processor by consulting colleague Shigeru Miyamoto, games-only console was out of date. There was a buzz
the man behind Donkey Kong, when determining the about home computers and Apple was getting big, too.
colour palette of the Famicom. “He knew which colours I was afraid we wouldn’t get media attention so I
» Double Dragon uses a limited

number of tiles, but careful
repetition provides a nice image.
» Complex multi-sprite images in

some parts of Mega Man 2 look
nice, but are prone to flickering.
FRANCHISE STARTERS The hit game series’ that started on the NES
SUPER MARIO BROS. LEGEND OF ZELDA FINAL FANTASY
QOf course he had appeared QAfter Mario, Link must surely QWith the 15th instalment
in Donkey Kong, albeit with a be Nintendo’s best-known due out this year, not to
different name and profession, hero and he too began his mention the host of spin-off
and Mario and Luigi had princess-saving career on titles, this may seem the
already starred in an frenetic the NES. The original game most inappropriately-named
coin-op, but this is where was a launch title for the franchise in gaming history
the brothers really showed Famicom Disk System in 1986 but when Hironobu Sakaguchi
the world what they could MEGA MAN before appearing in cartridge CASTLEVANIA created the original for Square METROID
do. Super Mario World may QRock hard – that’s the form for the NES a year later QAnother game that first in 1987, it was reputedly his QThe series with the most
have topped our chart of your man himself and the level of and established the action appeared on the Disk System, last gasp attempt to have a hit famous reveal, in both senses
favourite games of all time but difficulty typical in this long- adventure template for this it arrived on cartridge for the game. Its success means we’ve of the word, in videogame
this is where it all began. running series which debuted superlative series. NES in 1987 and introduced been playing them ever since. history, began on the Disk
in 1987. The side-scrolling run- Simon Belmont, vampire System in 1986. Combining
and-gun action of the original hunter and whip-cracker exploration, combat,
has you leaping platforms and extraordinaire, to the gaming platforming, atmospheric
blasting foes with a weapon world. The first game is a solid aesthetics and a little
handily attached to his arm. platformer but if you’re new brainwork too, this laid the
Defeating bosses rewards you to the series, you may want to foundations for some truly
with new weapons and so the start with Symphony Of The excellent episodes, particularly
carnage continues. Night on the PlayStation. Super Metroid for the SNES.
sure the voice coming in from the microphone could be

responded to by the CPU but only a few titles came out
that made use of that function.”
Previous entries in the Game & Watch series had Clearly, it was an idea ahead of its time. With the
only needed buttons for left and right but Donkey Kong Famicom project nearing completion and the core
required upward movement so Mario, or Jumpman hardware taking shape nicely, there were still some
as he was known back then, could rescue his love cosmetic decisions to be made. It was decided that
interest. A joystick clearly wouldn’t work with a folding the cartridges themselves should be the same size as
dual-screen handheld, so the revolutionary D-pad was audio cassettes, allowing Japanese consumers to use
explained Family BASIC was on the way [to make created and Uemura realised this would be ideal for his pre-existing household furniture and containers to store
the Famicom] like a home computer.” new console. “Naturally, we could have used a joystick their burgeoning game collection, and then there was
Nintendo did indeed produce a keyboard and data but we were thinking of [the Famicom] as a toy and toys the colour of the machine itself.
recorder package along with its own dialect of BASIC you put on the floor. Children might step on a joystick “We discussed the colour of the console a lot,”
in 1984, allowing users to tinker with its own game and it could hurt their feet… and break the controller! remembers Uemura. “Should we make it look like a toy
creations within some fairly restrictive parameters and Also, when we played, Donkey Kong Game & Watch or more like serious hardware? In the end, President
though it hardly turned the console into a fully-fledged we found we were only looking at the top screen. With Yamauchi’s favourite colour was red and so we used the
home computer, it did show Nintendo was prepared to a TV screen, you only look at that, not the controller. You same shade as his muffler.”
experiment with new ideas. need that sense, just using your fingers.” If you’re now worrying about Yamauchi’s health
This is perhaps best illustrated when it came to Of course, it proved to be an excellent design – specifically his nose – we can assure you that we
designing the controllers for the console. We have decision and the ergonomically-sound D-pad would clarified exactly what Uemura meant by ‘muffler’ and
brought along a NES pad, and we hand Uemura the become the industry standard for decades to come, were relieved to find he was referring to the President’s
grey rectangle with its distinctive D-pad and bright red even today, all of the current-generation consoles use scarf. Thus the aesthetically-pleasing strawberries-and-
buttons, asking if he was responsible for designing this it in one way or another. Not all the innovations of the cream colour scheme of the Famicom was agreed on…
iconic piece of hardware. “It was the most difficult Famicom controller were to be as influential, though, at except the console wasn’t called that yet. The machine
choice I had to make,” he says, cradling the controller least not in the short term. Uemura took the unusual was not given its name until shortly before its release
like a beloved child. “I had designed arcade games [in step of including a microphone in the second and Uemura explains his very personal connection
the past] and they used joysticks. The engineers I was controller, partly inspired by Japan’s enduring with the naming process with obvious pride.
working with on the Famicom said, ‘We have to use love affair with karaoke. Was he really “I always talked about work stuff with my
a joystick!’ But there was one guy who had gone over considering Singstar -style games at the start wife. She was always willing to listen. I told her
to work on the Game & Watch [team]. He came back of the Eighties, we ask? the name [of the console] had not been
to our project and he brought the control unit created “I was thinking about it,” he nods, with a decided and it was taking a long time to
for the multi-screen Donkey Kong Game & Watch to twinkle in his eye. “I was also thinking come up with a good name. There were
our division. He took out the screen and connected the about using the voice to play the role already ‘personal computers’ in Japan and
electronics to the Famicom and we played!” of the controller in games. I made we were discussing that [our console]
© Matt Taylor
BATTLETOADS » “My role was keeping down the cost,”

explains Uemura. “As long as it was
QThough Japanese and
cheap, the engineers could do whatever
American developers they wanted.”
dominated the NES release
schedules, the console did at
least have one notable British
success story. Tim and Chris
Stamper established their
reputation for excellence on DRAGON QUEST
the ZX Spectrum as Ultimate QA long-running series from
but having changed its name to Enix that started out on the
Rare, began a long and fruitful NES, Dragon Quest (or Dragon
relationship with Nintendo. Warrior as early titles were
known in the West) helped
popularise RPGs and establish
mainstays of the genre,
from turn-based combat
and random encounters
to controlling a party of
adventurers as they battle to
save the day.
» Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! was superb, being a slick adaptation of

Nintendo’s popular arcade game.
was not ‘personal’, it was right there for everyone, so

it had to be ‘family’, didn’t it! My wife said, ‘Okay, but
it has to be Famicom. You have to make it shorter!’ I
took that idea straight to the company, that it should be
‘Famicom’. President Yaumauchi said, ‘What the heck is
that?!’ He really didn’t like it. I explained this wasn’t just
a ‘personal computer’, it was for all the family and that
we Japanese tend to shorten everything and I thought it
was a good name. He said, ‘No, it’s not a good idea to
shorten [the words] at the beginning. If people want to
start calling it that later, that’s okay, but at the start, we
needed to call it ‘Family Computer.’’ So that’s how the
name came about!”
Nintendo’s Family Computer was launched in Japan
in 1983 and, according to Uemura, it sold 400,000
consoles that year, a respectable number though he
I always talked about work
is quick to point out that to be considered a ‘hit’ you
needed to shift a million units. Moreover, defects
stuff with my wife. She was
in some of the graphic chips created by Ricoh and
problems with the joypads soon became apparent. The
always willing to listen
Famicom had its controllers hard-wired to the console, Masayuki Uemura
which was a cheaper option than providing a joypad
connector but proved costly in the long run. Nintendo
hadn’t anticipated passionate gamers mashing and
yanking their controllers so aggressively in the heat
of play and a damaged joypad meant the whole
UNDER THE
EXPANSION PORT
QThis expansion port was included for the possibility
of any extra add-on devices for the console, such
HOOD
as disk drives and modems. However, none of the
projects using the expansion port ever saw the light PPU
Here’s a look at the key
of day, so it’s a vestigial connector.
components of the NES QThe Picture Processing Unit was custom-built
for the NES, again by Ricoh. It was a very capable
piece of graphics hardware in 1983, able to
display 64 sprites and up to 25 colours on the
screen simultaneously from a palette of 54.
LOCKOUT
CPU QThe 10NES lockout chip
QThe Ricoh 2A03, a modified enabled Nintendo to control who
version of the popular 6502 CPU, had the ability to release NES
is an 8-bit processor running at games, as well as enforcing
1.79MHz. It’s a close relative of the regional lockouts between North
CPUs used in the Atari 8-bit range, American and European consoles.
the Commodore 64, the Apple II and It’s also a cause of the infamous
the BBC Micro. ‘blinking light’ error.
RAM
QThe biggest limitation of the NES is its
limited RAM: 2KB for reserved for general
usage and 2KB for graphics. Cartridges often
supplemented this with their own onboard CARTRIDGE SLOT
RAM, according to their needs. QUsing a 72-pin connector rather than the 60-pin one
for Famicom cartridges, the NES cartridge port was
designed to replicate a video recorder’s front-loading
mechanism. However, the pins can easily become bent
and dirty, leading to errors.
24 | RETRO GAMER
console was unusable. “The
© Matt Taylor
main thing I remember from that
time is the defective consoles
being returned,” sighs Uemura, who
estimates a staggering 100,000 faulty
Famicoms came back during that first year.
“All these problems we had to overcome! The
whole company had to get involved to resolve them.
Yes, I felt pressure but it was exciting because everyone
was helping us out.”
The company rallied round its new venture, partly,
suggests Uemura, due to increased competition in
the handheld market previously dominated by Game
& Watch, and by the end of 1983, its stocks of the
Famicom had sold out. “I thought that was the end of
it,” he shrugs. “Personally, I was pessimistic but then
in February 1984, distributors started asking me when » Like several high-profile releases, The Legend Of Zelda started » “We didn’t want the sound to be too annoying in the house, even if it was
we were making more! Kids were asking for it. There off life on the Famicom Disk System. played repeatedly,” says Uemura of the Famicom’s audio.
is a custom in Japan for grandparents to give money to

children and this is what they wanted to spend it on!” like a video recorder [not a games console]. Also, The team also emphasised the primary
Though Uemura maintains the initial launch of the the US is a dry country so we wanted to shield ‘entertainment’ function of the machine by
Famicom in his home nation was generally viewed as the cartridges… we didn’t want children renaming it the Nintendo Entertainment System,
‘a failure’, there was still talk of the company learning getting [an electric] shock!” a title which was only decided a month before
from its mistakes and revamping the console for the There were other, more physical, concerns the console’s launch in the United States.
US market. Nintendo did, at least, have some indication that influenced the redesign of the Famicom Besides, the ‘Family Computer’ tagline had
that its videogames were valued across the Pacific. for the American market. “The hands of been used by rival manufacturer Mattel in its
The Nintendo Vs. System was doing well in American American children are bigger than Japanese advertising for its Adam computer. Nintendo
arcades and Uemura recalls seeing the February 1985 children. We were worried they might find also included the NES Zapper in the package,
edition of trade magazine PlayMeter showing Nintendo it hard to use the controller. Also, they didn’t after extensive market research had returned a
titles such as Vs. Tennis and Vs. Pinball dominating have D-pads but we thought this might make our not altogether unexpected finding. “Americans like
the charts. Nintendo were still producing games that console stand out from those that used joysticks.” guns”, says Uemura, with a wry smile.
people wanted to play but the negative image of home After the problems with the controllers in Japan, The NES launched in the United States in 1985
consoles which had followed the spectacular downfall of Nintendo decided to make the NES controllers along with 17 games, predominantly titles taken from
Atari and other key industry detachable. It also dispensed with the microphone, its Vs. arcade system. Porting tried-and-tested coin-op
players was a significant figuring that karaoke was not a big draw in the States, hits to home systems was a traditional way to boost
barrier to overcome. thus saving on cost and they also recognised that console sales and indeed the kids of America were
“We thought by American homes were generally larger than their soon to be found playing Vs. Tennis et al on the many
changing the exterior of Japanese counterparts so made the leads much longer. demo machines that had been set up in toy stores for
our console, we could All sensible decisions though one addition for the US free, rather than spending their precious quarters in
make ourselves seem launch was a little more left-field. The console was the arcade. “It was still a risk,” argues Uemura. “Just
different,” explains Uemura. “The bundled with its own Robotic Operating Buddy, or because these games were popular in the arcade, it
front-loading system for the NES R.O.B., a toy robot that linked up with the NES. “We didn’t necessarily mean they would be in the home.
was designed to make it look pushed that futuristic image,” says Uemura. “This was The president of Toys R Us played the NES and said,
not just a videogame. This was something new!” ‘This will sell!’, which helped a lot. We were expecting
sales of the NES to be 3 million. Then Super Mario
© Matt Taylor
MORE FROM
UEMURA
COLOUR TV GAME SYSTEM
QNintendo took its first tentative steps
as a console manufacturer in 1977 with
the Color TV-Game 6. Featuring half a dozen
versions of Pong, it was shortly followed by
TV-Game 15, which served up more bat-and-ball games
and added wired controllers, making it considerably more
user-friendly. If you have a white version of the original
unit, you have a real rarity as, apparently, only a few
hundred were ever produced.
DISK SYSTEM
QThis Japanese-only peripheral allowed a
disk drive to be attached to the Famicom
console via the cartridge port and used
bespoke floppy disks called ‘Disk Cards’
which could store 112K, which was a
considerable size on its release in 1986.
“Based on results, the disk system wasn’t a good idea,”
acknowledges Uemura, “but from a developers [point of]
view, it was rewritable and it did reduce costs.” A release
in the West was mooted but never materialised.
ZAPPER BELOW
QOriginally resembling a revolver when released in Japan
to tie-in with the cowboy-themed Wild Gunman game, this
lightgun was remodelled for the North American market,
adopting a futuristic blaster look. Initially produced in NES
grey, a version came in fluorescent orange, presumably to
distance itself even further from an actual firearm. Many
pixelated birds succumbed to its firepower when Duck
Hunt was bundled with the console.
SUPER FAMICOM
QWhat Uemura did next. He was lead
designer again on what would become
one of the most beloved consoles of all
time and home to some of the best games
ever made. Uemura politely declined to
answer any questions about his follow-up to
the NES during our interview, though alluded to many
intriguing tales concerning its creation. Perhaps when the
SNES also reaches 30 we’ll get to hear them.
» “I would like to have added larger sprites,”

says Uemura when asked if he’d have
Kids were calling our HQ in done anything different with his console.
“Characters were only 8x8 pixels.”
Seattle if they were stuck in a

game or asking about secrets
Masayuki Uemura
26 | RETRO
NINTENDO
GAMER
ARCHIVES
TO THE MAX The games and chips that expanded the NES’ capabilities
SUPER MARIO AKUMAJOU

BROS. 3 DENSETSU
CHIP: MMC3 CHIP: VRC6
QThe most popular of QAs well as offering bank-
Nintendo’s add-on chips was switching for both program
used in many NES games, and character ROM and a CPU
and provided additional RAM, cycle-based IRQ counter, this
MEGA MAN 2 a pair of selectable 8KB COBRA TRIANGLE advanced chip added three GIMMICK!
CHIP: MMC1 program ROM banks, two 2KB CHIP: AOROM additional sound channels. CHIP: SUNSOFT 5B
QThe first of Nintendo’s character ROM banks and four QChris Stamper’s memory In the US and Europe, QSunsoft’s FME-7 controller
custom memory management 1KB character ROM banks. A management controller is Castlevania III used Nintendo’s allowed for program ROM
controller chips was used scanline-based IRQ counter is relatively simple, offering a MMC5 chip instead, as the to be switched in 8KB banks
to switch between banks also included to improve 32KB ROM bankswitch and NES can’t utilise extra sound and character ROM in 1KB
of program and character split-screen scrolling. character RAM, but it has an channels like the Famicom. banks, and contained a CPU
ROM, and it added support for odd quirk in that it uses one- cycle-based IRQ. However, the
important things like game screen mirroring, meaning upgraded Sunsoft 5B version
saving and multi-directional that only one nametable is used in Gimmick! also included
scrolling. As a result, many used for all four quadrants a version of the Yamaha
games used it – literally of the screen. As you might YM2149, adding extra sound
hundreds of them, from both expect, it was used in games channels that set the game
Nintendo and its third parties. developed by Rare. apart from its peers.
» Metroid was one of several
NES games that featured a
Password Pak, after starting off
life on the Disk System.
Bros. came out about the same time as it entered left by Atari’s fall from grace. Was timing a key factor in
America. The rest is history.” the colossal success of the console, we ask?
New hardware needs a ‘killer app’, a piece of “You understand the meaning of the word
software that captures the public imagination and makes ‘Nintendo’?”, Uemura replies. “Leave luck to heaven,”
consumers snap up a machine. Super Mario Bros. must we answer. He looks us right in the eyes and chuckles,
rank as one of the best examples of this, becoming the “Well, there you are.”
biggest-selling title in videogaming history at the time and As our time with Uemura draws to an end, an
igniting America’s love affair with all things Mario. There orderly queue forms of National Videogame Arcade
was a real buzz about this new console from the East staff politely asking if he might autograph various bits of
and Uemura remembers tales of phones ringing off the NES hardware. We dutifully join the line along with our
hook at Nintendo Of America. “Kids were calling our HQ photographer Matt, who clutches a boxed console in
in Seattle if they were stuck in a game or asking about mint condition. Neither of us owned the machine back
secrets. Our employees couldn’t work effectively! We in the day but, as with so many Europeans, we have
had letters from parents, too. I remember getting some come to love it in retrospect. As Uemura gets busy with
that were really unhappy we hadn’t included Stage 2 [the a magic marker, we ask him how important it was to
pie factory] in the NES version of Donkey Kong. We had him that his console was embraced not just in his native loved [the NES] because their kids loved it. Children will
to say sorry, it wasn’t possible, but it made me realise Japan but across the globe? be excited by similar things despite cultural diversity.
parents were really evaluating the NES.” “From a management perspective, of course we I’m teaching at the university in Kyoto right now and
So despite the initial predictions from want to sell to everybody in the world,” he says, after a [the word] ‘jump’ is used in Japan, taken straight from
experts that Nintendo was foolhardy long pause, “but it’s not about that from an engineer’s English. Kids, anywhere in the world, want to jump! We
releasing a console after the so-called perspective. It’s about whether the hardware they could integrate that into videogames. It’s about play. The
videogames crash of the mid-Eighties, produce will be loved and esteemed by everyone. That’s NES also had an important role in transmitting Japanese
the NES ended up dominating the American what we struggle to do. Personally, I thought it was culture to the world and we received influences from
and Japanese markets for the rest of the great hardware but I didn’t think it would be accepted the rest of the world. If America hadn’t invented
decade, ably filling the gap [in the way it was]. And remember, the people that consoles, we wouldn’t have the NES!”
made the games did not grow up playing videogames. The Nintendo Entertainment System as a symbol of
Creating something in their minds and interacting with peace and understanding may be pushing it slightly but
it on a TV screen was really exciting for them. That it undoubtedly makes us look at the unassuming grey
excitement was passed on from the developer to the breeze block in a different light. As we shake hands
player at home. Hardware can allow you to go beyond with Uemura and Aki and say our goodbyes, fellow
your imagination. Like [James] Watt invented the steam journalist Gemma asks its creator what the console
engine and it set other people’s imagination free…” symbolises to him?
It’s a powerful point and Uemura’s answer gives us “It’s the device that changed my life,” he laughs. “It
the required confidence to ask him one final question. made it go crazy! After all these years, I’m still talking
What role does he think videogames have played in about it, coming here, all over the world.”
fostering an understanding and collaboration between Thirty years from its UK release and the NES is still
the nations of East and West? A gentle smile spreads bringing people together.
across Uemura’s face.
» Before
the Wii, “Childhood is universal,” he says. “We are different Many thanks to the National Videogame
the NES was cultures but we share that universal sense of childhood. Arcade, Uemura’s translator, Aki, Gemma at
Nintendo’s most
successful system, with
To children, it didn’t matter if this software was coming juicygamereviews.com and Matt Taylor at
over 60 million units sold. from the East or the West. Kids loved Mario and parents bit.ly/1SVZX3t for the photography.
’
READEICRES
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28| NINTENDO ARCHIVES

One of the first
games that I tested
at Rare. Tricky controls THE GREATEST NES GAMES
but mastery bought a huge
sense of accomplishment. I
vividly remember tonguing
the giant foot on the
moon to win.
Gregg Mayles,
Rare
BUCKY O’HARE
QDEVELOPER: Konami
QYEAR: 1992 QGENRE: Platform
24
The spotlight might not have shone
on Bucky O’Hare for long, but Konami
ensured that he got a very good licensed
platform game while it did. It’s similar to Mega Man
in structure, with Bucky seeking to rescue his crew
EXCITEBIKE
members from the Toad Empire across a variety of
SNAKE RATTLE
planets, which can be tackled in any order. Arriving
late in the life of the NES, Bucky O’Hare provided
‘N’ ROLL
some of the most attractive visuals on the system QDEVELOPER: Nintendo R&D1
alongside some pretty strong gameplay. QYEAR: 1984 QGENRE: Racing
22
One of the interesting things
QDEVELOPER: Rare QYEAR: 1990 QGENRE: Platform about the NES is that the machine
25
had a very long shelf life, with
Born from an experimental drive to create over a decade between its Japanese release
a small NES cartridge, Snake Rattle ‘N’ Roll as the Famicom and the final officially
sees players chasing down and eating Nibbley licensed games in the mid-Nineties. With
Pibbleys in order to grow their snake, in order to tip the so much time for developers to extract the
level’s scales and open the door to the next stage. Rare’s best performance from the machine and
isometric action game is a tricky one to categorise – but all of the additional chips utilised over the
that’s not a bad thing, as it’s a unique experience. Be sure years, it’s easy to expect that the console’s
to try the simultaneous two-player mode, too! early releases would be overshadowed by
the more complex games – but that’s not the
case, as games like Excitebike show.
CHIP ‘N DALE:
Excitebike is a simple game.
Either alone or with computer
RESCUE controlled riders, your goal is Typical
RANGERS
to beat target times on each Nintendo, simple
course in order to progress. as anything, but hard
This is complicated by to master, and it is so
QDEVELOPER: Capcom QYEAR: 1990 much fun.
QGENRE: Platform obstacles including grass,
adippm82
23
mud patches, barriers,
While Capcom is and the ever-present ramps,
best known for Street which require players to correct
Fighter and Resident their landing angle as they fall – a
Evil today, the NES era saw the simple challenge, but one which remains
company make a name for itself challenging to consistently perform over a
based on a range of high quality long period. Falling off your bike will cost you
platform games. The gameplay valuable time, as will overheating the bike
is good here, but it’s striking how by overusing the high speed button. As the
few cartoon licences capture game goes on, the courses become more
the look and feel of their source complex, with high angle ramps and fewer
material as well as Chip ‘N Dale, clear stretches on the track.
the game boasts detailed sprites The main thing that set Excitebike apart
and colourful backgrounds which from other NES games was the inclusion of
emphasise the size of our heroes. a level editor. While the option to save and
load these creations was never available
to the West as it required the Japan-only
Famicom Data Recorder
add-on, the mode extended
the game’s life considerably
once they’d exhausted all
of the pre-designed stages.
While Excitebike might not
have been the flashiest
game in many players’ NES
collections, the combination
of this mode and the
compelling gameplay meant
that it was often revisited.
Great challenge
and once you get
DOUBLE
DRAGON
used to it, a great
platformer. No wonder
we begged for a sequel
for 25 years…
QDEVELOPER: Technos QYEAR: 1988 QGENRE: Beat-’em-up
ALK
19
The hit beat-’em-up came to the NES,
KID ICARUS
but rescuing Marian from the clutches
of Machine Gun Willy wasn’t quite the
same proposition as in the arcades. For a start, the
QDEVELOPER: Nintendo R&D1QYEAR: 1986 QGENRE: Platform simultaneous two-player mode is nowhere to be
21
found, and enemy numbers are limited. Further,
Right from the start, Kid Icarus is a game that just feels different from its platforming stages received some interesting redesigns and
contemporaries. In other games you’ll typically traverse a stage from left to right, but all but the most basic fighting moves were gained
Kid Icarus starts you off by sending you on a skyward journey, with a playfield that through an experience system. Despite these
wraps horizontally across the screen – when Pit walks off the right edge, he’ll appear on the left. changes, Double Dragon remained a compelling
It’s a feeling of difference that permeates the game, as while the game offers items and upgrades, and challenging beat-’em-up that retained enough of
it never crosses over into RPG territory. For many years this was one of Nintendo’s forgotten the arcade essence to be truly worthy of the name.
properties, with only a Game Boy sequel to continue its lineage, until Pit’s adventures were Multiplayer fans can also check out Mode B, which
continued in the shooter Kid Icarus: Uprising on the Nintendo 3DS. features larger character sprites in one-on-one
battles and it even allows players to control enemy
characters – an interesting novelty, to say the least.
RIVER CITY
RANSOM /
STREET GANGS
QDEVELOPER: Technos
QYEAR: 1989 QGENRE: Beat-’em-up
20
Following arcade success
with games such as Renegade
and Double Dragon, beat-
’em-up innovators Technos returned
with a NES title that took the genre
in a more console-focused direction.
As well as beating up all manner of
weirdly-named gangs like The Squids
and The Generic Dudes, players can
learn moves, develop stats, and even
buy items. River City Ransom wasn’t a
huge success when it arrived in North
America and it didn’t fare a great deal
better when it was released in Europe
as Street Gangs, but the game’s
reputation has grown, thanks to a loyal cult
following, earning its place in your top 25.
THE GREATEST NES GAMES
CASTLEVANIA III:
DRACULA’S CURSE
QDEVELOPER: Konami QYEAR: 1989 QGENRE: Platform
18
We must admit to being surprised, here – we were
expecting this brilliant platformer to appear much higher
in your ranking. The last of the major Castlevania games
to appear on the NES was a prequel to the events of the first
game, starring Simon Belmont’s ancestor, Trevor Belmont, as he
attempted to defeat Europe’s most notorious vampire.
The game left the RPG elements of Castlevania II: Simon’s
Quest and returned to the platform action template of the original
game. However, new improvements included a non-linear level
structure, additional playable characters with their own unique
abilities (including Symphony Of The Night star, Alucard) and
a more challenging second quest for players that have finished
the game. In part thanks to the use of the expensive MMC5 chip,
Castlevania III boasts some of the most impressive visuals on the
FAXANADU
system, and the action is accompanied by an excellent soundtrack.
QDEVELOPER: Hudson Soft QYEAR: 1987 QGENRE: Action-RPG
ZELDA II: THE ADVENTURE

OF LINK 16
We hear your cries, dear readers! Faxanadu is a game that
you’ve highlighted as being something of a forgotten gem,
and its appearance in the top 25 is testament to your strength
QDEVELOPER: Nintendo R&D4 QYEAR: 1987 QGENRE: Action-RPG
17
I know people of feeling on this matter. The player is cast as a wanderer who returns
Despite huge sales of over 4 million copies, the first think it’s the black to his home town only to find it in a state of severe decline, and being
Zelda sequel hasn’t always received a huge amount sheep of the Zelda attacked by dwarves. The high fantasy setting is aided by the fact that
of love over the years. However, lots of you hold the series, but it should be Faxanadu doesn’t utilise the cartoonish look that many NES games
opinion that it is unfairly maligned and we’re inclined to agree. given a chance ‘cos it’s adopted, giving it a more mature impression.
Link’s Adventure retained the first game’s top-down viewpoint for a great game. The game itself is a side-scrolling action-RPG of the kind that will be
overworld exploration, but the meat of the gameplay was found in SpockIOM familiar to players of games such as Zelda II and Wonder Boy III: The
side-scrolling combat sections. Additional RPG Dragon’s Trap. Faxanadu includes many of the key trappings of the RPG
elements were also introduced in Zelda II, genre, with a protagonist whose capabilities grow with experience, a
including experience levels, a magic system wide range of non-player characters to chat to, and full inventory options,
and more extensive interaction with the but combat and exploration are handled in a traditional platform game
non-player characters you found in towns. fashion. Give it a go if you haven’t yet played it – with prices hovering
Players have come down hard on Zelda II around £10, it won’t break the bank and you wont regret it.
for departing so heavily from the gameplay
of the original title, and future 2D Zelda
games stuck much more closely to the
top-down action of the first game.
However, it highlights Nintendo’s
willingness to experiment as a game
developer – a commendable quality, even if
it doesn’t always guarantee popular results.
DUCKTALES
QDEVELOPER: Capcom
15 Capcom offered an
excellent choice of
licensed Disney platformers
on the NES, and you guys
liked DuckTales the most.
We love Scrooge McDuck hopping
around on his cane, and the structure
which requires you to obtain items in
various stages to progress is very cool.
KIRBY’S ADVENTURE
QDEVELOPER: HAL Laboratory
14 Players that kept their

NES hardware deep
into the 16-bit era were
rewarded with this incredible
platformer. It wasn’t the
hardest game to complete, but the ability The game that
to copy enemy attacks offered a twist on made me want
the platform genre which ensured that
TEENAGE MUTANT a NES. I remember
recording the ad for
NINJA TURTLES
we remained interested throughout.
the Turtles box set and
watching it every day.
SUPER MARIO BROS. 2 QDEVELOPER: Konami QYEAR: 1989 QGENRE: Platform RodimusPrime
QDEVELOPER: Nintendo R&D4
10
13
If there was one thing that kids couldn’t get enough of in
While this Mario game the late Eighties and early Nineties, it was this quartet of
wasn’t always a Mario pizza-loving crime fighters, and Konami sensibly snapped up
game and feels slightly the videogame rights early. The result was a brilliant, strong platformer,
different as a result of that, although one which had the incredible ability to frustrate players – in
the fact remains that it’s particular, the infamous underwater bomb disarming stage is one of the
still an excellently designed platformer. most frustrating levels in any videogame ever.
Being able to control Peach and Toad While the game was popular internationally, UK-based Nintendo
was very cool, and Luigi became distinct fans have a particular fondness for the game as its placement in a NES
from his brother with his floaty jumps. bundle over Christmas 1990 meant that it was the first game many
players owned. The presence of the Turtles drove up desire for the NES,
RC PRO-AM and even helped it briefly overtake Master System sales in the UK.
QDEVELOPER: Rare
QYEAR: 1987 QGENRE: Racing
12 This racer is one of
DUCK HUNT
Rare’s earliest hits on
a Nintendo platform, and
features radio-controlled
cars battling to take victory QDEVELOPER: Nintendo R&D1
across 24 tracks. We mean QYEAR: 1984 QGENRE: Lightgun Shoot-’em-up
9
it when we say battling, too – these little
cars pack some firepower, with bombs Packed in with all but the basic NES console
and missiles available to take out rivals. bundles, Duck Hunt was a cornerstone of many
gamers’ NES experiences and was the only
MIKE TYSON’S Zapper title to make your top 25 list. What makes
PUNCH-OUT!!
Duck Hunt so memorable is its simple yet captivating
gameplay – one or two ducks fly out and you need
QDEVELOPER: Nintendo R&D3 to shoot them down, ideally with as few misses as
QYEAR: 1987 QGENRE: Fighting possible. There’s also the clay pigeon game in
11 Taking the action of

Nintendo’s arcade
boxing series and taking
Mode C, in which discs fly into the distance.
But let’s be honest, it’s all about bagging birds – and
This is a
of course that pesky dog. He certainly adds character,
it to the home consoles, proudly displaying your hits when you make them
great little game,
Punch-Out!! knocked players introducing many
and mocking you when you fail to do so. Our canine a fresh keen-eyed
out with memorable characters and companion’s sniggering definitely triggers some of our marksman to the joys of
compelling mechanics. Best of all, Tyson more violent urges, but try as we might, we can never the lightgun.
himself put in an appearance. take out our frustrations on him by just blasting him Jim Bagley,
away. That is true sadness, there. Special FX
METROID
QDEVELOPER: Nintendo QYEAR: 1986 QGENRE: Platform
7
At its heart, Metroid is a simple game – a
platform-shooter in which Samus Aran seeks
to recapture the dangerous Metroid organisms,
set on the planet Zebes. However, it introduced
many players to a new style of platform game, in
which exploration was key and new abilities enabled
access to additional areas. This template is so
closely associated with Metroid that it co-named the
Metroidvania subgenre, along with the Castlevania
series which later adopted this style.
BATMAN
While the action is all well and good, Metroid ’s
best bits are the memorable twists which stick in
QDEVELOPER: Sunsoft QYEAR: 1989 QGENRE: Platform the memory long after you’ve beaten the game. The
8
revelation that Samus Aran is a female protagonist
The caped crusader has had a number of videogame might have lost its shock factor, but its importance
incarnations over the years, but few have accompanied a peak remains. As for the other twist – well, don’t put your
interest in Batman like this one, which followed in the wake of pad down after Mother Brain has been defeated…
the 1989 film starring Michael Keaton. The videogame was themed
CASTLEVANIA
after the film and took the form of a platformer which allowed you
to fight the likes of Killer Moth, Firebug and, of course, the Joker
as you sought to clean up Gotham. The game has since achieved QDEVELOPER: Konami QYEAR: 1986 QGENRE: Platform
6
recognition on its own terms, with one company even releasing an
action figure in NES colours. Konami’s developers rarely seemed more at home than
While Batman’s weaponry was when they were working on the NES, coming up with hits such
present, one of the coolest features as Castlevania. Borrowing some thematic cues from Capcom’s
in Batman was actually the ability to Ghosts ‘n Goblins, the game casts you as Simon Belmont, a vampire
leap off walls with a secondary jump. hunter out to kill Dracula. Each stage pits you against all manner of
Rarely seen at the time, this feature supernatural villains, but is well-designed to fit the crumbling castle
enabled our hero to ascend through theme and offers strong level design. The game is visually strong
narrow vertical passages and save and offers memorable tunes, while tight control enables precise
himself from otherwise fatal situations. platforming and offers the use of secondary weapons such as axes
and crucifixes, rounding off an excellent package.
Me and my
brother would play it
and we’d be like ‘who’s
CONTRA / going to be Arnie, who’s
going to be Stallone?’
PROBOTECTOR Claudio Sanchez,
Coheed and
QDEVELOPER: KONAMI
Cambria
QYEAR: 1988 QGENRE: Run-and-gun
5
This classic run-and-gun is your
favourite arcade conversion
for the NES. Contra is a great
example of Konami at the height of
its powers. While the NES version of
Contra makes a few changes from
the coin-op, the game still offers the
key things that make it so appealing:
The controls frantic action and a very stiff challenge.
and gameplay are Though the game was renamed for
spot on. Just the right Europe and censored in order to
side of difficult and circumvent German censorship laws,
never unfair. the gameplay shone through.
theantmeister
|
The Legend Of
Zelda brought the true
power of the role-playing
MEGA MAN 2
genre to console players
and remains today
one of the greatest RPGs
in history.
QDEVELOPER: Capcom
Trip Hawkins, QYEAR: 1988 QGENRE: Platform
EA
3
After almost three decades of Mega Man games, it’s easy
to forget that the first one was not a tremendous financial
success for Capcom. As a result, the company didn’t give the
green light for a sequel immediately – the development team was
permitted to work on Mega Man 2, but was also required to work on
other projects simultaneously. As a result, it was common for staff to work
very long hours making the game, often staying in the office well past their
regular working hours. Mega Man 2 was a real labour of love.
For teams developing sequels, it can be tricky to work out what is broken
and in need of fixing, and what is better left alone. Capcom trod that fine
line carefully and reaped the rewards. Elements that were preserved from
the original game include its platform-shooter set up and its non-linear
structure, in which a player chooses a stage based on which Robot Master
they’d like to take down. As before, once you’ve downed a boss you’ll gain
access to their weapon, some of which are more effective than others.
However, it’s the improvements which make Mega Man 2 the best of its
series. Not only is it superior to its predecessor, the brutal difficulty level
of the first game has been toned down. The game is still no pushover, but
THE LEGEND OF ZELDA

its challenge is more likely to cause fun than frustration – which is a good
job since the game has eight Robot Masters, up from six in the first game.
QDEVELOPER: Nintendo R&D4QYEAR: 1986 QGENRE: Action-RPG Mega Man 2 went on to sales success and established the blue bomber as
4
a star, a richly deserved outcome for one of the best NES games ever.
From the second you start Link’s first adventure and set off
towards the cave, the game starts sinking its hooks into you with
the most lo-fi rendition of the now-familiar theme music – and
just as later Zelda games can trace their elaborate scores back to Koji
Kondo’s chip music, they can do the same with their game design. The
original Legend Of Zelda exemplifies the excellence of the core Zelda
formula – a mixture of exploration, puzzles, and combat that draws you
into the game until you’re determined to see it through to the end. Plus,
who doesn’t love those beautiful gold cartridges?
Nigh on perfect
controls, great
weaponry and a very
fair difficulty make this
the stand out title for the
NES.
ArchaicKoala
Anytime I’m feeling

frustrated or depressed,
or I’m lamenting the
industry, all I have to do is load
up Mega Man 2. I revert to being
eight again, and I can’t help but
be happy, and smile.
Jaime Griesemer, ex-
Bungie, Halo 3 lead
designer
The godfather of
platform games – the
game that spawned one
million imitations. Nintendo have
been the most influential game
developer of all time setting so
many trends and such a high quality
bar that we can easily forget the
magnitude of their importance.
Jon Hare, Sensible

Software
The original
SUPER MARIO
and still a complete
classic. Fast, responsive,
superbly designed
BROS.
and endlessly re-
playable.
nakamura
QDEVELOPER: Nintendo R&D4 QYEAR: 1985 QGENRE: Platform
2
We miss the days of pack-in games. During the
Eighties and Nineties, console manufacturers often
seemed to make a special effort to ensure that
every buyer would have at least one excellent game
to play – and Super Mario Bros. was most definitely
an excellent game. While Mario had made his debut in
Donkey Kong and become a headline name in Mario
Bros., it wasn’t until Super Mario Bros. that he became
a real star. Whether it was alone or combined with Duck
Hunt, Super Mario Bros.’ long-term status as a pack-in
game meant that over 40 million gamers would get to
experience this star-making game.
One of the key secrets of Super Mario Bros.’ success
is that the game explains itself very well through level
design alone. The initial screens are a masterpiece of
game design, as you’re wordlessly taught the function
of enemies, mushrooms and question blocks. As the
first game that many players experienced on a new
system – and as the NES introduced so many players to
videogames – this ease of learning was absolutely vital.
The learning curve also disguised that Super Mario
Bros. was a complex game for its time, splicing many
disparate elements of game design. We’d seen sections
that allowed you to skip ahead in Pitfall!, power-ups
in Pac-Man and bosses in Phoenix, but all of these
combined in Super Mario Bros. to make an adventure
of a kind never seen before. The variety was aided by
the secrets that the game offered, from hidden items To me Super
to warp zones, and difficulty was perfectly pitched Mario Bros. original for
to ensure while Super Mario Bros. posed enough NES is the definitive Super
challenge to last, but was no ordeal. Games that Mario platformer. Not only
complement consoles this well are exceedingly rare. did it set a new benchmark
for platformers, it also had an
awesome soundtrack.
Jim Bagley,
Special FX
’
READEICRES
CHO
Seriously, this has
to be the most impressive
game to ever fit on a cartridge.
There’s so much gameplay,
so much challenge packed into
this cartridge… I can’t tell you how
addicting it was. I did finish the game
and what a tour de force it was back in
1990. This game’s inspiration is what
started Id Software – we replicated
the first level as a test and sent it to
Nintendo!
John Romero, id
Software
An astounding
sequel – so much
so that the later games
have to be considered
evolutionary after this
revolutionary leap.
ArchaicKoala
5 reasons why
it’s great
Items like the Super Leaf
1 gave Mario new abilities
such as flight, enabling new
level designs.
Remains for
It offers a huge amount
2 of content, with dozens
of stages for players to
me the pinnacle of
2D platform gaming.
Imaginative, infuriating,
tackle and master. wonderful, frustrating, joyful,
tearful and ultimately entirely
Even the level selection rewarding and magical. I kept
3 screen exudes character,
thanks to its framing as an
the NES on for a week to
prevent loss of progress.
animated map. Gregg Mayles,
Rare
If there’s a argument
4 against hopping
around in a shoe, we have
never heard it.
It perfected the Mario

5 model, providing the
template for every 2D
Mario adventure since.
SUPER MARIO BROS. 3
1
QDEVELOPER: Nintendo R&D4 QYEAR: 1988 QGENRE: Platform
For Nintendo R&D4, developing Super Mario Bros. 3 must have been a tough
task. It would have been absurd to expect the development team to take an
already-beloved classic and improve upon it in every single aspect. It is to the
credit of Shigeru Miyamoto and his team that they didn’t just attempt it, but
managed to succeed in doing so.
The Japanese version of Super Mario Bros. 2 (known internationally as The Lost
Levels) had been a very small upgrade over its predecessor, with slightly improved
visuals and a few new hazards (such as the Poision Mushroom), and primarily offered
more challenging stages for players that had mastered the original game. Contrast this
with Super Mario Bros. 3, which offered all-new visuals, new music with additional
sound effects, a variety of new enemy types, new power-ups, new blocks – if you could In 1991 as a
name something in the original Super Mario Bros., Nintendo had managed to identify birthday treat my Dad
and implement a fantastic new spin on it in their new game. took me to the World Of
These new elements allowed for some incredibly clever level designs too, from the Commodore show and
floating platform challenge of stage 1-4 to the complex cannon arrangements of the offered to buy anything I
wanted. We left empty handed
airship levels. Many stages take new mechanics, implement them in every way you can
and instead bought Super
think of, and then add a few you had missed just for good measure. Even something Mario Bros. 3.
as simple as the introduction of sloped surfaces allowed for a new move and new
Steve Lycett,
opportunities for fun, as Mario could slide downhill on his backside and take out enemies
Sumo Digital
with his momentum alone. What is truly amazing is that the high quality, inventive level
designs are so consistent, given how numerous they are – the game’s eight worlds
feature an astonishing 90 stages.
With the American audience whipped into fever pitch by pre-release footage in the
movie The Wizard, Super Mario Bros. 3 was always going to do well. Even so, the game
was an unprecedented commercial success, becoming the best-selling non-bundled
NES game – and along with its predecessor, one of only two such games to exceed the
10 million mark. The game has been ported and remade often and continues to perform
remarkably, selling over 3 million copies when remade for the Game Boy Advance, and
another million as a Virtual Console game on the Wii.
Super Mario Bros. 3 is a game that contains just about everything that a fan of
platform games could want. If you want a game with tight, responsive control, that’s
covered. If you want variety, the game offers dozens of levels, many enemies and an
array of interesting power-ups. If you want clean, attractive visuals and timeless tunes,
this classic beast of a game has them. If there is such a thing as a perfect videogame,
Super Mario Bros. 3 is the closest that the NES ever got to delivering it.
Battletoads pushed
the NES hardware and
introduced a street-wise
anthropomorphism that
became a Rare trademark.
Rory Milne asks ex-Rare
artist Kevin Bayliss about the
toads’ challenging but fondly
remembered debut
THE MAKING OF: BATTLETOADS
» Battletoad Rash swings into action as he descends

towards the Dark Queen’s planet.
» It’s “Bye, Bye, Blackbird!” as toad trumps

raven in a sheer vertical drop.
» The Battletoads’ ship, the Vulture, lowers Rash down to

planet Ragnarok as his mission begins.
L
ike Donkey Kong Country, fan at the time, and when Tim Stamper had
Battletoads marked a pivotal okayed the idea of putting together a beat- for Tim to digitise and pass on to the game’s
point in Rare’s journey. In the ’em-up style game he asked me to come coder Mark Betteridge, as Kevin explains. “I
same way that DKC was Rare’s up with some characters for it. Rare wasn’t was heavily involved in creating the character
last hurrah for the SNES – although not really known for making violent games, and designs, based on ideas that one of our writers,
its last SNES title – Battletoads was Nintendo had a policy for limiting violence, IN THE Guy Miller, was putting together working
Rare’s swansong of sorts for the NES –
although not its final NES effort. Both
ensuring that certain things were portrayed
in a certain way. So we took the more fun-
KNOW alongside Tim. I think apart from one or two,
the designs of the characters were all drawn
PUBLISHER: NINTENDO
games were, though, the culmination styled cartoon approach, rather than the more by me. I was mainly responsible for concept
DEVELOPER: RARE
of everything that Rare learned about graphic and serious look of some of the other artwork and a little in-game artwork. I gave Tim
the intimate workings of Nintendo’s popular beat-’em-up games of the time. Enter RELEASED: 1991 sketches each day, and he’d then squeeze my
earliest consoles. And while Rare’s later the Battletoads!” PLATFORM: VARIOUS designs into sprites. At that time, we were still
SNES and NES games innovated in With a genre and direction chosen, Kevin got GENRE: BEAT’EMUP / tracing sketches on grids, and boxing sprites
terms of gameplay, they had little scope on with the task of developing the characters PLATFORMER into as few characters as possible. You can
to improve technically on their iconic that would inhabit the Battletoads world ready recognise Tim’s style when you look at how
predecessors or, indeed, to squeeze the toads, enemies and props compare to the
TOAD PROFILES
more into their carts. Ultimate games. He was very clever at making
“Yeah, it was really full, if you know what I graphics fit within a certain memory capacity
mean,” agrees Kevin Bayliss, Battletoads’ co- due to his experience with Ultimate; there
designer, “there wasn’t a lot more we could was an art to it I guess. We thought it would
cram in. We were constantly measuring the be fun to enlarge the fists upon impact when
size of the code and graphics to ensure that it players hit their opponents. This really seemed
would fit on the cartridge that we had aimed to work on the tiny sprite characters, and so we
it to be released on. Battletoads was really expanded upon that by enhancing their limbs
rammed in there!” with power-ups, which gave the game a unique
Of course, long before getting the game look, and it of course also became one of the
to fit its cartridge, concepts and characters main features of the characters themselves.
would have to be developed, which was an NAME: Rash NAME: Zitz NAME: Pimple Backgrounds were also heavily put together by
aspect of Battletoads’ design that would be STYLE: STYLE: STYLE: Tim, as he was far more experienced in putting
very much influenced by the family-friendly Too cool for school Brains over brawn Bull in a china shop that kind of stuff together. He worked very
guidelines that Rare worked to at the time. QA flamboyant extrovert, QLeader of the QHe’s not the brightest, closely with Mark Betteridge – the software
“Sideways scrolling arcade-style games were Rash has fast fighting Battletoads, Zitz is a but Pimple’s brute force genius behind a lot of Rare’s earlier titles – while
very popular around the late Eighties and early moves to match his fast tactical genius. He isn’t comes in handy when the I churned out concept work, logos and front-
Nineties,” Kevin remembers, “and as Rare mouth. He may be the as fast as Rash or as toads go into battle. Plus, end story graphics.”
had previous experience with that genre with smallest of the toads, but tough as Pimple, but he’s he’s dating a Princess, Having established a production line for
some of the Ultimate titles, we decided to try that helps to make him good with gadgets – think so he must be doing Battletoads’ visual components, the small
one for NES. I was a huge Double Dragon the most agile. James Bond with warts. something right. team could start developing the game’s
BATTLETOADS HISTORY AHowquickmanyoverview of the series.
have you played?
BATTLETOADS BATTLETOADS & BATTLETOADS
NES 1991 DOUBLE DRAGON: IN RAGNAROK’S
QIt all began on the NES, THE ULTIMATE WORLD GAME BOY 1993
of course, but the brawling, TEAM GAME BOY 1993 QConfusingly, this impressive
platforming and multi-genre QThe Battletoads teamed system exclusive delivered
stages of the Battletoads’ first up with the characters that exactly what might have
demanding outing were ported inspired their creation for this been expected of Game Boy
to various other consoles as sequel, and while it spanned Battletoads – a stripped down
well as the Amiga. several genres – much as its version of the NES original
predecessor had done – the with graphical concessions and
BATTLETOADS follow-up offered a few fewer levels and bosses.
GAME BOY 1991 more sustained beat-’em- BATTLETOADS IN BATTLETOADS
QAlthough released just after up sequences. BATTLEMANIACS ARCADE 1994
the NES original, Game Boy SNES 1993 QBattletoads undeservedly
Battletoads was pretty much QAlthough an original game, flopped at the arcades,
a completely different game. Battlemaniacs was heavily despite being a high-quality
A few NES stages survived inspired by aspects of the first scrolling fighter that refined
in adapted form, but the title Battletoads title. Its visuals, the franchise’s formula. The
essentially went its own way. plot and bosses were new, coin-op is predictably the
however, and its gameplay best-looking Battletoads title
was reworked to show off the released and favours brawling
Super Nintendo hardware. over other genres.
» An actual rat race, as Rash races a ratty
opponent to defuse a bomb.
effects. I thought it looked amazing when I

saw it working.”
As Battletoads’ visuals, design and
gameplay evolved, another equally important
aspect of the game was addressed – one
that required an additional team member,
as Kevin recollects. “My friend Dave Wise
would come up with new music for each
level – as far as I remember, that was pretty
much the way it went for most games.
The levels didn’t really come to life until
we had music and effects. I remember
always looking forward to Dave appearing
with a new disc that held the music to the
design and storyline. “We all worked next level. Once that was incorporated
together on that team on a day-to-day basis,” we’d sometimes switch the odd level
Kevin recalls, “but when it came to the game music around to a different level, because
design and concepts for levels, that was really sometimes tunes felt right on other levels.
Tim and Mark. The game design was the » This bruiser is called Robo-Manus – the bigger But usually, Dave would go away after
first thing that was tried and tested. Story they come, the harder they fall, though. looking at a level’s graphics and a brief demo
came afterwards. But once we had the first of the gameplay, and then he’d write a piece
few levels rolling along and playing nicely, we challenging. I would often hear Mark scream for the level. A lot of the sound effects were
continued to expand upon the story too. This when he was testing his own software if he created by Mark – using some software he
story then gave us other ideas to work into the failed to get past his own levels, but I don’t created to generate sounds.”
game, so we were soon developing the story think he made it too hard. I guess we just
S
and the game simultaneously.” wanted value for money, and for the game
The structure the team had put in place to last. We’d always try to vary the levels so erious hours were being put in to
allowed the Battletoads project to quickly gain that you got a break from one particular style Battletoads and the team’s collective
momentum, and a game-defining decision or genre within the game. It made it more DEVELOPER efforts were reaching fruition, and
was soon made on the title’s refreshing to play over periods of time HIGHLIGHTS so work was started on the title’s
difficulty. “Mark had developed and a lot more challenging in general. DONKEY KONG box art, but thought was also being given to
some editors for creating The story would often help to play a COUNTRY PICTURED documenting the game’s visuals for future
levels, and I think that Tim part in creating those subgenres and SYSTEM: reference and to help with the marketing
VARIOUS
worked with him on putting added to the variation. I remember of the game. “I designed the box artwork,
YEAR: 1994
those together,” notes Kevin, watching Tim draw all of the sections but Tim airbrushed and produced it.” Kevin
GOLDENEYE 007
“I remember that a lot of work of the Dark Queen’s tower, which reveals, “It was the second design. I did one
SYSTEM: N64
went into making it seriously Mark cleverly animated to achieve YEAR: 1997 with the three toads on the front up-close,
hard and precise. Some of it was the 3D effect. It worked really well, BANJOKAZOOIE but it went off to focus groups and it didn’t
crazy hard but that’s the way and I learned a lot of tricks from Tim by SYSTEM: N64 grab the kids’ attention, so we did a redesign.
it was intended to be; extremely watching him create those kinds of YEAR: 1998 I inked up a picture, and as Tim was so good
THE MAKING OF: BATTLETOADS
ANTHROPOMORPHIC
FIGHTERS
Other animals with distinctly
un-animal-like behaviour
MIYAMOTO USAGI
SPECIES: Rabbit
MEMORABLE APPEARANCE:
Samurai Warrior: The Battles Of Usagi Yojimbo
QThe creation of writer/artist Stan Sakai, Miyamoto Usagi
appears in Dark Horse Comics’ Usagi Yojimbo – which
translates as “rabbit bodyguard”. Usagi is a ronin who
wanders ancient Japan on a warrior’s pilgrimage. Beam
Software skilfully adapted Usagi for the C64 in Samurai
Warrior – an ambitious action-adventure.
» Yes, that spaceship – the Dark Queen’s
Gargantua – is eating the toads’ ride!
LEONARDO
with the airbrush he did a fantastic job of enthusiast I preferred the brawling levels. SPECIES: Turtle
the one we ended up with. We also made I could never complete it, but then there’s MEMORABLE APPEARANCE:
a style guide containing all of the characters nothing worse than a game that is too easy!” Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles In Time
within the game, we wanted as much of the On its release, the idea that Battletoads QRare likely wouldn’t have been too upset by the similarity
concept illustrated on paper as possible. The might be too easy was either skilfully between Kevin Bayliss’s Battletoads designs and the hugely
style guides were used for reference when concealed in the glowing reviews that successful Ninja Turtles. Leonardo is the de-facto leader of
working with Nintendo. Putting them together the game received or, far more likely, was the Turtles and was considered the most rounded fighter in
also allowed us to present visually to the simply not considered. Just as importantly, their Nineties videogames, the best of which was probably
companies that became involved in marketing. the impressive sales that the title enjoyed Konami’s Turtles In Time.
I was busy working on the style guide and confirmed that NES gamers’ appreciation for
some of the other graphics for the game, but Battletoads matched the fevered enthusiasm
I wouldn’t say that I spent anywhere near as shown by the videogames press. Further PRINCE LEON
many hours working on the game as Mark games in the series were now a formality, SPECIES: Lion
did. As usual, he practically lived at Rare when but Battletoads would also have a second MEMORABLE APPEARANCE:
he worked on the game and got really into the less obvious legacy. “Battletoads became Brutal: Above The Claw
thick of it.” a template in some way,” Kevin reasons, QBased on his ‘Powerchord’ special attack, Prince Leon
Of course, before marketing Battletoads, ”perhaps Battletoads, when you think about it, of Kenya was something of an aspiring rock star. He
the task of in-house testing the finished was a changing point for Rare, and a lot of the featured in GameTek’s anthropomorphic versus fighter
product remained, with the general feeling game’s elements echo throughout many of series Brutal. The Sega 32X’s Above The Claw was the
at Rare being that they had produced a title the company’s later titles. Eventually it became most polished entry in the franchise, but the other Brutal
that was tough but fair. “I think Mark always kind of a trademark I guess, and future Rare games all featured pretty similar gameplay.
wanted it to be difficult,” Kevin admits, “It games were often varied in the same kind of
was never impossible, but always just required way as Battletoads.”
practice and of course some skill. The NES Battletoads may be far from a template for COLD SHADOW
controllers were bulletproof little pads that Rare’s current output, but like many gamers, SPECIES: Duck
were actually really responsive and could Kevin feels that the seminal scrolling brawler MEMORABLE APPEARANCE:
take some serious shit, but the game was stands up against anything that Rare or anyone Maui Mallard In Cold Shadow
tested on many controllers to make sure it else was producing at the time. “Most of QDonald Duck used to moonlight as a detective/ninja. No,
was possible to play right, and it was, but you the games we produced were top quality,” seriously, there was even a combat platformer called Maui
had to put in the practice. As a fighting game Kevin beams, “some titles were stronger Mallard In Cold Shadow where Maui Mallard was Donald’s
than others, but we learned as the company hapless detective cover for a ninja persona – Cold Shadow.
grew about what people wanted in a game. 16-bit Disney titles typically impressed, and Cold Shadow’s
We always, always tried to make sure they outing fit that trend.
were just fun to play, and that they would give
a challenge to anyone who picked them up.
When I see Battletoads, I see a lot of game PSYCHO FOX
rammed into that NES cart, and compared SPECIES: Fox
to a lot of the other games that were out at MEMORABLE APPEARANCE:
the time it offered a lot more. It looked great, Psycho Fox
sounded and played fantastic and it set the QHe’s often likened to Mario, apparently because his one game
path for more Battletoads games, which was on Sega’s answer to the NES – the Master System – and
proved its success. It’s definitely one I’m because said outing was a colourful platformer. Psycho Fox’s
proud of being a part of.” most un-Nintendo-like move was taking out opponents by
punching them in the face! Well, he was called Psycho Fox.
» A spirited game of snowballs? Nope, these icy spheres
Many thanks to Kevin Bayliss for
are deadly, so duck, toad! making this article possible.
Slalom
FIRST LOVE ON THE SLOPES
»NES technically, and like its creators, started life in the

»1987 arcades where it debuted on Nintendo’s arcade
» RETROREVIVAL
» RARE Vs. System bearing the name Vs. Slalom, before it

Slalom is one of those was ported to the NES the following year. Slalom is
videogames that’s impossible not essentially a checkpoint racer, one that sees you lead
to like. It looks nice, it’s fun and a little skiing dude with the most animated 8-bit arse
accessible, and to top it all off it has a bit of history in videogame history through 24 different tracks, split
too: it marked Rare and Nintendo’s first ever across three mountains courses of varying difficulties.
romantic embrace, a cupid’s arrow that helped On these perilous routes are obstacles which
form a much publicised videogame relationship obviously have to be avoided, and slalom gates that
that verged on Brangelina and Wills and Kate type must be passed on the correct side. Pass on the wrong
proportions at one stage. side, or stumble into a snowman, rival racer, trees, or
Indeed, back in the Nineties, if Rare and Nintendo basically anything that isn’t pure driven snow, it slows
had been famous, pretty people then the paparazzo your racer down. It is also possible to perform various
would have been clawing each other’s eyes out to get airborne tricks, which award extra points but at the
intrusive blurry snaps of them sunbathing together on risk of losing valuable speed if you fail to perform them
a private yacht somewhere in the Caribbean. And let’s correctly. It therefore becomes vital that you pass every
be honest, there isn’t a soppy-hearted retro gamer alive gate and pay close attention to what’s coming up ahead
who wouldn’t love to see the two of them get back on screen to successfully complete the later courses.
together again, regardless of how improbable such an Slalom certainly isn’t the most famous nor fondly
Earth-tilting reunion happening is. remembered Rare creation but it does contain plenty
Anyway, back to Slalom. Well, like most Stamper of charm. So if you fancy getting piste, why not take to
Bros. games, it’s an impressive beast visually and its slopes?
30 GREATEST SUPER MARIO MOMENTS
DEFINITIVE
SUPER MARIO
BROS. TIMELINE
The games Nintendo considers
to be part of the series
The Super Mario Bros. series has SUPER MARIO MAKER
NINTENDO WII U 2015
been defining gaming for over 30 SUPER MARIO 3D WORLD
years. We’ve selected 30 of your NINTENDO WII U 2013
favourite moments from the series NEW SUPER MARIO BROS. U
NINTENDO WII U
and asked developers to share their NEW SUPER MARIO BROS. 2
memories about the hit franchise NINTENDO 3DS 2012
SUPER MARIO 3D LAND
2011
M
ario is easily one of NINTENDO 3DS
gaming’s most iconic
SUPER MARIO GALAXY 2
and recognisable
figures. While he’s been
around since 1981 in the
NINTENDO WII 2010
NEW SUPER MARIO
guise of Jumpman, it wasn’t until he
became super in 1985 that gamers
really started to take notice of the
BROS. WII 2009
NINTENDO WII
SUPER MARIO GALAXY

mustachioed plumber.
When Shigeru Miyamoto created
Super Mario Bros. he also effectively
NINTENDO WII 2007
NEW SUPER MARIO BROS.
recreated the platformer, creating a
template that would not only shape
the later Mario games for many
NINTENDO DS 2006
SUPER MARIO SUNSHINE
years, but also platformers in general.
Nintendo would again change the
goalposts in 1996 with Super so popular with gamers. There’s
GAMECUBE 2002
SUPER MARIO 64
Mario 64 and while other contenders
have come close, no current
developer is making 3D platformers
a reason why Super Mario games
have sold nearly 300 million sales
and it’s because they’re some of the
NINTENDO 64 1996
SUPER MARIO LAND 2:
that can compete with the likes of
Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario
3D World, in short Mario is the king
most inventive and well-designed
games of their genre. But don’t just
take our word for it, the following
6 GOLDEN COINS 1992
GAME BOY
SUPER MARIO WORLD

at what he does and it’s a fact that’s
unlikely to change any time soon.
We’ve covered Mario’s history in
moments are some of your favourites
and we’ve also persuaded a large
number of classic developers to share
SUPER NINTENDO 1990
SUPER MARIO LAND
the past (in issue 82 no less) so we
instead wanted to look at why the
Super Mario Bros. series has become
their personal memories too. Here’s
hoping the plumber reigns supreme
for another 30 years.
GAME BOY 1989
SUPER MARIO BROS. 3
NES
SUPER MARIO BROS. 2

NES 1988
SUPER MARIO BROS.:
THE LOST LEVELS 1986
NES
SUPER MARIO BROS.

NES 1985
My favorite
is the arcade
WORLD 11 Super Mario Bros.

There’s nothing like your first time. As your finger jabs the rubbery
version of [Super]
Mario Bros. that I
first saw. This game
had numerous jaw-
start button of the controller, the screen goes dark and you’re
1
dropping moments
presented with a title card for World 1-1. You hear those first notes for me that nowadays
of the game’s theme – a tune that will be etched upon your memory we take for granted, like a smoothly
forever – and proceed into the first stage of Super Mario Bros.. scrolling landscape. But what really blew
To this day, very few first stages do as good a job of equipping the player as that me away was the moment I discovered
of Super Mario Bros.. The game doesn’t need a wordy tutorial, because the level I could enter certain green pipes and
design does a great job of naturally creating curiosity and teaching the player about discover new areas. This simple feature
various game elements. All objects are placed on the right of the starting screen, made the entire Mario world seem
encouraging you to move forward. Blocks bearing question marks draw attention to vastly bigger and more mysterious to
themselves, inviting the player to interact. The Goomba looks mean and advances me. As children we're always fascinated
towards Mario, making a confrontation of some kind inevitable. by discovering caves and exploring
World 1-1 contains enough challenge to make a player feel accomplished in what's inside them, and Mario captured
victory, but is gentle enough that even a small child can finish it with a little practice. that magic with the green pipes, each
You’ll play through it enough times to remember it by heart and learn to finish it in of which represented the possibility of
under a minute, but it never gets old because this first level is Super Mario Bros.. an entirely new area to discover and
explore. Aer that, secret areas became
the norm in games, and I know in the
Apogee and 3D Realms games I was
involved in, we always tried to include
YOUR FIRST MUSHROOM as many secret area as we could. All
The enticing question mark block is just begging to be because of Mario Bros..
jumped at, and doing so reveals a mushroom – which SCOTT MILLER, 3D REALMS
then starts moving and, when collected, makes Mario
grow into the more resilient Super Mario. It feels so
routine now, but in 1985 it was quite a surreal sight.
YOUR
FIRST PIPE
JOURNEY
Speeding through World 1-1 on SMB NES and getting that first
running jump to get the full 1000 points on the flagpole, giving
the feeling that you’re off to a great start. Yeah right! SAMHAIN81
YOUR FIRST SECRET

You might find the hidden extra life on
your first attempt at World 1-1 – it’s easy
The best thing I've ever done is a Mario game has to be enough to accidentally find. However, what’s
discovering the first Warp in Super Mario Bros. on the NES. important is that you probably won’t. You can
Discovering a secret vine, which then allowed me to climb outside of keep discovering new things in Mario games
the top of the level and run across the top of it was staggering. There after you think you’ve mastered them, and
were five other people in the room and we were all gobsmacked to this secret is the first indication of that.
discover the Warp Pipes. Back then, cheats and secrets felt far more
valuable than they do today. ALEX WARD, CRITERION
30 MAGICAL MARIO MOMENTS
It shouldn’t come as any surprise that, as

a game creator, my reaction to a game
might be different from that of your average
game player. The early Mario games on
the NES bear this out.
My first reaction to Mario was surprise that
the game so obviously used character-mapped
background graphics. Shigeru Miyamoto made
a conscious decision to build Mario’s world
out of blocks. In doing so, he allowed for a very large world due to
memory efficiencies, but it represented a step backward in videogame
imagery. He took a big risk. As Super Mario Bros. was the flagship
game franchise that everyone would associate with the NES system
itself, the risk was that gamers would consider the NES to be inferior
hardware to machines of the day providing much more realism.
As it played out, the game overcame the risks involved. Using
character-mapping the world could be much larger and the gameplay
experience more richly rewarding. Players thought of the colorful,
blocky game backgrounds as more of a fantasy art-direction than a
technical limitation, and the gameplay was the star anyway.
DAVID CRANE, ACTIVISION
YOUR FIRST FLAGPOLE

Even when your first moment of victory is in
sight, there’s one last challenge as you try to
jump to the top of the flagpole for more points.
If you’re lucky, you might even get some
fireworks after lowering the flag! It’s a smart
and iconic bit of game design.
My favourite Mario moment

comes from what I believe
As a plumber, it makes sense for Mario to hang was my first session playing the
around pipes. It doesn’t make quite as much sense game while visiting Activision when
for him to travel through them, but after the first I was working at ZZAP!64 back in
time you travel down one and find a secret cache of late-1985 or very early-1986. It had a
coins, you’ll always check them for hidden rooms. new imported NES and an American
TV to play it on. I'd been playing Excitebike for a while,
but then switched to Super Mario Bros., and quickly
realised that it was one of the coolest games I'd ever
played. I'd been running around for a while, when,
by sheer fluke, I discovered that if you
pulled down on the joypad while
standing on a certain pipe, Mario
was transported to a different
area. Sure, that's a standard
YOUR FIRST STAR thing these days, but back then,

the feeling of discovery, and the
When a flashing star is revealed for the realisation that there was another
first time you automatically imagine world under the one I was standing on
that it’s something pretty special – and was incredible: it made a seriously cool
this one doesn’t disappoint. Mario’s game even cooler. What more secrets were
temporary invincibility turns him into a there to uncover? My mind was blown. At a
wrecking machine, capable of running time when most games didn't have much
straight through his foes without fear. It’s in the way of hidden stuff, it really was
an amazing feeling of power. a revelation. What a game!
JULIAN RIGNALL, JOURNALIST
GOING OUT AS SEEN IN: Super Mario Bros.
2
Placing the ceiling of Super Mario Bros.’ underground stages below the
HUD was a genius move on Nintendo’s part, as it makes it look like there’s
OF BOUNDS a fixed status bar. As a result, jumping out of the normal play area and running
along the top of the screen feels like you’re breaking the game – and better yet, if
you can make it past the exit pipe you’ll reach the Warp Zone.
In 1988,
while
working at Origin
Systems, we had a
Japanese Famicom
FOUR WAYS TO PLAY system and I

remember playing
AS SEEN IN: Super Mario Bros. 2 Super Mario Bros. 2
Not only does Super Mario Bros. 2 let you play as Mario’s friends, on it – it was really
3 it makes doing so very worthwhile as every single one has unique
characteristics. Luigi’s a bit slower and weaker than Mario, but
cool to see Mario
again but with
jumps higher. Toad has a short jump, but is fast and pulls up veggies blowing wind and leaves! It turns out this
quickly, while Peach (or Princess Toadstool) has a unique floating jump. It version never made it to the US because
was a joy to discover which one suited you best. six months later Super Mario Bros. 2 got
to the States and it was the re-skinned
Doki Doki Panic game (still awesome).
I also remember just how incredibly
difficult World 8 was in Super Mario
Bros. 3. The game was incredible,
really a tour-de-force of game design,
and was perfect in almost all respects. I
finally beat it and count it as one of
the hardest games I’ve played.
JOHN ROMERO, ID SOFTWARE
WORKING THE SOIL

AS SEEN IN: Super Mario Bros. 2
Owing to Super Mario Bros. 2’s origins as a different game, the core
4 gameplay changes a bit from the original game. The most notable
new feature is the ability for Mario and friends to pluck items from the
dirt – usually vegetables to be thrown at enemies, but sometimes more special
items like potions that create doors into subspace or rockets that blast you to
the next part of the game. Sure, you can jump on enemies and lift them instead,
but even lobbing Shy Guys isn’t as fun as a little gardening – the little moment of
anticipation as each root is pulled makes the activity rather compulsive.
PLUCK TALES Here are all the items you can retrieve
from the ground in Super Mario Bros. 2
Oh man I’m not even sure how to pick one!

I guess the first time I saw a Door Potion in
SMB2. What a supremely weird game item!
ADAM SALTSMAN, ADAM ATOMIC
My memory has to be playing Super Mario Land

E A T TACK
on the Game Boy in 1989. This was my first Mario
UBM A RIMN
game, having worked at a games shop that decided to
sell the Sega Master System – you weren’t allowed to sell S IN: Super ario Land
N M a
es offe
rio gam es, staying
ra
Sega AND Nintendo – I had never seen a NES. I had my AS SEE i Yokoi’
eld ri
s handh sign of the se cing new
own Game Boy and this was the game I bought with it. Gunpe e on the de ile introdu op in a
ve tak ula w h ets to h
distincti e original form -3, as Mario g ets to
Aer my first go I became aware of how well laid out and
devious the levels were. Once I’d got used to [it] I realised 6 th d2
close to ays liked Worl ’em-up sectio s in a plane!
e alw hoot-
n. He g
e skie
that four hours had passed. I was well and truly addicted and the various tunes nics. W ay in a s ing to th
mecha a nd blast aw , this time tak
had been ingrained into my brain for all time. The game also succeeded at rin e o
subma game to
getting family members, who had shown no interest in my previous machine, is in the
revisit th
the Spectrum, bopping baddies and exploring tunnels. A recent replay showed
to me that the game had lost none of its playability and still had that ‘one more
go’ factor that it had 26 years ago. MARK R. JONES, OCEAN SOFTWARE
MALIGNANT MUSHROOMS
AS SEEN IN: Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels
Some of the cleverest moments in Super
5 Mario Bros. involve subverting the player’s

expectations, and this sequel did just that. In the
original game, every mushroom was good – in The Lost
Levels, you need to watch out for the Poison Mushrooms
which damage you like an enemy attack.
My favourite Mario moment is finding

the Warp Zone at the end of 1-2. You
thought you'd hacked the game! My least
favourite moment, getting to 4-1 and finding
Lakitu waiting with an inexhaustible supply
of Spiny eggs to throw at you. I doubt it's a
coincidence the two are linked.
STEVE LYCETT, SUMO DIGITAL
TAKING TO THE AIR
Super Mario Bros. might have given Mario power-ups, but Super Mario
FLIGHT Bros. 3 was the game that made us fall in love with them and the reason
ITINERARY 7 was found in the very first stage. After picking up a Super Leaf, Mario gains
ears and a tail to become Raccoon Mario – not only making him cuter, but
also granting him the ability to fly! It works just as you’d expect, too. Mario
Aer taking to the skies for the must be running at top speed before you hit jump to initiate flight, meaning that you need
first time, Mario decided that a long stretch of ‘runway’ to get going. However, Raccoon Mario (and later Tanooki Mario)
the airborne life suited him… can reach areas that are otherwise totally inaccessible, so you’ll try to launch whenever
possible. The ability to fly added a lot to Super Mario Bros. 3, and it’s no surprise that
SUPER LEAF flight has been frequently revisited as a theme since.
From: Super Mario Bros. 3
CAPE
From: Super Mario World
Super Mario Bros. 3, the Tanooki suit. I played it for
ages thinking it was a great attacking move before
WING CAP being shown by a neighbour how to fly. The rest of my
From: Super Mario 64
Mario 3 career was attempting to recreate this.
BITTERTOAD
F.L.U.D.D.
From: Super Mario Sunshine
BEE MUSHROOM
From: Super Mario Galaxy
COSTUME PARTY
Mario just loves to dress up – here are some of our
favourite outfits he’s donned over the years…
FIRE SUIT HAMMER SUIT METAL SUIT
CAPE SUIT
FROG SUIT
MEETING
THE FAMILY When you first
fly with the WHISTLE
After repeatedly being bested by Mario in
racoon tail in Super
Mario Bros. 3 and BLOWER
8 the first game, Bowser learned the joys of
delegation and decided to reserve himself
realise how much of
the game has opened
as a final boss. He’s a responsible villain, though – to Finding the warp zones in
ensure that Mario still had bosses to fight, he brought
in the seven Koopalings to do his dirty work for him.
up to you.
FLYING_DELOREAN81 9 Super Mario Bros. is rewarding
but obtaining warp whistles
We’ve got a fair amount of affection for the Koopa in Super Mario Bros. 3 is even more so,
kids, and we’re very pleased to see that they’ve especially because so few are available
returned to the series in recent years. – just three in the whole game, and all
of them within the first two worlds. Our
favourite is the first. Find this white block
in World 1-3, hold down on the D-pad for
a couple of seconds, then run behind the
scenery to the end of the stage!
While almost impossible to pick one Mario

moment above all others, one that does hold
a very special place is my first encounter with the
Racoon (Tanooki) Suit in Super Mario Bros. 3. As a
pixel pusher, the sheer joy of seeing such an iconic
character as our titular plumber suddenly in a fuzzy
onesie literally made me grin from ear to ear.
A great moment in a series of games that seldom fails to bring
back the childlike gamer in even the oldest of dinosaurs.
SIMON BUTLER, IMAGINE SOFTWARE
CAT
TOAD HOUSE SUIT
With its new world map system, Super
10 Mario Bros. 3 opened the series up to
between-level events. While we like the
enemy encounter mini-stages, we were always much
happier to see Toad’s friendly face. Whether you were
matching cards or simply picking items from a chest,
the ability to get a quick break and stock up on items
was always most welcome.
PROPELLER PROPELLER
BOO SUIT SUIT BOX SUIT
SPRING
SUIT CLOUD
SUIT
THE WORLD MAP
AS SEEN IN: Super Mario World
Sure, Super Mario Bros. 3 had a world map too, but
11
the one that guides you through Dinosaur Land in
Super Mario World is a completely different beast.
The maps in the previous game had generally
been isolated, but after you make your way off
Yoshi’s Island, you’ll get a true sense of the scale of the large,
interconnected map of Super Mario World. This is also a map that
changes and evolves as you journey through the game. Paths open
up, bridges are built, Mario ventures into caves and forests – it feels
almost alive, such is the level of activity.
The map isn’t just well-presented, though. It’s an incredibly
useful tool for making your way through the game, thanks to the
way it is set up. You can see the path you’re supposed to take, but
there’s plenty of room left spare. Luckily, you’ll soon find out that
the red and yellow dots that represent stages mean something –
the red levels have more than one exit, which gives you an idea of
how to reveal the secret levels that occupy those seemingly empty
areas of the map. But that’s all the help the map will afford you,
leaving the pleasure of discovery for the player to enjoy.
SECRETS
WITHIN SECRETS
AS SEEN IN: Super Mario Bros.
Making
12 itRoad
to Star
feels
very special – the
unusual stages and
different coloured
Yoshis certainly give
its stages a different
feel to those on the main map. However, the truly
special moment comes when you realise that the
rabbit hole goes deeper, as the Star Road stages
have their own secret exits too! If you find all
of them, you can take a trip to the super-secret
Super Mario World Special Stages, which will challenge Super Mario
and finding a secret World experts to the limit.
world within a secret world! My
poor little pre-teen brain nearly
exploded with excitement.
JOLLY
If I was to ever be stuck

on a desert island and had
one game to choose (and console,
of course) I would go with Super
Mario World and my SNES
everytime, so many memorys
attached to this game from the
first levels to the hidden secrets and even the
soundtrack to suit each stage. This could very well
be my favourite game of all time.
JON WELLS, ART EDITOR, RETRO GAMER
SWITCH PALACE
As with many others, my favourite Mario Moment is from Super Mario World. It’s the
first time you entered an underground cave, and specifically how the soundtrack and
effects went all echo-y. Don’t ask me why that should’ve stayed with me above something
as spectacular as the opening of Mario 64. I just remember it feeling really clever, that
As the first game in the series to let you they’d thought about using audio to provide a sense of space and place… and that the SNES
13 Mario World
revisit previously beaten stages, Super
had to have a compelling
was able to pull it off. It was the moment that I knew I’d spent my money wisely, and was
the start of my love affair with Nintendo. PAUL ‘MR BIFFO’ ROSE, DIGITISER 2000
reason to bring you back. The Switch Palaces are just
that reason – when you find one, not only do you get
to enjoy a room full of coins, you activate new blocks
in old stages. These open up previously inaccessible
paths, changing levels you thought you knew. MEETING YOSHI
The first time you see Yoshi hatch from an egg, you can tell
14 immediately that he’s going to be one of Mario’s most popular

allies. This cute green dinosaur might not look at home with
the cast of Jurassic Park, but he’s a fearsome force, able to swallow many
enemies whole and spit them out as projectile attacks. Not only that,
but he shields you, gives you the ability to perform a double-jump, and
adds an excellent bongo track to the music.
KOOPA One of the first

levels in Super
BOWLING Mario World where you

launch a Koopa shell through
AS SEEN IN: Super Mario World about eight other Koopas.
We can’t help but love the That never gets old.
15 beginning of Yoshi’s Island 2.

What can you do with one red
TIM FITCHES
shell and a whole row of Koopa Troopers?

Pick up the shell, bowl the baddies over
and earn a boatload of points, as well as a
bonus life. Fantastic.
GHOST BUSTING
Ghost Houses give you a break from
16 action platforming, instead showing the
versatility of the Mario formula by providing
players with a mental challenge. From doors hidden I could tell you of
behind unbreakable blocks to stages that seem to the time I completed
endlessly loop, the Ghost Houses throw all kinds of Super Mario World on the
unusual challenges at you. Typically, the nature of the Super Famicom. It was
brainteasers means that you’ll be more threatened entirely in Japanese, which
by the clock than the slow-moving, shy Boos that meant I didn’t know you
populate these stages. could throw shells straight
up in the air. That resulted
in me having to go and get a cape, then make it
all the way through the last level without getting
hit. On the final screen, things got really tricky.
You had to get a Koopa to drop at one side of
the screen whilst you made it to the other. Then
there was just enough room to run and get up
to flight speed, at which point you had to jump
and, on the way up, hit the Koopa and grab his
shell at the same time. Then you could sail over
the top of Bowser and drop the shell on him
as normal. Rinse, repeat. Without getting hit -
otherwise you’d lose your cape and have to go
back to the previous level…
ALEX TROWERS, BULLFROG
MARIO’S DARK SHADOW
AS SEEN IN: Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
While meeting Wario is one of the franchise’s most understated
17
moments, it’s nevertheless an important one, even if players didn’t
really know it at the time. When you first encounter him in Super
Mario Land 2 it’s as a solid antagonist for the popular plumber, with
the portly villain effortlessly standing in for Bowser. He crops up again
in several other games, only to become the main protagonist in Super Mario Land 3.
He then goes on to completely reinvent the mini-game genre with the excellent
WarioWare series, while continually hassling Mario is numerous adventures, both
platformers and otherwise. What a cad.
It was late 1996, and a

couple of us had bought
Mario 64 on import for our N64
IT’S A ME! consoles and we challenged each

other to see how fast we could beat
MARIO!
AS SEEN IN: Super Mario 64
the game. It ended up being about
three weeks for me. Anyway, I'd
been playing it for a few hours at a time and in the
early hours, one night with lights off, I was really 'in
It’s easy to forget just what the zone', swimming Mario through an underwater
cavern and he ran out of oxygen. He had a very
18
an impact Mario made when
he appeared on Nintendo’s poignant death animation, where he spluttered and
64-bit system. After 11 years then floated limp and lifelessly towards the surface
of 2D adventures with the with the camera pulling away from him. It was so
lovable plumber, here he was in full 3D and sad, I almost cried. I was so emotionally connected
he looked fantastic. Simply watching Mario to him and his quest. It was a very upsetting and
follow your cursor around with his eyes was emotional moment. It reminded me of the fact that
a treat enough upon loading the game, but even whilst the graphics are obviously cartoony and
the real magic came when you realised that stylised, much like Snow White and Woody from Toy
you could use that disembodied glove to Story, it’s possible to create fictional characters with
actually pull at Mario himself, twisting him really empathy and whilst we've all seen that with
into all sorts of hilarious positions. It’s the animated characters in films, it was the first time I'd
first of many unforgettable moments that felt it for a game character.
would help transform Super Mario 64 into ANDREW OLIVER, BLITZ GAMES
one of the greatest platformers of all time.
The first time I

played Mario 64 it
just felt so revolutionary –
Nintendo did such a great
job of making the jump
to 3D. Mario’s control felt
amazing – you could have
fun just running around,
sliding and jumping. It was
just the perfect game to
launch the N64 with – it
looked, sounded and
played great.
JOHN PEGG, RARE
It’s an interesting question, and there have been so many great moments in the
Mario games that choosing one of them seems arbitrary and unfair to the others.
For me, the real high point was those first few moments of playing Super Mario 64.
Entering the third dimension, enjoying the intuitive controls. Running around
outside the castle, seeing it all in 3D for the first time, trying out the different kinds of
jumps, birds flying from trees as you climbed them. Realising that they had got so much
so right on their first attempt and that it was going to be a great game to play. I can’t think
of another moment like that. STEVE ELLIS, RARE
The first is the

snow section on
Super Mario 64. There are
penguins around and the
atmosphere of that whole
area is top-notch. To cap it
all, there is the ice racing
section in there that is
really a fun break from
the jumping mechanic.
STEVE WETHERILL,
ODIN SOFTWARE
MISSION MARIO
Super Mario 64 was a game changer. It not only redefined platformers
for years to come, but also delivered a fresh new take on Mario’s
19 11-year-old formula. It was magical enough to simply leap through

a painting and discover an exciting new world within it, but Super
Mario 64’s unique missions left an equally memorable impact, giving
structure to the game and a sense of place that hadn’t been in earlier games. The
core mechanics were still there, but now you were racing penguins down slides,
launching yourself into the ether in search of goodies and reuniting snowmen with
their missing heads. In short you were having the time of your life.
The shock when you jump at
pictures and are transformed
into a new area the picture ripples as
you leap though BRIAN HEAPS
Mario 64. For me this was the

first Mario game that really
drew me into Mario’s life perhaps
because it was the first time the
player actually got to feel as though
there actually was a ‘Mario World’
BOWSER BY THE TAIL

somewhere in that machine.
When Mario 64 was released I think there were a lot
of ‘dark’ and gloomy games that were becoming more
and more popular, utilising 3D to create shooters. But
There are few moments in Super Mario 64 — or any Mario game for that matter playing Mario 64 was a refreshing change, and showed
20
— that are as satisfying as your first encounter with Bowser. While he was always us that games didn’t have to be all Doom and gloom
challenging in earlier games, he was never as menacing as he was in Super to be cool. It was such a cool game and inspired many
Mario 64. Being rendered in 3D not only made him imposing, but also gave a others, myself included. I think that the feel of Mario 64
better indication of just how big the king of Koopas actually was. A further nice inspired myself and a lot of the artists at Rare If you
touch comes from the camera that shakes with every gigantic pound of Bowser’s feet. take a look at Banjo-Kazooie and Diddy Kong Racing, it’s
Still, the bigger they are the harder they fall and in Super Mario 64, Bowser falls very hard clear to see what we’d all been playing!
indeed. Initially he seems too powerful, thanks to his imposing size and the gigantic gouts of KEVIN BAYLISS, PLAYTONIC
flame that he can spew out at will, but your 3D incarnation of Mario is super agile and before long
you’re able to confound the beast and get behind him.
Grabbing hold of Bowser’s tail you slowly start swinging the surprised king, faster and faster,
until he becomes a whirling dervish of green and yellow. “So long, dear Bowser,” shouts Mario
as he sends the king hurtling towards the mines that litter the stage. Four collisions later and the
Kooper King is suitably cowed, leaving behind a gigantic key so Mario can continue his adventure.
Playing Mario 64 for the first time

wandering around the castle grounds,
getting a feel for the analogue stick. Is there
anyone who wasn’t blown away by that?
DEATH’S HEAD
I played
Mario 64
in Japanese, on
import before it
was released in
Europe. My most
surprising moment
was seeing someone else playing it in
English some six months or so later.
I was horrified how much description
there was on how to find each Star –
I had assumed this was some sort of
story text. I had spent ages trying to
find the last few stars!
DAVID BRABEN, THE BIGGER THEY COME…
Although Shigeru Miyamoto had already dabbled with size
21
distortion in Super Mario Bros. 3, it made a far bigger impact with
the debut of Tiny-Huge Island. Unlike the other worlds of Super
Mario 64, Tiny-Huge Island could be approached from two start
points. One had Mario miniaturised, making the avoidance of piranha plants and
goombas even more perilous, while the other turned the tables. Amazingly,
despite the huge size difference, teeny weeny monsters would attack Mario
with ferocious tenacity, making it even more satisfying when you mashed
them underfoot with virtually no effort at all.
I detested Mario when it first came out, the only Mario

game I actually had any affinity with was Mario 64,
I loved it, loved the look of it, loved the controls all
of it. Running in 3D, Mario tilting ever so slightly as he ran,
something GTA IV introduced to ‘modern’ gamers back in
2008. It was brilliant, but that’s really my first and last love
of things Mario. STEWART GILRAY, JUST ADD WATER
MASTERING
FLUDD AS SEEN IN: Super Mario Sunshine
It’s fair to say that a genre-defining game like Super Mario 64 would be a
22
particularly hard act to follow – just how do you make a sequel to one of
the best games of all time? If you’re Nintendo, you take the game in a
new direction with the use of a versatile gadget. Whether he’s cleaning
graffiti off the walls of Isle Delfino or blasting the plaque off the teeth of an angry eel,
Mario spends most of his time in the game using FLUDD.
The water-powered gadget initially serves Mario as an eco-friendly weapon, but
by the end of the game you’ll have encountered different nozzles which allow him to
hover, blast into the air and run at speeds that would challenge even a certain blue
hedgehog. These abilities allowed us to fling Mario around Delfino Island with the kind
of speed and style we’d never had access to before.
Although I’d played Super Mario World and Mario 64

to their absolute limit, Super Mario Sunshine was the
first in the series that I wanted to explore for all its worth. It had
the three-dimensional splendour of Mario 64, plus the design
intricacies of Super Mario World. Wherever I took Mario, I was
usually rewarded, constantly memorising cool routes through the
maps, practicing for coin runs at speed or to gain access to the
next secret area. I can still remember where I found my final Blue Coin; it was such a
moment of triumph. When I discovered that Yoshi was in there too, I was completely
in love. While Super Mario Galaxy showed more overtly that Nintendo could still
conceive whacky concepts that are fun for all to enjoy, in Super Mario Sunshine it
proved that it was matchless for creating impeccably produced, masterfully designed
worlds that came alive in the player’s hands. PAUL DAVIES, JOURNALIST
HOVER NOZZLE SQUIRT NOZZLE TURBO NOZZLE ROCKET NOZZLE

QWith powerful twin jets of water, Mario can QA versatile attachment used for cleaning up QIf you’ve ever seen someone using a fire QIf you need to reach high places and Mario’s
sustain mid-air flight for a few seconds. Not graffiti, shooting at enemies, putting out fires extinguisher to propel themselves, you’ll little legs won’t push him far enough, one
only does that let him cover gaps, it’s also and all manner of other tasks which require know what’s coming here – Mario uses a high-pressure blast of water will send you
perfect for cleaning from above. you to squirt water at things. jetstream to sprint at high speeds. soaring into the stratosphere.
My first home
MEGA
My moment
comes from computer
Mario Sunshine where encounter with Mario was
you’re going about
your merry way then
Shadow Mario comes
out from the ether
MUSHROOM!
AS SEEN IN: New Super Mario Bros.
in Donkey Kong on the
Dragon 32, which was the
first game I saw on that
machine in two-colour
and pinches your FLUDD just before Check any expectations of subtlety at the door – when 320x200 mode, which was hi-definition of
23
you enter a level. I spent ages trying to Mario gets hold of a Mega Mushroom, he becomes so the day. Apart from the lack of colour it
beat that hidden level which is set in a large that there’s only one reasonable course of action. behaved as the arcade original, which
void that exists somewhere Mario 64 In case you hadn’t guessed, that means going on an probably persuaded me that the Dragon 32
and Sunshine. I did finish it in the end, unstoppable rampage. Invincibility stars are great, but they just let you could do the job and led us to choose it as
my palms were sweaty, my heart was take out enemies. Mega Mario can smash through everything in his our second platform to code on aer the
beating and my GameCube controller path, from enemies to scenery objects like blocks and pipes. ZX Spectrum. My Dragon 32 conversions
was never the same… DREW SLEEP, Of course, being Mega Mario doesn’t just of Steve Turner’s first three games were all
PRODUCTION EDITOR, RETRO GAMER feel great. There are some great touches to done in that graphics mode.
this too – for example, if you reach the end So you could say that Mario himself
of a stage as Mega Mario, you can knock put me on the course to programming,
down the flagpole. Mario then looks back at without either of us knowing it.
it sheepishly. Even better, you’re rewarded ANDREW BRAYBROOK, GRAFTGOLD
with extra lives for smashing objects.
OOPS UPSIDE
YOUR HEAD
AS SEEN IN: Super Mario Galaxy
Having accidentally mastered the 3D platformer
24
on its first attempt, Nintendo left itself a mountain
to climb with each and every follow-up to Super
Mario 64. Initial fears that Galaxy might fall into that
oh-so-common Wii trap of abusing gimmicky controls and suffering Wind the clock
as a result were allayed upon finally taking the game for a spin, back to 2010 and
where we discovered a totally different kind of gimmick – one that I’ll be totally engrossed in
actually worked. Jumping mechanics are so integral to the Mario Super Mario Galaxy, but
experience that relearning how these functioned in full 3D space this time I’m watching in
when each planetoid had its own gravitational pull made for a stellar amazement as my young
experience that could keep even platforming veterans on their toes. son somehow masters using the Wiimote
and Nunchuk and solving the puzzles in
double quick time, yet he’s to young to
be able to read the screen menus and
messages, so I say them out loud for
him. Real father and son bonding stuff!
He played it for months and months, and
still does occasionally.
ARCHER MACLEAN,
AWESOME STUDIOS
MULTIPLAYER MADNESS
AS SEEN IN: New Super Mario Bros. Wii
Although previous Mario games had dabbled with multiplayer
25
shenanigans, it wasn’t until 2009 that Nintendo really
perfected the formulae, allowing four friends to work together
to complete the cleverly designed levels that Nintendo had
crafted. Despite the cooperative-based gameplay there were still time
for arguments as characters were unable to share each other’s spaces,
meaning it was all too possible to accidentally knock a friend off a ledge to
their doom. Did we say accidentally? Sorry, we meant purposely.
The inclusion of additional players does highlight the fact that later Mario
games seem to be rarely designed around them, but anyone who has
chased another player around the screen so that they can knock them into a
whole in the bottom of the screen is highly unlikely to care.
Early on in
Super Mario
Galaxy ’s Good Egg Galaxy,
there’s a capsule-shaped
planet with a glass
exterior. The genius of
the game’s design became clear when
I smashed my way inside to find a 2D
challenge on a rotating stage, complete
with gravity shis. Up until that point,
I’d thought it was just another good 3D
Mario game – aerwards, I realised it
was simply revolutionary.
NICK THORPE, SENIOR STAFF
WRITER, RETRO GAMER
30 GREATEST TS
They’re all great! I love them all. But

actually, the very first game is the most
important to me. I played it at a time when I
was still unemployed, before starting out
somewhere. Playing this, I realised for the
first time, ‘Oh, there is a game industry.
This is something I could realise being
creative, and actually conceive works of art.’ Super Mario
Bros. would be my favourite because it actually pushed me into
this industry. Otherwise, possibly, without this I wouldn’t even
have ended up there. KEIJI INAFUNE, CAPCOM
MARIO
THROUGH
THE AGES
QSUPER
WHO NEEDS MARIO BROS.
QSUPER
BOWSER?
AS SEEN IN: Super Mario Galaxy 2
MARIO BROS. 2
QSUPER
While it seemingly made use of a lot of the MARIO BROS. 3
26
same assets as the original and didn’t mess with
the near-perfect formula too much, Galaxy 2 QSUPER
still found ways to innovate and impress, to MARIO LAND
the point where some would cite it as the better of the two
games. It clearly has spectacle on its side – returning players QSUPER
wouldn’t get the same sense of freshness from another set MARIO WORLD
of relatively simple levels like those of the first game – and
this comes to the fore in some of the incredible boss fights. QSUPER
Mario bosses don’t tend to be all that great but the Gobblegut MARIO LAND 2
showdown is wonderful, the spherical battlefield evolving as
he chews through the planet as the fight draws on. QSUPER
MARIO 64
QSUPER MARIO
SUNSHINE
QNEW SUPER
MARIO BROS.
QSUPER MARIO
GALAXY
QNEW SUPER
MARIO BROS. Wii
QSUPER MARIO
GALAXY 2
QSUPER MARIO
3D LAND
QNEW SUPER
MARIO BROS. 2
QNEW SUPER
MARIO BROS. U
QSUPER MARIO
3D WORLD
QSUPER MARIO
MAKER
AN ALLNEW PERSPECTIVE
AS SEEN IN: Super Mario 3D Land
Having miraculously mastered the art of 3D level design on its
27
first attempt, Nintendo never had us worried about that aspect
of 3D Land. But the 3DS’ primary gimmick did, mainly because
we remember the sea of early DS releases that were ruined
by attempts to utilize novelty hardware features. To this day, though, 3D
Land remains the only game that uses the handheld’s illusion of depth on a
gameplay level, with puzzle rooms playing cunning tricks with 3D space. Even
elsewhere, though, 3D offered some great moments, really giving a sense of
height and depth to moments like this death-defying drop.
My favorite moment, honestly, is the fun we all had

in the arcades playing Donkey Kong, and how we
all helped the heroic little plumber outsmart the formerly-
eponymous monkey and steal the brand. My second favorite
THE CRAZY
moment is every time I hear a sound effect that I know had its
origin with Mario. Mario forever!
TRIP HAWKINS, ELECTRONIC ARTS
COIN BOOST
AS SEEN IN: New Super Mario Bros. U
Mario games have long been the careful,
28
considered other side of the coin to Sonic’s
high-speed hijinks, but a new mode would
look to address this long-standing difference in
opinion between the two rivals. Boost Rush was the result
of Mario realizing that maybe he did have to go fast after
all, auto-scrolling stages speeding up the more you lined
your pockets with gold. It felt a little like a mobile title – auto-
runners are everywhere these days – but with the polish and
production values you’d expect from Nintendo, proving that
the developer wasn’t nearly as out of touch with modern
gaming as its critics might claim.
64 | RETRO GAMER
SO MANY COINS…
SO LITTLE TIME…
AS SEEN IN: New Super Mario Bros. 2
The fact that you can make it through most classic Mario
29
stages without collecting more than a few coins would
suggest to us that the mascot wasn’t in it for the money,
but New Super Mario Bros. 2 flipped that notion on its
head, and as a result made us look at Mario’s currency in a whole new
light. Here, the very point of the game is to rack up an insane balance
and in a single level, you could easily bag as many coins as you likely
would in an entire playthrough of one of the older games. There’s
something completely mesmerising about seeing levels awash with
those dinky yellow coins and it became even more enticing when you THE HELPFUL
were playing with a second player.
Suddenly a brand new game mechanic introduced a highly
competitive element to the series that was not only incredibly fun, but
GHOSTS
also helped hide the fact that Nintendo’s 3DS-based sequel wasn’t quite AS SEEN IN: Super Mario 3D World
as impressive as the excellent handheld platformer that had proceeded As games grow increasingly complex, their
it. The novelty of collecting all those coins was somewhat short-lived,
it must by said, but the initial excitement of seeing money everywhere
was still a welcome change of pace for the series and one of the
30 secrets naturally get harder and harder to find.
But in its hugely entertaining ghost replay
feature, this Wii U stunner found as strong an
highlights of Nintendo’s portable sequel. answer to this issue as Wonder Guide was for that of rising
difficulty. As you explore, you’ll see the routes taken by other
players happening around you. Some may lead you to hidden
items or areas, others to shortcuts that help shave precious
seconds off your best level times and, even more basic, it
allowed for oddly addictive asynchronous multiplayer as you
race against others who may not even be online.
I've always enjoyed the

Mario games, but it's the
latest one which has become my
favourite. My family absolutely
loves cats, and Super Mario 3D
World 's Cat Suit ensured that
both my children and wife would
participate in multiplayer games. Initially the
Cat Suit comes across as a bit of a gimmick, but
you soon realise just how versatile it is. It begs
you to explore the world as it allows you to cling
to and climb walls that you otherwise couldn't
access, opening up the seemingly linear levels
and proving just how clever Nintendo's design
still is. It might be a little chaotic playing Mario
games multiplayer, but there's no denying that
they're also a lot of fun.
DARRAN JONES, EDITOR, RETRO GAMER
WHAT
NEXT?
Super Mario Maker is the
latest game in the Super
Mario series and it’s a
rather interesting one, as it
allows you to create your
own unique moments due
to its excellent level editing
software. There are already
lots of great levels to
discover and enjoy online
and its huge success on
the Wii U meant it‘s also
now available on 3DS.
RETROINSPECTION: GAME & WATCH
AT THE DAWN OF THE EIGHTIES NINTENDO WAS ONLY JUST STARTING TO

EXPLORE THE INDUSTRY IT WOULD EVENTUALLY DOMINATE. LONG BEFORE
THE NES, MARIO, AND ZELDA THERE WAS THE GAME & WATCH THE
SERIES OF HANDHELD TITLES THAT WOULD ULTIMATELY SIRE THE ALL
CONQUERING GAME BOY. DAMIEN MCFERRAN EXPLORES THE HISTORY OF
POCKETSIZE GAMING
Year released: 1980 - 1991
Original price: Approx $30
Buy it now for: £5+ (depending on model)
Why the Game & Watch range was great… The range offered true portability
for the first time in the history of the videogame industry. The units were small,
durable and the cell batteries lasted for ages before they needed to be replaced.
Forced to work within the confines of the crude LCD technology, Nintendo
succeeded in crafting some truly mesmerising gaming experiences, the vast
majority of which stand up to scrutiny even by today’s standards
hen you look back on the history of videogames
W
it’s not uncommon to discover amusing anecdotes
regarding defining moments in the industry. For
example, rumour has it that Namco’s Pac-Man
was conceived when the game’s creator Toru
Iwatani glanced at a pizza with one slice missing,
and there’s an equally famous tale that suggests that Nintendo’s renowned
Mario was named after the landlord of the company’s American offices,
who happened to bear an uncanny resemblance to the Italian plumber.
Whether or not these stories are actually true is a moot point but it’s
impossible to deny that they lend our hobby a sense of wonderment and
it’s remarkable to think that these toweringly popular ideas can be born
INSTANT EXPERT from such humble beginnings.
The official mascot of the
range is Mr Game & Watch, who
The genesis of Nintendo’s Game & Watch series is recounted in an equally
famously appeared in Super whimsical tale. According to legend, Nintendo engineer Gunpei Yokoi came up with
Smash Bros Brawl on the Wii. the concept after observing a bored Japanese salary man absent-mindedly fingering
Sixty G&W games were
released in total, although only his pocket calculator while travelling to work. If the story is true then this seemingly
59 of those were ever on sale to innocuous encounter ultimately gave birth to portable videogaming as we know
the public – the 60th game was
limited to 10,000 units and given
it today. Yokoi was tragically killed in a roadside incident in 1997 and although he
away free as a prize. would gain worldwide fame and adoration as the creator of the Game Boy, many
The Silver game Helmet was view his earlier LCD legacy with the most fondness.
renamed Headache in the UK
because distributor CGL believed Yokoi started working at Nintendo in 1965, assuming the modest role of an
people would be offended by assembly line engineer. The Nintendo of that era was a very different beast to
the sexual connotation of the
original title.
the one that we know today; the main focus of its business was ‘Hanafuda’
Micro Vs Boxing was re- playing cards. According to yet another of those irresistible yarns, Yokoi created an
branded as Punch Out! in extendable arm in order to amuse himself during the long working hours and this
America to tie-in with the popular
arcade game. device happened to catch the eye of company president Hiroshi Yamauchi, who
Game & Watch titles make was inspecting the factory at the time. Yamauchi was on the lookout for a product
cameo appearances in the
that could turn around Nintendo’s fortunes; the playing card market had slumped
WarioWare series.
In the late-Nineties several badly in the mid-Sixties and the president had tried all manner of different tactics
classic Game & Watch titles were to turn a profit.
re-released as part of the Mini
Classics key ring range. Yamauchi was instantly intrigued and tasked the young Yokoi with turning his
Some Game & Watch titles extendable arm into a bestselling product. It was a risky move that was by no
included battery cover stickers means guaranteed to succeed, but the re-christened ‘Ultrahand’ proved to be a
which could be applied to prevent
babies from removing the runaway success, shifting more than 1.2 million units worldwide and would
battery cover and swallowing the prove to be the first in a long line of popular toys to spring from the mind of
batteries contained within.
Some Spitball Sparkey units
Nintendo’s new star employee. These novel creations would eventually earn
were produced with white casing Yokoi his very own department within the company, known as Research and
as opposed to the usual silver Development 1 Group.
– understandably, these are
worth a few bob these days. Towards the end of the Seventies, Nintendo started to disregard toys in favour
The game Egg is identical of videogames and it was during this time that Yokoi had his aforementioned
to Mickey Mouse in terms of
gameplay – it’s rumoured that
chance meeting with the bored businessman and his calculator. It was ideal
it was produced for release in timing; LCD technology was cheap and videogames were big business. However,
territories where Nintendo’s up to this point quality gaming was restricted to either the arcade or the home.
licensing deal with Disney
didn’t exist. Several companies had already produced portable games, but they were usually
Just like regular games, some rudimentary LED-based units with uninspiring gameplay and were too bulky to be
of the Game & Watch titles have
cheat codes that allow you to
deemed truly mobile. Yokoi watched the efforts of companies like Mattel and Tomy
start on later levels. with interest; he had his own ideas for the portable gaming industry.
It was during the development of the Game & Watch that Yokoi laid down
principles of hardware design that would echo through Nintendo’s history right up
to the present day, dubbing it ‘Lateral Thinking of Withered Technology’. Freelance
journalist and all-round Yokoi admirer Lara Crigger explains: “Essentially, Lateral
Thinking of Withered Technology boils down to using mature technology in novel
or radical applications. At the time of the invention of the Game & Watch, LCD
technology was everywhere. It was a well-understood process and because prices
for individual components had dropped so much, integrating LCD into a product was
relatively inexpensive. Some people at Nintendo wanted to use fancier technology in
the Game & Watch, technology that would have reduced battery life and raised costs,
but Yokoi insisted that affordability was key and that the player cared more about
fun gameplay over flashy technology.” Yokoi would later apply this philosophy to the
production of the Game Boy, and Nintendo has taken a similar stance with recent hits
such as the DS and Wii.
Yokoi faced a tricky conundrum when it came to deciding upon the best interface appeared,
Tabletop series
for his new product. He quickly decided that a conventional joystick would impede on Game & Watch wide
» By the time the a bit more hands-on with world
ng
the Game & Watch’s portability, so he began looking for solutions that would take up Nintendo was bei proves.
advert
less space. Many of the early machines simply possessed a couple of buttons with distribution, as this
which to control the game, usually corresponding to simple actions such as moving
left and right or jumping, but 1982’s Donkey Kong Jr changed all that. Although it was
actually four buttons arranged in a cross shape, with each one corresponding to up,
down, left and right, it would later evolve into what we now know as the direction
pad, or ‘D-pad’ for short. This was a development of truly seismic proportions,
as Crigger acknowledges: “The entire portable games industry wouldn’t exist if it
weren’t for the invention of the D-pad. It was that first, necessary invention that
made all portable gaming devices possible. It comes down to basic ergonomics; the
D-pad eliminates the need for a joystick, thus streamlining the controller interface
and facilitating portability. A controller with a D-pad simply takes up less physical
space.” Compared to other methods of control available at the time, this new
interface presented undeniable advantages. “The D-pad is a more intuitive method
of controlling gameplay, compared to the alternatives,” continues Crigger. “Look at a
joystick: to manipulate it, you have to use the sides of your thumbs and fingers – or
in some cases, your palm or whole hand. That takes more manual effort than just
as these appeared in COUNTERFEIT FIX
pushing buttons with a thumb tip.” » Light-hearted adverts such As is the case when any product
UK comics like Eagle. becomes valuable, the Game
There was also an element of convergence with this new range of handhelds. & Watch market is highly
Although it seems like a trifling addition in today’s technologically advanced world, the susceptible to fakes. “In the last
inclusion of a digital clock in each game (therefore giving rise to the name ‘Game & few months, we’ve seen a lot of
counterfeit items appearing,”
Watch’) was a major selling point back in the early-Eighties. Although LCD watches reveals Cole. “It’s mostly boxes
were commonly available they were outside the reach of most children, so the Game and instructions – having a box,
especially one in good condition,
& Watch was a useful device as well as a source of entertainment. A handy alarm adds greatly to a game’s value.”
feature was also available – possibly to wake up the owner after a particularly heavy These high-quality reproductions
night of LCD-gaming. of original packaging have
caused a serious headache for
Arguably the most vital piece of the hardware puzzle was the choice of power dedicated collectors. “Most
source that would bring these tiny games to life. Yokoi opted for ‘button cell’ batteries, collectors look for mint items
and have paid great amounts
previously seen in digital watches and calculators. Not only were these cheap to of money to acquire them,”
replace, they were also small and therefore fitted snugly within the machines without explains Panayiotakis. “Finding
breaking the sleek, straight lines of the casing or adding any additional weight that original Game & Watch boxes
intact isn’t an easy task, but if
might hinder portability. Yokoi’s desire to ensure his products would be inexpensive to someone started selling perfect
run and not require a constant supply of fresh batteries played a vital part in ensuring counterfeit boxes or games, your
collection would be instantly
the success of the range – a fact he was sure to remember when he came to create » The man himsel worth one twentieth of what
f–
the Game Boy almost a decade later. the Game Boy, but Gunpei Yokoi created you had paid for it because the
sadly died in 199
But there was much more to the appeal of the Game & Watch range than just 7. market would be flooded with
perfect items.” However, at this
mere interface design and long-lasting power. Because LCD technology granted the stage the problem is isolated to
developers a very limited amount of on-screen real estate in which to place their boxes and instructions. “To my
action-packed gaming experiences, the games themselves tended to be extremely knowledge, nobody has been
able to produce a fake game
focused. “There was little room for design screw-ups,” says Crigger. “If the game successfully – yet,” says Cole. If
mechanic wasn’t simple enough, or addictive enough, then the game failed. It fake machines were to appear,
Panayiotakis is in no doubt as to
couldn’t hide behind flashy FMVs or intricate storylines. It was just player and what effect it would have on the
mechanic, and that’s it.” The experiences offered by the Game & Watch may seem collecting community. “Perfect
primitive by today’s standards, but that very same simplicity was a major factor in the counterfeit items would make the
task of collecting authentic games
ultimate success of the lineage and it’s a testament to the concept that the games very difficult,” he says. “I don’t
are still eminently playable even today. “They’re appealing for the very same reason think there would be any point in
collecting the games after that, if
that Tetris will never really die: simplicity is addictive,” comments Crigger. “People such an event ever occurs.”
love activities that are easy to learn, but hard to master.”
The first Game & Watch title was the simplistic Ball. Released in 1980 this
endearingly basic game showed only faint glimmers of the kind of depth later Game
& Watch titles would possess; the screen was completely blank, the gameplay was e & Watch kicking arse
» LCD will never die: Mr Gam
unsophisticated and the LCD characters somewhat crude – clearly a case of the in Super Smash Bros Braw
l.
developer finding its feet with new technology. Sales weren’t astonishing but the
FROM A TO B
Mindful that each Game & Watch could only offer one game due to the
limiting nature of the LCD display, Nintendo decided to include two different
difficulty settings for each machine, thereby increasing the long-term
appeal of each title. Known as ‘Game A’ and ‘Game B’, the player had
to press the corresponding button before starting play to decide which
challenge they wished to face. Game B was usually faster and more
demanding, but there were exceptions – Flagman, for example, had
two different games and the ‘B’ variant is generally seen as the more
enjoyable. Multi Screen release Squish is another and in Judge, Game B
is actually a two-player version of ‘A’. Although it was a neat concept and
added hours of playtime to each release, not all titles carried this feature
– Climber and Super Mario Bros do not possess Game B options.
GAME BOY GALLERY

Should splashing out loads of cash on original Game & Watches not appeal
to you then you can always buy one of the excellent compilation packages
that were released for Nintendo’s Game Boy machines. The series debuted
in 1994 (in Europe and Australia) with Game Boy Gallery. The sequel, Game
& Watch Gallery, followed in 1997 and was granted a global release. The third
and fourth games were released on the Game Boy Color in 1998 and 1999
respectively, and a Game Boy Advance instalment hit shelves in 2002. In
many cases the games in these collections were visually upgraded variants
of the originals. More recently Nintendo has released the Game & Watch
Collection for the DS (only to members of Japan’s Club Nintendo service, but
copies are easy to find on eBay), which replicates three Multi Screen titles
– Oil Panic, Green House and Donkey Kong. Dig out RG 30 for our review.
COMMUNITY GAME & WATCH SITES TO WATCH

Mike’s Nintendo Game & Game & Watch.com Game & Watch
Watch Forum www.gameandwatch.com nintendo.co.jp/ds/dsiware/
mpanayiotakis.proboards.com Another well-realised site devoted to game_and_watch/index
Mike Panayiotakis’s excellent forum is Nintendo’s Game & Watch, it recently Amazingly, Nintendo still has an official
a vibrant hub of Game & Watch activity celebrated its fifth birthday. It’s easy to Game & Watch website. It’s admittedly
and is the ideal place to learn about the see why the site has been around for so all in Japanese and primarily focuses on
complexities of starting a collection. A long – it has bags of content and great all the games that are currently available
must-have resource for prospective fans design. Worth a visit should you crave to for download on its varius eShops, but it
with lots of fantastic images. amass even more G&W knowledge. does show how the games play.
game seemed to strike a chord with consumers and this was enough to persuade culminated in 1984’s ill-advised ‘Supercolor’ range, which was in fact just a standard
Nintendo that it was worth creating further titles. Ball marked the first release of the LCD display with a colour overlay. Only two games were ever produced, making
‘Silver’ series of Game & Watch titles, so called because of the colour of the metallic this the least successful entry in the Game & Watch canon. Sensing that gaming
faceplate. The next step was the ‘Gold’ series, which was fundamentally the same was also a social pastime, Nintendo decided to publish the ‘Micro Vs’ series in the
machine but with a different faceplate and a smattering of static colour on screen to same year, which offered simultaneous two-player action thanks to a pair of small
make the games seem a little more vibrant. This range spawned a mere three titles detachable controllers.
before it was superseded by the ‘Wide Screen’ variant in mid-1981. As the name Also in 1984, the final hardware revision was released in the shape of the
suggests, the display was a whopping 30 per cent larger than the one seen in the legendary ‘Crystal Screen’ machines. These were more traditional games in keeping
Silver and Gold range. with the Wide Screen style, but they possessed a transparent LCD display. Sadly
The limitations of the LCD display meant that Nintendo was always looking for these screens were highly susceptible to damage. Marketed as a luxury item, the
ways to innovate, and the next logical step was to add another screen to double the range didn’t quite achieve the same kind of fame as the more traditional Wide Screen
amount of gameplay each title could potentially offer. The Multi Screen series kicked games, which by this point had been relaunched under the snappy title of ‘New
off with Oil Panic in 1982, but it was the release of Donkey Kong that really cemented Wide Screen’.
the success of the range. Easily the biggest selling of all the Game & Watch titles Although it’s strange to think it now, Nintendo didn’t really command much of a
up to that point, Donkey Kong was a startlingly faithful representation of the arcade presence outside Japan at the time, so worldwide distribution of early Game & Watch
smash hit. Iconic in design, the Multi Screen range would influence future Nintendo machines was handled by other companies. These included Mega (USA), CGL (UK),
design choices. “It’s no secret that the Nintendo DS was based on the original Multi Ji21 (France), Videopoche (Belgium) and Futuretronics (Australia). Many of these
Screen Game & Watch design and that just shows how far ahead of its time this idea firms would re-package the devices and in some cases remove the Nintendo logo
was,” comments hardcore collector Mike Panayiotakis. altogether, instead replacing it with their own.
Released in 1983, the Tabletop series was something of a departure for the By the mid-Eighties Nintendo had released the NES home console and the
norm. It sacrificed portability for more impressive colour visuals and ran off bulky Game & Watch range took a back-seat role. As the decade drew to a close the
‘C’ batteries. Sales of this machine were steady but nowhere near as impressive seemingly vast reserves of innovation began to run dry, but it was ultimately Yokoi
as its Wide Screen and Multi Screen cousins, and therefore only four Tabletop titles himself that would deal the deathblow to his beloved pocket-sized offspring. Zelda,
were ever produced. A refinement of the technology resulted in the more mobile the penultimate release in the range, hit shelves in 1989 – the same year as Yokoi’s
‘Panorama’ series a few months later, which used a foldout mirror to enhance the newest pet project: the Game Boy. It was instantly obvious that the writing was on
vacuum fluorescent display. Nintendo’s seemingly insatiable desire for colour gaming the wall for the videogame and clock combo. The very last entry in the series was a
us
ers of vario e to
e actual eras
it or not, but these ar rmed, it’s almost a sham
» Believe rfectly fo
ch titles. Pe ose.
Game & Wat em for their actual purp
th
actually use
DIFFERENT VERSIONS
Silver Range
The one that started it all.
The Silver range consisted of
five different titles and lacked
the colourful screen overlays
that would be seen in later
titles. Five games were produced in low
quantities and as a result they’re pretty rare
these days.
Multi Screen
Pre-dating the DS by over
20 years, the Multi Screen
effectively gave twice as
much action by adding
» Yokoi’s Ultrahand – the toy an additional LCD display.
that established an empire. Because the game could be closed when
not in use, it made it even more durable. A
smaller version that opened sideways was
also released.
Tabletop
Bulky, power-hungry and
practically un-portable,
the Tabletop range was
something of a backwards
step, recalling memories
of the unwieldy electronic games of the
late-Seventies. Unsurprisingly, the range
didn’t sell as well as the traditional G&W
machines, although in terms of gameplay
these are still wonderful machines to own.
Micro Vs
Providing much-needed
multiplayer action, the Micro
Vs range featured two small
joypads that could be stored
pany that distributed within the system when not
» Time Out was another com
in the US – note the lack in use. The thin screens were less welcome,
Game & Watch machines
machines. however, and the series was not as
of Nintendo branding on the
successful as might have been expected.
loving homage to the game that started it all – 1991’s Mario The Juggler recycled the “It was produced as a prize for a competition for owners of a NES F1 racing game.
gameplay from Ball but showcased gorgeous screen artwork. It was the end of an Ten thousand were given away in Japan only, making this by far the rarest Game
era, but with the new-fangled Nintendo wooing gamers the world over, few seemed & Watch title. Only in the early 21st Century, when collectors in Japan spread the
to mourn its passing. word, did this game become widely recognised. Because of its rarity, its value is
Given the durable nature of the Game & Watch range, the appealing design of the higher than that of any other game in the range – expect to pay about £300 just for
casing and the desirable Nintendo branding, it’s little surprise that a truly hardcore an unboxed specimen.”
collecting scene has risen up over the past few years. The reasons for this differ Another aspect that makes the range so appealing today is the durability of the
depending on which collector you happen to speak with. “For most of today’s games themselves. “As can be seen by the number appearing in auctions and
collectors, it’s simply nostalgia,” comments British Game & Watch fanatic Andy Cole. in collections, they are still going strong, thanks mostly to their extremely simple
“People now find themselves with the resources to buy the games they lusted after electronics,” comments Cole. “They are probably more reliable than a games console
in their childhood, which their meagre pocket money couldn’t buy them.” Others do of today; I expect that they’ll still be around long after the last PS3 is in landfill.”
it more for the love of the brand, such as Dutch collector Martin Van Spanje. “I have Van Spanje expands on this: “The games were intended for kids and fit inside your
always loved Nintendo games and the Game & Watch series are basically where pocket. If you keep them safe, they will last for ever even if you play them regularly.”
it all started for that company,” he says. “I want to see them all, and find out how Has our intrepid gang of Game & Watch experts got any advice for prospective
Nintendo made progress.” collectors? “A potential collector should first set a target,” advises Panayiotakis.
Whatever the reason, amassing all 60 of these unique devices isn’t an easy “There are many things to collect and buying everything isn’t an option unless you
(or cheap) task. have unlimited money. Do you wish to collect boxed games? Do you wish to get
“Even though many of the games can be found for a fiver, you need lots of cash special versions of the games? Do you wish to get all 60 games? You need to focus
if you want all 60 of them,” explains Van Spanje. “My collection has already cost me on specific items and create a list of things you wish to collect.” Cole gives similar
around 3,600 euros, and I’m still missing four of the more expensive games. Also, guidance: “The answer I always give to this question is to go slowly, as it’s possible
I don’t collect mint condition games and I don’t care about the packaging and user to get a complete collection of every title in as little as a month or two if you have the
manuals. If you want all of that as well, you need to at least double your piggy bank.” money, but where’s the fun in that? Decide on a goal before you start. For example,
Indeed, boxed specimens in pristine condition can fetch prices well into triple figures decide if you want loose or boxed games, special or regular editions, then stick to
and the elusive ‘60th’ game – a special edition of Super Mario Bros produced in 1987 your goal and be patient to wait for the right games to come along. My collection took
– is very hard to locate. “This is the Holy Grail of Game & Watches and remained me about five years to complete but I got some extremely good bargains and that is
almost completely unknown in collector’s circles for over a decade,” explains Cole. more satisfying than blowing a few grand all in one go.”
Special thanks to Andy Cole for providing exclusive hardware photography for this feature and thanks also to Justyn Chan for additional help.
PERFECT TEN GAMES
Although the general quality of the 60 games released in the Game & Watch range is very high, there are obviously a
handful of titles that stand out as true classics worthy of your time and money. We asked our trio of Game & Watch
experts to come up with their most memorable titles…
DONKEY KONG JR DONKEY KONG II

NEW WIDE SCREEN MULTI SCREEN
RELEASED: 1982 RELEASED: 1983
BY THE SAME DEVELOPER: CRAB GRAB BY THE SAME DEVELOPER: TROPICAL FISH
01 The first ‘New’ Wide Screen release justifiably

possesses a lofty reputation among hardcore collectors.
“It has the best playability ever in a Game & Watch release,”
02 An early Multi Screen release, Donkey Kong II is
technically the sequel to Donkey Kong Jr, with Kong’s
plucky offspring once again called upon to save his beloved
states Martin Van Spanje – which is high praise indeed when father – only this time across two hazard-packed screens.
you consider the high quality of most Game & Watch titles. “This is a brilliant game,” says Van Spanje. “After moving all
Mike Panayiotakis is in agreement: “This is the only game the way up the second screen you have to work your way
I owned as a kid and it holds a special place in my heart. It down again to set a switch. It’s a challenge to play, and fun
has some great gameplay as well.” Assuming the role of too, every time you open the cage and free your father.”
Kong’s cute offspring, the basic aim is to free your captive Featuring some lovely case artwork and attractive screen
father by unlocking the bolts on his cage. It may have crude presentation, it’s little wonder that Donkey Kong II was a
visuals but they’re surprisingly atmospheric. “While none roaring success and continues to be fondly remembered by
of the Game & Watch titles are exactly realistic, I always fans even today. Because it was a huge seller, second-hand
thought that this one really made you imagine that you were units are common and cheap, so if you’re looking to start a
in the jungle,” says Andy Cole. collection then this is well worth investigation.
01
SPITBALL SPARKY MARIO THE JUGGLER ZELDA MULTI
SUPERCOLOR NEW WIDE SCREEN SCREEN
RELEASED: 1984 RELEASED: 1991 RELEASED: 1989
BY THE SAME DEVELOPER: BY THE SAME DEVELOPER: BY THE SAME DEVELOPER:
PINBALL BLACK JACK SAFEBUSTER
03 One of the two releases in

the ill-fated Supercolor range,
Spitball Sparky is a Breakout clone at
04 Although this was the last
Game & Watch handheld to
be made, it’s actually a remake of
05 The penultimate Game &
Watch was released in the
same year as the Game Boy and by
heart. While it doesn’t work as well the first title in the lineage rather than this point it was clear that the series
as you might hope, it remains an a fully fledged release. The crude was on borrowed time. Nevertheless
intriguing example of Nintendo really visuals of Ball are updated excellently, Nintendo chose to go out with a
trying to push the remit of the Game with Mario taking centre stage. The bang. “Even though it’s nothing
& Watch range. “It’s great because screen is also attractively illustrated like the Zelda we now know, it did
it’s an attempt to create bats-’n’-balls with scenes from Super Mario Bros. capture the feel of the world it was
type gameplay using crude LCD “Mario The Juggler looks really nice played in,” says Van Spanje. “It’s
graphics,” says Van Spanje. “It’s not with a colourful screen background basically stabbing opponents with a
altogether successful but it is great to and the game is quite addictive and knife, and then defeating the same
see Nintendo trying to work around musical,” says Cole. The gameplay old dragon over and over again, but
the limitations of the LCD screen isn’t as deep as you might want but it it’s a piece of Zelda history.” Although
and watch the games maturing proves that the core concept of Ball is it was a Multi Screen release, the
ahead of the technology.” Sadly, the strong enough to remain entertaining. action is confined to the lower screen,
02 larger Supercolor units are a lot less
portable than other machines.
It’s also quite collectable these days. with the top display being used solely
for statistics and information.
03 04 05
PERFECT 10
06 07 08
SUPER MARIO BROS BALLOON FIGHT CLIMBER NEW WIDE
VARIOUS NEW WIDE SCREEN/ SCREEN/CRYSTAL
RELEASED: 1986 CRYSTAL SCREEN SCREEN
BY THE SAME DEVELOPER: RELEASED: 1986 CRYSTAL, 1988 RELEASED: 1986 CRYSTAL, 1988
RAIN SHOWER WIDE WIDE
06 The first Game & Watch

release to feature horizontally
scrolling levels, Super Mario Bros
BY THE SAME DEVELOPER:
MARIO’S CEMENT FACTORY
BY THE SAME DEVELOPER:
SNOOPY
was incredibly advanced for its time.

Although squeezing the addictive
07 First released as part of the
coveted Crystal Screen range
of Game & Watches, but eventually
08 Many collectors view Climber
as the ‘perfect’ Game & Watch
release in terms of gameplay. “It’s
gameplay of the NES original into
given a more affordable New Wide a near-perfect implementation of
the primitive LCD hardware wasn’t
Screen outing, Balloon Fight is yet limited LCD graphics and manages
really a possibility, this is nevertheless
another painfully addictive addition to to include multiple levels, moving
a pretty convincing facsimile and
the Game & Watch line-up. Although platforms and end-of-level bosses,”
remains one of the most entertaining
Balloon Fight shares its name with says Van Spanje. “It should still
titles in the range. The visuals are a
the famous Nintendo arcade game, exist today as a mobile game. If
little basic (this is mainly due to the
this brilliant Game & Watch is actually not, someone should make it and
scrolling levels, which use flat lines
based on the ‘Balloon Trip’ mode re-release it.” Like Super Mario
to give the impression of movement)
that only appeared in the NES home Bros, the visuals look basic due to
but everything else is exceptionally
console release. You play as a young the scrolling levels, but Climber feels
polished. The special edition variant
chap with a jet pack and you’re far more vibrant and active than 09
was limited to 10,000 and is very rare,
tasked with moving through the most LCD titles. If you want a solid
but it has the same gameplay as the
scrolling levels collecting balloons and introduction to the world of Game &
other versions.
avoiding traps as you go. Watch, try this.
MICKEY MOUSE MARIO’S BOMBS AWAY

WIDE SCREEN PANORAMA
RELEASED: 1981 RELEASED: 1983
BY THE SAME DEVELOPER: MANHOLE BY THE SAME DEVELOPER: GOLDCLIFF
09 It’s amazing to think this now, but many of the

characters that graced the early Game & Watch titles
were licensed from other companies, and Nintendo stars like
10 It may be common knowledge that Mario is a dab
hand when it comes to sorting out your troublesome
waterworks, but did you know that the plump Italian also
Mario and Donkey Kong only got their chance to shine later. has a highly decorated military career to his name? Witness
Along with Snoopy and Popeye, Disney’s Mickey Mouse Mario’s Bombs Away, in which Mario dons his army fatigues
featured in several titles, with this Wide Screen outing and attempts to safely transport a succession of bombs to
probably his best. “I love playing the game and just like the the enemy camp. Unsurprisingly, this dangerous activity isn’t
look of it,” says Van Spanje. The game involves catching without its risks – one false move and Mario is on the wrong
eggs and is almost identical to another G&W release entitled side of a massive explosion. “This is good fun to play and it
Egg. It’s believed that this other variant exists because looks good, as do all the Panorama games,” says Cole. The
Nintendo didn’t have worldwide rights to use the Mickey Panorama series may not have been a huge success, but
Mouse licence. The gameplay is simple but addictive, and this game is certainly worth your time. Unsurprisingly, Mario
it is an interesting example of how Nintendo explored the seems to have disowned his wartime exploits these days –
weird and wonderful world of licensing in its early days. we can only guess that driving karts is less dangerous. 10
BOY
WONDER A GAME BOY RETROSPECTIVE
It’s been over 25 years since the world first glimpsed the Game Boy, the
creation of veteran designer Gunpei Yokoi and his team at Nintendo. To
celebrate, Retro Gamer looks back at that most modest of handhelds
and finds out what made it such a massive success
I
t’s often said that there are no surprises in deputy editor Julian Rignall got his own hands on a
gaming anymore. In this connected age we Japanese Game Boy for an import review. “There’s
now know everything, instantly. The days of a new Nintendo console in town,” wrote Jaz. “It fits
walking into a shop and being blindsided by comfortably in the palm of your hand, has its own tiny
new gaming hardware and software are dead TV screen, and the games come on cartridges the size
and gone. of a matchbox. Sounds too good to be true?”
But things haven’t really changed that much. It was Happily Jaz revealed that the Game Boy was not
just less immediate in the past, with gamers having just real but rather quite brilliant. “The console fits in
to rely on magazines drip-feeding information about your hand perfectly,” he remarked. “Playing games
exciting new products. This was certainly the case with on it is a joy!” While he praised the sharpness of the
the Game Boy, the Nintendo handheld that launched graphics on the LCD screen, he did note blurry scrolling
in Japan in April 1989 and the US shortly after but as a caveat. It was revealed that the handheld was
wouldn’t arrive in Europe until September 1990. The powered by four AA batteries, but no mention of how
long-running and respected UK magazine Computer many hours of play they offered (clearly Jaz wasn’t
& Video Games dropped the first details in its May changing them often enough for it to be regarded as
1989 issue, calling Nintendo’s new machine a “micro- an issue). Meanwhile, key Japanese launch title Super
marvel”. There was a product image too, allowing Mario Land was described as “unbelievably addictive”.
readers to scrutinise its key characteristics: the D-pad The review ended with some impressive sales
and button configuration, the grey-coloured shell, the claims from Japan – 500,000 units sold to date, with
yellowy-green screen. Displayed on the screen was a 300,000 snapped up at launch. Elsewhere in the issue
little something called Super Mario Land. the Game Boy was called “The future of handheld
It wasn’t possible to judge the size however. There gaming”. As Jaz’s review was a UK exclusive you could
were no hands gripping the Game Boy for comparison. forgive C&VG for laying it on thick, yet that statement
All was revealed in the July 1989 issue of C&VG when would turn out to be beautifully prophetic.
BOY WONDER: A GAME BOY RETROSPECTIVE
I found the Game Boy to be a very
simple and easy machine to code for
R-Type II programmer Bob Pape
When the Game Boy finally Game Boy exclusive sequel Metroid II: byte out of a 1K ZX81 or 48K Spectrum give companies an edge, things like
arrived in Europe, almost 18 months Return Of Samus. There was also plenty through tight coding then it was almost how to multiplex the sprites or give
after its Japanese debut, there were just of decent and undeniably attractive like coming home.” the appearance of seven shades of
half-a-dozen games released alongside licensed fare like Teenage Mutant Ninja grey. Other ways of programming the
I
it. Of these, Super Mario Land, Tennis Turtles, RoboCop and Batman. Coin-ops n the past Nintendo has been hardware were so obvious they didn’t
and Golf were the must-have titles. were converted too with varying results, accused of providing developers with need documenting.”
One title you didn’t have to buy was the as you might expect, although Double vague or incomplete documentation, Another Z80 developer who gladly
revelatory Game Boy version of Tetris Dragon, Nemesis and R-Type were all but in Bob’s experience this wasn’t moved over to the Game Boy was Ken
as it came bundled with the console. admirable attempts. too much of an issue as the hardware Murfitt. “In many ways the Game Boy
This smart move had worked wonders The Game Boy’s custom processor, was pretty much an open book. “Well was easier to program that the other
for Nintendo in the US, leading to stellar which was essentially a Z80 with some if you don’t know what’s missing Z80 platforms,” says Ken, who came
sales (a reported million units were sold bits missing and others added, ensured then you can’t say it’s not there!” he chiefly from a Amstrad CPC background
within weeks of its launch). European that many programmers could move comments. “It’s more likely that certain and developed Double Dragon 3 and
gamers could now dream of falling over to the machine with little problem. coding techniques were kept quiet to The Lawnmower Man for the Game
blocks too as Tetris fever took hold. Bob Pape, who coded the celebrated
It really was the perfect pack-in – the Spectrum version of R-Type, went on » You won’t get very far without
ultimate game on the go. to develop R-Type II for the handheld. “I using these.
The success of the hardware quickly found the Game Boy to be a very simple
led to flood of fresh software that and easy machine to code for,” he says.
identified the Game Boy as a diminutive “The hardware of course had limitations
yet capable contender that could punch but then that was the same for all early
above its weight (which was a lean 8-bit consoles and computers. Some
300g including batteries, if you were people may have had problems dealing
wondering). In its first couple of years with the limited instruction set of the
the handheld was home to some custom Sharp processor that the Game
fantastic original titles such as pinball Boy used, compared to the Z80, but I
sim Revenge Of The ‘Gator, platform think for those programmers who were
adventure Gargoyle’s Quest, and the used to having to scratch for every last
MUSCIAL INTERLUDE Jonathan Dunn composed for many Game Boy titles, including
the RoboCop theme used on that washing machine advert…
What were your immediate » RoboCop. Great game, superb soundtrack. Did you encounter any technical
thoughts on the Game Boy as a challenges at all?
gaming platform? I coded my own driver for the C64 and
When I first tried a Game Boy I thought NES and SNES, but at the time didn’t
it was a great little device. Of course the have enough knowledge of Z80 to do
first thing I played was Tetris and I was the audio driver that we needed. So
hooked. I also remember that you could Ocean’s John Brandwood was roped in
connect two Game Boys together and to convert the Spectrum driver, with a
play two-player Tetris. That was the first few modifications. I wasn’t happy with
time I’d seen anything like that. the hardware volume envelopes, so I got
John to add a more versatile software
How would you rate the Game envelope system that gave me more
Boy’s audio capabilities? accurate control. It had disadvantages as
The Game Boy had some interesting we effectively reduced the bit resolution
characteristics. It had a waveform placement, though I wish I’d used that of the volume, but it did allow me to
that you could program yourself – 32 a bit more in the work I did. Quite often sync the envelopes with other note-
4-bit samples that you could define. the stuff I did for the Game Boy was a based events.
I remember getting it to make some port from another version so I didn’t get
» Music man unusual noises. I also liked the fact to spend enough time experimenting Your RoboCop title theme is still
Jonathan Dunn.
that you had some control of stereo with the possibilities. used and sampled to this day.
GAME BOY
BOLTONS
Some of the not-so-silly accessories
you could buy for your Game Boy
BATTERY PACK
QNot the most exciting accessory, or
most essential seeing as the Game Boy
was the least power-hungry handheld.
But when your AAs did finally give up,
this add-on was good for up to ten hours
of extra play. And if you were more likely to be found playing
Game Boy at home, it also doubled as a handy AC adapter.
» Programmer Ken Murfitt
is seen here developing Gam
the PC was plugged into the
as such – you would test and
cartridge slot of a retail Gam
e Boy games at The Sales
e Boy. Inside the PC was a
Curve in London in 1992. He
says: “The wide ribbon conn
GAME LIGHT
play the game on the Game card that simulated the vario ector coming out of QThe Game Boy was unplayable in low-light
assembled into machine code Boy itself. On the PC, I type us cartridge sizes. So there
and the binary image was d in the actual assembly code was no emulation
cartridge and begins to exec downloaded to the memory using a PC text editor calle conditions so there was no shortage of third-party
ute it. It would usually take on the PC card. At this point d Brief. It was
me about nine months to finish the Game Boy sees the new
a Game Boy title.” game image as a add-ons designed to brighten up the display. The
Game Light from Nubi was one such solution that
Boy on behalf of The Sales Curve. bolted on to the front of the screen. It required
“It was exciting to use real sprite and seasoned programmers, but Ken notes four AAs batteries so it was probably cheaper to
background-scrolling hardware, after there were a couple of unexpected find a decent light source instead.
so many years of squeezing every last considerations. “The first was battery
instruction out of platforms like the CPC life. The processor was put to sleep AMPLIFIER
and Spectrum. No more pre-shifted using the HALT or STOP command after QAnother accessory from Nubi, this device plugged into the
sprites that hog memory, sprite masking processing had been completed for a headphone socket at the bottom of the Game Boy
» Tetris was the Game Boy’s or the Z80 stack tricks required to frame, and this would minimise battery and boosted the audio output. Sound was louder
killer app. It was the perfect fit for perform background scrolling. You could drain until the next vertical blank, 60 and also in stereo. With so many ridiculous-
Nintendo’s new handheld.
just set up the sprite buffers one time times per second. It was surprising to looking add-ons available for the Game Boy, this
and scrolling hardware registers once me at the time that the battery life could one deserved points for at least trying to match
per frame and go. Obviously it was a be extended by saving power during the Game Boy’s style and form.
step backwards in terms of colour count these tiny slices of CPU down time.”
– there were four levels of grey against And then there was the odd entity GB CAMERA
the Amstrad’s palette of 27 colours. known as ‘Version Zero Game Boy’. QThis quirky add-on was released in 1998 and turned
You could get in-between greys using Ken explains: “There were these early the Game Boy into a compact digital camera (shortly
flickering but it was visually distracting production Game Boys of which only before digital cameras became commonplace). In
and so I preferred dithering.” a few thousand units existed in the addition to snapping and reviewing photos, there were
» Tetris went on to sell millions, So developing for the Game world and Nintendo insisted that any a number of built-in ‘games’ that would feature the
benefiting nicely from being a
pack-in title. Boy wasn’t particularly difficult for submitted title must run perfectly player’s grinning mug. They were borderline terrifying
in all honesty.
Does its continued popularity ever What are you up to these days? GB PRINTER
surprise you? For the last two years I’ve been living in QIf you had a burning desire to print the grainy,
I don’t think anyone could have guessed Slovenia working as COO for a games black and white photos you’d taken using the
that the RoboCop theme would become company called IBZooT. I’m also the GB Camera then you clearly coveted this tiny
so memorable. At the time it was just co-founder of Fatleg Games, a mobile thermal printer. Otherwise, a bunch of
another game. It was the norm to games start-up. I still code, I still write games supported the device, allowing
produce stuff very quickly and there music. It’s fun to make small games for you to print out high scores, screenshots
was always another project looming mobile. It feels a little like it did in the old and the like.
at Ocean, so you didn’t really get time days. You don’t need massive teams to
» Yes, the BoosterBoy
to think about it. If I look back at all the produce something fun. is just as impractical to
different versions of the same piece of use as it looks.
music I had to do, I wonder how I did it. » Not just any old Game Boy. This
one, owned by RG’s Paul Drury, is
That tune in particular has been sampled signed by Alexey Pajitnov.
a lot and it’s great that it’s still around.
Do you receive any payment when

the RoboCop tune is used?
I now collect writer royalties whenever
the track is used, though I didn’t receive
anything when it was used in the Ariston
advert. I think Ocean thought it was just » Hook was another
Game Boy game
getting some free PR and marketing. that benefited from
Jonathan’s music.
» If you want to play
multiplayer games or
use peripherals you’ll
need this port.
» Capcom’s Gargoyle’s Quest was a fun spin-off from

arcade hit Ghosts ‘N’ Goblins.
Nintendo created games that the graphics from the start. I would have
four separate palettes of four colours
worked well on a small screen with each. I used to work on the Spectrum
so the eight-by-eight character colour
» If there was a craze then it was all over the Game Boy.
There were three Turtles games in total.
no colour issues weren’t new to me, but Super
Game Boy graphics were a pain. The
Graphics artist Elliot Curtis number of people who were ever going
on them. The difference was that other consoles at the time were actually logos are boring enough to draw without to actually see them was so small it
the video memory was slightly slower a bigger struggle to create graphics for. spending all day editing them to make seemed like a bit of a waste of time. I
in some respect and problems would The first time you created a sprite and them actually work on the screen.” actually put a footballer in the border for
be apparent with partially scrambled saw it running on a Game Boy screen Elliot’s later games were specially FIFA 98 in a Watford strip and got away
background tiles appearing in your game was amazing. It always looked way optimised for use with the Super Game with it!”
due to memory contention. It was a better than it did in Deluxe Paint!” Boy, the device that enabled Game Super Game Boy games at least
shame because it further restricted how The biggest headache occurred when Boy carts to be played on the Super looked better in magazines – as anyone
many background blocks you could creating full-screen images, such as Nintendo console, often with added who tried to screen-grab original Game
update during the video blank. title screens, due to display limitations. colour. Explaining the process, Elliot Boy titles will tell you. Nick Walkland
Due to the Game Boy’s small screen “A Game Boy screen is divided into an says: “Colour would be designed into worked on Europress’s GB Action,
and limited colour palette, it was the job eight-by-eight grid and each square in
of artists to ensure that the graphics, that grid is a character,” he explains.
and in particular sprites, were as clear “When you create a full-screen picture
and defined as possible. It was a you can actually only use about 21
challenge that Elliot Curtis relished. unique characters. It was nowhere near
Working for Tiertex Design Studios, he enough. We had tools from the coder
created Game Boy graphics for various to highlight individual characters once
Disney licences and FIFA entries. “To be we drew anything, and then we had to
offered the chance to make games on a be creative by using flipped and rotated
console was a dream,” characters within the picture. It’s always
he says. “Yes the depressing butchering a nice picture
Game Boy was but often it was required assets for a
limited but the licence and there wasn’t any scope » Bob Pape’s R-Type II conversion was an improvement » Street brawler Double Dragon 3 supported cooperative
for creativity. Publisher or licence over its already fantastic predecessor. play on the Game Boy.
MULTIPLAYER ON THE MOVE

You had a Game Boy. Your friends had Game Boys. Game on!
Two Game Boys could be connected together As most Game Boy owners had a cable, lots
using the link cable that was initially bundled with of titles included two-player support. Sports titles
the handheld. Conveniently, pack-in title Tetris like Tennis and Golf offered gentle competition
included a fantastic two-player mode where while fighting games such as Mortal Kombat and
players battled it out as Mario and Luigi. It Killer Instinct let you go toe-to-toe with a pal. The
was simple but genius and elevated Tetris two Double Dragon sequels allowed you to team
to even greater heights. up with a friend and clean up the streets together.
» ‘Epic’ is not a word you’d ever associate with Game Boy For this he also had to contend with
games, but Link’s Awakening came pretty close.
Nintendo’s famously dim view on
videogame violence. “Nintendo had “I WANNA
WANT TOBE
BE THETHE
these policies where no-one ever died
in a Nintendo game,” he says. “So
for Prince Of Persia the first thing we
VERY BEST”
BEST”
How the sales of two
huge hits stacked up
looked at was the slicer. We raised this
and Nintendo said it was okay as long 32.52
as we didn’t show any blood. Even
on the Game Boy they didn’t want POKÉMON (RED,
a big black puddle oozing out! The BLUE, GREEN)
pop-up spikes on the floor were also VS TETRIS
a problem. Years later I found out that
Nintendo didn’t like what it called ‘body 35
the UK’s first dedicated Game Boy deforming violence’. It was okay to get
magazine which debuted in 1992. killed but not have the spikes popping
“Game Boy games were a complete out of your back.” SALES (MILLIONS)
pain to screen-grab,” says Nick. “We For Ed and other developers, whether
T
actually took photos because it was so they were fans of the hardware or not, he Game Boy quickly The reasons for its success are
tricky. The Game Boy was placed in this it was clear that Nintendo had devised a established itself as the world’s fourfold. Firstly, the Game Boy was
glorified cardboard box, with a black hugely popular platform. The Japanese number one handheld, and this the fastest to market so it was the first
cloth around the entrance, which you firm had hit gold with the Game Boy. was in the face of competition portable to capture the interest and
put your head inside. Like a Victorian “It was my daughter who actually got from rival machines that arrived shortly imagination of the public. And not only
snapper but without the phosphorous me started on Nintendo,” says Ed. “She after. The Atari Lynx, Sega Game Gear was it first but it was the least expensive
flash. But there was always motion blur was in kindergarten and I was out of and PC Engine GT (TurboExpress), too. Prices obviously varied from region
and when you tried to pause games work as the company I’d just finished with their colour screens and superior to region, but in anyone’s language the
they tended to come up with a pause a game for had gone out of business. hardware, looked like a clear generational Game Boy undercut the competition
screen. To make matters worse the It was hard to find a job and my leap over the Game Boy. It really was significantly. Further discounting would
Game Boy looked, well, awful. A bland daughter said ‘Dad you should be doing men against boys, on paper at least. But push the Game Boy towards an impulse
greeny-grey, with shades in-between.” Nintendo!’. And she was right. All of the the Game Boy subverted expectations purchase price point. The third factor
Nick is not alone in his lack of love kids had one!” and emerged as the clear winner. was battery life. Four AA batteries would
for the Game Boy. “It was awful!” power the Game Boy for up to 15 hours
laughs Ed Magnin, a programmer (and possibly longer if the speaker wasn’t
» Hear the Game Boy’s
who’d previously worked for music in all its glory. Or too troubled). Rival handhelds were much
MicroProse and Cinemaware on Apple cover it with your hand. hungrier, requiring more batteries and
II and IIGS software before moving exhausting them far sooner. Having to
onto the Game Boy at Virgin Games. continually buy or recharge batteries was
“The processor was like a Z80 but it never ideal.
wasn’t a complete one, and there were Finally, and crucially, there was the
banks of memory and the memory had Game Boy’s vast library of games.
to be switched in and out. So if you More than 700 titles were released
had a piece of artwork it wasn’t just a over a period of ten years. Third-party
question of whether it would fit into the production was plentiful and Nintendo
cartridge, but where you had a hole to itself continued to support the machine
put it where it wouldn’t straddle banks. throughout its lifespan. Three Super
You know, up until the Nintendo DS, Mario Land sequels appeared in 1992,
I’ve always said that it was our job as 1994 and 1998, while the release of The
programmers on Nintendo platforms to Legend Of Zelda: Link’s Awakening in
make bad technology look better than it 1993 showed that the Game Boy could
should have.” deftly entertain sprawling adventure
Despite his aversions, Ed was games. There was a brace from
responsible for the fantastic and faithful » There’s no back light on the original Game Boy, so » The On button for the Game Boy also acts as a very
Game Boy version of Prince Of Persia. adjusting the contrast is a must. handy cartridge lock. Not like they’d fall out…
Double Dragon 3 programmer Ken Murfitt reveals One of the most popular uses of the link cable
that developing co-op play was tough. “There were was transferring Pokémon between the Red and
some interesting lessons,” he says. “It required the Blue versions (if you were determined to catch ’em
efforts of myself and another programmer, Tom all then linking was mandatory). Battles could be
Prosser, to test the game – you couldn’t flush out all staged between collectors too. A special four-player
of the synchronisation bugs by yourself. I learned adapter was also available, although it was only
about packets and timing issues. For example, no supported by a small number of games. Notable
two Game Boys run at exactly 60Hz – one will be titles included F-1 Race (with which the adapter
slightly slower. This may sound obvious now but was bundled), Super RC Pro-Am and Gauntlet II. A
you could not rely on only the vertical blank to mention must also go to Faceball 2000, a Game Boy
synchronise your two-player game.” FPS that included support for up to 16 players!
» Donkey Kong (1994) featured enhanced graphics and a » In Gauntlet II, four players could work together – just like
retro border when played on the Super Gamer Boy. in the arcades.
» Prince Of Persia
programmer Ed Magnin
gets to grips with the
Game Boy Advance.
everyone’s favourite gorilla too, with then you could also play Mario. Nintendo portables, his appreciation of the Game over the years – from the Game Boy
the arrival of Donkey Kong in 1994 and created games that worked well on a Boy did not diminish. “If anything, the through to the Game Boy Advance,
the first of Rare’s Donkey Kong Land small screen with no colour. Everybody more I played the competition the better DS and now 3DS. “Just one look at
games in 1995. And just when the Game else seemed to be making versions Nintendo’s little grey brick looked,” he Nintendo’s numbers show how much
Boy was starting to look tired, along of existing games that were inevitably says. “Anything with a colour screen revenue handhelds have brought in. The
came Pokémon in 1996. The Pocket inferior to the ‘proper’ version.” ate batteries as fast as you could shovel importance of those numbers has varied
Monsters phenomenon ambled its way them in. The Game Boy was relatively from generation to generation, but when
P
West over the next few years and gave rogrammer Ken Murfitt frugal, making it much friendlier on the Nintendo’s flagship console hasn’t done
the Game Boy a shot in the arm. agrees: “Something that pocket, energy-wise. It was also nicely so well, handheld success has been
Nintendo would refresh the hardware Nintendo understood well designed. These days it looks hefty, but critical. The 3DS is a good example of
too. The Game Boy Pocket arrived in was that consumers enjoy you could hold it and play it for hours that. Remove its figures from Nintendo’s
1996, sporting a sleek new form and straightforward products that are comfortably. It was also built like a tank. financials from last year and things would
clearer LCD screen. This was followed accessible, robust and low cost, but if I The Lynx and Game Gear were fragile be looking pretty dismal.”
by the Game Boy Light in 1998, a had to sum up the success of the Game by comparison. I never had any qualms So what now for Game Boy? When
Japanese exclusive that featured a Boy in one word it would be ‘Tetris’.” about bunging it into a bag and taking it the DS was introduced in 2004,
backlit screen. The long anticipated Having experienced the Game anywhere. I loved the PC Engine GT but Nintendo made it clear that the Game
colour screen Game Boy arrived later in Boy before most, Jaz Rignall is ideally it was expensive, and some of its games Boy name was not being retired. Given
the same year and effectively replaced placed to comment on how it held up were unplayable because they’d been the firm’s current difficulties with the Wii
the original model. Prior to the release of over time. Despite the arrival of flashier designed for a big screen. It was also U, there’s a possibility we may see a
the Game Boy Color, Nintendo revealed one of the all-time greats for consuming new Game Boy at some point. Imagine
that the original Game Boy had sold in batteries. Ultimately it’s a stripped-down handheld designed
excess of 64 million units worldwide. about the games specifically for playing retro games –
For graphics artist Elliot Curtis, the key and not the tech, essentially a portable Virtual Console
reason why the Game Boy was such a and the Game Boy with access to not just Game Boy
sales success in the face of ‘superior’ proved that. It had games, but titles from those rival
competition was down to its gaming a range of really fun handhelds that once tried to outmuscle
library. “It was Nintendo so it had the carts – and Tetris the small but mighty Game Boy. That
best games,” he says. “Obviously Tetris was a killer app.” would be a nice surprise.
shifted the units in the first place, but Jaz also notes
the importance Special thanks to Warez,
of handhelds to Bournemouth (retrowarez.co.uk)
Nintendo’s business for its help with this feature
» Look away now Nintendo! The Prince attempts

to pass a deadly slicer.
NINTENDO’S HANDHELD
HERITAGE An essential timeline to gaming on
the go – Nintendo style
GAME & WATCH: 1980 ONWARDS
1989
GAME BOY
1998 1998 1996
GAME BOY ADVANCE

GAME BOY GAME BOY GAME BOY
COLOR LIGHT POCKET 2001 2003 2005
The more I played the

competition the better
Nintendo’s little grey
brick looked GAME BOY GAME BOY GAME BOY
Games journalist Jaz Rignall
ADVANCE ADVANCE SP MICRO
NINTENDO DS
2004 2006 2008 2009 2011 2012 2013
NINTENDO DS NINTENDO NINTENDO NINTENDO NINTENDO NINTENDO NINTENDO

DS LITE DSi DSi XL 3DS 3DS XL 2DS
25
top
READERS’
CHOICE
GAME BOY
GAMES
Your votes have been counted and the standings
are final – these are the very best games for
Nintendo’s monochrome masterpiece, as chosen
by Retro Gamer readers
Mega Man II Mystic Quest Probotector

QDEVELOPER: BIOX QDEVELOPER: SQUARE QDEVELOPER: KONAMI
QYEAR: 1991 QGENRE: SPORTS QYEAR: 1991 QGENRE: ACTION-RPG QYEAR: 1991 QGENRE: RUN-AND-GUN
25 24 23
In a surprising opening to While it Known as Operation
our list, series creator Keiji was known C in North America,
Inafune’s least favourite of as Final Probotector fans can’t have
the Game Boy Mega Man games proves to be Fantasy Adventure outside of been disappointed by this fantastic portable
your favourite. The regular handheld developer Europe, Mystic Quest is only outing, which retains the frantic action of the
for the series took a back seat for this release, loosely based on Square’s series’ arcade and console outings. Alternating
resulting in a game which felt different from classic series, ditching many between side-scrolling and top-down sections
the rest of the Game Boy titles. The game of the Final Fantasy traditions as in Super Contra, the blasting is hugely
combines such as multi-character parties enjoyable in
elements of and turn-based combat. both views.
the second and Instead, Mystic Quest is Unsurprisingly,
third NES Mega a great little action-RPG in given the game’s
Man games, but which your goal is to stop heritage, it’s also
thankfully for the Mana Tree from falling under the control of the Dark Lord of Glaive. a real challenge.
new players Today the game is best known for being the precursor to the SNES classic One of the
the difficulty Secret Of Mana, which led to a Game Boy Advance remake titled Sword Game Boy’s best
was lowered. Of Mana in 2003. available blasters.
OP 25 GAME BOY GAMES
Monster Max
QDEVELOPER: RARE DuckTales
QYEAR: 1994 QGENRE: ISOMETRIC ADVENTURE QDEVELOPER: CAPCOM
21
It doesn’t enjoy QYEAR: 1990 QGENRE: PLATFORMER
the popularity of
Head Over Heels,
but Jon Ritman’s isometric Game
19 Scrooge McDuck’s
star turn remains
one of the better licensed
Boy adventure is one of your platformers out there, thanks
favourite games on the system to Capcom’s wise decision
regardless. Monster Max sees to redesign the stages of the
the titular protagonist seeking to NES game to fit the Game
stop the villainous Krond from Boy’s smaller screen.
banning all music. Taking cues
Mario’s
from the 8-bit classic, the game
sees Max venturing through a
mammoth 29 stages, each filled with platforming and puzzle elements as Picross
well as a variety enemies to avoid. QDEVELOPER: JUPITER
Monster Max received excellent reviews, but publishing problems QYEAR: 1990 QGENRE: PUZZLE
caused the game to be delayed for a long time, allowing excitement to
dissipate. Its release during the system’s mid-Nineties slump also hurt,
causing sales to fall below expectations and leaving the game as an oft-
18 Cross-referencing
the number of
marks in a line to make a
forgotten classic. We can’t help but feel it would have done better in the picture is the goal of this tricky
voting if it had been released during one of the system’s boom periods. puzzler. The 30-minute timer
doesn’t appear threatening at
first, but quickly becomes a
Metroid II: worry as mistakes chip away the minutes.
Return Of Samus Kirby’s

QDEVELOPER: NINTENDO
QYEAR: 1994 QGENRE: ACTION-ADVENTURE
Dream Land
QDEVELOPER: HAL LABORATORY
20
While Metroid II had divided fans over the years, QYEAR: 1992 QGENRE: PLATFORMER
Samus Aran’s second adventure garnered enough love
from the voters to appear in your top 25. The game takes
the traditional Metroid approach to game design, with a very large stage in
17 Kirby’s debut
might have been
a little on the easy side, but
place of multiple smaller ones. Your goal is to locate and destroy Metroid the polished platforming and
creatures, with a detector tracking the number remaining in the bottom- impressive visuals mean that
Motocross
right of the screen. Unlike in other Metroid releases, destroying Metroids it’s fondly remembered by
progressively opens up new sections, allowing for further exploration. the Retro Gamer readership,
Maniacs While the game doesn’t utilise Metroid ’s usual trick of providing natural
barriers to progress by utilising a series of progressive upgrades, which
getting the nod over its 1995 sequel.
QDEVELOPER: KONAMI
Golf
QYEAR: 1989 QGENRE: RACING/PLATFORMER
puts some fans off, the game actually features a number of improvements
over the NES original that would become standard. Samus is now able to
22
Motocross Maniacs crouch and fire, and power-ups such as the spider ball would later return in QDEVELOPER: NINTENDO
might not have the the Metroid Prime series. Metroid II boasts some large, detailed sprites too QYEAR: 1989 QGENRE: SPORTS
best visuals on the
system, but it’s a blast to play. Combining
the motocross gameplay of titles such as
– Samus is absolutely huge! However, while some appreciate the design,
others find it makes the game feel rather too cramped. There’s still a lot to
like about Metroid II, so revisit it some time.
16 Golf doesn’t try
to do anything
particularly fancy, sticking
Kikstart with platform stages, Motocross to a top-down view of two
Maniacs presents players with a variety “A full, honest, 18-hole courses. The game is
of hills, loops and ramps, requiring comprehensive all the same,
excellent balancing and judicious use of
serious game of featuring hazards, a range of
nitro to conquer, as well as collection Metroid on the dinky clubs and a putting green with slope physics.
of the T tokens that refill your time bar. little black and
Once you’ve managed to clear stages,
beating your best times is the challenge.
white Game Boy
screen? Impressive”
Kirby’s
It’s a simple formula, but the fantastic Pinball Land
stage design makes it a joy to replay. SqueakyG QDEVELOPER: HAL LABORATORY
As an interesting aside, Motocross QYEAR: 1993 QGENRE: PINBALL
Maniacs eventually resurfaced on
the compilation cartridge Konami GB
Collection Vol 3, under the new name
15 Are RG readers
really into pinball,
or was HAL Laboratory
Bikers. It’s easy to miss due to this just really good at making
bizarre decision, so if you’re looking for pinball games? Kirby’s Pinball
a copy you’d do well to keep an eye out Land includes three tables,
for this release too – it’s got the Game expanding on the template set
Boy Color branding, but will still work on by Revenge Of The ‘Gator.
monochrome systems.
The action sees the caped crusader
Batman traversing stages while shooting enemies
QDEVELOPER: SUNSOFT with a variety of weapons, including
QYEAR: 1990 QGENRE: PLATFORMER batarangs, before going one-on-one with a
14
Sunsoft’s Batman sprite boss at the end of the stage. As is often the
might be the most minimalist case with great licensed games, Batman
representation of the character injects some variety by switching genres,
yet seen, but the game was packed with with shoot-’em-up action also included.
playability. Released in the wake of the There’s nothing hugely innovative about
blockbuster film starring Michael Keaton, this Batman, but it’s a game which succeeds as
platformer is your favourite movie licence on a representation of its source material and a
the Game Boy. very solid, well-designed platform game.
Gargoyle’s Quest
QDEVELOPER: CAPCOM
QYEAR: 1990 QGENRE: PLATFORMER
13
As a spin-off of the Ghosts ‘N Goblins series,
Gargoyle’s Quest sees you taking on the role of one
of the game’s most irritating enemies. You play as
Firebrand, a gargoyle who is fated to defeat the evil king of the land
to restore peace – a goal you faintly wish he could have kept for the
main series.
The platforming action in Gargoyle’s Quest is very polished, with
interesting stage design that takes full advantage of the gargoyle’s
natural affinity for walls. Firebrand can stick to them, allowing him
“Simply amazingly to climb up passages and avoid hazards. He’s also got the ability
playable! And to fly for limited periods, easing tricky jumps. Those abilities are
thoroughly necessary though, as the difficulty of the main series
that music!” returns in full effect. Gargoyle’s Quest is definitely a challenge, but it
Revenge Of Dumpster remains a thoroughly enjoyable one.
The ‘Gator
QDEVELOPER: HAL LABORATORY Mole Mania’s friendly exterior
QYEAR: 1989 QGENRE: PINBALL
conceals a devilish nature, as its
12
HAL Laboratory’s first Game Boy pinball game stirs
fond memories for Retro Gamer readers, beating the
developer’s later release Kirby’s Pinball Land in the difficulty quickly escalates
voting. It’s not hard to see why you love it – it isn’t just a great Game
Boy game, but a fantastic pinball game which stands tall amongst
home console contemporaries such as Alien Crush.
Wisely adopting a flick-screen format to avoid the blurring that
Super RC classic multiplayer racers such as Micro
Machines in the voting, as they simply
could cause problems in Game Boy titles, the game features just a Pro-Am weren’t adapted to the hardware as well.
single table split across four screens. It’s excellently designed though QDEVELOPER: RARE Super RC Pro-Am brings the fun of
– like the other great videogame pinball tables, it takes advantage of QYEAR: 1991 QGENRE: RACING radio-controlled racing to the Game Boy.
11
the format by including features that are impractical and impossible Super RC Pro-Am would be Each track sees you taking on three CPU
on a real table, including the three bonus stages that take place on great fun on any system, but opponents, with victory determined
extra screens. Charming visuals round off the package, with the luckily enough the isometric as much by your ability to manage the
dancing ‘gators giving the game a memorable identity. perspective is perfectly suited to the hazards of the track as by your cornering
Game Boy. While it was already present in skill, thanks to the oil patches, speed-up
the enjoyable NES original, this viewpoint pads and weaponry strewn across the
goes a long way toward mitigating game’s 24 courses. One of the game’s
the problems that the Game Boy’s most notable features is its multiplayer.
blur-prone screen can cause for racing Not only does it support two-player via
releases in general. This suitability for the the link cable, it also supports the Four
hardware allowed the game to surpass Player Adapter, a perfect addition.
TOP 25 GAME BOY GAMES
Mole Mania
QDEVELOPER: PAX SOFTNICA
QYEAR: 1996 QGENRE: PUZZLE
10
Having arrived during the mid-Nineties, a relatively
quiet period for the Game Boy, Mole Mania had
the potential to become one of the Game Boy’s
forgotten classics. Indeed, it’s one of the most frequently
overlooked games to have benefited from the involvement of
Shigeru Miyamoto. Thankfully our readers tend to stick by their
systems, resulting in Mole Mania ’s appearance in the top ten – an
accolade it thoroughly deserves.
Your hero is Muddy, a mole who is trying to rescue his wife and
children, who have been kidnapped by the local farmer. For the
player, this means making your way through a series of top-down
puzzle stages, eating cabbage to keep your strength up while
avoiding enemies. If your route is blocked on the surface, Muddy
can dig underground to open up whole new routes. But digging
can cause problems, as certain surface obstacles can’t pass the
holes created in the process. At the end of each stage, Muddy
faces off against a boss in order to rescue a relative.
The game’s friendly exterior conceals a devilish nature, as its
difficulty quickly escalates. Thankfully, the design makes it rather
hard to put down. The wide variety of obstacles keeps the game
interesting, and the game caters to completists by scoring the
performance on each stage out of 100. The game even features
multiplayer for those of you lucky enough to have a friend that
also owns the game. This mode allows the second player to take
control of the farmer, attempting to whack Muddy as he attempts
to steal cabbage.
While it’s now available via the 3DS Virtual Console service for
all of you that missed it the first time around, given that both the
3DS and Wii U have two screens, we’d love to see Mole Mania
revived for modern systems with Muddy digging between screens.
How about it, Nintendo?
Tennis Double Dragon

QDEVELOPER: NINTENDO QDEVELOPER: TECHNOS
QYEAR: 1989 QGENRE: SPORTS QYEAR: 1990 QGENRE: BEAT-’EM-UP
9 7
As one of the Game Boy’s earliest As a technically limited machine with a monochrome display, the
releases, Tennis reached a wide range Game Boy never had an easy time of arcade conversions. With
of players over the years, helping it to Double Dragon, Technos went for the most sensible approach
ride high in the voting. It’s a simple but playable – tailoring the game to the hardware, rather than pushing the hardware
game of tennis, featuring a good implementation to accommodate the game. Built from the ground up for the Game Boy,
of the rules and a full range of shots. While Double Dragon captured the spirit of the arcade game excellently, creating
the game doesn’t include much in the way of a fun little brawler in the process.
structure, with even a basic tournament mode Stages, enemies and weaponry are all instantly recognisable from the
omitted, the challenging CPU opponents help original, but have been retooled for the small screen, something that works
to pass the time on long journeys and the extremely well. The first stage of the Game Boy game takes elements
link cable multiplayer added some welcome from the first two stages of the arcade game, and begins to deviate
longevity. The inclusion of Mario as umpire more heavily from the second stage onwards as platforming elements
added some personality to proceedings, greatly Donkey Kong are introduced. Only the inclusion of link cable co-op could have seen this
boosting the game’s memorability. QDEVELOPER: NINTENDO excellent conversion climb higher.
8
This impressive re-imagining of
Donkey Kong starts off simple, with the
first four stages taken from the arcade “I’m still playing it
game, leading many to believe it’s nothing more some 24 years later.
than an impressive port of the original arcade
game. Nintendo plays a trump card however
Love it!”
when the single-screen stages give way as the Combo
game turns into a completely different beast. Breaker
Dozens of puzzle platforming stages await
Mario, who needs to find keys to exit each
stage. The game also features some great boss
encounters with Donkey Kong himself, often
returning to the style of the original game. It’s
also fully compatible with the Super Game Boy.
Wario Land:
Super Mario Land 3
5
Wario’s own platformer pipped his villainous
debut to make your top five. More than a mere
spin-off, Nintendo showed its confidence in the
quality of Wario Land by giving it the Super Mario Land
3 title. Reflecting his origins as the bad guy, Wario is out
to collect as much cash as possible to buy a castle. The
contrast is plain to see in play, too – Mario lightly hops
on the heads of his enemies, whereas Wario rams into
them with a shoulder barge. Overall, an excellent platform
adventure that turned a one-shot villain into a star.
Super Mario Land 2: +FB DFE-<;E;CL<

6 Golden Coins QDEVELOPER: GAME FREAK
QYEAR: 1996 QGENRE: RPG
4
Pokémon’s design legacy stretches
back to the early life of the Game
6
Super Mario Land 2 was an impressive technical showcase, Boy, with Satoshi Tajiri’s first concept
highlighting how far Game Boy development had come since documents dating back to 1990, but it didn’t
1989. Where the original game featured very basic visuals, a arrive until 1996 – and gamers outside of Japan
massively increased cartridge capacity allowed Super Mario Land 2 to had to wait even longer. But the timing worked
feature much more detailed visuals. And while Super Mario Land had a out for Nintendo. While the meat of the game
linear progression, the sequel allowed players to tackle its six worlds in any was of a high quality, players worldwide dusted
order before taking on the game’s villain, the debuting Wario. off their hardware for the multiplayer features.
While it places highly, Super Mario Land 2 failed to best its predecessor With each version boasting exclusive monsters,
in the voting. Players were divided by the differences, with some favouring the full collection of 151 Pokémon can only be
the improved visuals of the second game and others preferring the more obtained by trading with other players, making
challenging gameplay of the first. Pokémon the best reason to own a link cable.
Super
Mario Land The Legend
QDEVELOPER: NINTENDO Of Zelda:
QYEAR: 1989 QGENRE: PLATFORMER Link’s
3 Awakening
It might be visually simple, but you
chose the original Super Mario Land
over the sequel – and it wasn’t close.
QYEAR: 1993 QGENRE: ACTION-RPG
Mario’s Game Boy debut contains the classic
2
gameplay we’ve come to expect from the Far ahead of the rest of the
plumber’s platform outings, but as the only field and running the winner
entry in the Mario series directed by Satoru close, Link’s Awakening reaches
Okada, the game has some distinctive features second place. It’s not hard to see why – the
that set it apart from other Mario games. game is absolutely fantastic, successfully
capturing the sense of adventure that we
Fireballs can be used to collect coins that lie out
of Mario’s reach, a fact taken into account by expect from the series. The large world
level designers, while distinctive enemies suchand top-down monster slashing, the solid
foundations on which 2D Zelda games
as sphinxes and robots help the game to stick in
the memory. are built, are both intact. However, it is the
strength of storytelling that resonated with
players, leaving a long-lasting impression.
Much like Mystic Quest earlier in this list,
Link’s Awakening plays around with series
conventions by removing Link from his
“Has there ever normal Hyrule surroundings. There’s no
been a game that Triforce and even the titular princess is
demonstrated so starkly missing, as this classic adventure puts
the hero on Koholint Island, where he
that pretty graphics are seeks to wake the Wind Fish. While
always secondary to the characters you’ll encounter are
playability?” often funny, the tale eventually ends
Mr Pickle
on a memorable, bittersweet note.
“This and the
Game Boy go hand
in hand, they were
made for each other”
M@rtin
Tetris
QDEVELOPER: BULLET-PROOF SOFTWARE QYEAR: 1989 QGENRE: PUZZLE
1
Come on now – did you really think try again. And again. And a few more times. only problematic, but caused major problems
it was going to be anything else? As “one more go” becomes the most-used for those contacted as they came under
Tetris was an absolute phenomenon, phrase in your vocabulary, you realise that suspicion of having contact from the West.
selling over 30 million copies and you’ve become addicted to the game. And The eventual licensing negotiations were
single-handedly ensuring the Game that’s before you even consider the equally conducted with a constant KGB presence,
Boy’s success over its numerous handheld addictive multiplayer mode. but introduced Henk to Tetris designer Alexey
competitors. While the Game Boy version Nintendo shrewdly made Tetris the official Pajitnov, who would receive little financial
wasn’t the original, the perfect combination of pack-in game for North America and Europe, benefit from the success of the Game Boy
software and hardware ensures that it remains with the universal appeal of the software release as the copyright belonged to the state,
the most fondly remembered. driving sales of the hardware and making the preventing him from claiming any royalties. The
The genius of Tetris is its simplicity – the game the best-selling Game Boy title in the two would eventually go into business together
game can be explained to a newcomer in a process. Even the Pokémon craze a decade when Alexey regained the rights in 1996,
matter of seconds. Bricks fall from the top of later couldn’t topple the success of Tetris. forming The Tetris Company.
the screen, you use them to build a wall, and While Tetris is simple and the conversion Tetris is great no matter what you play it
completed rows disappear. The more rows process relatively uncomplicated, actually on, but the Game Boy version has always felt
you clear at once, the higher you’ll score. The getting the rights was famously challenging. like the perfect marriage of software and form
challenge of the game lies in keeping a single While the Cold War was nearing its end, the factor. The game is suitable for quick sessions
session going for as long as possible, with Soviet Union was still massively suspicious of and is one you’ll constantly want to return to, so
the constantly increasing speed of the game outsiders – particularly Westerners – and the a version that you are able to take anywhere is
ensuring that you can’t last forever. But you unannounced arrival of Henk Rogers was no clearly going to be awesome – and that’s why
always feel you could have done better, so you small matter. Finding the right people was not it’s your favourite Game Boy game.
Five reasons why it’s great

The simple gameplay Tetris saves you money The rocket launch that The Game Boy’s
You can always carry a
of Tetris gives it – by being ridiculously follows a high-scoring rendition of Russian
copy of Tetris, thanks
universal appeal, which addictive, it reduces session is one of the folk song Korobeiniki
to the Game Boy’s
is unmatched by any the amount of time you greatest pats on the leaves an indelible
portable nature
other game have for other games back in gaming imprint on your brain
Pinball: Revenge
Of The Gator
FAR FROM A CROCK OF OLD SHIT
»GAME BOY table, including a fair smattering of off-shoot

»1989 bonus boards that enable you to do everything
» RETROREVIVAL
» HAL LABORATORY from knock a croc off its perch by bashing away
Pokémon Pinball gets plenty at blocks, to taking down smaller heads whack-a-
of kudos on the Game mole-style as they keep popping up.
Boy – we’ve championed it The longevity of this excellent game is further
ourselves – so we thought we’d bring a far extended by a superb multiplayer mode that
more obscure release to your attention. pits two players directly against each other and
Now a venerable 20 years old, Hal sees them trying to reduce each other’s score
Laboratory’s Revenge Of The Gator may feel to zero. It’s a concept that works brilliantly, and
a little long in the tooth, but it still manages to it’s a shame that this challenging and enjoyable
play a perfectly entertaining game of pinball. mode hasn’t been revisited in more recent digital
This, in part, is thanks to the beautifully designed pinball releases, especially as we no longer have a
main table that’s an absolute joy to navigate and second cart to exploit the original.
explore. Yes, it lacks the insane number of bells The designers of Pinball: Revenge Of The
and whistles that can be found on later Game Gator proved that you don’t need flashy visuals
Boy pinball games, but clever design ensures that – although the cute crocs are certainly charming
you’ll constantly return to this cracking release to – multiple levels and over-the-top features in
best your high score. order to make a perfectly good pinball game.
Of course, Hal is no stranger to making pinball You just need a tight, focused design, plenty of
games, so it should come as no surprise to learn imagination, and to not be afraid to go against the
that Gator has a number of bonuses to discover grain. Gator has all this and more, meaning that it
as you battle across the main three-screen-high should be right at the top of your Game Boy list.
Damien McFerran speaks to
developers and fans to find out
what made Nintendo’s legendary
16-bit console so special
PLAYING
WITH POWER
CELEBRATING THE SUPER NINTENDO
PLAYING WITH POWER
any gaming systems
M
have been branded
iconic over the years, but
that term seems almost
inadequate to describe
the Super Nintendo,
a console which is perhaps the
finest ever produced by industry
veteran Nintendo. The Kyoto-based
company's sophomore home system
had the hardest of acts to follow; the
NES – or Famicom as it was known in
its native Japan – was a commercial
success in North America and Japan,
essentially granting its maker a
monopoly on home console-based
interactive entertainment. Post-NES,
Nintendo's job was made harder by
the fact that rival firms had upped
their game and entered the market
with powerful challengers, such
as the NEC PC Engine and Sega
Mega Drive, which launched in 1987
and 1988 respectively. By the time
Nintendo was ready to officially
announce its 16-bit console, the
aging NES was losing audience share
to these spritely new systems, and
something drastic was required to
put Nintendo back on top. Looking
back now a quarter of a century later,
it's impossible to deny that the SNES
did just that, and much more besides.
By the time Nintendo moved onto the
N64, its 16-bit system was home not
only to some of the finest games of
the generation, but of all time – and
they've endured in the years that have
elapsed since then.
DIFFERENT VERSIONS The SNES had a number of forms…
SUPER
FAMICOM
QSleek, playful and undeniably
classy, the Super Famicom boasted a design
which was far removed from the plain and boxy
Famicom. The controllers were revolutionary and the
four-colour logo has become a cult icon – Nintendo
even resurrected the colours for its recent New
Nintendo 3DS handheld. On the base of the console
an expansion port exists which allows it to
connect to the Japan-only Satellaview add-
on. The PAL version (shown here) looks
identical, but sports SNES
branding.
SNES JR/
SNES MINI
QLaunched in 1997 – a time
when most players had moved onto
more powerful hardware – the SNES Jr was
marketed as a cheap, entry-level proposition for
younger players. Smaller in size and cheaper to SNES (NORTH
produce, this revised system lacks RGB output AMERICA)
as standard but can be modified to obtain it. QFor some unfathomable reason,
The power LED and eject button – both Nintendo used a totally different case
hallmarks of the original design – are design for the SNES in North America. Designed
also absent, as is the expansion by Nintendo Of America’s Lance Barr, the boxy
port on the bottom. and unattractive system dropped the four-colour
buttons in favour of a purple and pink pallette. The
cartridges were also changed, with the US versions
adopting the same squared-off design to match the
console itself. Thankfully, the European model
reverted to the Japanese design, but many
misguided American fans swear
their version looks best.
PLAYING WITH POWER
ack in the early-Nineties
B when the news came that

a successor to the all-
conquering NES was in the
works, it wasn't just
gamers the world over who were
rubbing their hands with glee –
developers who had made a living on
Nintendo's 8-bit system were also
keen to see if it could live up to the
hype. "It was exciting to see the specs,"
recalls Chris Sutherland, a former Rare
developer who is now working on Yooka-
Laylee at Playtonic Games. "Previously
I'd developed on Game Boy and many
others at Rare had worked on NES, so
this was a chance to develop games
that had far fewer technical limitations."
Fellow Rare alumni Brendan Gunn
agrees. "It felt like a natural progression » The front of the SNES is elegant. It
from the NES that I was already very sports power, eject and reset buttons
in front of the cartridge slot.
familiar with. This made it very easy
to get up to speed. The hardware
features were far more advanced, but
in ways that seemed like a very natural
It felt like a natural progression from the
progression." Other developers simply
couldn't believe what Nintendo was
NES that I was already very familiar with. This
telling them. "I was given a preliminary
outline of what the machine could do,"
made it very easy to get up to speed » Pilotwings highlights what the SNES
could achieve using Mode 7.
Brendan Gunn
remembers Nick Jones, the former
Shiny Entertainment staffer responsible disappear." Compared to rival hardware SNES over everything else. I thought it
for the SNES versions of Earthworm of the time the SNES' gaming-focused was an amazingly cool machine."
Jim and Alien 3. "It seemed impossibly internals allowed for some amazing
optimistic and with no hardware or full experiences. "The SNES felt much easier hile Rare's staff was
manual, it was hard to really make out
what the machine could do. It was like
somebody took every programming
restriction I’d ever had and just moved
the limits an order of magnitude ahead."
For Brendan and Chris, the SNES
represented the next step in the
to work with, but that may be because
it was so much like an enhanced
NES," says Brendan. "It helped that the
hardware was designed very specifically
with things like scrolling and parallaxing
in mind, where the Amiga hardware
was designed to be a more general
W arguably in a privileged
position, having gained
valuable experience of
Nintendo hardware via
its wide selection of games on the NES
and Game Boy, other developers had
to muck in and learn the hard way. "I
» Many thought Donkey Kong Country
was a next-gen game.
evolution of the games console. "The purpose computer." Mike Dailly – who went from the C64 which had a 6502
level of restrictions on the NES and was employed at DMA Design when the processor straight to the SNES which
Game Boy had been raised, which is SNES launched and worked on Unirally had a 65816 processor," explains Nick.
why SNES games tended to have larger – feels that the system was head and "They are almost identical except that
characters," says Chris. "Back then, shoulders above its competition. "It was the 65816 is 16-bit and the 6502 is 8-bit,
characters were typically built from a better than the Amiga and PC by miles, so you’d think the transition would have
number of 8x8 sprites, and if you had and the hardware was better than the been easy, but it wasn’t. I was stuck in
more than a certain number of sprites Mega Drive," he says. "There were just this mindset that I needed to optimise » Super Mario Kart remains our
in a row, you'd see parts of your sprite so many toys to play with. I preferred the every byte. The hardware was a favourite game in the series.
FRANCHISE STARTERS Just some of the brilliant franchises that began on SNES
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
ACTRAISER
PILOTWINGS F-ZERO INTERNATIONAL

BREATH PUZZLE SUPERSTAR SOCCER
OF FIRE LEAGUE
CHRONO TRIGGER SUPER MARIO FRONT MISSION

DONKEY KONG KART
COUNTRY NUMBER OF GAMES IN SERIES
STAR POWER Ten legendary developers that made the SNES sing
QUnsurprisingly, Nintendo QThe arcade conversion of
itself was the company which Street Fighter II remains one of the
did the most to define the most important SNES releases,
SNES, releasing some of the and gave Nintendo a massive
console’s best games. advantage over rival Sega.
QResponsible for
some amazing
QThe undisputed master of the arcade and action
RPG, Square produced some games for the QTitles like NBA Jam and the Mortal
of its finest work on the SNES, SNES, including Super Kombat series made Acclaim a household
but sadly many of its titles Castlevania IV, Axelay, Parodius name in the Nineties, and it scored many
remained exclusive to Japan. and Turtles In Time. commercial hits on the SNES.
lot more complex which took a little managed to secure a chunk of the North
getting used to. The manual was written American and European markets with
in English by what I assumed to be a its Mega Drive system. What occurred
Nintendo engineer who wasn’t entirely next has become the stuff of legend,
Mode 7 made the headlines, but was of limited fluent in English, so I had to be a flexible forever ingrained in the consciousness
use for the kind of games we wanted to make. The when reading how something worked. I
still have my manuals and I prize them."
of the gamers who lived through it: the
industry's first real console war. "It was
other features were far more exciting to me he SNES heralded a new

interesting because this was a time
when there was a difference between
Brendan Gunn
T era of trickery thanks to

the inclusion of Mode 7,
a graphical mode which
allowed it to smoothly scale
and rotate a single background layer. It
was put to good use in titles like F-Zero,
Pilotwings, Super Mario Kart, Super
each platform," says Jonathan Town, a
former Nintendo community manager
and retro-gaming aficionado. "These
days it doesn’t matter too much whether
you have a PC, PS4 or Xbox One as the
majority of titles are the same and the
differences are negligible. The SNES and
» The SNES pad was surprisingly Castlevania IV and ActRaiser. While Mega Drive had a charm to them and
comfortable and a big improvement
over the NES pad. it was an impressive visual trick, its even the same game would be different
effectiveness was restricted outside depending on which console you had.
of certain genres. "Mode 7 made all Instead of arguments over frame-rates
the headlines, but was of limited use we had Sonic vs Mario, Final Fight vs
for the kind of games we wanted to Streets Of Rage, Star Fox vs Silpheed;
make," explains Brendan. "The other each console had a clear personality."
features were far more exciting to
me. Multi-layered parallaxing and aturally, Nintendo's console
colour blending made for much
richer backdrops, while bigger
sprites gave us far greater
capabilities for big, colourful
characters," Chris agrees.
"We actually stayed clear
of Mode 7 for the most part
N was compared directly to
Sega's hardware, and the
respective strengths and
weaknesses of the pair
were highlighted in the magazines
of the period. "They were both very
comparable machines," says Nick Jones.
because the ability to scale "The Mega Drive had a faster processor,
and rotate was so new and slightly bigger screen resolution and
shiny, it felt like it was obligatory a synth chip for audio. The SNES had
for games to use this mode. It complex graphics modes, a higher range
also had limitations in its use that of colours, the video signal was a lot
made us veer towards using cleaner and it played audio samples for
the other modes with some sound – which was a disadvantage and
tricks to appear to add more an advantage at the same time." While
'layers' of movement than the the SNES boasted superior capabilities,
hardware supported." much was made of the console's slower
The SNES was cutting- CPU – a trade-off Nintendo made to
edge, but the market into ensure it cost less to manufacture. The
which it was thrust was very weaker chip is often blamed for the lack
different to the one the NES of fast-paced shooters on the platform,
had dominated so effortlessly. but Chris Sutherland insists that it was
Sega was no longer content with rarely an issue from his perspective. "The
second place and thanks to savvy speed issue wasn't something that we
marketing and an earlier release it encountered too much with the Donkey
PLAYING WITH POWER
QVirgin was a QOnce the

prolific publisher
on both the Mega
Drive and SNES, QBefore merging with
home of
programming
Pickford siblings, this studio
CONSOLE WARS
Scraps that defined an era
releasing titles like Squaresoft, Enix was its produced Plok, Equinox,
Earthworm Jim, The Lion King and rival and made the popular Ken Griffey Jr. Baseball and MARIO VS SONIC
VS
RoboCop Versus The Terminator. Dragon Quest franchise. more for the SNES. QWhile the Sonic games arguably lacked
the deep playability of Super Mario, the blue
hedgehog was marketed perfectly and stole a
lot of the Italian plumber’s thunder in the early-
QThe creator of one of Nineties. The simultaneous worldwide launch
the SNES’ most important of Sonic 2 was an event which eclipsed even
QSunsoft’s prolific work during titles – Donkey Kong Nintendo’s amazing efforts.
the 16-bit era may not have yielded Country – UK-based
many solid gold classics but the Rare mastered the
company certainly pumped out hardware in a way few
quite a few SNES releases. others could manage. SUPER FX VS SVP
QAs the SNES and Mega Drive grew older and
VS
the industry’s focus on 3D gaming became ever
more apparent, Nintendo decided to enlist the
help of UK developer Argonaut to create a chip
to bolster the console’s polygon-pushing
prowess. Sega countered with the Sega Virtua
Processor (SVP for short).
SVP Image © Socram8888

» The Earthworm Jim franchise » One of the most enjoyable scrolling
received two games on SNES. fighters you can play on SNES.
FINAL FIGHT VS
VS
Kong Country series – perhaps because the way that sprites were drawn onto STREETS OF RAGE
we were brought up on resource-starved the screen. The SNES was much more QWhen Nintendo secured the port of Final
consoles such as NES and Game Boy limited so you had to draw a lot more Fight it was a massive blow to Mega Drive
so we were always trying to be keep sprites to get the same graphic on a owners. In typical Sega fashion, the company
things optimised as we developed. Back screen, which meant more processing simply created its own clone:Streets Of
then systems like that with specialised power just to set the graphics up. I was Rage. The title scored a victory over it SNES
sprite video hardware that targeted video able to disguise most of the difference in counterpart by offering a two-player mode.
games could often outshine what was processor speed. If you play Earthworm
done on a standard PC." Jim on the SNES and Mega Drive, the
Nick feels that the sluggish CPU was most obvious way to spot the speed
definitely a shortcoming, but like Chris, difference is when starting a level. STREET FIGHTER II
VS
he was able to overcome this with Because that was when the game was QWhen Nintendo managed to get the first
some clever programming. "It was a decompressing the level and graphics home conversion of the legendary brawler it
little bit of a handicap for sure," he says. – a task limited by processing power. turned Nintendo’s console into the must-have
"The processor wasn’t as powerful and The levels would take about three times system of the era. A Mega Drive release
it didn’t have as many registers either. longer to decompress on the SNES." would follow in due course, but the damage
One advantage I had was that I came Nintendo augmented the power of the was done – the SNES had scored a massive
from a C64 background. The processor console with additional chips which were victory over its rival.
on that chip was even more restrictive packed into the cartridges, the most
and all games on that machine had to famous of which is the Super FX chip,
run at 50MHz so I learnt a lot of tricks to used in Star Fox.
achieve that magical frame-rate. Even These days, it's often the case that SNES VS PLAYSTATION
VS
when I went to Shiny and we worked developers require time to fully harness QThe recently-unearthed prototype has
on Earthworm Jim, I didn’t tell the Mega the power of a console, and as a resurrected interest in this system, which would
Drive programmers my 65816 tricks for result, the software you see at launch have been a SNES and Sony CD-ROM drive
over a year so that it evened the playing is but a taster of what's to come – by combined. Nintendo ditched Sony the day after
field. One of the other restrictions was the end of a console's lifespan, the console was announced. Sony wore
revenge and the SNES-less PlayStation launched
in 1994, conquering the industry.
MORTAL KOMBAT
QFamily-friendly Nintendo was always going to
VS
have an issue with Midway’s gore-filled fighter.
Ironically, the SNES got the best port in technical
terms but at Nintendo’s behest the gore was
» Handily, the AV lead for the SNES’s expunged. While the Mega Drive version also
output can also be used on a suffered censorship, a code could unlock the
GameCube if you own one.
gore – making it the version everyone wanted.
PERIPHERALS
The SNES had some cool add-ons…
SUPER
GAME BOY
QThis nifty device not only allowed
you to play Game Boy games on your TV,
but expanded a fair few games in interesting
ways, too. The most obvious was that you could
add borders to games you played or change the
traditional four shades of green to different
colours. Some titles featured enhanced
sound, while certain games let you use
a second SNES controller to play
two-player games.
SUPER
EVERDRIVE
QIf you’re a fan of homebrew or
backing up your own games then the
Super EverDrive is an essential piece of kit.
It plugs into your SNES and allows you to add
ROMs to it via a SD card. There are various
versions available and they included Game
Genie cheat codes, with optional USB ports
being available for homebrew devs. It’s
certainly not cheap, but it’s very
good at what it does.
PLAYING WITH POWER
the games are leagues ahead of

SUPER earlier releases. However, the SNES
SCOPE is unique in that the game it launched
QThe Zapper was popular on the NES, with is still considered by many to be its
so Nintendo tried to replicate its success finest single piece of software. All of the
with the Super Scope. While it has some decent developers we interviewed list Super
games in the form of Operation Thunderbolt, Mario World as one of their favourite
Tin Star, Yoshi’s Safari and T2: The Arcade SNES games, with Mike Dailly even
Game, it’s not as essential as the Zapper. Its rating it as his favourite game of all time.
biggest problem was the peripheral’s rather This platformer is legendary even by
unweildly size; while it set the Super today's standards, and is merely the out at a Christmas party in a corporate
Scope apart, it ensured it wasn’t cherry on the top of a library which surely skyscraper and we play as Pete Grey and
as practical to use. ranks as one of the best the industry has Daniel McClean as they tackle the fire,
ever seen. "I definitely have to choose floor-by-floor, rescuing employees and
Super Mario World as my go-to game," taking out security robots along the way.
says Jonathan Town. "However aside It has some great dialogue and character
from that obvious choice, I really love design. It’s a lot of fun."
Axelay. It’s a lovely-looking shoot-'em- What makes the SNES so remarkable
up with a gorgeous soundtrack and is that it was strong in so many genres,
balanced difficulty. What really makes it and literally had something to offer for
for me though is Axelay was a console gamers of all tastes. However, one
exclusive, made especially to play to genre in which it excelled was the RPG.
the strengths of the SNES, from the "It was the undisputed king of RPGs,"
incredible effect on the vertical stages continues Stuart. "From the Earthbound,
to subtle use of sprite scaling on the Secret Of Mana and Chrono Trigger, to
boss battles." Some of the console's the Final Fantasy series, Illusion of Gaia
best games are, refreshingly, a little off and Tales of Phantasia – they were just
the beaten track, such as Human's The incredible games that you could sink
Firemen. "It’s a story-led action game hours into. However, that’s just the tip of
that sort of reminds me of the movie, the iceberg. The Japanese market had
Die Hard," explains collector Stuart Brett, hundreds more, some of which have
who is planning to publish a book about been translated and patched by fans.
Super Famicom art soon. "A fire breaks I’m still discovering new RPGs for
SUPER
NES MOUSE
THE COLLECTOR
Roughly how many SNES
Stuart Brett on collecting Super Famicom games
What item do you
QOriginally packaged with Mario Paint,
and Super Famicom treasure most from
the SNES Mouse proved to be quite a well-
games do you have in this collection?
supported peripheral. Although a large number
your collection? I enjoy playing my Super
of games were only released in Japan, over
I have just under 400 now. Famicom Box. It’s a special
30 titles were released in the West, including
Around a quarter of my version of the console that
Cannon Fodder, Eye Of The Beholder, Pieces
games are stored away. I Nintendo developed for
and Powermonger. The only thing that
sold off quite a few games use in Japanese hotels.
really lets it down is the relatively
last year, mostly games I They contain some unique
short lead that connects it to
never play. They were taking versions of some classic
your SNES.
over my games room and games, including Star Fox
filling my wardrobe and I and Mario Kart.
was running out space to
store my clothes so I sold Can you tell us a little
some off! about your book, Super
Famicom: The Box Art
What single item has cost Collection?
you the most? I wanted to design a book
Spider-Man: Lethal Foes. that celebrates the art and
It was around £280. That effort that went into game
was a recent purchase. design in the Nineties.
All the other games I have There will be over 250
which are worth thousands games inside and editing
(according to ebay sellers) the book with me is Steve
were never that price when I Jarratt, ex-editor of Edge.
bought them. I have The book will be published
always tried to not by Bitmap books and
overspend and I enjoy pre-ordering will be
hunting down a bargain. announced later this year.
SEQUEL THIS Ten SNES exclusives that deserved sequels
AXELAY 1992 ARCANA 1992 SOUL BLAZER 1992 PLOK 1993 E.V.O.: SEARCH FOR UNIRALLY 1994
QKonami’s superlative shooter QUnkind observers might QWhile many fans lump this QThe work of Ste and John EDEN 1993 QKnown as Uniracers in North
was not only the perfect brand this little more than a RPG in with fellow Quintet titles Pickford, Plok is a typically QArguably one of the most America, this fast-paced racing
advertisement for the console’s shameless clone of Sega’s Illusion Of Gaia and Terranigma zany platforming epic original games on the console, title focused on stuntwork
amazing graphical capabilities, Shining In The Darkness, but as a trilogy, the titles are which apparently gained E.V.O. is a superb mixture of and earned critical praise at
it also played like a dream – no it’s actually a much better actually self-contained the appreciation of Shigeru action and role-playing, with the time of release. However,
small feat when you consider game that doesn’t get near offerings. Out of the three, this Miyamoto himself. Colourful, the player assuming control due to the similarity between
how unsuited the SNES was enough credit. Turn-based is perhaps the most underrated action-packed and delightfully of various beasts from Earth’s the main character and the
to this kind of game. Amazing battles and dungeon-crawling and most deserving of a playable, Plok has since been past. Success in combat allows unicycle in Pixar’s animated
music, gripping gameplay and make for a stern challenge, sequel. It mixes exploration resurrected by the Pickford you to level-up and evolve your short Red’s Dream, Nintendo
timelessly attractive visuals while the gorgeous visuals and with real-time action, and the brothers in a webcomic, and creature which means they can was forced to bow to legal
make for a true classic – a a painfully beautiful soundtrack notion of rebuilding a world the 16-bit original remains one better deal with environmental pressure and not manufacture
sequel was hinted in the end ensure it looks and sounds as through your actions lends the of the most unique platformers changes. It’s bonkers, but any more copies once the initial
credits, but never came. good as it plays. game additional appeal. of the period. compelling all the same. 300,000 run had sold out.
» We greatly prefer the artwork found

on Japanese games. The boxes feel a
little sturdier too.
The SNES’ weakness was lack of arcade
conversions of any worth, while the Mega Drive
was drowning in them
Jonathan Town
the console. The latest being Verne video streaming from the CD. I liked the
World, which is set in a futuristic theme concept technically, but we were not
park.” While there were notable shooters impressed with the video quality." Mike
– like the aforementioned Axelay – this is Dailly recalls that DMA was actually
practically the only genre that Nintendo's commissioned to produce software
console struggled with, thanks to the for the device similar to that which
slow CPU. "The SNES' weakness was Brendan describes. "DMA was originally
lack of arcade conversions of any worth, approached by Nintendo because we
while the Mega Drive was drowning in had a video playback engine for it. We
them," admits Jonathan. "Shooters in demoed a clip of Star Wars playing
particular – there are a few great ones, from a 4MBcart, and they were very
but only a handful." interested in the tech for the CD-ROM
system. But it all went quiet and we
ike the Mega Drive, the started doing Unirally instead."
L SNES was supposed to get a

hardware expansion which
leveraged the incredible
capacity of CD-ROM discs, and while
Nintendo partnered with electronics giant
The popularity of the SNES has
ensured that it is in high demand with
collectors even today. Starting your own
collection isn't expensive, and recent
developments have lowered the barrier
Sony to work on the unit, it ever made to entry on the more common releases.
it to market. The recent discovery of a "A lot of the games have dropped in
SNES PlayStation prototype has put this price fairly dramatically due to availability
ill-fated venture back in the headlines and on emulators or via the Virtual Console
jogged the memories of developers who on Wii and Wii U," says Jonathan. "US
were shown the tech at the time. "During and UK RPGs still command ridiculous
the winter 1992 CES show, I was lucky prices, but there are plenty of great
enough to attend a private demonstration games to be had for less than £20. The
of a CD-based Sony prototype," says real problem is finding them in good
Brendan. "The demonstration took place condition – the cardboard packaging
in fancy hotel room well away from the sadly doesn’t fare very well if not looked
show, and it was to a small group of after." While finding some common
Nintendo representatives along with games at a decent price isn't going to
a small contingent of top Rare people be hard in today's market – providing
– and me! The demo consisted of a you’re happy with just a cartridge – the
PLAYING WITH POWER
POUND SAVERS
Excellent Virtual Console options for
SKYBLAZER 1994 SECRET OF MAJYUUOU: KING OF BAHAMUT LAGOON those that can’t collect the real deal
QA rare case of Sony EVERMORE 1995 DEMONS 1995 1996
Imagesoft making a decent QFollowing the success of QKonami’s shooter was not QOne of the last great RPGs CASTLEVANIA: VAMPIRE’S KISS / DRACULA X
game, Skyblazer is an Secret Of Mana Square decided only the perfect advertisement of the SNES era, this Japan- £200 US / £90 JPN / £225 PAL / VC £5.49
attractive action platformer to found a North American for the console’s graphical only release was tipped for QWhile it’s not a patch on the PC Engine CD title from
which made good use of the studio and produce an RPG capabilities, it also played like a western localisation but it which it is derived, Vampire’s Kiss is insanely collectable
console’s Mode 7 capabilities. aimed squarely at western a dream – no small feat when never happened. It has been in its physical form, and demands a steep price for the
Coming towards the end of the audiences. While Secret Of you consider how unsuited the fan-translated in recent years most committed Castlevania fan. As such, this download
console’s lifespan Skyblazer Evermore wasn’t up to the SNES was to this kind of game. and is well worth seeking out, is a much better choice for anyone interested in playing it.
was perhaps unfairly ignored, standard of its Japanese Amazing music, gripping if you’re happy to dabble with
and certainly deserved a 3D siblings, it was unique gameplay and attractive a spot of emulation. Bahamut FINAL FIGHT 3 £130 US £120 PAL / VC £5.49
sequel which would have compared to a JRPG. It’s a visuals make for a true classic Lagoon sold almost half a QThe third Final Fight outing on the SNES may not be as
made better use of the shame Square didn’t produce – a sequel was hinted in the million copies in Japan but no refined as Streets Of Rage 2, but it’s the finest example of
game’s flying sections. more titles of this type. end credits, but never came. sequel was forthcoming. the genre on Nintendo’s console. Haggar returns with new
allies and Street Fighter-style moves. Its pricey second-
hand but this digital release is infinitely better value.
DEMON’S CREST £170 US / £125 JPN / £260 PAL / VC £5.49
QA commercial disaster upon its release in North
America, this spin-off from the Ghosts ‘N Goblins series
focused on Firebrand, an enemy in the original games
who was elevated to hero in Gargoyle’s Quest. A mixture
of platforming and RPG, this is a true hidden gem.
more desirable titles are rising in value.
"Videogame culture is embedded in the MEGA MAN X2 £160 US / £25 JPN £240 PAL / VC £5.49
mainstream," says Stuart. "It’s lucrative QThe second Mega Man X game is notable on the SNES
now. I think the Internet has made the as it’s the only home version of the game (a cut-down
retro gamer’s world smaller. The chances mobile game also exists). It builds upon the groundwork
of finding a genuine bargain online are of Mega Man X, being far more action-packed than the
growing smaller. I can remember paying earlier NES games and quite a bit easier too.
£60 for Majyuuou: King of Demons back
in 2007 for my Super Famicom. I thought WILD GUNS £350 US / £160 JPN / £250 PAL / VC £5.49
that was expensive. I’ve seen copies on QA steampunk Wild West shooter with an excellent co-op
eBay now for over £1,300." mode and some brilliant, screen-filling boss battles,
The SNES is one of those machines » You can use this device to connect to Wild Guns is yet another in-demand SNES release which
the Satellaview. It reminds us of the old
that simply grows in stature as the pictures of the CD-ROM add-on. requires deep pockets to own. Thank goodness, then,
years roll by, and there's a good chance for this Virtual Console release.
that people will still be talking about it
in respectful tones in another quarter was almost the de facto machine for EARTHBOUND £500 US / £20 JPN / £N/A PAL / VC £6.99
of a century. But why did Nintendo's creating 2D games. Later consoles could QRecently available on the Wii U Virtual Console,
console make such a massive and still do that, but people started to veer Earthbound is a quirky and endearing RPG which, instead
long-lasting impact on gamers? Why towards 3D as it was the new thing." of featuring the usual fantasy setting, boasts a modern
is it so fondly remembered when the For hardcore fans like Stuart, it's world invaded by aliens. The game never got a European
hardware which followed ushered in the all about the software. "It introduced release, and the American version is incredibly expensive.
era of revolutionary 3D realism? "It was so many franchises for Nintendo,"
the final hurrah of the classic era of 2D he concludes. "To have new games
gaming," replies Brendan. "It was a high like Mario Kart, F-Zero, Starfox, and
point before the shift into the modern era Pilotwings released within the space of
of 3D polygons. As exciting as the N64 a few years was exciting. There was a
and its contemporaries were at the time, drive behind Nintendo in those days to
those games look dated. SNES games try new ideas, particularly in Japan and
by comparison look gloriously retro. Also, that enthusiasm was instilled across
the move to 3D created a huge increase third-party developers. Most games
in the complexity of games and their were coded by teams, so creativity and
controllers which only enhances the lack of interference was in full flow.
charm of the 16 bit era." Chris Sutherland Enix, Square, Konami, Capcom and
also feels it was the system's mastery of countless others developed some truly
2D which makes the SNES so beloved. stunning titles for the console. Recent
"I think it was the last home console that fan translations have also breathed a new
used custom hardware devoted to 2D lease of life back into the console, with
sprite games," he explains. "After that lots of Japanese-exclusives now being
there was a transition to more general available to Westerners for the first time."
purpose CPU/GPU architectures. I think So here's to the continued success of
that's one of the reasons it stands out – it Nintendos legendary console.
TOP
R DER ’
CE
CH IC
SimCity
QDEVELOPER: NINTENDO EAD
QYEAR: 1991 QGENRE: STRATEGY
25
It may be primarily remembered as a PC franchise
but, with numerous changes and additions to this
console port, it’s little wonder so many of you cited it
as a SNES favourite. Developed by Nintendo EAD rather than
Maxis, this version has a distinct Japanese flavour and several beautiful
Nintendo twists – seeing Bowser stomp through the city is up there with
the greatest gaming moments. The team did a great job of making it
work with a controller rather than a mouse, too.
SNES
ActRaiser
QDEVELOPER: QUINTET
QYEAR: 1990 QGENRE: STRATEGY/ACTION
The beauty of ActRaiser is that it is effectively two
24 games in one. Half god game – albeit without any

direct religious references, thanks to Nintendo’s hard-
line self-censorship of the time – half action game, all awesome.
While it’s true that neither part is a dedicated example of the
genres in question, it’s the unique fusion that makes this so
GAMES
memorable. Putting town creation and management on hold to
go kick some ass is something that no other game can offer.
The results are in, but did your

favourite SNES games make the cut? Cybernator
Find out in the coming pages… QDEVELOPER: NCS CORP
QYEAR: 1992 QGENRE: SHOOT-’EM-UP
23
A surprisingly strong showing in support of this shooter sees
it make the list ahead of bona fide classics like Super Punch-
Out!, but you’ve gotta love the underdog. It’s an inventive mech
shooter that really makes you
feel like you’re in control of a
huge, complex piece of kit and
it still holds up brilliantly today.
The same can’t be said of the
budget PlayStation 2 remake,
sadly – our advice would be to
just stick with the original…

TOP 25 SUPER NINTENDO GAMES
Zombies Ate My “A great

Neighbours shooter with
music to die for”
QDEVELOPER: LUCASARTS
QYEAR: 1993 QGENRE: RUN-AND-GUN gmintyfresh
22
There’s a lot to be said for this
B-movie shooter, so we’re not
overly surprised to see you come
out in numbers to support it. The recent
sad loss of LucasArts might have done
something to bolster its following, but it’s
certainly not ill-deserved – the humour,
style and tight gameplay are such that many Super Aleste
modern developers would kill to put their QDEVELOPER: COMPILE
name to something as polished and refined QYEAR: 1992 QGENRE: SHOOT-’EM-UP
as this.
Perhaps the original great co-op
20
An excellent shooter, as evidenced
game, Zombies Ate My Neighbours lets by the fact that it managed to beat
protagonists Zeke and Julie use anything the likes of Super R-Type, Gradius III
they can find to hold off the zombie and UN Squadron. A rich and varied arsenal
apocalypse and secure the safety of the is what really makes Super Aleste stand
guys and gals that live down the street. out, each of the eight weapons offering six
But it’s not just zombies – variety here is different levels of power. Furthermore, each
exceptional and, over the course of the can be modified at the touch of a button,
game, you’ll find yourself gunning down adding reverse fire (or similar area coverage)
pretty much every B-movie cliché – from or changing properties to give options that can
giant ants to vampires and aliens. But it more or less cover every situation the game
doesn’t stop there, as the level with the throws at you. Like pretty much every shooter,
gigantic rampaging baby perfectly displays. there’s a problem in that death causes you
It keeps you guessing by constantly to respawn with virtually no firepower – but
changing things up – even though gameplay there’s a simple solution to that problem: just
changes little, that each stage can feel be better at the game. Solved.
entirely unique is amazing.
Said variety extends beyond simply
switching enemy sprites out for new ones,
too. It’s the weapons, an improvised arsenal EarthBound
comprising of everything from water pistols QDEVELOPER: APE/HAL LABORATORY
to rocket launchers. It’s the settings, myriad QYEAR: 1994 QGENRE: RPG
slices of suburbia pulled straight out of every
low-budget horror movie ever made. And it’s
19
It may not have had a UK release, but
the characters – even the titular neighbours that seems to have had little impact
come in all shapes and forms, with each of on the popularity of this glorious RPG.
them worth a different amount of points if Perhaps offered a little more exposure thanks to
you can save them in time. Thankfully, you Ness’s appearance in Super Smash Bros, this
don’t need to rescue them all but, the more quirky little title can take pride of place in any
you manage to free, the better your score will collection – mint originals now change hands for
be. And just like most games in this genre, upwards of 500 quid. Why? It’s one of the few
that’s all that really matters. retro classics not to have seen a re-release in
any form, despite constant calls for it to come
to Virtual Console. Still, all that is set to change
Donkey Kong Country 2: now, as the cult RPG has finally been released
on Nintendo’s digital service. Let’s see if that
Diddy’s Kong Quest does anything to the insane price that original
copies currently go for…
QDEVELOPER: RARE
21
If you could all have just pulled together and decided amongst
yourselves which Donkey Kong Country game was best, it could
quite easily have made the top five. Instead, divided opinion
gives us two Kong games in this list, Rare’s platform sequel just missing
out on the top 20. Quite how DK came to be kidnapped in the first place
is a conversation for another time, though it’s clear that Diddy and Dixie
can handle themselves well enough without him. It was around this point
that Rare’s love affair with collectibles began, so those that have enjoyed
cleaning up and finding everything in the likes of Banjo-Kazooie and Star
Fox Adventures would do well to recognise where it all started.

Super Tennis Donkey Kong Country
QDEVELOPER: TOKYO SHOSEKI
QDEVELOPER: RARE
QYEAR RELEASED: 1991 QGENRE: SPORTS
15 Poor old Retro. As
17
Early titles are always going to live much as it tried its best
large in the hearts of fans – they’re the to recapture the magic of the
ones that get the most play while you’re originals, in essence it’s just
waiting for the next big game, after all. We can not the same – the music, the
all but assume that’s why this 1991 title earned a design and the well judged
spot on this list, although we’d struggle to point level of difficulty were all
to an earlier multiplayer sports game that we nailed the first time around. A
got so much enjoyment out of. Making tennis stunning effort by Rare.
quick and fun was a masterstroke, though even
the points that dragged on proved to be hugely
enjoyable – that’s why we saw the same arcade Chrono Trigger
template applied to Smash Court Tennis and, QDEVELOPER: SQUARE
later, Virtua Tennis. We’re all for simulation but, QYEAR: 1995 QGENRE: RPG
when it comes to a quick sporting thrill, we’d
Super Mario All-Stars struggle to name many better games than this
beauty. It sure as hell beats leaping around the
14 As if this time-hopping
RPG classic wasn’t
going to make this list. As if.
QDEVELOPER: NINTENDO EAD lounge with a remote in your hand, that’s for sure. Any game that stars a noble
QYEAR RELEASED: 1993 QGENRE: PLATFORMER frog warrior is one that we
fully support, so we’ll take
18
A compilation and console bundle title it may be, but far any excuse we can get to
be it from that to exclude this collection of timeless games celebrate this wonderful action-RPG from
from your list. Sporting enhanced versions of the three NES Square’s archives.
Mario titles as well as super-tough variant The Lost Levels – famously
Super Mario Bros 2 in Japan, while we received a massively modified
version of Doki Doki Panic – this is pretty much platforming heaven.
Star Fox
“I loved this QDEVELOPER: NINTENDO EAD/ARGONAUT
Any one of the collected games would be worthy of a spot on this
game so much. SOFTWARE QYEAR: 1993
list alone, so the combination of all four is pretty much a shoo-in. You
Good single player, QGENRE: SHOOT-’EM-UP
could buy a console and get by for months just on the single bundled
game, which is not something that can be said of any console since.
Later versions also included Super Mario World, which you can safely
fantastic multiplayer and
the best sports game 13 This is more than
deserving of recognition
for its introduction of useless
expect to read more about in the coming pages. Just a guess. for me”
gaming baggage Slippy Toad
Nemesis alone. It’s just a shame that
its pioneering 3D visuals will
Super Bomberman forever take a back seat due
to the ‘do a barrel roll’ meme it spawned.
QDEVELOPER: HUDSON SOFT
QYEAR RELEASED: 1993 QGENRE: ACTION
Again, Bomberman would be

Final Fantasy VI
16 higher on this list if it weren’t for the
fact that gamers had no less than
five different kinds of Super to consider in
QDEVELOPER: SQUARE
QYEAR: 1994 QGENRE: RPG
12 Picking just one of

Square’s 16-bit Final
this case. Ignoring the fact that the console
Fantasy games is a near-
had just two controller ports, Konami
impossible choice, so well
elected to use an adorable multi-tap to allow
done for settling on this one.
for showdowns on a scale never before
Echoes of FFVI can be felt in
seen on console. Later games introduced
every canon game since, and
more elements tailored to accommodate
its Uematsu soundtrack is enough to secure
multiplayer massacres and, to be frank, we’d
it a place on this rundown alone.
probably rather have seen one of these make
the list than the simple original. However,
there’s a lot to be said for getting there first, F-Zero
and for all of you who voted for any of the QDEVELOPER: NINTENDO EAD
superb sequels you can at least find solace QYEAR: 1990 QGENRE: RACING
in the fact that the little bobble-headed
murderer managed to get onto the list at all. 11 Racing games are
boring? Yeah, nice try.
A futuristic setting and
And we’re glad he did – there are few better
tests of pure gaming skill than a Bomberman amazing 3D visuals made
face-off. Quite how this franchise wound up this an unforgettable
entertaining kart racers and sports games experience for everyone
we’ll never know – it remains one of the best who played it, though it’s
and purest multiplayer experiences in the saddening that we haven’t
entirety of gaming. seen a new version since the exceptional
GX on GameCube.

“The only
one in the series
you need to play – best
ever linear version of the
game before it tried
to copy Metroid ”
davyK Secret Of Mana
QDEVELOPER: SQUARE
QYEAR RELEASED: 1993 QGENRE: ACTION-RPG
The music, the bosses, the sheer variety…
9
There had to be at least one Square RPG in the top ten and, with
Super Castlevania IV this is the stuff of legend and its reverence so many failing to get European releases, it stands to reason that
QDEVELOPER: KONAMI is far from ill-deserved. Action-platforming this should be the one to make the cut. Three-player co-op was a
QYEAR RELEASED: 1991 QGENRE: PLATFORMER with a gothic slant, you could walk for miles unique selling point but, even without that, Secret Of Mana would still
and not find anyone who has gotten past hold up brilliantly. This action-RPG managed to tick every box, from
the second level – Dark Souls and its ilk
10
Ask most people which is their a unique leveling system to a great cast of characters that could be
favourite Castlevania and, more may claim to have created the hardcore tailored to your own whim. Despite several sequels, this remains the
often than not, you’ll hear Symphony sector, but we know better. Castlevania was best game in the series – the PlayStation sequel has its fans, but their
Of The Night. While the PlayStation game there first. And if you can claim to have numbers are feeble compared to those who would back the original.
is a spectacular display of genre-straddling finished this, that’s something that counts To this day, we’ve yet to see a truly great Mana follow-up and, while
RPG action, there’s a hardcore arcade purity for a lot on your gaming CV – arcade coin- it’s unlikely that we’ll see one in this play-safe environment, it’d be a
to Super Castlevania IV that gives it the edge. munchers have nothing on this beast. retro insta-win if Square announced a new Mana game tomorrow.
Contra III: The Alien Wars

QDEVELOPER: KONAMI
QYEAR RELEASED: 1992 QGENRE: RUN-AND-GUN
7
Anyone that throws their hardcore weight around based on recent
accomplishments like finishing Dark Souls or Super Meat Boy would do well to pop
back in time and give this monster a go. Whatever you choose to call it, this is pretty
much the epitome of hardcore – dudes be coming from everywhere, and all
of them will kill you in a single hit. Contra had lost its way recently until
Hard Corps brought it back – it’s rare that a sequel nails exactly
what was so good about the original but that’s what Arc
managed to do. The original still presents an awesome
challenge and one that anyone can be proud to have
conquered. Pretty much the ultimate run-and-gun game,
Contra III exists to kick the ass of anyone who tries to
Pilotwings play it. As you probably know. If not, give it a shot today
QDEVELOPER: NINTENDO EAD and don’t even vaguely expect to win.
QYEAR RELEASED: 1990 QGENRE: FLIGHT SIMULATION
8
Tech demos seem to be the order of the day lately, with
the likes of Wii Sports and Kinect Adventures capturing
the imaginations of millions. But this beat all of them to the
punch, a showcase for the unknown power of the SNES and an
early glimpse at the magic of 3D. Few could have imagined that
a flight game would be the one to show off what the SNES was “Absolutely
truly capable of, but that’s precisely what Pilotwings did. Three- stonking side-
dimensional gaming wouldn’t become the norm until years later, scrolling shooter, the
but we can’t forget who planted that seed – few did it better either, game that my staunchly
to be fair. In terms of offering a unique experience, few titles can MD owning mate bought
rub shoulders with Pilotwings. Even the N64 and 3DS updates a SNES for”
never really managed to recapture the magic of the original, fun as
they may be. adippm82

Super Metroid
QDEVELOPER: NINTENDO R&D1/INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS
QYEAR RELEASED: 1994 QGENRE: ACTION/
ADVENTURE
5
Few games have laid out their stalls quite so
well as this. Super Metroid basically doesn’t
say a word, but it doesn’t need to. If anything,
that’s the joy of it – the mystery is what keeps you
playing and, even when you know what you’re
doing, this is not an easy world to explore. Setting
the template for an entire sub-genre, this can
happily claim to be one of the most influential games ever made. The recent Virtual Console Wii U
re-release has given us such greats as ‘Y can’t Metroid crawl’, cementing it as one of the great work-
Super Mario World 2: it-out-as-you-go-along games out there…
Yoshi’s Island
QYEAR RELEASED: 1995 QGENRE: PLATFORMER Super Mario Kart
6
We have to be honest – we thought this classic platformer QYEAR RELEASED: 1992 QGENRE: RACER
would come in a little higher. But with Super Mario World
stealing the majority of the vote, we guess it
4
Another obvious choice, although it’d take
was a ‘one or the other’ mindset in most cases. a real Blue Shell enthusiast (there’s no such
Either way, this dino-themed sequel performed thing) to claim that Mario Kart was a fair way
admirably and, while we wouldn’t want to have to to settle disputes. Still, few would argue that this
make a pitch as to which was the better game, the wasn’t one of the great multiplayer games of our
egg-tossing love this game has received pretty time, especially in the age before the game-breaking
much does that for us. Platform games don’t Blue Shell came into play. Multiplayer rivalries can
come much better than this, especially when they still be settled with this tried and tested method, although many cite more recent games – Double
don’t involve the bugs or bandicoots that have come to Dash, MK7 and even the Wii version – as the best. There’s no right answer... well, okay, there is. And
define the genre. it’s not Mario Kart 64.
The Legend Of Zelda:

Street Fighter II Turbo
QDEVELOPER: CAPCOM A Link To The Past
QYEAR RELEASED: 1992 QGENRE: BEAT-’EM-UP QDEVELOPER: NINTENDO EAD
QYEAR RELEASED: 1991 QGENRE: ACTION-RPG
3
If you owned a SNES and had a second
controller, chances are you doubled up for
2
Arguments will rage until the end of time as to which of Link’s adventures is the best
the opportunity to show your mates what a (ironically, it’s definitely not Link’s Adventure) but it’s this seminal title and Ocarina Of Time that
Dragon Punch or a Flash Kick was. Street Fighter most often find themselves tussling for the top spot. While the 3D debut was unquestionably a
was the go-to competitive game at the time and, masterpiece, it likely wouldn’t have existed at all had it not been for this beautiful and surprisingly open
while we’ve since learned to play on stick, that RPG – it might have offered slightly more direction than the NES original but it still managed to feel like
wasn’t really an option back then. Capcom did an you were lost in a strange world with only your wits (well, those and whatever tools you could loot from
incredible job of bringing the arcade experience dungeons) to rely on. The reveal of the Dark World ranks up there with the best gaming surprises of all time.
home – there are few better coin-op conversions Eat your heart out, Kojima…
than this one and it was this kind of perfect
port that made your friends with a Mega Drive
incredibly jealous.
“I remember
staying up all night at
a friend’s house playing it
and taking forever to figure
out that you needed to light
a lamp to open up a door”
Soulstar

TOP 25 SUPER NINTENDO GAMES
Super Mario World

QDEVELOPER: NINTENDO EAD QYEAR RELEASED: 1990 QGENRE: PLATFORMER
1
Nintendo’s mascot was always going to be a from having one big map that really makes this feel like
clear favourite to claim the top spot on this list, an epic journey, and one where the route – and even
but the landslide took even those of us expecting the destination – aren’t always clear. Find a hidden exit
a moustachioed number one by surprise. Mario to a stage and you can find yourself branching out into
didn’t just walk this list – he grabbed a Cape areas far more difficult than you’re used to. But, with so
Feather and flew over the top of the whole damn thing. many routes on offer, there’s no shame in returning to
With Super Mario World appearing as a pack-in with the beaten path in order to hurry along your journey to
many console bundles, this would have been the first Bowser’s castle.
experience of 16-bit gaming for many people. And what Then, there’s the way that each of the power-ups
a way to start – it’d be like your first taste of meat being changes how you approach and traverse each stage.
What Makes It a huge T-bone steak, or your first car after passing your A cape will let you soar up to hidden cloud platforms
So Super test being a Ferrari. This is seen by many as being as if you can get the speed up to get lift in the first place,
close as we’ve come to platforming perfection and, while a fire flower lets you muscle your way past many
truth be told, we’re in no position to argue. We still play obstacles. There are even a few situational pickups
Hidden Exits Super Mario World regularly to this day and we’re still (such as the one that turns Mario into a balloon) to use
discovering new tricks and secrets hidden away in the and abuse, though it’s definitely the trusty mushroom
If you’ve got the right power-
many, many stages. that will see the most use. You can even keep one of
up and an explorer’s spirit,
There’s so much to talk about in celebration of Super these back in reserve – useful if you know you’ll need
there are loads of secret ways
Mario World that it’s difficult to know where to begin. it later in a tricky level and don’t want to risk losing it
to end levels prematurely.
But, we’ll start as is logical – with pretty much the first along the way.
Doing so can open up new
thing you see when starting up the game. The map Whether or not there’s such a thing as a perfect
paths that let you speed
structure isn’t entirely new, with Super Mario Bros 3 game is an argument that will never be won. Whether
across the world map, as Star
pulling much the same stunt albeit broken down by or not Super Mario World is the closest thing we’ve
Road fans will know
level. But, it’s the improved sense of scale that comes seen to one, though? That’s not even up for debate.
Perfect Design
Dino Might Variety counts for a lot,
though it’s the fact that
Yoshi eggs are hidden away in
there’s no weak link that
many of the blocks scattered
proves the most amazing.
around Mario World, and
Whether swimming,
unleashing the beast is always
soaring, riding or climbing,
a joy. Not only does he offer
Super Mario World never so
you an extra hit, there are also
much as misses a beat
certain areas that you simply
can’t reach without him
Star Power
Soaring above the
world is Star Road, a set
of super-tough stages with
secret exits on every one. If
you know where to find the
lot, you can finish the entire
game in less than
ten minutes Endless
Replayability
So many exits, so many
routes, so many tiny little
secrets to find… there’s just
so much to this game that,
as we said, we’re still finding
“Boundless
new power-ups and hidden
creativity and
areas to this day. As close to
invention, pixel perfect
the perfect platformer as you
level design, fiendish
can get, basically
puzzles and power-ups
that changed the
dynamic of play”
Wools

F-ZERO: A RACING REVOLUTION
AN Y GAM ES HAVE A
M M E, B UT FEW
TIC TH E
FUTURIS AVE SH AP ED THE
H
CAN CLAIM TO IKE NINTENDO’S
EL
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TA
SPEEDY SPEC ES THE IMPACT
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early month r
ring the lean ith the Supe
LLS THIS A stuck into du he n it arrived w
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or ld w id e.
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“MAGNETIC FIE LIKE ICE, AND ed
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SHOULD BE TREAT
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de rsta nd th ns er va tiv e
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North Amer ne were star
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IT’S NOT THE FIRAND S.T.U.N RUNNER ARRIVED .
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turistic CYBER SPIN
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RIEF HIS TO RY racers) out th

happened w
hen. Here’s
a handy guid
2000
2015 2019
WIPEOUT
AB RE
1982 OUTRUN 2019
TU 1976
OF THE FU INTERSTATE 76 INTERSTATE
82 DEATH RACE 2052 2049
2080
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MACH RIDER 2090 SAN FRANCIS
2097
XGRA 2585
2112 BALLISTICS 2560
2116 97
WIPEOUT 20
WIP3OUT 2207 F-ZERO
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2160 F-ZERO: MAX
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WIPEOUT FU WIPEOUT PU F-ZERO: GP LE
GEND

RECHARGING YOUR POWER IS VITAL
DURING LATER RACES, AND SHOULD BE
DONE AT EVERY OPPORTUNITY
NARROW RAODS FENCED IN BY ROUGH PATCHES
rancy and
ARE STANDARD FOR THE COURSE ON SAND OCEAN
of spee d , vib
Drive in Japan, its American branch was targeting The mix azing
audio was aLycemtt
Nintendo in its advertising. Times had changed and
Nintendo had to deliver a new machine.
While it had lost ground to competitors by acting Steve
slowly, Nintendo’s decision to join the new generation
late carried some advantages – primarily the ability to its technical innovation, and many vividly remember
to create a more advanced machine. The SNES their initial encounter with the game. “I’d seen it in
outperformed its competitors in a variety of ways. It C&VG in blurry screenshots, but I saw it in the flesh at
could display more colours on screen and had better an import game shop running on a Super Famicom,”
sound capabilities, but the most exciting improvement recalls Sumo Digital’s Steve Lycett. “It looked like
that the SNES offered was the famous Mode 7, a something from the future! The best vehicle is pink
graphics mode which gave developers the ability to with flames down the side, that’s a pretty bold
freely rotate and scale a layer of background. This statement. The fact it whizzed past smoothly with
allowed for the creation of a pseudo-3D playfield which Vegas-esque landscapes animating away just made it
gave the illusion of stretching off into the horizon. visually compelling. That was the same day I decided
Of course Nintendo needed a game to showcase I needed both the game and the system! The mix of MEMORISING THE LOCATIONS OF JUMP
this unique capability, and Nintendo EAD was set speed, vibrancy and audio was amazing.” PADS IS CRUCIAL TO AVOIDING LONG
STRETCHES OF ROUGH ROAD.
to work on one with Shigeru Miyamoto in place as Alex Ward of Three Fields Entertainment, best
producer. The game that the team came up with known for his work on the
was relatively simple – a racing game named F-Zero. Burnout and Need For
Mode 7 was ideally suited to the task of creating Speed series at
DID YOU
roads. In the past, the drawing of roads was Criterion Games,
often handled by using limited deformation was similarly
KNOW?
of road graphics to create curves and alter impressed.
perspective, as seen in games like Pole “Back in
an
Position. A recently developed alternative QThe origin
al F-Zero had
mic within its
approach was to create a fully 3D eight page co
polygonal road, as in arcade games such pl aining the back
manual, ex d
ain Falcon an
as Hard Drivin’ and computer games like story of Capt
Stunt Car Racer. Mode 7, however, allowed hi s rival s.
for course features such as hairpin turns that
were extremely hard to represent using
traditional methods, and it could move
courses around at an incredible rate with
full 3D rendering at that time.
Nintendo had placed a lot of faith
in F-Zero – as one of just two launch
games in Japan, reaction to F-Zero
would form a substantial part of players’
first impressions of the machine. That
faith was rewarded, as the game made a
rare impact on press and public alike thanks

K BURCOMBE
Q&A: NIC esig his thougte
ner givesdiff tia
hts on the F-Z
his own futu
ristic ra
, and
ero sericeesrs
Eout d ere n
The Wip how he sought to
explains
the surface and not being lower camera position and
attached to the floor with were able to do more with
wheels. Of course games track geometry because
like Powerdrome were also they weren’t contrained to
an influence, but I think the 2D plane of Mode 7 –
between F-Zero, Mario Kart but the reality is that we
and Powerdrome you can were totally wrapped up in
RIGHT-ANGLED TURNS ARE THE NORM
ON SILENCE, MAKING FOR ONE OF THE see where my inspiration WipEout and PlayStation
TRICKIER RACES OF THE KNIGHT CUP. for WipEout came from. at the same time and so I
Adding the dance music didn't really spend a lot of
the early Eighties, I played an amazing arcade game and then, of course, time with F-Zero X.
called Star Rider by Williams. It blew my mind, so someone else bringing in
much so that I'm still thinking about it 30 years later. Why do you think F-Zero the graphic design from Why do you feel the series
Fast forward a decade. I'm reading about the Japanese had such a impact? The Designers Republic, works without weapons?
version of F-Zero. Julian Rignall was one of the first I think I'm right in saying it you can probably see how I actually don't think it was a
people to play it and write about it. The SNES was was one of the first Mode 7 it took on a life of its own. plus. I suppose that's one of
Nintendo's wonder machine. Apparently it was the games and so that sense of the reasons the racers I've
fastest racing game made yet.” hurtling into the screen at What are the strengths made, WipEout, WipEout
The Mode 7 visuals that F-Zero employed had 60Hz was quite a change on and weaknesses of the 2097, Quantum Redshift,
successfully turned heads, just as Nintendo hoped. All consoles. Games like Rock track design? Jet-X and Table Top Racing
that was left was for the game built on top of them to N’ Roll Racing and Micro The tracks are designed to have all had weapons in.
keep those heads pointing in the right direction. Machines typically took the suit the game, just making F-Zero for me became more
isometric or top down view, enough out of the jumps a battle of man versus
but F-Zero was something and shortcuts you could track and not man versus
F
-Zero is a racing game set in the year 2560, different at the time. squeeze from it, although I'll opponents. The track got
in which racers from across the universe confess – I really struggled narrower and narrower
compete for glory in an anti-gravity Grand How important would with the very narrow ones (a mistake I made on the
Prix set up for the entertainment of decadent you say the music was to such as Fire Field. tunnel in the first track in
billionaires. The futuristic setting is one the game? WipEout, too), but faster
Nintendo had previously employed in Mach The music in F-Zero was How do you think you go, the more space
Rider, a NES combat racer featuring high speed action one of the reasons I wanted F-Zero X compared to the you need, or you'll be faced
and a hero who looks suspiciously like F-Zero's Captain to have a CD quality WipEout games? with only the hardest of
Falcon. While F-Zero takes some of these elements soundtrack for WipEout. I never liked the collisions or hardcore players being able
from this previous title, the visual style in the newer Although I look back at the handling to be honest to have finished it.
game is much more fantastic – hovering vehicles F-Zero with great fondness, – mind you I didn't like the
racing on roads floating above densely-packed mega- I think my view at the collisions in WipEout either Why do you think Nintendo
cities, whereas Mach Rider had featured relatively time was that the music which is why they were the has stayed away from the
conventional wheeled vehicles on traditional roads. just wasn't good enough first thing to fix in WipEout franchise in recent years?
The futuristic setting is more than just a visual style. quality. I know some of the 2097. And although I can I'd imagine the same
F-Zero’s races include numerous on-course features to catchy hook lines are great, see similarities, I think the reasons Sony also stopped
provide additional excitement and challenge for players but for me – the hardware omission of weapons was developing WipEout.
and while adding more variety to the courses beyond and chip music in general a bit of a let-down, but Future racing was niche,
their backdrops. Despite the anti-gravity nature of the just wasn't good enough perhaps they wanted to too hardcore and although
vehicles, rough roads will slow down your vehicle and and really I wanted to keep it apart in terms of loved by many, it's a genre
icy-looking magnetic field blocking materials will cause change that. gameplay from the seminal that’s failed to bring new
a loss of grip. But while drivers might have experienced Mario Kart. For me F-Zero fans in, whereas Mario Kart
these hazards before, it was rather less likely that they Did anything from F-Zero just stopped evolving in is a much more broadly
would have had to struggle against explosive mines inspire WipEout? terms of gameplay and appealing game and
or magnetic fields which draw vehicles off course. Two things really. Firstly, become too hard to play. can cater for most of the
Collisions with the side of the track, other vehicles Speed! The one thing I mechanics in any F-Zero
and certain hazards will cause the player's vehicle to loved about F-Zero was What do you feel the N64 – apart from perhaps the
lose power, and a total loss of power results in the the sheer speed of the bought to the series? insane speed – but as I've
explosive destruction of your vehicle and a lost life. game and with WipEout I really didn't play it mentioned, this is not a
Underneath the futuristic setting and unusual we wanted to capture enough to comment good thing for newcomers,
hazards, F-Zero is an incredibly well-constructed racing some of that. Secondly the knowledgeably, but clearly the challenge only satisfies
game. Players are given a high degree of idea of skimming across they were able to go for a the hardcore gamers.

IT TRAINING
CIRCU etro Gamer
The R favourite F-Zero
on their
c
ack
team loookusrsbes
MODE 7 WAS IDEAL FOR DISPLAYING

SHARP TURNS LIKE THIS ONE IN
RED CANYON.
control over their vehicles, thanks to the ability to There’s a reason you’ll be happy just to win races,
shift your vehicle's weight with the L and R buttons, as success isn't something that comes easily in F-Zero.
which combine with steering to offer greater cornering Races are run under elimination rules, with each lap
ability. You'll need to employ this ability frequently, too requiring that the player doesn't fall below a certain
as the track design quickly becomes very technical, position in the race. This starts off at the relatively
with corners set at right angles, demanding expert easy 15th place, but by the final lap you'll need to be in
driving. Additionally, each of the four vehicles differs the top three to finish the race. Failing to meet these
markedly in terms of handling, acceleration and top requirements will see you retiring from the race early
speed, meaning that you'll have to develop different and losing a life, impeding your chances of completing
approaches to each track in order to succeed. “It’s the five races that make up a cup, but each completed
pure arcade immediacy but with depth you discover as lap rewards you with a turbo boost which can greatly
you dig into it,” Steve notes. “You start off just being aid you when used strategically. “The later leagues
happy winning races, but then you progress to the Fire were very challenging,” Alex recalls. Steve agrees: “It
Stingray ship and then it’s all about picking the best was palm sweating and proper hard on Master Class.”
lines, dodging hazards with the shoulder buttons and Between the expertly crafted gameplay and
saving up boosts for the last lap.” technical innovations, F-Zero was an immediate hit.

COMPETITION IS FREQUENTLY VERY

CLOSE IN F-ZERO, PARTICULARLY AT DID YOU
KNOW?
HIGHER DIFFICULTY LEVELS.
Critics raved about the game, with Mean Machines' find in a normal racing game.” This the accompaniment, usually featuring
named after
Q Mr EAD is
Richard Leadbetter stating, “there'll never, ever be enduring appeal ensured that the EA D de ve lopment high quality renditions of the in-game
anything to touch this graphically on the Amiga or game continued to sell strongly. It Nintendo his music or guitar rock in keeping with
ria tely,
team. Approp
Mega Drive,” and declaring it “the definitive console eventually secured a re-release in
s stat s of E, A and D the game’s own style. BS F-Zero Grand
racing game.” Players were similarly impressed. “I 1997, having qualified for Nintendo’s craft ha Prix 2 ran for two weeks from August
respectively!
attended an American university in 1990 and one of Players Choice budget range in North 10th 1997 and used the same vehicles
my friends picked up the ugly purple American SNES America by selling over a million copies. introduced in its predecessor. Unfortunately,
with F-Zero with it the day it came out,” Alex recalls. While a sequel seemed inevitable after this the Soundlink versions of BS F-Zero Grand
“We sessioned the game almost non-stop for two or success, Nintendo didn’t revisit F-Zero until the SNES Prix 2 seem to have been lost to history, and video
three days straight. Just seeing the visuals takes me had already been superseded by the N64 – and then recordings serve as the only evidence of its content.
back to a very happy time of gaming. The dawn of the only with the Satellaview, a Japan-only add-on which
SNES was a great, great time for me.” enabled players to download data onto rewriteable
T
F-Zero’s criticism focused on the limited content of cartridges via the satellite radio service, St.GIGA. The he wait for a true F-Zero sequel
the game, with a 1993 retrospective review in Super initial four-week run of BS F-Zero Grand Prix began was a long one, but when F-Zero X
Play Gold stating that F-Zero “has precious little in the on December 29th 1996 and consisted of F-Zero’s 15 was released for the N64 in 1998 it
way of interesting gameplay elements” and “feels tracks plus a brand new Mute City IV race, contested proved that the wait was worthwhile.
rather empty.” But while critics cooled on the game, it by four new vehicles. During special Soundlink events, Technological innovations allowed
continued to serve as an excellent introductory game players could play within strict time limits alongside designers to move past the flat tracks of
for new SNES players. “My first time with F-Zero was special radio shows designed to serve as the audio the original game and utilise true 3D track designs for
with the son of my grandmother’s neighbours, during the first time, meaning that players were subjected to
summer vacations in 1993,” recalls Valerio Di Donato, AN EXPLOSIVE DEMISE AWAITS RACERS loops, corkscrews and jumps, as well as racing through
WHO LEAVE THE BOUNDARIES OF
whose studio 34BigThings is currently working on the THE TRACK. tunnels and on cylindrical courses. Turbo boosts were
futuristic racer, Redout. “This child had many games reworked to consume ship energy, bringing a strong
for his home console, but I was always insisting to play element of risk to races, and a massively increased
F-Zero. I just remember how fun it was – it had speed, selection of machines let players to race how they
amazing controls, drifts, energy recharge, jumps, wanted to. The game retains a striking look today, as
awesome floating ships… All kinds of stuff you can’t Nintendo once again traded graphical detail for speed
and a high frame-rate. A later expansion kit
for the Japan-only 64DD add-on let players to
design their own courses, a first for the series.
The Game Boy Advance was the next
platform to receive an F-Zero game, with
development duties falling to Nintendo
subsidiary Nd Cube. Set in the year 2585,
F-Zero: Maximum Velocity featured a new
generation of racers piloting all-new machines
on exclusive tracks. Despite the theme of
renewal the game design was wholly lifted
from the SNES original, reverting to progress-
based boosts and the elimination race format.
Even the visual effect was the same, with
the handheld machine going one step further
than the SNES by keeping the road and its
surrounding scenery on individual layers,
heightening the pseudo-3D effect by adding
the illusion of depth. The game accompanied
the Game Boy Advance at launch in 2001 and
received praise from critics, particularly as it
included a multiplayer mode.
The F-Zero X formula was further developed
with F-Zero GX and F-Zero AX, Gamecube and
arcade games respectively. The game was the
first joint development between
CONGRATULATIONS IF YOU SPOTTED THAT

THIS SHOT IS IN FACT FROM THE UPDATED
SATELLAVIEW GAME, BS F-ZERO GRAND PRIX.

EVEN TODAY, F-ZERO X IS AMAZING TO PLAY.
IT’S SUPER SLICK, WHILE THERE ARE SOME
BREATHTAKING JUMPS TO NEGOTIATE.
former bitter rivals Nintendo and Sega, with the

latter’s Amusement Vision studio taking charge. GX
included a story mode for the first time, expanding
on the universe of the series with cutscenes, and
allowed players to create their own custom machines
to race with. AX provided straightforward races but
boasted exclusive tracks and vehicles, which
could be unlocked for play in GX by inserting
your Gamecube memory card into the arcade
cabinet. Both games were visually incredible,
the game
marrying the series’ trademark speed with
detailed 3D visuals. F-Zero GX was another
We se ss io n e d
critical success, but did receive some criticism
n -s t o p fo r two or
for its high difficulty level, while F-Zero AX was a
almost no Mode 7 or fantasy racing games. Nintendo EAD would
aight
rather rare sight in arcades. go on to develop Super Mario Kart, another Mode 7
three daAylesx Wsartdr

The final two games in the F-Zero series racer which featured simpler tracks but revolutionised
were developed by Suzak for the Game Boy the use of hazards by allowing the players to deploy
Advance, and took place in an alternate timeline them as weapons. The driving force behind the
which followed the events of the animated TV development of Super Mario Kart was to create a
series F-Zero: GP Legend. This reboot is set game which offered the multiplayer which F-Zero had
in the year 2201 and follows Ryu Suzaku – or Rick lacked. The fact that this was achieved is a technical
W
Wheeler, to Western audiences – as he is revived 150 hile there hasn’t been a new F-Zero feat, which often goes unrecognised as people
years after a near-fatal crash while in pursuit of the game since its brief flurry of sequels concentrate their praise on the incredibly addictive
criminal, Zoda. As you’d expect, many existing F-Zero ended over a decade ago, the series’ qualities of the multiplayer in Super Mario Kart.
characters including Captain Falcon and Black Shadow place in history is secure as its The longest-lasting part of F-Zero’s legacy with
are drawn into the story as the series progresses. influence extends far beyond its Nintendo has been its appealing comic book world.
The first of the tie-in games was itself titled F-Zero: direct lineage. The original game While the series hasn’t been revisited as frequently as
GP Legend and boasted a story mode based on the was a powerful demonstration of Mode 7 and it the likes of Mario or Zelda, F-Zero receives recognition
TV show. As with Maximum Velocity, the game was became a signature feature of the SNES, appearing from Nintendo in games such as Super Smash Bros.,
based largely on the SNES gameplay model, but it did in acclaimed titles such as Super Mario World and in which themed stages are commonly included and
bring boosting into line with the home console games Final Fantasy VI. For racing games, F-Zero became Captain Falcon is a mainstay. Additionally,
and drop the elimination aspect of races. Upon release the model to which many other SNES the game recently received recognition in
in 2003 critics recognised the quality of gameplay, but racing games adhered. Games like the Mario Kart series, with the Mute
felt that it was overly familiar after Maximum Velocity. Seta’s Exhaust Heat and City and Big Blue tracks appearing
The 2004 follow-up F-Zero Climax also suffered from KAZe’s Uchuu Race: Astro in Mario Kart 8 as part of
offering few new features, but it did boast improved Go! Go! owe a debt to the game’s downloadable
Mode 7-style visuals and revised gameplay which F-Zero, and they're far content offering.
combined the boost systems of previous games. from the only third-party However, it wasn’t
However, the major improvement was the addition games to do so. just Nintendo and
of an integrated track editor, something which hadn't As for Nintendo itself, its developers that
been included as standard in the previous GBA it wasn’t done with were impacted by F-Zero.
games. Unfortunately F-Zero Climax was only developing the Technologically, Sega recognised the
DID YOU
released in Japan, meaning that many use of value of Mode 7 and granted the Mega
fans of the series never got to play Drive similar capabilities via the Mega-CD
KNOW?
what is arguably the most refined add-on. Games like BC Racers often employed
version of the original formula. the Mega-CD’s ability to scale sprites as well
city
Q F-Zero: M
aximum Velo as backgrounds, providing trackside details
Ze ro gam e not to such as trees and houses. While these
is the only F- ters
iginal charac made for more convincing pseudo-3D
feature the or ewart,
lco n, Dr St environments, games on Sega’s hardware
– Captain Fa
urai Goroh. struggled to achieve the speed displayed
Pico and Sam
by F-Zero. Meanwhile, racing games
were established as a key way to launch
a platform. Steve contends that F-Zero
“showed how racers are a brilliant way to
showcase hardware, something Namco did
with Ridge Racer on the PlayStation.”
Beyond the technological impact of F-Zero,
there was its legacy in terms of game design.
Over the years, F-Zero has been name-
checked repeatedly as a variety of futuristic
racers have drawn varying degrees of inspiration
from Nintendo's game, from the Extreme-G
CREATED BY SUZAK FOR THE GAME BOY

ADVANCE, F-ZERO CLIMAX HAS PLENTY OF
TRACKS, WITH OVER 50 TO RACE ON.

C IT Y M E LO DIES
MUTE undtrack has been ere
F-Zero’s svoered and covered – h
widely ree of our favourites
are som
CGROOV E
SMO.yoOutTubHe.M
com/watch?v
=l7nVJbI9bhU
ove, and this
www r Smooth McG
ro
QWe’ve go
t a soft spot fo theme is amon
gst his
the Mute City
nd ition of laid sounds
acapella re cal tracks ar
e over
st w or k. Th e way the vo mples, too.
be plays sa
way the SNES
oddly like the
WE’RE PRETTY SURE THAT F-ZERO GX REMAINS

ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL FUTURISTIC CREATED BY SUZAK, F-ZERO GP LEGEND
RACERS THAT HAS EVER BEEN MADE. IS AN ADAPTATION OF THE ANIME
SERIES THAT WAS BASED ON F-ZERO.
series to the likes of Hi-Octane and Cyber Speedway.

Most of these games fell by the wayside quickly, a
fact that Valerio attributes to Nintendo’s stellar game
design. “F-Zero works because everything in it works,
TOM.yoW INTER atch?v=qeKEsgmYq0I and every game that tried to follow F-Zero and failed
www utube.com/w F-Zero t in
r so prevalen because something was missing.”
QWith the
electric guita of the Mute
an ac oustic rendition
idea of out
the actu works
DID YOU
soundtra ck s, ally
ht se em sa crilegious. It
ig
City theme m u to give it a
listen.
F
-Zero is one of the defining
– we’d urge yo
KNOW?
well, though influences on its own closest
competitor, Sony’s WipEout
series. “Whilst there had Q At just 77
0kg, Gomar &
been futuristic racers before, Noritta is the
Shioh’s Twin t.
F-Zero opened the door to of all th e F-Zero craf that Unreal Engine 4 allowed us
lightest Bull is
many more. Without it there wouldn’t ’s Bl ack to create. The driving model is
Black Shadow
be a WipEout,” asserts Steve. Psygnosis at 2340kg. completely physics-based, trying
the heaviest
nailed a distinctive formula early on by to innovate in a field that has been
fusing F-Zero’s speed and setting with the static since F-Zero.” For Steve, the series
TOXICXETM ERNITY &RGERS weaponry of Mario Kart, before adding its own style has been a source of inspiration for his own
U HAM BU 7vOII
and 3D visuals. Later games in both series have been racers.“We also took a leaf out of F-Zero X and GX
MAX.yoIM
utube.com/w
atch?v=9f-lza
e original
known to pinch each other’s tricks, from the adoption with the insane 3D track design they have so we’d get
www ly the closest
to th
of attacking moves in F-Zero X to WipEout 2097 ’s our own rollercoaster ride feel.”
QThis med
ley is probab e SN ES soundtrack
. It’s
vers th addition of vehicle destruction and pit lanes. It’s notable that with the sublime Super Mario
dtrack, and co ere too.
game’s soun productio ns ou t th
“Futuristic racers have never struck the goldmine,” World, Nintendo could have sold the game on the
ore elaborate
one of the m states Alex, “but then, maybe technology was always basis of Mode 7 alone. “There are a lot of games
holding them back.” He’s got a point. F-Zero has now nowadays that I like to call ‘engine showoff’, games
been absent from our consoles for over a decade, and where technology is mostly there to sell the licence
all of its competitors are dormant. But even with that of the game engine to other companies,” Valerio
point made, there’s an allure to futuristic racing games says. “F-Zero could have been the same, if they didn’t
that he finds hard to resist. “I remember giving serious put this much effort into really making a great game.
thought to having a crack at one after watching Tron: And that’s my definition of masterpiece: a perfect
Legacy on a transatlantic flight – then scrawling a basic union of innovation and design.” Masterpiece is an
outline out on a napkin,” Alex confesses. adequate description for a game which, even after 25
BY PmE/wDatRchO?v=OhXY2nQ2OjI love
MUS.yoICutub
That allure holds for Valerio and his team on Redout,
too. “F-Zero was the first to introduce key aspects in
years, defines its subgenre and continues to fascinate
developers and players alike. “I’d love to work on the
www e.co r here, we
offe
ual cover on terms of visuals and gameplay and it’s exactly what F-Zero franchise,” Steve says. We can see why. As an
QPerhaps
the most unus e Ci ty theme. No
t only
the M ut
e rendition of the middle we are trying to achieve,” he explains. “We pushed iconic SNES game, an iconic racing game and an iconic
this saxophon eat frees ty le pl ay in
ere’s some gr her covers.
the visual contrast to the extreme, blending low poly Nintendo world, F-Zero boasts a proud heritage. The
is it unique, th it apart from ot models with the amazing shaders and visual effects chance to add to it would be irresistible.
hi ch sets
of the track w

MEAN
MACH INES roster of four vehicle
The originyeaal rs – just check out th
s has expan
is starting g
ded
rid…
BLUEFAFLCAOLNCON
CAPTAIN
BODY: B BOO
Q
O
ST: C QGRIP: B
over the ORIGIN: F-ZER
GREEN QUEEN IRON HYPER

PANTHER METEOR TIGER SPEEDER
STER
ANTONIO GU MRS ARROW BABA BEASTMAN
Q BODY: A Q BODY: E Q BODY: B Q BODY: C
Q BOOST: B Q BOOST: B Q BOOST: D Q BOOST: C
Q GRIP: D Q GRIP: B Q GRIP: A Q GRIP: A
OX OX OX OX
ORIGIN: F-ZER ORIGIN: F-ZER ORIGIN: F-ZER ORIGIN: F-ZER
MAD BIG BLACK CRAZY

WOLF FANG BULL BEAR
OW
BILLY BIO REX BLACK SHAD DR CLASH
Q BODY: B Q BODY: B Q BODY: A Q BODY: A
Q BOOST: B Q BOOST: D Q BOOST: E Q BOOST: B
Q GRIP: C Q GRIP: A Q GRIP: A Q GRIP: E
OX OX OX OX
GOLDARETN FOX
MIGHTY GREAT
TYPHOON STAR
DRAQ MR EAD
DR STEW
ST: A QGRIP: D
Q BODY: C Q BODY: E
BODY: D BOO Q BOOST: A Q BOOST: A
Q
Q GRIP: D Q GRIP: D
O
ORIGIN: F-ZER ORIGIN: F-ZER
OX
ORIGIN: F-ZER
OX
BLOOD TWIN ASTRO LITTLE

HAWK NORITTA ROBIN WYVERN
IOH UD
BLOOD FALCON GOMAR & SH JACK LEVIN JAMES MCCLO
Q BODY: B Q BODY: E Q BODY: B Q BODY: E
Q BOOST: A Q BOOST: A Q BOOST: D Q BOOST: B
Q GRIP: E Q GRIP: C Q GRIP: A Q GRIP: B
OX OX OX OX
PINK WONDER RAINBOW SILVER

SPIDER WASP PHOENIX RAT
A
DAI SAN GEN JOHN TANAK PHOENIX DAIGOROH
Q BODY: C Q BODY: D Q BODY: B Q BODY: D
Q BOOST: C Q BOOST: A Q BOOST: B Q BOOST: A
Q GRIP: A Q GRIP: D Q GRIP: C Q GRIP: D
O AX OX O AX O AX

MIGHTY NIGHT KING WHITE

HURRICANE THUNDER METEOR CAT
ER N W
ROGER BUST SILVER NEELSE SUPER ARRO JODY SUMMER
Q BODY: E Q BODY: B Q BODY: E Q BODY: C
Q BOOST: B Q BOOST: A Q BOOST: B Q BOOST: C
Q GRIP: B Q GRIP: E Q GRIP: B Q GRIP: A
OX OX OX OX
GROOVY SUPER RED DARK

TAXI PIRANHA GAZELLE SCHNEIDER
ELLE
PJ KATE ALEN MIGHTY GAZ DEATHBORN
Q BODY: B Q BODY: B Q BODY: E Q BODY: A
Q BOOST: D Q BOOST: C Q BOOST: A Q BOOST: B
Q GRIP: B Q GRIP: B Q GRIP: C Q GRIP: D
O AX OX OX O GX
DID YOU
WILD GOOSE
SONIC
PHANTOM
KNOW? manual claim
s that THE SKULL
PICO Q F-Zero’s
ST: B QGRIP: C w as or ig inally called Q BODY: C

Mute City
BODY: A BOO
Q but in the GP Q BOOST: A
Mutant City, Q GRIP: D
O it is said to be
ORIGIN: F-ZER OX
stor y
ORIGIN: F-ZER
Lege nd
w York.
the form Neer
FAT SPACE BUNNY SPARK

SHARK ANGLER FLASH MOON
DON GENIE LEON LILY PRINCIA
Q BODY: A Q BODY: C Q BODY:D Q BODY: B
Q BOOST: B Q BOOST: C Q BOOST: B Q BOOST: C
Q GRIP: E Q GRIP: A Q GRIP: A Q GRIP: B
O AX OX O AX O AX
DEEP ROLLING WILD MAGIC

CLAW TURTLE BOAR SEAGULL
AIN
OCTOMAN QQQ MICHAEL CH SPADE
Q BODY: B Q BODY: A Q BODY:A Q BODY: B
Q BOOST: B Q BOOST: D Q BOOST: C Q BOOST: A
Q GRIP:C Q GRIP: B Q GRIP: C Q GRIP: E
OX O AX OX O AX
COSMIC DEATH
IRE STIN GRAY
DOLPHIN
DIGI-BOY
ANCHOR
ZODA
F AIGOROH
SAMUR
ST: D QGRIP: B
Q BODY: E Q BODY: E
BODY: A BOO
Q BOOST: A Q BOOST: A Q
Q GRIP: C Q GRIP: C
O
ORIGIN: F-ZER
O AX
ORIGIN: F-ZER
OX
ORIGIN: F-ZER
Special thanks to Dan Stephenson for lending us his mint copy of F-Zero and Mark Hogg and Trevor Briscoe for their additional help
Super Soccer
COME ON, REF!
»SNES Or so we thought. After this particularly maddening

»HUMAN ENTERTAINMENT session, which involved countless resets and password
» RETROREVIVAL
»1991 re-entry, we finally scraped a 1-0 victory. Those final

Whenever I visited my SNES- seconds I remember being the most tense and nail-
owning mate for an after-school biting of our lives.
gaming session on his new The end sequence then played out, showing our
console, following a few heated battles on Street team ready to receive the trophy from the game’s
Fighter II it was always Super Soccer that we’d play equivalent of the FIFA president, but then something
into the early evening. really bizarre happened. A football struck the president’s
I remember its odd perspective taking a bit of head like a sniper’s bullet, causing him to toss the
getting used to initially – the camera was always fixed trophy skyward for it to land in the hands of the referee,
in the same low position for the whole 90 minutes of who then does a runner with it. The team look on in
play, meaning that for one half you were forced to run astonishment before three players give chase. When
up a football pitch you couldn’t actually see. But what they catch up to him, the ref declares that if they want
now seems slightly flawed at the time I remember the trophy back they’ll have to play his team to find out
felt really cool and immersive. I also distinctly recall who the real world champion is. They go simply by the
that occasionally several players would fall under your name ‘Nintendo’ and dress in black to look all evil.
control and perform the same action like synchronised It was at this point my mate and I turned to each
swimmers, and later matches in its tournament mode other in a joint state of bewilderment and disgust,
were always hair-pulling. robbed of our ultimate victory. Nevertheless, we
My most indelible memory of playing Super Soccer, composed ourselves, played them, and got soundly
though, was when my mate and I finally beat Germany thrashed. It was a short while after that we decided to
as England to take the world championship trophy. take up Super Tennis.

It’s amazing to think that Nintendo’s 64-bit console
recently passed its 20th anniversary. To celebrate this
momentous occasion we reveal 64 essential things
that make us love the system
Official
Seal of Quality

64BIT POWER
02 QAtari may have claimed to have the first 64-bit
console, but in reality the Jaguar used 64-bit
architecture in conjunction with two 32-bit RISC processors and a
16/32-bit Motorola 68000, while the N64 offered true 64-bit power.
Today, 64-bit processors can be found in all gaming systems
and the architecture has become the standard for the industry.
However, it was Nintendo’s forward-thinking and that vital team-
up with Silicon Graphics which paved the way for this revolution;
while Sony and Sega were happy with 32-bit machines, the Big N
strived to go one better and broke new ground as a result.
» Super Mario 64 broke boundaries

upon release. It’s still an incredible
THE N64 KID
gaming experience.
YouTube sensation, Brandon Kuzma, is
» Many fans still regard Ocarina Of
Time as the best ever Zelda game.
all grown up, but he still loves the N64
Did you know you were getting a
N64 or was a surprise?
THE
We were told by our parents it was
01
never gonna happen… ‘melts your
brain’ and all that. So to see it under
CONSOLE
the wrapping paper felt unreal. For
a second I thought it was too good to be true, and that
there had to be a catch. Well, it turned out there was…
we weren’t allowed to buy any games. The plan was to
On paper, the Nintendo 64 seemed like a huge rent from blockbuster, however this didn’t last long.
gamble back in the mid Nineties. It was built on
Silicon Graphics technology that was unproven in Why did you upload your video and did you expect
the games arena, it used cartridges at a time when gaining the unflinching support of key third-parties it to go viral like it did?
the industry was shifting towards cheaper and more such as Konami, Capcom, Namco and – possibly We would always would raid this chest of VHS-C home
spacious optical media and it came bundled with a most painful of all for Nintendo – SNES stalwart movies to watch as our form of entertainment back
bizarre-looking controller that only made sense when SquareSoft. These days the notion of a Nintendo then… my dad always documented everything. That
it was in your hands. However, taken in a wider console relying almost solely on first-party software N64 moment was alwayss a cla classic tape we’d laugh at,
context, it’s easy to see why Nintendo’s higher-ups isn’t all that shocking – the Wii U has certainly been in along with the time my aunt acccidentally nailed her six-
were supremely confident about the console’s that boat – but the N64 arguably marked the first time year-old son in the facee with a sn nowball from 50 feet
chances; following the stunning commercial that the Kyoto veteran found itself wanting in terms of away. Anyways, I wass into making g websites to show
success of the NES, Game Boy and SNES, the publisher and developer support. The vast majority of videos on that I wouldd make. YouTu ube didn’t really exist
Japanese firm was unquestionably the company the console’s big hitters were all home-grown efforts, n’t know
then or at least I didn ow aba outt it yet. So, one day I
to beat at the time and the N64 was viewed by or came from second-party studios firmly ensconced uploaded the video sttraigh ht in
nto thee html code and sent
many as the platform that would beneath Nintendo’s wing. The pattern began with it to my buddy to see if he thou ught it was funny with the
continue Nintendo’s dominance. the sublime launch title Super Mario 64, and would added slowmo. From m theree, I posteed it to a skateboard
Of course, the benefit of hindsight means continue all the way up to The Legend Of Zelda: filming forum called skate percepttion, and [without
we now know that things didn’t quite go Majora’s Mask and Rare’s excellent Banjo-Tooie. The me knowing] someonee by the useername ‘raw64life’
according to plan. Still smarting from being N64 was a machine that you bought primarily to play uploaded it to YouTube (youtube.ccom/user/raw64life).
jilted by Nintendo a few years previously, Nintendo games. About a week later, I cheecked my MySpace and noticed
Sony gatecrashed the games industry and While the lack of Final Fantasy and Street Fighter I had pages upon pages off frie
friend requests and didn’t
thoroughly embarrassed ‘The Old Guard’, may have curtailed the commercial success of the know why. It took a couple days to realise it was on
N64, the fact that it became so closely linked with YouTube, and was getting a lot of attention.
Nintendo’s own output ironically made it feel all
the more special. While Sony was largely reliant What is it about the console that you like so much?
on other companies to produce its bestselling Man, it just felt right.
PlayStation games and Sega’s short-burst arcade
conversions began to lose their appeal in the living Why do you think the N64 remains so popular?
room as players demanded more bang for their For us Eighties and Nineties kids, I think it could
buck, it fell to Nintendo’s crack network of internal mainly be linked to nostalgia. Pure joy of finding
studios to produce the kind of groundbreaking something new, and letting your brain get lost. But
software that defined the era. The aforementioned the new generation that didn’t grow up with it, I think
Super Mario 64 laid down the foundations of the are intrigued just from hearing about this legendary
3D action genre, influencing not only hordes of console from everyone else. I mean… it’s Nintendo.
d
» Many PlayStation owners scoffe
at the N64. That soon changed
upon playing GoldenEye.

GOTTA COLLECT ’EM ALL
03 QLimited edition consoles are all the rage nowadays, but before
the days of the N64 they were a relative rairty. Sure, you had
various systems that were packaged with popular games, but you rarely
had different coloured models and matching joypads. Nintendo’s console
was one of the first to run with the idea, and, alongside Sega’s Saturn,
ensured that hardware collectors always had different variations to add to
their growing collections. Whether it was a gorgeous-looking gold console
or the colourful Pikachu model there was something for everyone.
KEV BAYLISS
The ex-Rare industry veteran spills his
love for Nintendo’s console
What’s your favourite N64
game and why?
Easily Mario 64, because it was
the first 3D game I fell in love with. THE IMPORTANCE
Excellent graphics, an immersive
world and fantastic gameplay – I 04 OF SILICON GRAPHICS
QIn the early Nineties, Silicon Graphics was seen as the pinnacle
played it for weeks. In fact, I think I’m going to have to of computer graphics hardware. When computer-generated visuals began
play it again soon, now that I’ve reminded myself just to surface in Hollywood, it was Silicon Graphics’ hardware doing the heavy
how good it was, and still is! lifting – between 1995 and 2002, every film nominated for an Academy
Award for Distinguished Achievement in Visual Effects was created using
As a developer, what was your favourite element a Silicon Graphics system. The cachet which came with the name helped
of the N64 hardware? Nintendo build anticipation for the N64. By teaming with the company, the
Hard to say really, it was a leap forward from 2D Kyoto firm was sending out a clear message to its rivals and the industry
graphics, so of course the whole development process at large – ‘We’re dealing with the future, everyone else is in the past.’
was completely different. This was very exciting and
offered us so many possibilities when designing levels,
and character control too.o. Nintendo’s own first-party content with some of
the best titles of the generation. Rare established
What were your firstt thoughts when you picked up its reputation on the NES, Game Boy and SNES,
that unique controlle er? but it would be on the N64 that the Twycross
The controller had su
uddenlyy also become three- firm truly cemented its position in gaming history.
dimensional, and rathher tha
han a keyypad, we now had Early titles like Blast Corps and Killer Instinct Gold
a joystick which gavee us much h morre control over a showed a company getting a feel for the tech, but
character’s movemen nt. I us
usedd to pllay around with » Nintendo’s console excelled at multiplayer gaming, so titles like it would be later releases like Diddy Kong Racing,
the controller when creating g Diddyy Kong Racing and Micro Machines 64 Turbo were plentiful. Banjo-Kazooie and GoldenEye 007 which would
amuse myself for hou urs by making g the car manoeuvre turn heads and win over a generation of new fans.
in so many different wa
ways which would not have been ‘me-too’ cute and cuddly platformers, but also The latter was a particularly potent weapon in the
possible on any previouus Nintenddo controller. establishing the framework which practically every console’s armoury; not only did it outgun many
3D title would adhere to over the next 20 years. The first-person shooters on the PC, it flew in the
Thinking back, what aspect of the N64 would you Legend of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time took the stale face of the popular opinion that games based on
have changed if you could? adventure genre and did the same trick, offering movies were uniformly terrible. Bond’s penchant
If I could have changed anything I would have loved players the kind of immersive 3D world that had for shooting baddies in the face also ran contrary
larger capacity for textures. We managed to squeeze previously been confined to their imaginations. Other to Nintendo’s squeaky-clean, family-friendly image,
a lot more from the hardware on later projects, but I standout releases – such as Star Fox 64, F-Zero X, but it was precisely this kind of content that the
think that you were always wanting a larger texture Pilotwings 64 and Mario Kart 64 – all proved that company needed to fight back against Sony’s
resolution for your graphics. On the other hand we had when it came to creating the best, Nintendo was ‘cool’ and ‘mature’ PlayStation. In fact, the N64
to make as best use out of the small texture dudes as practically untouchable. was perhaps the first time that Nintendo made the
we could, which taught us to be more creative and also Then there was Rare. The legendary UK studio conscious effort – in the west, at least – to balance
helped create a unique look for many N64 games. Oh, is now part of Microsoft’s empire and – if you were its software output between its ‘safe’, kid-friendly
and the look of the console itself, I absolutely hated feeling particularly uncharitable – could be seen as titles and games aimed at the players which had
it back then, but now I look and see all of these fancy struggling to match its Nintendo glory days, but grown up alongside the company’s 8-bit and 16-bit
ones in orange and other cool colours, which makes during the N64 period it was revered as one of the systems and now demanded experiences of a more
me want to buy one again. world’s leading development lights and augmented mature persuasion.

STICKING WITH CARTRIDGES
05 QMany critics will state that Nintendo’s decision to stick with
cartridges when the entire industry was moving to CD-ROM
CHRIS
cost it dearly, and it’s certainly true that the decision resulted in expensive
games, annoyed publishers and limited storage space. However, it also
SUTHERLAND
meant that loading times were almost non-existent when compared to CD,
and developers were able to harness increased access speed to build more
The Playtonic maestro revisits Rare’s
convincing, immersive worlds. On a more superficial level, it’s much more
halcyon days on the N64
satisfying plugging in a cartridge than it is inserting a CD-ROM – something
What was the N64 like to
that has become even more apparent over the past two decades.
program for?
This was the first time some of the
Rare engineers had coded in C – until
then, everything had been written in
assembly language.
Going from assembler, where you hand-coded
every instruction the processor used, to C where you
were more reliant on the ability of the compiler made a
eople
few folks wary at first – peop l were asking: ‘Could we
trust the compiler to do a betterer job than humans?’
In some ways, the machine feelt underpowered,
possibly because we’dd previouslyy been working with
high-end prerenderedd visuals dispplayed as animating
2D sprites, so having to render eveerything in real time
meant the number off moving g itemss on the screen was
less than we’d been used to. That seems kind of weird
when we think of con nsoless theese daays and we expect
each one to be more x timmes powerr ful than that the
previous, but here this wass trransitiioning to a different
way of displaying andd interact
ac ing with games, and the
i basic.
starting point was quite
Why Was Rare able to get so much out of the N64?

There’s a few reasons, all of whicch related to extra
I used to play development time! First, t, we weere probably one of the

first studios to have accesss to an N64 devkit. Second,
around with the controller the Rare teams had been used to working with 3D
models previously, so, although the tools may have
when creating Diddy been a bit different and we had to actually lower
our polygon count and texture sizes, we were up to
Kong Racing speed with the principles. Thirdly, some of our games
actually had ‘extra development practice time’ before
Kev Bayliss they started development - Banjo-Kazooie had about
Of course, software was just one side of the an extra year of previous work as ‘Dream’ and Conker’s
N64’s appeal. While it could be argued that the » Nintendo’s console had a number of great exclusives, this is the Bad Fur Day begain as ‘Twelve Tales’
Tales’. Although much of
console’s chunky, plastic design was something of a rather spiffy Doom 64. the code and assets may have been redone, the earlier
throwback when compared to the sleek, consumer phases meant various tools and workflow could be put
electronics look of the PlayStation, Nintendo’s it’s little wonder that Sony and Sega quickly released in place. Finally, Tim and Chris had a ‘ready when it’s
console retained the playful, toy-like aesthetic which their own analogue interfaces, a clear admission that ready’ approach. This approach would I believe have
made the firm’s previous hardware so appealing and both publishers had been caught napping. been sustained via sales from Rare’s NES/SNES titles.
approachable. From the colourful buttons on the pad The history books are pretty clear – PlayStation:
to the satisfying, old-school sensation of inserting over 100 million sold worldwide, N64: 32 million – What’s your favourite N64 game and why?
cartridges, the N64 tried to maintain links with the but pure sales figures surely cannot be seen as a It’s hard to justify choosing anything other than
past while simultaneously pushing the boundaries true indicator of worth in this case. Siding with Sony Mario 64 for showing how a platformer could work in
of the industry. Nowhere was this more apparent during this particular console war meant missing three dimensions. But I’m going to choose… GoldenEye
than in the design of that iconic controller; a three- out on some stunning videogames, games which 007, and not specifically because it was a Rare title, but
007
pronged affair which could be held in a variety of would influence the course of the industry for years because a group of us played four-player split-screen
ways depending on the game in question. For titles to come. Where would the console FPS genre be for pretty much every lunchtime over several years!
like Killer Instinct, the eight-way D-pad was the input without GoldenEye? Would we have such assured 3D
of choice, but GoldenEye 007 required you to grip the action titles without Mario 64? How much additional What were the N64’s strengths?
middle of the pad so you could access the analogue catching up would have been required in the realm Being the first console where games could display
stick and Z-trigger, the latter of which was found on of 3D adventure games were it not for the existence real-time rendered visuals – being first means a lot if
the underside of the unit. Analogue control wasn’t of Ocarina Of Time? When would analogue control you are exploring new methods of play. The controller:
new to the games industry, even back in 1996, but have become standard had Nintendo not taken the the idea of an analogue stick was a revolutionary jump.
Nintendo was the first hardware maker to bring it plunge, given than both Sony and Sega decided But, ultimately, it was the soware that set it apart – in
to such a large number of players. The moment against bundling such pads as standard? These are all particular with the genre-defining Mario 64.
you realised that you could make Mario shift from questions which we don’t have to ponder, as the N64
a saunter to a spring with just a little push of the – despite losing out to the PlayStation in the long run
stick told you all you needed to know – this was an – ended up being far more influential than its sales
absolutely groundbreaking move in game control and total would suggest. That’s Nintendo’s Midas touch.

DEFINING 06
MULTIPLAYER
The N64 ushered a new era
of multiplayer and set the
standard for years to come
While it’s important to remember that the N64 wasn’t the first console to
feature four controller ports, it standardised them going forward. The Atari
5200 beat it to the punch and several systems featured ways of adding
controllers, but the N64 wore its multiplayer endorsement on its sleeve.
Many games were built with four controllers in mind, meaning multiplayer
gaming nights became the norm rather then the exception.
07
s...
Sam pick
1080º SNOWBOARDING
QCool Boarders may have paved the way for
the over-the-top likes of SSX, but 1080º was the
more intelligent and complex game. Controls
seemed complicated at first but once you got
into the flow, gliding down the mountains
felt both effortless and empowering,
and landing a perfect trick was
just the best feeling.
08 09 10
SUPER SMASH BROS. 1999 MARIO PARTY 1998 TUROK: RAGE WARS 1999
QNintendo’s unconventional brawler is still one of the finest QMario Party was a big success for Nintendo and it’s easy to see QAlthough it received a relatively lukewarm reception from critics
multiplayer games on the N64. The 12 available characters all why. It features all the company’s most famous characters, from upon its 1999 release, Turok: Rage Wars earned itself a place in N64
play very differently to each other – as well as assure that popular Mario to Kirby, and sees them all battling for supremacy in 50 cartrige slots thanks to its four-player action. Like Rare’s Perfect
Nintendo franchises are suitably represented – while the relatively varied mini-games. The progression around the large, interactive Dark, it introduces AI bots to multiplayer, too. Unlike its stablemate,
cramped stages ensure that you’ll always be involved in a frantic game boards could be a little long-winded at times, but the however, Turok: Rage Wars is purely a multiplayer experience,
scrap. Although the mechanics have obviously been refined in the entertaining mini-games more than made up for it. Whether you’re channelling the chaotic pace of Quake III but adding in dinosaurs
later Smash Bros. games – notably in its direct GameCube sequel, blowing up Koopas to make them burst, diving for treasure or and some truly brutal weapons for good measure. Icky weapons,
Super Smash Bros. Melee – there’s still something wonderfully pure simply walking across tightropes, the gameplay was constantly well-designed levels and the ability to play as a raptor meant that
and fun about the original. entertaining and filled with variety. you’d be having fun for a while…

DUNCAN
BOTWOOD
Perfect Dark’s level designer revisits
Rare’s awesome multiplayer game
What did the Expansion Pak bring to
Perfect Dark
Dark?
The single-player game, to be brutally
honest. If you didn’t have the Expansion
Pak you only had access to the
multiplayer game.
What improvements did it offer over GoldenEye?

GoldenEye
We had a more mature art process for creating and
texturing environments and a more coherent sense
of what the gameplay should be from the start. The
multiplayer was much more extensive and we pushed
hard on the customisation options. Most of the audience
reaction from GoldenEye was to do with the multiplayer
so we wanted to make sure that it got more dev time. Not
tricky – GoldenEye’s multiplayer mode was made in six
weeks by two people.
How integral do you feel that the AI bots were to

Perfect Dark
Dark’s multiplayer?
They were awesome. Full kudos should go to the coders
that worked on them. They added so much with just
simple character rules (e.g. kill the player who killed
me last; kill the scoreboard leader, etc.). They effectively
added a single-player challenge mode, a multiplayer co-
op mode and a free-for-all brawl mode to the game. And
I think you had access to that without the Expansion Pak.
What were the main improvements over GoldenEye’s

multiplayer for you?
11 12
A better range of options for customising the game by
swapping out any and all of the items that appear in the
maps, changing the game rules like number of lives and
so on. You could even add a health handicap to level the
playing field between high and low skilled players. Then
you could save your settings to the Controller Pak and
take them to your friend’s house if you needed to – the
combat sims, too, of course.
What’s the best weapon in the multiplayer mode for

Perfect Dark and why?
The Laptop Gun. Decent SMG with an above average mag
size... and then a turret. The FarSight was a little too tricky
MARIO KART 64 1996 PERFECT DARK 2000 to use to be the best weapon, and you were reasonably
QWe nearly didn’t include Mario Kart 64, due to the inclusion of QWe know what you’re thinking: ‘Where’s Bond?’ Well, we are safe from it if you kept moving. The Laptop Gun suits a
the Blue Shell, but that wouldn’t be fair to it. Even though the shell going to say this rather quietly, but Perfect Dark was far better sneaky horrible person, like myself, who likes setting
is massively overpowered, there are plenty of reasons why Mario than GoldenEye. There were better-designed levels, excellent new traps for other people.
Kart 64 was an essential multiplayer experience. While the tracks weapons (including the Laptop Gun) and the same tight controls
are a little on the wide side, they’re all great fun to race around and that worked so well in GoldenEye. Oh and it used AI bots, too, What’s your favourite N64 game and why?
are filled with all manner of obstacles to negotiate. As entertaining ensuring you could always play, even when you were on your own. Smash Bros., beyond a shadow of a doubt. Smash Bros.
as the Versus Mode of Mario Kart 64 was, it was the insanely There’s even an excellent co-operative mode, allowing you to go Melee is a close second – but it’s on GameCube. Peerless
hectic Battle Mode (where you must burst your opponents’ three through the entire game with a friend. Stand down, 007: we’re going design and implementation. Who knew Kirby was such a
balloons), which really fuelled competitive play. with Joanna Dark for FPS supremacy. stone-cold killer? Who knew Ness could be so annoying?
Falcon Punch? Yes, Captain. Yes you can.

13 A RARE TALENT
Nintendo’s right-
hand studio boasted 14 Q&A: CHRIS
brilliance… SEAVOR
It’s almost impossible to state just how
We sit down with the filthy animal who
important Rare was to Nintendo during
brought Conker to the N64
the late Nineties. If the Twycross-based What’s your favourite N64
developer had been good on the SNES – game and why?
delivering one key trilogy of games, Donkey Ocarina Of Time.
Time. I came late to the
Kong Country – but it was phenomenal on Zelda games when I bought a cheap
the N64, cranking out excellent games at a SNES not long aer I started at Rare,
furious pace for the entire life of the console BLAST CORPS 1997 and I’ve loved them ever since. It’s
– and most of them were original properties, QIf any of Rare’s N64 games can be considered to have flown also a rather good ‘Design 101’ handbook which I oen
too. How do you even pick which games to under the radar, it was this carnival of destruction. The premise is return to for inspiration when I get into a rut with my
focus on with a line-up this good? For you, that stuff needs to be knocked down, and you are the only person own fumblings. ‘Classic’ is an overused term in the
dear reader, we shall try… that can do it – whether that’s in a bulldozer, a massive dumptruck, industry today, but Ocarina defines the word.
or even a jet-fuelled robotic smashing machine. There’s a primal
thrill in breaking things, and this game captured it perfectly. As a developer, what was your favourite element
of the N64 hardware?
The controller was a revelation, although when I first
saw the prototype I thought, ‘WTF is that?’ It had
15 16
the functionality of the released version but not the
aesthetic. However, once you picked it up and got a
feel for it I understood this was something different.
Doesn’t matter a jot what the hardware can do if the
point of contact doesn’t compliment the games it will
run. Of course, as always with Big N, the controller is
developed in tandem with the soware it will touch.
How did you feel about Nintendo sticking with

cartridges for the N64?
Fine. In fact, I like cartridges! Fast access outweighed
the main disadvantage of the smaller storage size by a
DIDDY KONG RACING 1997 BANJOKAZOOIE 1998 mile, and again it fitted into the type of games Nintendo
QOnly a madman would try to fit a racing game into an adventure QWho’d have guessed that a project that started on the SNES were making… FMV? Nah, that shit got old quickly, and
format – but Rare was full of madmen and they made it work. would become one of the top N64 games? Aside from the lovable no one said the load times on the PS were awesome.
Diddy Kong, Banjo, Tiptup and friends race across a variety of bird and bear duo that give the game its title, the appeal of Banjo-
stages, using hovercrafts and planes to add variety to the regular Kazooie lies in the sheer amount of stuff to be done – you have What aspect of the N64 would you have changed?
karting gameplay. With bright visuals, jolly music and memorable so many moves at your disposal, and every level is packed with Memory for textures was very limiting. They were
boss races, it was a highlight of many an N64 gamer’s collections. objects to find and tasks to complete. This was platforming’s peak. tiny, and if you wanted any alpha as well they were
microscopic. The youngsters today making levels
and characters don’t know how lucky they are!
Having said that, these restrictions also allowed
17 18
Rare to shine, because (and let’s be honest) we really
pushed the boundaries of the system graphically,
more so than Nintendo.
19
s...
Luke pick
JET FORCE GEMINI 1999 CONKER’S BAD FUR DAY 2001 SPACE STATION SILICON
QBlasting aliens has been a fun part of videogaming since Space QOnce upon a time, Conker was a sweet-natured platform game VALLEY
Invaders and Jet Force Gemini was Rare’s attempt to bring that sci-fi mascot, but Rare warped him into the filthiest animal we now QOriginal puzzle games were few and far
violence to the N64. It lives up to the developer’s high standard of know – and we’re thankful for it. Nintendo declined to publish this between on the N64, but at least here I got the
presentation, while offering a boatload of baddies to tear apart game, which featured vomiting, alcohol, profanity, violence and, of robotic animal silliness of Space Station Silicon
with lasers. Plus, the bear-like Tribals are adorable, making saving course, a singing pile of poo. It was also a highly-enjoyable game, Valley. Possessing creatures granted abilities
them worthwhile – even if the controls weren’t perfect. which is why you’ll be lucky to find a copy for under £80. to help reach new areas and overcome
challenges. Truly an overlooked
gem in the N64’s library.
124 | RETRO GAMER

TAKING
CONTROL 20
The ‘Trident’ introduced EXPANSION PORT
innovations that would be QThe ability for controllers to host secondary
peripherals was rare before the N64 came along,
copied for years to come… and it was a feature that got good use. Controller
Paks could store additional save data, and the
Rumble Pak added force feedback – a feature
Having successfully innovated with its previous NES and SNES which soon became standard. Additionally, the
controllers, Nintendo wasn’t content to deliver a conservative Transfer Pak allows players to read data from
evolution for its bold new 64-bit console’s controller – instead, it their Game Boy cartridges.
delivered an eclectic mixture of classic elements and new features
which showed dedication to the 3D gaming future. The resulting
unique design became an integral part in not only the N64’s legacy
but gaming as a whole.
CBUTTONS
QIt might seem odd that the N64 controller
should have six face buttons, only to make
four of them smaller and brand them
collectively as C-buttons. However, it’s a sign
that Nintendo was thinking about 3D game
design on a different level to everybody else –
these were intended for camera control, hence
the assigned directions.
ANALOGUE STICK
QAnalogue control dates back to the
very earliest days of gaming, but by the
mid-Nineties it had been relegated to
arcade cabinets and oddball peripherals
like Namco’s NeGcon. The N64 controller
correctly identified the need for more THE ZTRIGGER
precise movements in 3D games, and QNobody was putting buttons on the backs of
other manufacturers swiftly followed their controllers before the N64 came along,
Nintendo’s lead. but the trigger under the middle prong of the
controller was a stroke of genius – it was
comfortable and easily accessible. The idea has
been a staple of controllers ever since, with
triggers featuring on the Wii controller as well as
THE TRIDENT other manufacturers’ designs.
QThe N64 controller was different to anything
that had come before, and nothing since has
been quite like it. This was in large part due to
its three-pronged design, which was intended to
make the controller comfortable to use whether
you were playing with the D-pad or the analogue
stick. It’s a divisive design, but an undeniably
innovative one which has its fans.

22
THE LEGEND OF ZELDA:
OCARINA OF TIME 1998
QA glorious time-hopping adventure, with
the titular Ocarina truly empowering players
to manipulate the game world and even the
passage of time itself.
QNavi may have been chatty, but her

reluctance to ruin puzzles meant that there was
a real sense of accomplishment whenever you
overcame a mental hurdle.
23
QInterconnected side quests complement the GOLDENEYE 007 1997
main narrative brilliantly, offering plenty to do at
QDifficulty levels were made to matter
any given time and granting great rewards for
for the first time, with harder versions of levels
those willing to go beyond the call of duty.
throwing in additional objectives that must be
completed in order to finish the level.
QLicensed games have always had a pretty

ropey track record, with Rare’s shooter arguably
the one that showed us that they could be great
rather than just awful or decent.
QThe first great multiplayer FPS on console,

with unlockable characters, modes and options
to keep the deathmatch fun going pretty much
forever. Thanks, Steve Ellis.
GENREDEFINING GAMES
When Nintendo created the N64, it couldn’t
have foreseen the impact that some of its
21 games would have going forward. While

certain games were a testament of their time,
bravely blazing trails that immediately affected
The N64 may have had a smaller library than Sony’s their own generation, a certain few would go
PlayStation, but its releases were no less important. on to influence genres for many, many years
to come. It’s telling that some of the biggest
In fact, some were groundbreaking… games of the N64 are still influencing certain
games today. In fact, here’s just a few of them.
25
SUPER MARIO 64 1996
QA masterclass in translating 2D gameplay elements to a
24
FZERO X 1998 3D environment, pioneering techniques and systems that are still
used in games to this day.
QPerfectly transitioned the series from Mode 7 magic to
full 3D for the first time, with expert balancing of visual elements
QThe castle hub offered a modern twist on the map-based
allowing it to do so without sacrificing a silky 60fps frame-rate.
structure of earlier games, with numerous tasks per stage and
many a secret hidden among them.
QOne of the earliest examples of procedural generation in a racing
game, with the X Cup allowing for near-endless replayability by
QNew power-ups were perfectly pitched to show off the
creating courses on the fly.
advantages of full 3D, the Wing Cap letting players soar above
stages and the Metal Cap letting Mario venture deep underwater.
QA punishing difficulty curve made mastery of both handling and
courses essential, going against the grain compared to a lot of
other games on the console.

26
s...
Drew pick
STEVE ELLIS STAR FOX 64
QWe were wowed by the SNES original, sure,
The creator of GoldenEye 007’s but Star Fox 64 took everything Star Fox did
stunning multiplayer gets misty-eyed well and supercharged it, making it the definitive
game in the series. Heck, it’s so revered that it
Why do you think Rare dominated
27
was remade for the 3DS and even the most
on the system?
recent game in the series, Star Fox Zero,
Rare’s teams were in a fortunate
took heavy inspiration from this
situation where the management
N64 classic. It’s brilliant!
THE BEST
were able to shield them from
the constraints that most other
developers had to operate within. When you’re
LICENSED GAMES
breaking new ground, it’s hard to do it according
to a timetable and things usually take longer than
you think that they will. Most of Rare’s games were
released later than originally intended because Rare’s
management were able to grant the extra time that
they needed to allow them to become great. Other
teams weren’t so fortunate. The N64 proved that a licence didn’t have to
How does it feel know you created one of the N64’s be throwaway rubbish
most defining games?
I feel lucky – in many ways it was an ideal time to get
into the industry, just as it started to transition from 2D
28 29
to 3D. New ground was being broken every day, and it
was exciting to have the opportunity to be involved in a
project where we had so many chances to push things
forward and do things that hadn’t really been done
before. Almost two decades later it’s great to look back
and think, “I helped make that happen,” and to see the
steps that others have taken down the path that we
were forging at that time.
When did you realise GoldenEye 007 was going to

be a big hit?
I remember discussing the sales potential with Chris
Stamper as we approached release and the consensus STAR WARS EPISODE I: RACER 1999 TONY HAWK’S PRO SKATER 2000
within Rare’s management was that we would sell QThe long-awaited first instalment of the Star Wars prequel trilogy QWhile it might have originated over on the PlayStation,
between 2 million and 4 million units. The realisation disappointed cinema audiences, but we did get something excellent Activision’s extreme sports series was also beloved by N64
that it might exceed those numbers came gradually. out of it in the form of this excellent racer. LucasArts managed to fans. An excellent effort was made to squeeze everything onto a
First we were sold out over Christmas 1997. Then we turn a single sequence in the film into a fully fleshed-out game, cartridge, even including the licensed soundtracks, and the score
started to see weekly US rental charts, and week aer with multiple tracks across a variety of planets and all manner of attack gameplay with secret-filled levels is a formula that works
week, GoldenEye was at number one. Then the awards alien racers. It was capable of competing against franchises like anywhere. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 became the very last N64
started coming. It was probably only aer that point F-Zero and WipEout, which says everything you need to know. game when it was released in 2002.
that we really started to realise that the game was a hit
– but even then, I didn’t expect that anyone would still
be talking about it aer two decades!
30 31
How do you think GoldenEye
GoldenEye’s’s multiplayer now
stands up today?
To be honest, it’s been a long time since I played it, and
it’s an interesting experience. While it’s enjoyable to
play for a while and remind myself of what made those
games great, it’s never something that I do for long
periods. Games have moved on rapidly, and I soon find
myself missing many of the developments that came
later. I expect that playing GoldenEye
GoldenEye’s
’s multiplayer now
would be a similar experience – it would be great to
see some of the things that we did first, and maybe
have a little fun along the way. But, yeah, I think I wou
would
soon start to miss the things that came later r. I suspect
later. WWF NO MERCY 2000 BEETLE ADVENTURE RACING 1999
that the aiming system would drive m mee mad,
m having QWrestling was going through an incredible boom period during QDoing a racing game where all the cars are of a single model is
gotten used to modern-dayy dual-analogue
dual-analogue controls.
dual the N64’s lifetime, spearheaded by stars like The Rock and Stone a risky proposition, but Beetle Adventure Racing pulls it off in style.
Cold Steve Austin – and this game was an awesome representation That’s because the tracks are the stars, rather than the cars – there
of everyone’s favourite non-sport. As well as offering lots of are secret routes to discover, items to find, crazy jumps and even
customisation options and championship modes with branching dinosaurs looming out of the dense jungle. It’s not the most well-
paths that represented the storylines of the day, it had an awesome known N64 racer, but you’d be crazy to pass up on Beetle Adventure
engine that even factored in weight advantages. Racing if you find a copy.

Q&A: STEVE 32 THE EASTERN GIANT
MERRETT Konami added some
The ex-Nintendo Magazine System
journalist dons his nostalgia glasses
variety to the N64 33
What did you like about the N64? While it wasn’t as prolific on the N64 as it had been
It was just classic Nintendo, really. in previous Nintendo consoles, the level of quality
A games console that made a leap present in the majority of Konami’s N64 output was
in terms of processing power. still exactly what you’d have expected from the house
Everything about it was geared of Gradius and Contra. Even though its focus was
witth
towards the playing experience, with clearly on the PlayStation, Konami helped keep the
the addition of the analogue stick on the controller cartridge dream alive with updates of some of its best
allowing for more precision of control, and it also franchises as well as some interesting original titles.
opened up games in terms of scale while retaining g the
instant accessibility for which Nintendo were fame ed.
famed. MYSTICAL NINJA 2
STARRING GOEMON 1998
Was their much competition with other magazmagazines?
zines? QA fusion of Edo period Japanese culture and modern luxuries,
34
There was, but it was mild compared to previouss the Mystical Ninja series is played for laughs and even if some of the
format wars – mainly because the N64 was where
wheere references may soar over the heads of a Western audience, there’s
he
Nintendo started to lose third-parties. During the
th no denying that the games are great fun. The first Goemon release
SNES era, everyone got on board and the result on N64 got swept up in the 3D revolution, its open areas meaning
was a buffet of eclectic titles. The N64 saw a few
w fall that despite some awesome moments, much of the wacky magic
by the wayside, so there was less to go around soso of the franchise was lost. For the sequel, Konami returned to what
competition for what there was higher. Also, wit th
with the series did best, going back to 2D gameplay and tightening the
coppies
SNES titles we would oen receive advance copies focus to create a game more in keeping with Goemon’s heritage.
such
of everything as ROM boards, but there was no such
system in place for the N64, which meant a lot off visits
to publishers or them coming to us.
Why do you think Konami had such a strong

presence on the system?
INTERNATIONAL SUPERSTAR
SOCCER ’98 1998
35
Konami, like Nintendo, was very gameplay-focused
gameplay-focused. d. QBack when there were more than two teams in the running
It created games that were enjoyable to play, so thee for the footy title, Konami’s greatest threat didn’t come from EA,
N64 was a good fit all round. The N64 was probably the the from Gremlin, or in fact from any other studio – its closest rival
last console where a lot of Japanese invention came was arguably itself. The ISS games that came out on the N64
to light, with the likes of Rakugakids,
Rakugakids International were different to their PlayStation counterparts, more arcade-like
Superstar Soccer
Soccer, Goemon and Castlevania building experiences with simpler controls and a faster pace than the PSone
upon elements that had gone before, but using the titles that was pushing towards realism as it evolved into PES. This
processing power to make them more involving to accessible style was perfect for the N64, encouraging multiplayer
play. Nintendo and Konami seemed to share views matches anyone could pick up without sacrificing too much depth.
on the purity of gameplay, and I think that is why their HYBRID HEAVEN 1999
titles stand up today. That said, Konami released very QGiven that the N64 was light on both RPGs and beat-’em-ups,
few games for the system over here compared to their Konami must’ve expected that announcing a game that straddled
36
16-bit output, so while their hits were successful, its both genres was to invite a certain degree of hype. As such, many
output was less than 30 per cent of before. were disappointed in the final game, but we’d argue that Hybrid
Heaven lives up to its name. Player character and enemies face
off in one-on-one battles in real time before the action goes turn-
based when a strike or grapple is attempted. The RPG mechanics
are really cool, too – limbs level up individually, while new abilities
can be learned simply by seeing an enemy use certain techniques.
37
s...
Nick pick
RAKUGAKIDS 1998
QWowed as many had been by Super Mario 64 and the raft of 3D
games that came early in the N64’s life, the late Ninteties wasn’t
a forgiving time for 2D games. Fighters struggled, with Capcom SIN & PUNISHMENT:
and SNK struggling to break through the 3D hype and trying find a SUCCESSOR OF THE EARTH
» Castlevania made the jump to 3D with its N64 titles, the catch was new angle for 2D brawlers. It’s original titles like Rakugakids that QIf you need a reason to start collecting import
that they weren’t very good. exemplify this scene best. Employing 3D tech for its backgrounds Nintendo 64 games, Sin & Punishment might just
with crisp, colourful characters dancing around in front of them, be the very best one. The Cabal-style shoot-
Konami’s playful fighter ranks among the most family-friendly ever ’em-up formula was taken to the extreme by
made and as adorable as it is, it’s still technically proficient as well. Treasure, which added its signature boss
fights and some of the very best visuals
ever seen on the console.

38
THE POKÉMON
CONNECTION
The N64 brought Pokémon to
3D in ways that we never would
have imagined…
39
POKÉMON SNAP
40
T
he N64 was perfectly timed to ride the
Pocket Monsters wave and sure enough,
Nintendo made like a surfing Pikachu. Few
would argue that the best thing to come
out of this period of Pokémania was Pokémon Snap,
perhaps the greatest deviation from the usual catch-
’em-all template. After all, what kind of fan wouldn’t
want to go on a Pokémon safari, snapping pictures
POKÉMON STADIUM of all their favourite monsters along the way? While
mechanically simple, the way it layers on additional
tools keeps giving new reasons to head back to older
41
courses, each time with a greater understanding of of the game to provide trainers with a wealth of
what to look out for and more ways to interact with content… yes, including more wonderful mini-games
the environment. It was basically the perfect use of for multiplayer fun.
the N64’s power to offer a different kind of window On top of a slightly garish Pikachu-themed
onto the Pokémon world, while the Stadium games special edition console, there were also a few other
delivered a far more traditional experience. Pokémon-flavoured curios for the N64. Pokémon
Given that Pokémon was a big deal in Japan long Puzzle League was a basic yet entertaining
before it even released in the rest of the world, it match-three puzzle game with plenty to do to
should come as little surprise that we were always make up for its mechanical simplicity, while Hey
POKÉMON STADIUM 2 playing catch-up. What we know as Pokémon You, Pikachu! was pure novelty value in
Stadium was actually Stadium 2 in Japan, the original cartridge form. By connecting a
game releasing much sooner and in an incredibly special microphone adapter to
42
limited form – only 40-odd Pokémon actually had the the controller, players could
animations necessary to be used in battle, the rest speak directly to Pikachu
merely existing as models in a 3D Pokédex. Holding to get him to do… well,
fire for the full-featured sequel turned out to be the not a lot really. It never got a
right play and between its myriad modes and the European release, though if
ability to import your Game Boy team, it was a great you do import it, be warned –
companion to the core games. Pokémon Stadium 2 you’ll need to put on your best
built upon the formula and added support for Gold American accent if you want
And Silver carts and the additional 100 monsters that the little guy to even vaguely
POKÉMON PUZZLE LEAGUE came with them, as well as beefing out every aspect understand what you’re saying.

PLAYING 43
WITH POWER 44
Nintendo provided N64
owners with an important 45
hardware upgrade
If there’s one common thread that unites the consoles of the mid- TUROK 2: SEEDS OF EVIL
Nineties, it’s a need for more memory. Fitting everything into the QAcclaim developed this game on a 64DD
available RAM was a problem for developers, and Nintendo had development kit prior to the announcement
already planned to utilise a RAM expansion for the 64DD’s planned of the Expansion Pak, and utilised the extra
multimedia applications. However, much like Sega had with the memory as an experiment. Seeing this DONKEY KONG 64
Saturn, Nintendo released it as a peripheral to improve its games. running in a 640x480 high resolution mode QThe king of collect-a-thon 3D platform
The Expansion Pak slotted into the front of the N64, replacing the pre- at E3 in 1998 was the prompt that caused games was the first N64 game to require the
installed Jumper Pak, and effectively doubled its available memory. Nintendo to release the expansion. Expansion Pak as standard, solely because
What’s worth applauding is the fact that Nintendo pulled off of a bug in the non-expanded code. The
something that has been the downfall of many a platform holder in game had to ship with the peripheral as a
the past. The company managed to release a performance-enhancing result, at a major cost to Nintendo. Whoops!
upgrade without unnecessarily fracturing the console’s user base.
46
HYDRO THUNDER
QWhile Nintendo’s Expansion Pak was often
used to up the resolution of numerous N64
games, it enhanced games in other ways,
too. While titles like Perfect Dark wouldn’t
work without it, Hydro Thunder benefitted by
letting four players race at the same time.
47
THE LEGEND OF ZELDA:

MAJORA’S MASK
48
QHow do you top one of the best games
ever? Well, if you’re Nintendo you totally
change the design, and then give it a nice
big graphical upgrade to boot. As compared
to Ocarina Of Time, Majora’s Mask features
improved draw distance, better effects and
ful-3D building interiors. STARCRAFT 64
QMost Expansion Pak games reward
you with improved visuals or expanded
multiplayer support, but Blizzard’s real-
time strategy conversion went one step
further – the additional Brood War missions
were only available if your N64 had the
Expansion Pak installed.
49
A NAME OF QUALITY WIL

OVERTON
Midway was one of Once a major player in the development space, this
was the era that saw Midway really turn its attention
The industry veteran revisits the
the few publishers at to publishing – while arcade development and ports
continued, much of the company’s work would be
mid-to-late Nineties
the time that took a in licensing, marketing and publishing other titles for
release. Those in charge really had a good head for it
What did you like about the N64?
I liked that it gave us all the Nintendo
shine to Nintendo’s too, with Midway picking up some huge licences to sit
alongside its own arcade ports. In fact, we’d argue that
classics and, in nearly all cases,
manage gedd to
o successfully
s transfer
64-bit console Midway’s supplimentary output was even better than
its first-party stuff on N64, as these wonderful things
them into the third dimension in real
stylee. From Sup per
e Mario to Star Fox
help to prove. to Mario Kart to Zeldaa each N64 iteeration of a famous
series pretty much defined what thaat game would be
like for a fair few insstallments to com me.
I also liked the weird controller th hat really looked
50 51
like it shouldn’t havve worked, but (I th hought) managed
to be really comforrtable and easy to use.
hat it had the aesthetics of an old
Finally, I liked th
Fiies radiogram. That log go panel
p reaally should have
glowed when it waas on.
How did it compa are in powerr to the e PlayStation?

I couldn’t begin to tell you
u if it was, tecchnically, a
more powerful sysstem an nd maaybe thee lack of space
on a cartridge, currtailing imp
mprressive prerendered
cutscenes, sometim mes made it seem like it didn’t have
the same welly undder the hood but when the games
DOOM 64 1997 BODY HARVEST 1998 shone it was more than a match for an equivalent title
QDeveloped by Midway itself under supervision from id, this ‘port’ QOften seen as a progenitor to the Grand Theft Auto series, DMA on the PlayStation.
(of sorts) of the FPS classic is unique in that it uses redrawn assets Design hit an early hurdle when Nintendo, originally meant to
for enemies and weapons that you won’t see in any other version be the game’s publisher, it delayed and eventually dropped Body Who do you think were the best developers for the
– monsters, while familiar, have a different look, most weapons Harvest from its proposed launch window slot and left DMA looking system and why?
have new effects and looks but most notably of all, it’s a dark, gory for a new publisher. Gremlin picked it up in Europe, but Midway was Apart from Nintendo them h selvess, Rare were the
game on a Nintendo platform, something that had been avoided the one to deliver the game to the US. Featuring five time-spanning undoubted stars of the N64. Alth hough you could argue
during the previous generation. Timing wasn’t on its side, however sandboxes filled with vehicles to pilot, aliens to mow down and that games like Banjo-Kaz azooi
ooiee and Diddy Kong Racing
– launching with no vertical camera movement and no split-screen tasks to complete all while keeping collateral damage as low as simply expanded on existing Nintendo successes I
multiplayer mere months ahead of GoldenEye meant that even the possible, it was a showcase of the new gameplay possibilities think they more than proved their worth with more
granddaddy of the genre was no match for good ol’ Bond. presented by more powerful hardware. original fare like Blast Corps, Jet Force Gemini,
Gemini
GoldenEye and Perfect Dark. Strangely, all the Japanese
names that we had championed so much on the SNES
were suddenly far more quiet and offerings from the
52 53
likes of Konami and Capcom seemed few and far
between so maybe that allowed Western developers to
stand out even more.
What’s the most impressive game you’ve played on

the system and why?
It’d be easy to say something like Ocarina Of Time (and
yes, that did all blow our minds a little at the time)
but I remember being the most impressed when we
first booted up F-Zero X X. In a time when racing games
seemed more like time trials where you seldom saw
another competitor to be suddenly faced with 30 racers
READY 2 RUMBLE BOXING 1999 MICRO MACHINES 64 TURBO 1999 all jostling for position was truly something. Others
QWhile most fondly remembered by those who picked it up with QNo publisher as prolific as Midway can boast a faultless slate, may champion the GameCube’s follow-up - F-Zero GX GX,
their Dreamcasts, Ready 2 Rumble was treated to some decent but it hardly seems worth getting bent out of shape over such but F-Zero X still remains my favourite racer and N64
ports by Midway and while it didn’t quite look the part, the arcade- inevitabilities when discussing the publisher that did a public game overall.
inspired gameplay made the jump to other systems more or less service and picked up Micro Machines for release on the N64. Turbo
intact. Simple controls hide a surprising amount of depth, with is a port of Micro Machines V3, it’s not quite up to the standard of the Why do you think the system remains so popular?
skilled players able to parry or weave around blows to land their 16-bit versions but it is arguably as close as the series ever came to A dose of Nintendo and Rare classics more than make
own counters – find face with fist enough times and you’ll fill your recapturing that magic. A ‘Turbo’ setting allowed for the pace of the up for a lacklustre showing from other developers.
Rumble gauge, allowing your boxer to enter a powered-up state action to be altered a la Street Fighter II’s ports, allowing for either There are probably whole swathes of fans for whom
and unleash a devastating barrage. high-speed madness or more tactical showdowns between pros. the memory of four-player GoldenEye is the only one
necessary to cement the N64 as a firm favourite.

NIEL
BUSHNELL 54
CRITICAL ACCLAIM
The talented artist and animator steps
out from the shadows
How did you come to be involved
with Shadow Man?Man?
I was working in 2D traditional
animation in London and looking to Always the King Of Acclaim was a strong supporter of the N64
throughout its lifetime – not only did it provide a
move back to my native northeast.
I’d heard of Iguana and got in touch. Controversy, Acclaim number of exclusives, it was always keen to make
use of hardware enhancements like the Controller
They were keen to grow their animation team and
offered to train me to use 3D soware, so within a few w
was the third-party Pak and Expansion Pak. More importantly, it was an
ally that helped to prove that Nintendo wasn’t just
weeks I was working on Shadow Man animating in-
game characters and cutscenes. I came on board in n the
studio that frequently about family-friendly entertainment, and could offer
something to appeal to older demographics. Here
last eight months of the project so most of the design
desig
work was in place. I didn’t know at the time but com
ign
ming
coming
stole first place are four of the most important games that it brought
over to the system…
onto a game in the last six months of development
developmen nt is
probably the worst time to join – lots of late nightss and
greeat.
working weekends for free, but the team was great.
Was there more creative input from the

licence owners?
55 56
I wasn’t aware of that side of things.
Shadow Man received an insane amount of press prress

coverage. Why do you think this was?
mon
I think this had a lot to do with Guy Miller and Sim
Simon
briinging
Phipps. They were oen talking to journalists, bringing
them up to look around the studio. They came up with
a story about a member of the team who had burnedburn ned
themselves out because of the horror content of the th
he
game and had to go away for a long lie down in a TUROK: DINOSAUR HUNTER 1997 EXTREMEG 2 1998
medical facility. They managed to create a real buzzz QAcclaim bought the rights to the comic series to make this game QIt takes a lot for a futuristic racing series to stand out when
around the game. happen, and boy was it ever worth it. Turok was a fantastic example it shares a platform with a titan such as F-Zero X, but Acclaim’s
of what could be done with the N64 hardware, delivering smooth Extreme-G series managed to do so. This excellent game combines
What was it like working on such an adult-themed d movement rarely seen in first-person shooters on console. People racing on super-fast bikes with shoot-’em-up gameplay, allowing
game. Did Nintendo have concerns? credit GoldenEye 007 with proving that consoles could do first- players to dish out punishment as they speed around courses that
I don’t recall any issues from Nintendo, we just made person shooting well, but that’s doing a disservice to this game. It feature all manner of jumps, loops and other fun features. As well
the game that felt right. And a lot of it was suggestive was one of the first third-party games out for the system in Europe, as improved visuals, this instalment boasts better multiplayer
horror – lots of things happening in darkness and despite an eye-watering price tag it sold an astonishing 1.5 thanks to a cool tournament mode, as well as a combat-oriented
combined with Tim Haywood’s soundscape. million copies, becoming a key early hit for the machine. Battle Arena mode for when you’re tired of straight racing action.
What were the hardest things to balance from a

technical point of view?
57 58
The technical restrictions were a day-to-day
problem. The characters had such a low poly count
and all of the animation data went through a really
harsh compression process where the non-linear
information was stripped out. We’d create nice-looking
fluid animations that would look clunky in game. It
was an exercise in problem-solving, we were always
looking for workarounds to fix the issues created by
the implementation process. The other big issue was
time. When I came on board none of the cutscenes
had been animated and there was immense pressure
to get them done. Most of them were very wordy and
long. We had days to animate what should have taken SOUTH PARK 1998 SHADOW MAN 1999
weeks. The camera in the cutscenes was also a big QMatt Stone and Trey Parker’s cartoon series has been popular for QThis is one of the darker N64 games out there, and it’s another
issue. Instead of having multiple cameras, one for a long time now, but in 1998 it was the hot property on TV – and if one of Acclaim’s comic book acquisitions. Michael LeRoi is a
each angle, we could only use one camera throughout, you’ve forgotten how big it was, it’s probably worth remembering voodoo warrior, bonded to the Mask Of Shadows by the mysterious
which meant animating it popping over a single frame that Chocolate Salty Balls was a number one single that year. priestess Mama Nettie, whose role in life is to protect living beings
to the next starting point. Billy Allison came up with Acclaim’s first-person shooter adaptation wasn’t the hottest game from the threats that lurk in Deadside. It’s one of the most polished
a nice script to help with this but it still meant the ever, but it was a serviceable effort that proved to be a big Nintendo action-adventure games on the platform, and one which signifies
cameras in the cutscenes were very clunky. exclusive that Christmas. What’s more, it was far better than the Nintendo’s more open attitude to content on its consoles – you’d
awful PlayStation conversion that followed the next year, which never have seen a NES game dealing with the occult and serial
was always fun to crow about. killers this way, never mind all the swearing.

60
N64’S
LEGACY
Great games that
wouldn’t be here
without the N64
59
icks...
The N64 had some fantastic games available for
Darran p
it, but not all of them saw the light of day. Many
potentially great games were revealed for the
system, but they either fell by the wayside due
GLOVER 1998 to publishers and developers losing faith in the
QThere are plenty of hidden classics on the N64, but this console, or realising that the hardware simply
one is easily my favourite and highlights just how inventive didn’t have the power to realise their visions. As
the platform genre could be. The aim of each stage is to use a result a great many games were either canned
Glover to guide a ball to the level’s exit. In addition to running outright, or moved across to the GameCube.
around independently, Glover can punch blocks to break Here are a few that did make the jump.
them, guide, throw or bounce his ball and even transform
it into different types, each with their own unique abilities. STAR FOX ADVENTURES 2002
While it appeared on both PC and PlayStation systems, the QOriginally known as
Nintendo 64 version is clearly superior and even today it
holds up incredibly well.
Dinosaur Planet, this was
started shortly after Diddy
61
Kong Racing. Rare planned
it as its last N64 game, but
Nintendo had other ideas,
asking Rare to retool the
game as a new Star Fox title for its new GameCube console.
It ended up being Rare’s last official Nintendo game.
RESIDENT EVIL 0 2002

QCapcom planned its Resi
62
prequel as a 64DD release,
PHILIP OLIVER but changed its mind after

seeing how poorly the
system was received. It
The mini-Making Of Glover
moved to the N64, and
Where did Glover’s concept originate? received a demo in 2000 at
The inspiration came from us trying TGS. When Capcom realised its game wouldn’t fit on a single
to create a game based inside a crazy Where did the idea of using different balls cartridge it moved across to Nintendo’s GameCube.
golf course, or adventure golf as they originate?
call it in America – actually it was more The ability for the ball to change to other size balls CUBIVORE: SURVIVAL OF THE
specifically ‘Pirates Cove’ in Orlando. with different properties just seemed like a natural fit. FITTEST 2002
We’d visited a few years before on a Summer holiday
to Disney World with our parents.
Videogames always gave opportunities at which the
main character could change his attributes.
QThis was another game
that was slated for the 63
Nintendo 64DD. It was first
What was the biggest challenge from a Is the Crystal Kingdom featured in the game announced in 2000, but its
technical point of view? connected to Dizzy in any way? developers soon changed
Glover was our first game with full-3D characters with Only that the concepts in both cases were from the its mind about continuing
internal rigged skeletons. The graphic engine was Oliver Twins. Crystal Kingdom Dizzy was actually work on the N64 and it switched development over to the
build internally from scratch, as was the landscape developed by a team at Codemasters and Glover was GameCube. Unlike every other game mentioned here, its
editor. Characters and backgrounds were modelled in a team at Interactive Studios a few years later. Andrew N64 roots are still very clear to see.
3D Max and were very low – all coming in at under Oliver was the lead programmer on Glover.
100 polygons! Glover, from memory was around 80, ETERNAL DARKNESS 2002
although he did have four limbs! Why was the N64 version vastly better than the QSilicon Knights first
64
PlayStation offering? revealed Eternal Darkness
What was the hardest thing to achieve from a Glover was designed to exploit the power of the N64’s as a N64 game during
gameplay point of view? 64-bit floating maths hardware. Therefore maths were 1999’s E3. Originally
The gameplay was unique; there were very few 3D a key part of the game. Hasbro asked us to convert it planned for a October
games, and certainly none that tried to tackle guiding to the PlayStation for the following Christmas (1999). It release the following
a ball around a world. It took a few months to get was tough converting everything to fixed-point maths year, it was eventually
gameplay that was actually easy and fun to play. It was and rebuilding the levels with more polygons. It took moved across to Nintendo’s new console, where it received
essentially the first level of Glover... almost a year to do. further delays due to the September 11 attack in 2001. It was
eventually released to critical acclaim the following year.

ERS’ C
D
REA
HO
ICE
NIN
4
TE
NDO 6
TOP
25GAMES NINTENDO 64
Retro Gamer readers have cast their votes and top developers
have had their say – these are your top 25 games on Nintendo’s
groundbreaking console. Join Nick Thorpe for the countdown…

TOP 25 NINTENDO 64 GAMES
Jet Force Gemini

QDEVELOPER: RARE QYEAR: 1999
QGENRE: THIRD-PERSON SHOOTER
25
Kicking off your top 25 is the first of many
Rare games. Jet Force Gemini combines
elements of platform and shooting games,
both genres in which the developer was proficient
during the N64 era. As a result, you’ll have a lot of
exploring to do as you seek to push back the forces
of Mizar, the game’s antagonist. Customisable
multiplayer modes round off an accomplished
package, as is common for Rare games.
Excitebike 64
QDEVELOPER: LEFT FIELD PRODUCTIONS
QYEAR: 2000 QGENRE: RACING
Excitebike’s return in 2000 was as
23 welcome as it was unexpected, with the

series having largely lain dormant since
the 1984 debut of its NES precursor. The dirt track
racing proved a good fit for the move to 3D, and
the addition of mini-games and a track editor gave
Developer the game real longevity. Unfortunately, Excitebike
64 ’s release was delayed until the N64’s mid-2001
Top Picks decline in the UK, perhaps explaining its low

position in your chart.
International Superstar
Blast Corps
“I remember when Blast Corps came along –
Soccer 64
QDEVELOPER: KONAMI COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT OSAKA
the crew was gathered around an N64 saying,
QYEAR: 1997 QGENRE: SPORTS
“No way! How are they doing that?” I love
24
Konami’s follow-up to its SNES hit
seeing creativity and innovation in gaming,
ISS Deluxe was a huge presentation
and Blast Corps didn’t just manage to do it on
upgrade, taking advantage of the N64’s
a technical level, but they innovated along the
power. Aided by the inclusion of some hilarious
lines of the actual game design”
commentary, the new 3D visuals greatly enhanced
Doug TenNapel the game’s sense of realism. And while the game
(Earthworm Jim, The Neverhood) didn’t feature real player names, it was easily a
match for FIFA 98: Road To The World Cup.
Beetle Adventure Racing

QDEVELOPER: PARADIGM ENTERTAINMENT
22
Even the greatest of games can look like losers on
paper – after all, “an Italian plumber goes running and
occasionally jumps on turtles” is the no-frills description
of one of the most important games of all time. So it is that we
come to Beetle Adventure Racing, a licensed racing game in
which players can only choose a single model of car – but unlike
the likes of Ferrari F355 Challenge, the single model is a modest
economy car. However, in spite of a distinctly unexciting premise,
Beetle Adventure Racing delivers a surprisingly good experience.
The key word in the title is “Adventure” as the game’s six
tracks has a distinctive theme, from the Egyptian-themed Sunset
Sands to the quintessentially English Coventry Cove. Beetle
Adventure Racing is a game in which you’ll rarely stick to the
track, too. In a similar fashion to arcade racers such as GTI
Club and Hydro Thunder, each track is filled with shortcuts and
alternative routes, allowing players to crash through barns, tear
down narrow side streets and even drive through caves. These
secret routes often hide items, from nitro boosts to points used to
unlock extra arenas in the multiplayer Beetle Battle mode.

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Diddy Kong Racing

QDEVELOPER: RARE QYEAR: 1997
QGENRE: RACING
21
15 years before Sonic and his mates raced
each other across land, sea and air, Rare
busted out planes and hovercrafts in an
attempt to claim Mario Kart ’s throne. Depending
on the course, players could choose either of these
vehicles or karts, with drivers such as Banjo and
a pre-booze Conker joining Diddy Kong on the Super Smash Bros
starting grid. QDEVELOPER: HAL LABORATORY QYEAR: 1999 QGENRE: BEAT-’EM-UP
The real strength of Diddy Kong Racing lies
20
The N64 is one of the all-time great multiplayer consoles, in part due to Nintendo’s shrewd inclusion
in its excellent Adventure Mode, which provides of four controller ports on the console, and party-oriented games like Super Smash Bros helped to
a satisfying single-player experience unlike that cement that reputation by allowing Mario, Pikachu, Link and Samus to beat each other up.
offered by Mario Kart. Winning regular races The key to the wide appeal of Super Smash Bros is its deliberate avoidance of fighting game conventions.
unlocks boss races, beating bosses opens up coin- The game’s violence is cartoonish, the controls are simple and even traditional life bars are discarded, in
collecting challenges, and so on – there’s a hell of favour of a percentage system that has no definite knock-out point. Platform-based stages and randomly
a lot to do over the game’s 30 courses before you generated items mix things up further, creating a chaotic environment in which everyone has the potential to
ever get any other players involved. win a round.
Paper Mario
“I’d never played anything quite QDEVELOPER: INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS QYEAR: 2000 QGENRE: RPG
Much like Square’s SNES outing Super Mario RPG, Paper Mario drops Mario and
like it before, nor have I since.
The combination of the great
characters, writing, music and
quirky Japaneseness (it’s a word)
18 his friends into a role-playing game with an eye-catching visual style – indeed,
Paper Mario was announced as Super Mario RPG 2. But where the SNES game
tried to punch above its weight with pre-rendered 3D visuals, the N64 game goes in the
make it a very unique experience” opposite direction, with every character represented as a lovingly drawn paper-thin cut-
out instead.
Nathan Wind Though it operated a menu-based combat system, Paper Mario included an active
element in battles with the use of the ‘action command’ system – button presses timed
with attacks or guards would increase the effectiveness of your attacks, elaborating on
Final Fantasy VIII ’s implementation of a similar system. However, it was the setting rather
than the mechanics that made Paper Mario, with the Mushroom Kingdom coming alive
thanks to Goomba families, a green-eyed Luigi and Bowser’s unceasing belligerence.
Mystical Ninja
Starring Goemon
QDEVELOPER: KONAMI COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT OSAKA
QYEAR: 1997 QGENRE: ACTION-ADVENTURE
19
While Goemon and chums starred in three N64
adventures, it’s the first one that makes the cut here.
This action-adventure follows the titular hero and his
companions Ebisumaru, Yae and the mechanical ninja Sasuke,
as they try to work out just who was behind a UFO attack which
turned the Japanese Oedo Castle into a European-style castle.
This is one of the more surprising entries in your top 25, as
sales weren’t tremendous and critical reception was mixed.
However, it has cult appeal – the game’s medieval Japanese
setting and bizarre sense of humour give it a unique boost.

Conker’s Bad Fur Day

Pokémon Snap QDEVELOPER: RARE
QYEAR: 2001 QGENRE: PLATFORM
QDEVELOPER: HAL LABORATORY/PAX SOFTNICA
Twelve Tales: Conker 64
QYEAR: 1999 QGENRE: PHOTOGRAPHY
15 didn’t stand out from the
17
A first-person rail shooter of a rather different kind,
crowd when it was announced,
Pokémon Snap challenges players to shoot photos of
so Rare extensively retooled its
Nintendo’s collectable critters. You play a Pokémon
planned family-friendly platformer
photographer who travels through a variety of environments
into the tale of a foul-mouthed
in a small rail cart, taking photos which are then scored
alcoholic squirrel. The changes
by Professor Oak. Higher points are awarded for keeping
clearly worked out – after all, who can forget their
the Pokémon in the centre of the frame, catching it doing
first encounter with the Great Mighty Poo?
interesting things and getting more than one of the same
species in shot.
It’s a simple game, but one enhanced by the level of Lylat Wars
interaction afforded by items which can be thrown – food will QDEVELOPER: NINTENDO EAD
lure Pokémon in for better shots, while pester balls will make QYEAR: 1997 QGENRE: SHOOT-’EM-UP
them angry and extract them from hiding places. While the
selection of Pokémon featured is pretty small at just 63 of the
original 151, their interesting animations and the diversity of the
14 Better known as
Star Fox 64 elsewhere
(including the 3DS update), this
game’s seven courses hook players easily. on-rails shooter bundled the
N64’s Rumble Pak peripheral.
The game expanded on its
1080° Snowboarding SNES predecessor by offering
free-flight boss areas. It also gave us the “do a
QDEVELOPER: NINTENDO EAD QYEAR: 1998 QGENRE: SPORTS barrel roll” internet phenomenon…
Nintendo EAD isn’t traditionally thought of as a great developer of sports games, but 1080°
16 Snowboarding isn’t a traditional Nintendo EAD game. While Japanese staff made up the bulk of
the team, the coding was handled by two Englishmen, ex-Argonaut programmer Giles Goddard
and Colin Reed, who has most recently been working on the Forza Motorsport series. Compared to
WWF No Mercy
QDEVELOPER: AKI CORPORATION
QYEAR: 2000 QGENRE: BEAT-’EM-UP
contemporary snowboarding games like the Cool Boarders series, 1080° Snowboarding took a more
realistic approach to the sport, placing a greater emphasis on technical aspects such as correctly landing
after tricks. 13 The best wrestling game
ever? It could be – fans
still love its refined grappling
That emphasis on realism carried over to the game’s visuals, and 1080° Snowboarding was graphically
incredible upon release. Sunlight was reflected in the snow in a manner quite unlike anything else seen at system over a decade later. No
the time, characters didn’t exhibit the joints between limbs that were common in so many other games, Mercy perfectly encapsulates
and there was even a little lens flare on the camera. The gameplay was equally impressive, thanks to level the popular Attitude era of the
designs which included hidden routes and a variety of natural places to perform tricks, securing 1080° WWF, and is packed with big
Snowboarding ’s status as an unexpected but undisputed hit. names like The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin and
The Undertaker.
“I love the way it concentrates Pilotwings 64

on racing rather than tricks, the QDEVELOPER: NINTENDO / PARADIGM ENTERTAINMENT
sunsets and reflections look QYEAR: 1996 QGENRE: FLIGHT SIMULATOR
Just as Pilotwings had
great, even the menu was fun.
You also get to play as a panda” 12 demonstrated the Mode
7 backgrounds of the SNES,
Fightersmegamix
Pilotwings 64 is a spectacular
demonstration of the 3D
environments that the N64
offers. Using a jetpack and
hang glider in the main game is fun, but the bonus
cannon event remains our favourite.
Perfect Dark
QDEVELOPER: RARE
QYEAR: 2000 QGENRE: FIRST-PERSON SHOOTER
11 Trying to top the success

of GoldenEye was an
unenviable task, but one which
Rare set out to achieve with
this sci-fi shooter. As a late
release that utilised the N64’s
Expansion Pak accessory,
Perfect Dark boasted substantially improved visuals
over its predecessor.

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Banjo-Kazooie
IN 64
N
QDEVELOPER: RARE QYEAR: 1999 QGENRE: PLATFORM

TENDO
9
We’ve already seen the last of Rare’s N64 platformers pop up
in this list, and the first joins it here. Banjo-Kazooie was one
of the games which gave Rare a formidable reputation for
crafting 3D platform games, and for good reason. The dynamic
duo of a bear and a bird employed a variety of different techniques
in their quest to rescue Banjo’s sister Tooty.
Drawing on Rare’s design work on the Donkey Kong Country
series for the SNES, item collecting was a huge part of Banjo-
Kazooie, to the point that the pause screen tracks seven different
types of pick-ups as well as displaying your life and energy. Each
“Rare at the height of its powers.
stage is packed with things to do as a result, making the game a
Powers that would extend
dream for both intrepid explorers and completion fanatics.
throughout its N64 canon, in
fairness, but this is the kind of
original concept that’s missing
from Nintendo’s consoles today”
Team Alfie
Blast Corps
QDEVELOPER: RARE QYEAR: 1997 QGENRE: ACTION
10
Smashing things is fun. That isn’t an opinion, that’s a universal truth known even to
babies, who giggle as they clumsily knock over their building blocks at nursery. Blast
Corps recognises this fact, and gives the player the opportunity to smash buildings
in a multitude of ways. This usually has a purpose, such as clearing a path for a nuclear
truck, but you’ll never care too much about that because the fun of demolition is always your
primary concern.
The vehicles on offer allow players to demolish buildings by sliding the tail of a truck,
attacking from the side with extending arms and even just charging straight in. But our
favourite is the jetpack, which allows you to soar into the air before raining down destruction
upon the helpless concrete constructs.
Wave Race 64
7
Sometimes, a game does just one thing so
well that it has the potential to overshadow
“Treasure was on fire everything else in the game. In Wave Race 64,
with this one, just the sequel to a tame top-down racer for the Game
technically astounding Boy, that thing was water. No other game captured
– the carrier level lived the look and feel of racing on water in quite the
long in the memory” same way and while it might not have retained the
adippm82 visual impact it had in 1996, Wave Race 64 ’s water
physics remain hugely impressive.
The rest of the game is impressive too, due
Sin & Punishment largely to excellent track design. It doesn’t have

the exuberance of a game like Mario Kart 64 F-Zero X
QDEVELOPER: TREASURE or Diddy Kong Racing, but it does boast some QDEVELOPER: NINTENDO EAD
QYEAR: 2000 QGENRE: SHOOT-’EM-UP spectacular graphical effects. QYEAR: 1998 QGENRE: RACING
If you’ve never played F-Zero X before, you
8
The N64 wasn’t popular in Japan, where it
finished in third place behind the Saturn, and
there are few essential import games as a
result. But if there’s one game that made owning
6 might be looking at it here and wondering
what all the fuss was – and is still – about,
but allow us to put your doubts to rest. The game
an import-ready N64 worthwhile, it was Sin & looks incredibly sparse, but this deliberate visual
Punishment. Treasure’s game is much like a 3D restraint allows it to convey an unrivalled sense of
Cabal, with the N64 pad allowing you to move speed at a high frame rate. Moving into 3D visuals
and aim independently. As an arcade-style blaster allowed Nintendo EAD to experiment with some
the game is on the short side – a proficient player crazy anti-gravity track designs that just weren’t
can beat it in less than two hours – but it’s packed possible on the SNES, with players racing inside
full of bosses and set-pieces that ensure you’ll and outside of pipes, as well as around full loops.
return to it. Sin & Punishment is now available to There’s even a random track generator, which
international audiences, as it was translated and extends the game’s lifespan far beyond other
released on the Wii’s Virtual Console. racing games.

Developer Mario Kart 64

Top Picks QYEAR: 1996 QGENRE: RACING
5
Hands up: how many of you have sworn over
Mario Kart 64 being blasted with lightning on the Wario
“I remember playing it in four-player Stadium jump? Quite a few, we’re guessing.
mode at the King Of The Jungle Mario Kart ’s multiplayer has always drawn out a
offices and wanting to murder anyone variety of emotions, creating memories that have
that red-shelled me! It was manically propelled the game into your top five.
addictive in multiplayer mode, and The first 3D Mario Kart game introduced many
definitely an office favourite for a recurring elements of the series, including mini-
while. Nothing better than getting the turbos for drifts, fake item boxes and the dreaded
invincibility star and squashing all leader-seeking blue shell, while removing the “I know most people will
your mates” CPU-only special items found in Super Mario Kart. prefer Ocarina Of Time, but
Raffaele Cecco But for all of these improvements made to the Majora’s Mask proved that
(Exolon, Stormlord) already sterling formula, the biggest upgrade came the series could take a turn
from the hardware itself – amazing four-player split-
screen multiplayer. The Legend Of Zelda: to the dark side, and do it
so well”
The Legend Of Zelda:
Ocarina Of Time Majora’s Mask gunbladelad
“Life just ground to a halt for two or QDEVELOPER: NINTENDO EAD
three weeks while I completed the QYEAR: 2000 QGENRE: ACTION-RPG
4
game. The simplicity of control with Few games have a more compelling premise than that of
the wide variety of things you can do Majora’s Mask. Faced with the impending disaster of a falling
is just what I want from a game like moon that will obliterate Termina in just three days, Link
this. Miyamoto at his best once again” must travel back and forth in time to save the world. Dungeons
follow the excellent template set out by Ocarina Of Time, but
Jon Ritman other mechanics take centre stage in Majora’s Mask. With control
(Match Day, Head Over Heels)
over time allowing the player to work out the daily routines of the
townspeople and a variety of masks to affect their reactions to
Wave Race 64 Link, the game features a deeper level of interaction with other
“I used to be a programmer for many characters than prior Zelda games.
years, so when games appeared that
were technically spectacular, I not
only appreciated them on a gameplay
level but on a ‘how the heck did they
do that?’ level. Wave Race 64 had me
GoldenEye 007
QDEVELOPER: RARE QYEAR: 1997 QGENRE: FIRST-PERSON SHOOTER
scratching my head as the simulation
3
Miles in front of the fourth-placed game is Rare’s N64 masterwork. It might have arrived two years after the film, but
and feel of zipping across really that didn’t hurt this James Bond tie-in one bit – after all, it would have been churlish to criticise the timeliness of a
choppy water was excellent” game this good.
David Perry The key to Rare’s approach was a flexible adherence to the movie’s script. Stages were crafted from very small
(Earthworm Jim, MDK) sequences of the film or even made up entirely. What’s more, the game’s excellently designed stages included a variety
of objectives that could be tackled in the order of the player’s choosing, giving a sense of freedom that was uncommon in
Diddy Kong Racing games of the time.
“It was a great game to be involved But the single-player mode is only half the story. Given the longevity it lent to the game, it’s surprising that multiplayer
with, and I loved the twist of the wasn’t a key part of the game’s design from the beginning. The mode was added late in development, but proved to be
added storyline and adventure an important selling point for the console as well as the game – the superb deathmatch mode was the perfect advert for
element. It wasn’t just a racing game, the N64’s four control ports, and helped to cement the system as the machine of choice for multiplayer fanatics.
but had a little of everything. The While Rare would later develop its first-person shooter template further with Perfect Dark, readers have remembered
Rare sense of humour, and the cross the impact that GoldenEye had upon release. As well as being a rare example of a worthwhile movie licence, the game
between Mario World with a racing proved that consoles could host first-person shooters that were at least as good as those on PC, if not better. Keyboard
genre, just made it exciting and new” warriors could keep Quake – N64 owners were too busy crowding around the TV for split-screen GoldenEye.
Kevin Bayliss
(Killer Instinct, Diddy Kong Racing)
“It absolutely nailed the

GoldenEye 007 atmosphere of being James Bond,
“If I’m only allowed one, it’s clearly from the comedy enemies to the
GoldenEye. I was so addicted it quite ricocheting bullet sounds and the
literally caused Alundra’s release to awesome music – somehow it’s
be late. I kept thinking about it when much closer to the movie feel than
writing the English version of Alundra most Bond games that followed”
and taking breaks to play it, which Qazimod
turned into a diversion of an hour or
more every time”
Victor Ireland
(Lunar: The Silver Star, Alundra)

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Super Mario 64
IN 64
N
QDEVELOPER: NINTENDO EAD QYEAR: 1996 QGENRE: PLATFORM

TENDO Super Mario 64 isn’t just a great game – it changed gaming forever. For players, it
1 was a rare treat. 2D Mario platformers had been straightforward affairs – even if
there were hidden exits to find and a variety of abilities for Mario to use, the aim of
the game was usually still to make it from your starting point to a single finishing
point. Super Mario 64 ’s levels were wide environments designed for exploration,
and the whole game changed around that fact. Staple enemies like Goombas were
suddenly much easier to avoid and became more of a minor hindrance than a serious
threat, in part thanks to Mario’s new health meter. Goals, rather than being points at which
the level finishes, were now tied to objectives – beating bosses, collecting red coins,
winning races and so on. Each stage had multiple goals, and the sight of a well-placed
star outside of your objective often caused players to pause and try to figure out how to
reach them ahead of time. This non-linearity extended further, as the stars opened up
new stages in batches, meaning that it was hard to ever become truly stuck.
The Legend Of Zelda: For developers, Super Mario 64 was a masterclass. Despite a lack of prior experience
with 3D game design, Nintendo delivered a full slate of impressively designed levels,
Ocarina Of Time filled with challenging and inventive objectives. Even the simple act of moving Mario
was a joy – the N64’s boldly different control pad gave many players their first taste of
QDEVELOPER: NINTENDO EAD the subtleties of analogue control, with a light push producing a slow tiptoe and a heavy
QYEAR: 1998 QGENRE: ACTION-RPG push producing a full-on sprint. That wasn’t all, as Mario gained new abilities like the triple
Only narrowly missing the top spot is the first 3D Zelda
2
jump and backflip, which proved useful for leaping those hard-to-cross gaps. Particularly
game, one of the greatest games ever designed. Link’s fifth pleasurable was the act of trying to force Mario up a hill, watching his legs working ever
quest sees him once again taking on Ganondorf, seeking to harder until he fell forward and slid back down.
prevent him from obtaining the Triforce and dooming Hyrule. The The platform genre had a variety of competing designs in the early days of 3D, from
move to 3D granted the series an unprecedented sense of scale, conservative 2.5D efforts such as Pandemonium to the idiosyncratic approach of Jumping
which hits players the first time they set out across Hyrule Field Flash. However, it’s easy to forget this, as Super Mario 64 quickly rendered almost all
– this was a huge world with lots to experience, from riding the of them obsolete and subsequent games such as Banjo-Kazooie and Gex 3D borrowed
horse Epona to entering the pit of Jabu-Jabu’s belly. Time is the heavily from its design. Design features we now take for granted, such as dynamic
game’s key mechanic, with Link appearing in both child and adult cameras, owe a heavy debt to the work of Shigeru Myamoto and his team.
forms, each with different abilities – young Link can crawl through All of this, and Super Mario 64 was a launch game. It was an almost impossibly
small spaces, while adult Link can use the hookshot, for example. convincing reason to buy the console on day one, which remained compelling years after
Much like Super Mario 64, Ocarina Of Time provided key the hype had faded. Yes, this is your top N64 game – but there’s a strong argument to be
advances in the design of 3D games. Rather than turning the game made that it is the best game ever, too.
into a hybrid puzzle-platformer, Nintendo gave Link the ability to
jump automatically as he reached platform edges, allowing the
player to work out the puzzles without worrying about control.
In order to ensure that players could fight battles adequately,
Z-targeting was introduced, with players holding the Z button to Five Reasons Why It’s Great
lock on to an enemy and make movements relative to its position.
It isn’t quite perfect – Nintendo notably addressed the design
flaws around the Water Temple in the 3DS version of the game
1 2
clone the
2D gameplay,
3
It didn’t just
4 5
The non-
linear
progression le
The game’s
precise
control was
Sliding
down
an icy slope
Even aer
you had
collected all
– but it’s as close as anyone had seen in 1998, and launched instead players spoiled unlike anything while racing 120 stars, there
to universal acclaim, selling over 7 million copies. As a result, adapting for choice when else available, a penguin was still one
Ocarina Of Time’s design has formed the basis of every 3D Zelda the Mario choosing the instantly remains one last secret
game released since. Those sequels have made the formula experience next stage to justifying the of gaming’s to find…
familiar, but Ocarina Of Time was an utterly groundbreaking to a 3D challenge. N64’s analogue greatest joys.
game, an expansive and engrossing adventure that played like a environment. stick.
dream – a game truly worthy of the word “epic”.
Developer “The one that stands head

and shoulders above the rest
“My memories of seeing and
playing it for the first time still
Top Picks is Super Mario 64. It was

absolutely revolutionary,
getting so many things right
make me smile. The design
of it, the controls, the feel, the
characterisation of Mario, the
“My favourite is Super Mario on its first attempt and even accessibility, the wide appeal
64, although my kids at now, three generations later, are all things that stand out
that time were devoted to it’s still as playable as it was to me and make it such a fun
Pokémon Snap” back then” game to play”
Trip Hawkins Steve Ellis Mark Edmonds
(Founder, EA and 3DO) (GoldenEye 007, Perfect Dark) (GoldenEye 007, Perfect Dark)

READER
CHOICES’
“If this game was released in its

current form today it would still be just
as well received as it was on release
day, and that’s the biggest compliment
I can give it. I’m not sure you could say
the same about any other N64 game.
That’s not to say they’re bad – it’s just
that Mario is that good”
look at it sideways

ULTIMATE GUIDE: SUPER MARIO 64
Perfect Polygons
Thwomp Amp Mr I Bub Fly Guy
Bob-omb Swooper Spindrift Spindel

Piranha Plant
Ukiki Snufit
Koopa Trooper Chuckya Boo
Moneybags
H
ow do you introduce
a brand new concept
Spiny Amp but still retain your
Mr Blzzard identity and heritage?
It's a tricky thing to
do, and a task that
has tripped up countless games
developers over the years. But for
Nintendo the formula has always
been simple – take an old property,
find a way to update it with new
technology, and reintroduce it to
the market. The Nintendo 64’s 3D
games were most definitely a brand
Goomba Pokey new concept, and Nintendo‘s ace
Mario was the man for the job.
Bullet Bill Of course, it’s weird to think of
Super Mario Bros as an “old” series,
despite its longevity. The plumber’s
adventures have been ever-present
for decades, after all. However,

Your traveler’s guide to the
Strange New Worlds new locations Mario is visiting
Peach’s Castle Bob-Omb Battlefield Whomp’s Fortress Jolly Roger Bay

QIt might not be counted as a level QThis introductory stage is pretty QTrickier platforming starts QShips and sea life are the order of
in its own right, but the royal kidnap gentle, in spite of the presence of here, as you’ll encounter narrow the day here. There are no bosses,
victim’s homestead offers much to the titular explosive enemies. Race walkways and the nasty Piranha but Unagi The Eel plays a big part
play around with and explore. Climb against Koopa, avoid Chain Chomp Plants. The big bad guy here is the in the second mission. Grab every
the trees, take a dip in the moat, or and get your first experience with Whomp King, who would be a rock coin as there are only 104 in the
explore the basement – it’s up to the cannon. When you’re feeling hard opponent if he didn’t highlight stage – you’ll need almost all of » Lakitu follows you about with a trusty camera,
you what you choose to do here. bold, face King Bob-Omb. his weak spot with a bandage. them for the seventh star. showing you everything that happens in the game.
Cool Cool Mountain Big Boo’s Haunt Hazy Maze Cave Lethal Lava Land
QMario gets a warm reception QMario’s ghostly persecutors are QThis subterranean stage is QBowser gets to show off his inner
from the penguins in this chilly back, and once they take over the filled with the worst kinds of egomaniac here, as he’s made a
stage. The cosy mountain lodge you castle’s courtyard you’ll be able to nasties – Monty Moles, Snufits and gigantic sliding puzzle featuring his
start off next to hides a dangerous visit their spooky home. Like with Swoopers. This is also where you’ll own image. Of course, he’s done
ice slide, which forms the basis of Super Mario World’s Ghost House first encounter the Metal Cap, an this in an environment where he
many star missions – you’ll race on stages, puzzling is the order of the item that turns Mario into a shinier, feels at home, which means you
it and even hunt red coins on it. day here. heavier version of his usual self. should expect hot lava.
Shifting Sand Land Dire Dire Docks Snow Man’s Land Wet-Dry World
QThis dusty desert features QThis area contains the pride of QThis freezing stage is even colder QIf it seems like the water level
everything you’d expect, including Bowser’s naval fleet, an enormous than Cool Cool Mountain, and you’ll is never consistent in Wet-Dry
a pyramid and some hazardous submarine! Who knew he even find more penguins here. Less World, watch where you jump
twisters, as well as the Pokeys that had a naval fleet in the first place? friendly are the Mr Blizzards and into the level’s painting – the
seem to inhabit dry areas within the You need to visit this stage to fight the icy Bully. There’s a lovely igloo higher you go, the higher the
Mushroom Kingdom. As you might Bowser a second time, but it’s here, but our favourite bit of the water. There’s a neat town area
imagine, the pyramid is central to worth it to meet one of the game’s level involves riding a Koopa shell here that seems to have been
many of this world’s stars. most memorable companions. to grab red coins. abandoned to the floods.
Tall Tall Mountain Tiny-Huge Island Tick Tock Clock Rainbow Ride
QAs the name suggests, this rocky QSize matters in this stage, as QThe trickiest timepiece of all time QMario goes sky-high
course is a hefty beast to scale, our hero encounters two portraits hosts some fiendish challenges, as for the last of the game’s
and you’ll need to do so for your to enter it. If he visits the small well as pendulums of impressive regular stages, hopping
first star. At the lower levels, you’ll one, Mario will be comparatively scale. It’s also the area that most between floating islands
encounter big mushrooms, and one enormous, but on the large island clearly illustrates the difference on magic carpets. You
of the stars involves relying on a he’ll be tormented by enormous between the game’s two major won’t find a wing cap here,
primate to lead the way. Good job Goombas. Both sizes of island are versions – the DS version has been so Mario won’t be doing any
he’s not from the Kong family! required to gain certain stars. extensively reworked. flying of his own.

it was a series that slowed down

enormously after its initial hits.
The original Super Mario Bros NES
trilogy and the sublime Super Mario
World for the SNES appeared in
quick succession, but then Mario's
platforming adventures came to a
sudden stop. Our portly protagonist
started his hit tour of other genres,
and platform games were given
over to the likes of Yoshi. By 1996,
it would be fair to say that a proper If that lack of a defined end point
Mario platform game had been sounds like a huge break from Mario
long-awaited. tradition, that’s because it was. Even
in Super Mario World, which wasn’t
T
he problem that Nintendo a linear game, each level had a start
had to solve was how point, an end point and a series of
to even present Mario in challenges to overcome along the
3D. Shigeru Miyamoto way. In Super Mario 64, the nature
had reportedly toyed with the of those challenges had to change
idea of a Super FX-powered 3D significantly because of Mario's
platform game for the SNES, and new-found freedom of movement.
decided against it. Later, during the Even a Goomba was a threat in
development of the Nintendo 64 Super Mario Bros – at the very
hardware, the team experimented minimum, it forced a button press
with linear levels with an isometric- to jump onto or over it. In Super
style camera position. In the Mario 64, dealing with a Goomba
end, Nintendo EAD went with would most often be a simple case
free-roaming 3D levels that the of running around the problem.
player could explore at will, with no As a result, traditional “reach
defined end point. the goal” platform gameplay was
Magic Moments Super Mario 64 was full of memorable bits –

here are some of our favourites
Racing A Koopa with him until he eats his own but the glory of full 3D 1 2 3
1 Your first taste of how bombs a few times. flight is a different matter
differently Super Mario 64 altogether. Thankfully you
operates is likely to come Tinkling The can experience it with the
when Koopa The Quick Ivories wing cap, which affords our
decides to chat with Mario, 4 Is it possible to be hero flight.
rather than simply wandering frightened by a Mario game?
into him. He wants a race – Not often, no. But this gave Man In The
and Mario loves to race. many players a fright. As you Mirror
pass the piano in Big Boo’s 7 When you come across 4 5
Discovering Your Haunt, all seems normal – a mirror in the castle, take
First Secret Star right up until it grows teeth a gander at Mario. Not to
2 Wandering into an empty and starts chasing you. admire his ‘tache (though
room, you find yourself it is quite lovely), but to
jumping against the walls for A Ray Of Sunshine realise the attention to detail
the heck of it, only to discover 5 The PlayStation had a here – Lakitu’s following
a secret passage through a manta ray tech demo, but the Mario around with a camera,
window to a slide racetrack. common question when it documenting everything.
Wow! Even the hub world can came to Super Mario 64 was
help you progress… “Have you got to swim around A Familiar Friend 6 7 8
with the manta ray yet?” It’s 8 Once you’ve beaten Super
Big Bad Bowser clear why people raved. Mario 64 with all 120 stars,
3 You’ve faced him countless you might think that you’ve
times before, but now Bowser Taking To exhausted the game. But
is not only huge, he’s got a The Sky there’s still one more thing
positively evil expression on 6 Mario has been airborne left to do – scale the castle
his face and it’s much worse before in Super Mario Bros and visit Yoshi, who waited
in 3D. You’re locked in combat 3 and Super Mario World, until you’d done all the work.

Reach For The Stars Getting all 120 stars is no easy task –
here’s how to nab some of the trickier ones…
Metal-Head Stomp On Big Boo’s Balcony Wing Mario Over 100 Coins Somewhere Over
Mario Can Move! The Thwomp Course: The Rainbow Course: The Rainbow
Course: Course: Big Boo’s Haunt Course: Rainbow Ride Course:
Hazy Maze Cave Tick Tock Clock QMake your way to the third Peach’s Castle Q100 coins? That’s a goal Rainbow Ride
QAs Metal Mario, you need QThere’s a lot of tricky timed floor of the house in order to QYou need to work out a route in every level, but it’s a QGo find the Bob-Omb Buddy
to follow a brown path across platforming to do before you have a scrap with your foe, – you’ve got access to cannons particularly nasty one in (he’s in the coin maze, where
the floor of the underground reach the Thwomp of the title, Big Boo. You can beat him by and the wing cap. Remember Rainbow Ride because death you found the third star) and
lake in order to avoid slipping and you don’t need to attack hitting him from behind. Then that Mario can fly straight resets the counter, rendering then get to the cannon on the
off course. The trick here is to it – you just need to hitch a ride you need to make your way to through the transparent all your progress pointless. The airship. Now shoot towards
go quickly – you’ve only got a on it in order to get the height the roof of the house to claim clouds, and stop off for new only advice for this one is to be the far-off platform – aim well
limited time as Metal Mario. needed to reach the star. the star. wing caps periodically. very careful indeed… or die!
Mario has a variety of new moves,

from jump variations like the triple
jump to his ground pound
you had enough Power Stars to doors would open up and allow
hand. Even getting to those levels access to new stages.
was a treat, as the maps of Super But for all of the amazing level
Mario Bros 3 and Super Mario design and innovative structure,
World gave way to Peach’s Castle, Super Mario 64 would have fallen
the most interactive level selection flat if the game didn’t have the same
menu in Mario history. Not only was tight feeling as the 2D Mario games.
the castle a nice sandbox area for Luckily, the joy of the game is in its
Mario to run about, it had a variety movement. Mario has a variety of
of secrets of its own from a cool new moves, from jump variations
slide to a basement-dwelling rabbit like the triple jump and backflip to
Chain Chomp’s bite is called MIPS, and discovering them his ground pound, a move which
» Unfortunately for Mario, !
far worse than his bark. Ouch would earn you further stars. As you sent our hero plummeting buttocks-
gathered stars, previously locked first into the floor. Likewise, the
physics worked beautifully – even
decidedly out of the question. watching Mario fail to make it up
Instead, a system of multiple a steep slope is entertaining, as
goals was included within the his little legs work overtime before
game – each of the game’s worlds giving out and leaving him to slide
contained six Power Stars, gained downhill on his belly. Crucially,
by completing missions within every item – including Mario – has a
the world. These had a variety of fixed shadow beneath it, providing a
forms, from battles against mini- helpful guide for players unused to
bosses to races and treasure hunts. controlling characters in a 3D space.
Additionally, every world offered As you might expect of such a
a bonus star for finding 100 coins. revolutionary game, Super Mario
It was an innovative way to take 64 was the recipient of enormous
advantage of the space afforded acclaim from the press. The debut
by the new 3D stages, but it also issue of N64 Magazine capped a
proved to be a necessity – with just 14 page review by telling readers
eight megabytes of cartridge space that the game was “so far ahead of
to play with, the developers only everything that comparisons seem
had room to include 15 stages. meaningless,” awarding it 96%.
Much like the levels themselves, » Congratulations, you’ve earned yourself a star. Maximum’s final issue declared
the order in which you tackled Only another 119 to go… it “an almost mind-expanding
them was up to you – as long as experience,” and it was the first

DS Excess
The story didn’t end
Pyramid Puzzle Blast To The Lonely Can The Eel Come Elevator Tour on the N64…
Course: Mushroom Out To Play? In The Volcano If you have a genre-defining 3D
Shifting Sand Land Course: Course: Course: platform game under your belt from
QIt’s a long and arduous trek Tall Tall Mountain Jolly Roger Bay Lethal Lava Land the debut of your 3D-capable home
for this star, as you need to QThis one’s a real pain to QHang around Unagi’s hidey- QTricky platforming is the console, it seems almost silly to leave
find five very particular coins obtain – there are lots of ways hole to lure him out, then catch order of the day. Get into the it lying dormant when you introduce
in this puzzling level. Two are you can do it, but we feel the the star on his tail. The key is volcano, then prepare for 3D to another new market. Thus,
on platforms near a sand duct, best is to find the portal in the timing – if you don’t move as precision platforming – you’ll Nintendo brought Super Mario 64 to the
and the other three are located mushroom clump, get to the soon as he does, you’ll likely need to recognise when the Nintendo DS when the handheld system
where the sand moves to the cannon and shoot your way need to surface for air. checkered platforms are about arrived in stores at the tail end of 2004.
first floor. to victory. to drop into the lava. However, Super Mario 64 DS was far
from a straightforward conversion – it
actually ended up being an enhanced
remake of sorts, with changes to quite
a few aspects of the game.
game ever to receive a maximum Developers around the world The biggest addition was the
score of ten from Edge. If there was aren’t shy about admitting that the inclusion of three new characters –
a single blotch on the otherwise vast majority of 3D videogames Luigi, Wario and Yoshi, each with their
spotless record of universal acclaim owe something to Super Mario own special attributes for jumping,
that Super Mario 64 received in its 64, whether they drew inspiration power and speed. The game also
day, it was that the camera system from its mission-based structure, includes new missions for a total of
was not quite perfect. That didn’t Mario’s movement, the camera 150 Power Stars, up from 120 in the
matter a jot as the game was an design or even the hub world. It’s original, and some of the game's
absolutely enormous hit, selling an astonishing accomplishment, graphical elements have been updated
11.62 million copies – or to put it especially for a launch game – a for the new hardware.
another way, it was bought by over perfect demonstration of its Super Mario 64 DS wasn’t critically
a third of N64 owners. hardware, a revolution in game successful as the original, in large part
design and a best-seller. Games due to the digital controls players had to
I
n fact, the only problem for like Super Mario 64 don’t come make do with, but it was a hit in sales
Nintendo was topping it. Super along every day, or even once in a terms. 11.06 million copies have
Mario 64 ended up being the generation. Super Mario 64 might been sold, putting it only slightly
best-selling game for the N64, well be the kind of forward jump for behind the N64 game.
as a sequel spent years in the works videogames that comes along once
but ultimately never made it into in a lifetime.
full development. The eventual
Gamecube sequel Super Mario
Sunshine was a great game in its
own right, but not the revolutionary
experience that its predecessor had
been, and even the astonishingly
creative Super Mario Galaxy
borrows much of its game design
from Mario’s first foray into 3D.
Beating Super Mario 64 was a
nice problem to have though,
especially since everyone
else was playing catch-up.
Turok: Dinosaur Hunter
FOG THE DINO HUNTER
»N64 the first in fact) that I played on the machine. What I still
» RETROREVIVAL
»IGUANA ENTERTAINMENT remember most about it were its fog-choked visuals,
» 1997 which actually worked to the game’s favour as it made
Before becoming famous for spotting those prowling dinosaurs all the more tense
blowing dinosaurs away in and challenging. Also, I remember that cool way you
videogames, Turok was a comic could kill enemy soldiers by shooting them in the neck.
book hero. His first ever appearance was in a comic This would cause them to grasp the bullet hole and
anthology that was published in Fifties, before then gargle their last breaths as blood spurted from
he was selected to appear in his very own comic their neck. Overall, the visuals and presentation were
series two decades later. of a high standard, with believable, clear water to swim
First a hero of Western Comics, then of Valiant in, polished enemy animations and imposing-looking
and then of Acclaim Entertainment when Valiant was dinosaurs to hunt.
purchased by the games publisher in 1994, Turok has The open world design was also something that
had an unsteady upbringing, and it would be fair to say made Turok stand out for me, as previous first-person
that his games have been equally wavering. shooters (well, the ones I had played) always took place
After acquiring Valiant, Acclaim looked at its in and around buildings. Turok was a different beast
properties and decided which would translate best to though, its world felt more expansive, and as a result
a videogame. Turok naturally stood out. The first N64 more deadly. In fact, though later games have failed to
game by Acclaim, its development hit delays – missing better the original (and its sequel Seeds Of Evil ), going
its original September 1996 release date, rumoured forward I feel the series could certainly do much worse
to be due to bug fixing, and finally seeing a release in than take a leaf from the N64 game’s book, and create
January the following year. A popular early release for a new instalment where your most challenging enemy
the N64, Turok was one of the first games (maybe even isn’t predatory dinosaurs but the environment.

GAME BOY ADVANCE
With Nintendo’s Game

Boy Advance turning 15
years old this year, Damien
McFerran takes a look back
at the innovative 32-bit
handheld which delivered
arcade and console-standard
gaming on the go
he problem with runaway commercial
success is that it’s often tricky to repeat
the magic a second time, but Nintendo is a
company which has a track record of bottling
lighting on multiple occasions. The Game Boy – and
its sibling, the Game Boy Color – managed to shift
a staggering 118 million units worldwide, effectively
ensuring Nintendo’s dominance of the portable gaming
arena for over a decade. Carrying that success into a
new generation of hardware was never going to be
easy, especially as Nintendo was feeling pressure at the
close of the millennium from mobile gaming rivals such
as SNK, Bandai and even mobile phone stalwart Nokia.
The Nintendo faithful needn’t have worried, though – the
console which the company pushed to market to deal
with these threats was capable of effortlessly securing
another half-decade of near-unchallenged triumph, even
if it did take a couple of timely hardware revisions to
become the truly definitive article.
Rumours regarding a successor to the monochrome
Game Boy appeared in the press as early as 1996.
Dubbed ‘Project Atlantis’, this mythical 32-bit system
was RISC-based and boasted a colour screen, and it
was later assumed that this is what eventually

became the Game Boy Advance. that seriously limited what you could do on the Game
However, a rumoured 1997 release Boy Color. For example, there were more sprites, more
date (a year before the Game Boy Color playfields, more background characters. It had hardware
arrived) and the promise of N64-level visuals scaling and rotation, transparency effects and probably
would suggest that this was not the console that some more stuff that I’ve forgotten. It was kind of like
would find its way to market in 2001. When Nintendo having a SNES or Mega Drive in handheld form.”
did eventually release a ‘proper’ successor to its Game The Game Boy Advance made its Japanese debut
Boy, it was rather more conservative than the rampant in March 2001, sporting a landscape screen orientation
speculation would suggest. “There were rumours, which set it apart from Nintendo’s previous handhelds,
even back then, that Nintendo was working on a mobile but wasn’t without precedent – the company’s Game
phone and handheld console hybrid,” elaborates former & Watch handhelds often used this form factor. French
C&VG editor Paul Davies. “I think we knew that the designer Gwénaël Nicolas and his Tokyo-based design
new Game Boy would be at Space World that year, so studio Curiosity Inc. were employed to come up with » Metroid Fusion was a stellar addition to the Metroid series, it’s also notable
we made sure to book tickets. I just wanted something the design, which combined elegant grey lines with an as, to date, it’s the last game in the Metroid timeline.
that was as good as SNES but portable, if I’m honest.” ergonomic body. Compared to the boxy Game Boy and
That’s pretty much what we got. The Game Boy more compact Game Boy Pocket and Game Boy Color, when visiting my parents’ house the only room I could
Advance may have utilised a 32-bit CPU, but it remained the Game Boy Advance was quite a departure from an really play was the kitchen, sat on a dining chair under
a 2D machine at heart and employed many of the aesthetic standpoint, but it retained the toy-like charm the fluorescent light!” Some early Game Boy Advance
same technical tricks which had been so effective on that had made the range so iconic. Beating inside the games – the aforementioned Castlevania: Circle Of The
the SNES. “The hardware specs were great – relatively console was a 32-bit ARM7TDMI CPU heart, clocked at Moon being a notable example – were rendered almost
speaking – so it was a really nice system to develop 16.8 MHz, while the 2.9-inch TFT screen showcased the unplayable in dimly-lit environments due to the dark
games for,” recalls former Probe, Crawfish and system’s impressive visuals. Launch titles like F-Zero: nature of the visuals. To combat this issue a series of
Hotgen staffer David Leitch, who worked on both Maximum Velocity and Castlevania: Circle Of The bulky bolt-on peripherals were produced by third-party
the Game Boy Advance and its forerunner the Moon were certainly a step-up from what players manufacturers which aped the equally laughable add-ons
Game Boy Color. “The biggest change was had become accustomed to on Nintendo’s that typified the Game Boy era in the early Nineties.
that it was also powerful enough to write most previous handhelds, but the company was keen Another negative was the lack of a rechargeable power
– if not all – of the game in C, whereas on the to maintain a link between the generations so source; like its aging forerunners this new system was
Game Boy Color and earlier handheld systems the Game Boy Advance boasted backwards reliant on AA batteries, which did at least last for an
you were pretty much obliged to use assembly compatibility with Game Boy and Game Boy impressive 10 to 15 hours before replacements were
language. [Nintendo] enhanced the aspects Color games. This proved to be instrumental when needed. Even so, there was a feeling within the industry
it came to selling the new machine to concerned that it was high time that rechargeable batteries were
parents, as it avoided the problem of an expansive incorporated into handheld consoles; the rise of the
library of games becoming surplus to requirements mobile phone proved conclusively that the technology
overnight. By keeping the name and maintaining support existed to create such power cells and place them in
for older games, Nintendo was sending the message small pieces of technology.
that this console was an inclusive upgrade.
For all of the refinements that the Game Boy Advance BEGINNING TO BLOOM
brought to the table, it had its shortcomings. That Despite its shortcomings, the Game Boy Advance
otherwise-striking TFT screen lacked a light, which continued the commercial success of its predecessors
made it hard to play the console unless you were directly and although quality original software was rather slow
underneath a source of illumination. “You had to sit to appear, it began to build up a formidable selection of
under the best light source possible to even see what games. Early remasters, such as Super Mario Advance,
» Some Game Boy Advance titles are almost unplayable on the original was going on,” says Paul. “I played loads of Castlevania Final Fight One and Super Ghouls ‘N Ghosts, certainly
model, as the lack of screen lighting made dark visuals hard to see. and Metroid on it and took it everywhere with me, but scratched a nostalgic itch and were impressive for
HARDWARE VARIANTS The many faces of the Game Boy Advance
GAME BOY ADVANCE GAME BOY ADVANCE SP AGS001 GAME BOY ADVANCE SP AGS101
QLaunched in 2001 and offering a landscape rather than portrait QTwo years after the launch of the original GBA Nintendo released Q2005 saw a largely under-the-radar revision of the GBA SP in the
orientation, the Game Boy Advance was a significant step-up the SP, offering a rechargeable battery, front-lit LCD screen and form of the AGS-101. The LCD screen was backlit, offering better
from the Game Boy Color, Nintendo’s previous handheld console. compact clamshell design which made it even more portable. The brightness than the original AGS-001 model. It was also possible
However, the lack of an illuminated display and the reliance on only real omission was the removal of the 3.5mm headphone jack to adjust the backlight intensity with the brightness button – on the
batteries held it back somewhat. – an accessory was released to cover this. AGS-001, this button simply switched the frontlight off.

GAME BOY ADVANCE
UNIQUE
EXPERIENCES
The console had a diverse – and
sometimes odd – library of games
I played loads
of Castlevania and
WARIOWARE: TWISTED!
Metroid on it QMotion control isn’t a new thing these days as
Paul Davies most smartphone games showcase it, but this
2004 release – which featured a gyro sensor in
» Like Fire the cartridge – was a revelation. Mini-games
on-the-go gaming, but it was original releases such as Emblem, based around tilting and turning the console
Advance
Advance Wars, Mario Kart: Super Circuit, Golden Sun, Wars took its make this a classic. It also had a rumble feature.
Metroid Fusion and WarioWare Inc. which truly illustrated western bow
what the hardware was capable of. This, combined with on Nintendo’s
32-bit portable
BOKTAI: THE SUN IS IN
a more enthusiastic marketing spend, ensured that the console. YOUR HAND
system began to gather momentum all over the globe, QProduced by Hideo Kojima and employing a
and when it became apparent that challengers like the light sensor in the cart which was used to charge
Tapwave Zodiac and Nokia N-Gage posed no immediate most enjoyable things I’ve worked on, and not just on your vampire-slaying in-game weapon, Boktai
threat to Nintendo’s market share, the console settled the GBA,” says David. “Great team, great game, great has to stand as one of the most unique titles
down into a period of complete control, attracting results; but the company I was doing it for – Hotgen – in the Game Boy Advance library. An excellent
robust third-party support due to the fact that it was went bust close to the scheduled end. We finished it off sequel arrived in 2004.
essentially the only handheld in town. “I was a really late working out of a function room in a Croydon hotel.”
starter in terms of when I got my first game out on the Putting aside the shaky nature of third-party
system,” recalls David, who had early access to a Game development, it was clear that despite ruling the entire
Boy Advance development kit. “The project I had the handheld sector, Nintendo wasn’t content to take its
prototype dev kit for didn’t crystallise, so I carried on with foot off the gas. In 2003, the Game Boy Advance SP
the Game Boy Color work and some home console stuff was launched and to many, it proved to be the machine
before getting involved with Medal Of Honor: Infiltrator the original should have been from day one. While
in 2003.” The story behind this likeable Electronic some grumbled about the overhaul appearing so
Arts-published title typifies the changeable nature quickly, faithful fans had no qualms about upgrading.
of third-party development – something which, “Nintendo is always about the hardware,” says Paul.
arguably, hasn’t changed right up to the “After a million different versions of Game Boy, it YOSHI’S UNIVERSAL
present day. “That project was one of the wasn’t even an issue, at least not for the GRAVITATION
QKnown as Yoshi Topsy-Turvy in North America,
this 2D platformer made use of a tilt sensor in
the cartridge, similar to WarioWare Twisted,
to allow the player to manipulate the in-game
environment, causing enemies and items to
move and shift as the console is turned.
DRILL DOZER
QOne of only two Game Boy Advance titles
to use a built-in rumble feature (WarioWare:
Twisted was the other), Drill Dozer was
developed by Pokémon studio Game Freak. A 2D
action platformer with gameplay based around
using a massive drill, the title was a late classic
for the console.
KORO KORO PUZZLE

HAPPY PANECHU!
GAME BOY MICRO GAME BOY PLAYER QThis 2002 Japan-only puzzle title was the first
QReleased alongside the Nintendo DS, the Game Boy Micro is a QEssentially a GBA which fits under the GameCube, the Game game to use the tilt sensor, and is built around
miniaturised edition of the Game Boy Advance hardware which Boy Player allows you to play GBA, Game Boy and Game Boy Color grouping coloured blocks to remove them from
lacks backwards compatibility with Game Boy and Game Boy Color software on the big screen. A boot disc is required to the play area. Produced by Masayuki Uemura –
titles. It’s the smallest Game Boy ever made, and reinstates the use the peripheral, and not all GBA titles are compatible who designed the Famicom – it’s a shame this
3.5mm headphone socket removed on the SP model. with the device, mind. unique title never made it to the west.

SPECS SHOWDOWN
THe GBA was toted as
a portable SNES, let’s
see if it was…
GAME BOY ADVANCE
CPU: 16.8 MHz 32-bit
ARM7TDMI, 8-bit Z80
coprocessor for Game Boy
backward compatibility
MEMORY: 32 kilobyte + 96
kilobyte VRAM (internal), 256
kilobyte DRAM (external)
MAXIMUM RESOLUTION:
240×160 pixels
COLOURS: 512 simultaneous
colours (character mode),
32,768 simultaneous colours
(bitmap mode)
SOUND: Dual 8-bit DAC for
stereo sound
hardcore fans. I guess we all saw it as Nintendo kindly

attempting to improve the experience.” Taking cues
from the Game & Watch dual-screen range, the SP’s
clamshell design not only made it more portable, but also
protected the screen when in transit. The display now
SNES had illumination – albeit of the rather dim front-lit variety
(a superior backlit SP model would appear later) – and
CPU: Ricoh 5A22 @ 3.58 MHz that all-important rechargeable battery meant having to
MEMORY: 128KB System RAM, buy a constant stock of AAs was to become a thing of
64KB video RAM
the past. It’s easy to overlook this feature today when
MAXIMUM RESOLUTION:
512×448 pixels practically every portable device sold has its own internal
COLOURS: 256 on-screen from power source, which can be topped up at any available
a palette of 32,768 wall socket, but back in 2003 it was something of a
SOUND: Nintendo S-SMP, minor revelation. The Game Boy line had truly come of
8-channel ADPCM audio age, not only allowing users to game in the dark, but also
freeing them from the archaic shackles of battery-buying.
However, Nintendo giveth and Nintendo taketh away,
and in streamlining the hardware the Japanese giant
had to make some sacrifices. The 3.5mm headphone
socket – an essential feature for those long and crowded
car journeys – was removed entirely, and could only
be obtained via the purchase of a special adaptor
that connected to the console’s charging socket. This
meant that it wasn’t possible to charge the console
and listen via headphones at the same time – a minor
inconvenience, but an inconvenience all the same.
CPU: 32-Bit RISC CPU MIPS
R3051 at 33.8688 MHz, 32-bit
Sony GPU
MEMORY: 2 MB main DRAM
MAXIMUM RESOLUTION:
640×480 (interlaced)
COLOURS: 57,344 (256×224) to
153,600 (640×240) from a palette
of 16,777,216
SOUND: 16-Bit Sony SPU,
24-channel sound
PLAYSTATION
» A new Pokémon generation arrived on the GBA, as well as
enhanced remakes of Pokémon Red & Green.

GAME BOY ADVANCE
THE BEST
PORTS
The home console or arcade
games that shone on the GBA
SUPER GHOULS ’N GHOSTS

QWhile it doesn’t quite match the SNES original
in terms of visual and aural spectacle, this pint-
sized port is still incredibly playable and benefits
from a new ‘arranged’ mode, additional levels
which reference previous games in the series
and the ability to save your progress.
FINAL FIGHT ONE

QCapcom’s classic brawler was denied a
complete port on the SNES so it was nice to see
Capcom rectify this oversight by releasing one on
The release of the SP coincided with a fresh batch the GBA. Final Fight One had scaled-down visuals
of solid-gold classics, such as The Legend Of Zelda: A but everything else was in good order, including
Link To The Past, Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga, Advance a two-player link-up mode.
Wars 2: Black Hole Rising, Final Fantasy Tactics Advance,
Metroid: Zero Mission, Super Mario Advance 4: Super » RPGs flourished on the GBA – Final Fantasy Tactics Advance STREET FIGHTER
Mario Bros. 3, Golden Sun 2: The Lost Age, Pokémon being one of several Square Enix classics. ALPHA 3 UPPER
Ruby & Sapphire, Shining Force: Resurrection Of The QArguably the most ambitious port in the
Dark Dragon and many more besides. The machine with old-fashioned link cable software, which history of the Game Boy Advance, Crawfish’s
was entering what was arguably its zenith, with a steady would have made it even more impressive. work on Street Fighter Alpha 3 is remarkable.
stream of software arriving on a regular basis. Despite its limited scope, the adapter was yet The studio was able to include all of the
another example of Nintendo’s uncanny ability characters and moves from the arcade game, as
GETTING CONNECTED to predict industry trends; these days, we take well as add in three extra fighters.
While the Game Boy Advance perhaps wasn’t as wireless local multiplayer as a given.
groundbreaking as the touchscreen Nintendo DS which It wasn’t just connectivity with other Game Boy
would succeed it in 2005, it introduced its fair share of Advance consoles that Nintendo was concerned with
innovations, largely via bolt-on devices which were aimed during this time; the company’s desire to innovate
at expanding the connectivity of the device. Out of the was seemingly boundless and it made excellent use
box the GBA maintained the link cable functionality of of its handheld when it came to expanding gameplay
the original Game Boy system, where consoles could be possibilities on its domestic system, the GameCube. In
connected for multiplayer gaming using physical wires. recent times the rise of tablets and smartphones – as
The big difference was that the GBA supported multiple well as the introduction of the Wii U – has brought
consoles using a special hub, which meant that local ‘second screen’ gaming to prominence, but Nintendo
multiplayer titles like The Legend Of Zelda: Four Swords flirted with the idea over a decade ago. Granted, while THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: A
(included with Link To The Past) were possible, making a lot of link-up functionality unlocked little more than LINK TO THE PAST
the experience even more social. However, the need for bonus content, some titles – such as The Legend Of QThe fact that very little has changed in this
additional hardware limited the impact of this feature. “I Zelda: Four Swords Adventures, Pac-Man VS and Final port of the 1991 SNES classic is reason enough
don’t think I’ve ever met a real, game-playing consumer Fantasy Crystal Chronicles – made use of the GBA in to hail it as a must-have on GBA – owning one
that used the Game Link cable for more than five inventive ways, turning the system into a controller for of the best games of all time in portable form
minutes,” laughs David. “Unfortunately, publishers loved the GameCube or using the console’s screen to manage was massive news back in 2002. A multiplayer-
that feature because Nintendo did, and it was a real pain inventory. “The only thing I worked on that used the focused offering – dubbed Four Swords – was
in the arse to develop for.” GameCube hook up was Medal Of Honor: Infiltrator, but also included on the cart.
While Nintendo released several variants of the link it wasn’t a multiplayer feature,” says David. “What it did
cable throughout the lifespan of the Game Boy Advance was turn your Game Boy Advance into a map viewer METROID: ZERO MISSION
hardware, the real step forward for connectivity was for Medal Of Honor: Rising Sun.” While it might have QOkay, so this isn’t a straight port in the strictest
the wireless adapter released alongside Pokémon passed under the radar of many consumers back sense – it’s a remake of the original Metroid – but
Fire Red & Leaf Green in 2004. Ushering in the then, given the current rumours surrounding the Zero Mission is easily one of the best games on
wireless revolution which started in earnest forthcoming Nintendo NX console – which is the GBA, so it deserves a mention. The original
with the Nintendo DS and Sony PlayStation speculated to be a fusion of portable and Metroid is remastered and enhanced to exploit
Portable, it supported around 30 games domestic hardware – it’s fascinating to the advancements seen in Metroid Fusion, and
but sadly wasn’t backwards-compatible note that Nintendo and the third- the end result is a true gem. Unmissable.

THE MISSING LINK
Notable GameCube games that were made better by using a GBA
ANIMAL CROSSING PACMAN VS. FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL THE LEGEND OF ZELDA:
QThe Game Boy Advance’s screen can be QOne of the most unique uses of the Game Boy CHRONICLES FOUR SWORDS ADVENTURES
used to design patterns for your furniture in the Advance-to-GameCube link cable, Pac-Man QAnother title built around the idea of QArguably the biggest title to harness the power
game, as well as grant access to a special secret Vs. has three players assuming the roles of multiplayer, this Final Fantasy spin-off title of the link cable, Four Swords not only makes
island. There’s also a virtual pet mini-game Pac-Man’s antagonistic ghosts and looking at enables each player connected to a Game Boy use of the Game Boy Advance in its single-player
to play, and, if you are tired of Tom Nook’s the TV screen while the Pac-Man player uses Advance to control their in-game character mode – allowing the handheld to be used as a
nonsense, you can use the Game Boy Advance to the handheld and is able to see the entire map. A on the TV and access menus on the handheld controller – but also permits additional Game
play unlockable NES games. great party game, even now. without pausing the gameplay. Boys to be hooked up for multiplayer.
METROID FUSION /
METROID PRIME
QThis link-up between two Metroid games is a
good example of how content could be unlocked
using the cable. It was possible to access the
hidden version of the NES Metroid and gain
access to the Fusion Suit for use in Metroid Prime
– plenty of incentive to make the effort.

GAME BOY ADVANCE
ESSENTIAL
ORIGINALS
The Game Boy Advance was
home to many new titles
NINJA COP
QOne of Hudson Soft’s most underrated
classics, Ninja Cop (Ninja Five-0 in North
America) borrows elements of Shinobi, Bionic
Commando and Elevator Action to create one of
the most original and playable action titles on any
It was like a handheld. Copies are now quite hard to come by.
handheld SNES, and

that was a big deal
Paul Davies
parties who worked on its hardware were dabbling

with such groundbreaking concepts 15 years ago.
GOLDEN SUN
STAYING RELEVANT » Astro Boy: Omega Factor was released in the West to coincide
QAn all-new RPG series from Shining Force
While its forerunner managed to last a decade the Game with a new Astro Boy TV series. studio Camelot Software Planning, Golden Sun
Boy Advance had a surprisingly short lifespan – which was one of the GBA’s big early exclusives and
makes its total sales of over 80 million units even more The retirement of the Game Boy name was spawned two excellent sequels, one on GBA and
impressive. By 2004 Nintendo was set to release a new significant at the time. For Nintendo, the brand had the other on the Nintendo DS. Sporting attractive
handheld, but interestingly it didn’t initially position the been its equivalent of the Sony Walkman – a ‘catch-all’ visuals and excellent music, this has stood the
Nintendo DS as a successor to the GBA. Instead, it was name which had become a byword for handheld test of time better than most GBA releases.
officially referred to as a ‘third pillar’ and to reinforce this gaming. However, the moniker had connotations that
stance the Game Boy Advance hardware was refreshed Nintendo was perhaps eager to move away from; it WARIOWARE INC.: MEGA
a third time in the form of the Game Boy Micro. Cheap, suggested the product was focused at children, while MICROGAME$!
compact and well designed but lacking support for the DS would achieve commercial success by catering QWarioWare Inc was like a breath of fresh air
monochrome and Game Boy Color cartridges, the Micro not only for children, but also adults, thanks to its Brain when it launched in 2003. Made up of a series
has the distinction of being the last console to feature the Training series. ”My guess is that the branding went of short-burst mini-games and packed with
Game Boy branding. When the DS became a runaway because Nintendo wanted the DS to appeal to a much the kind of zany humour which is practically
hit the writing was on the wall for the Micro – especially wider audience,” says David. “Given how successful the timeless, this superb slice of GBA brilliance
as the DS was backwards-compatible with GBA DS was, I wouldn’t like to argue against that decision.” remains the most pure entry in the entire series.
software, making the smaller console redundant. It sold Indeed, the results speak for themselves – the DS has
less than three million units and was quietly retired. sold over 150 million units worldwide since launch, and is
Even if the Micro had been a success, the issue the best-selling handheld of all time, and the second-best
for Nintendo was that developers were flocking to the selling videogame system ever, after the PlayStation 2.
DS and leaving the GBA in the dust. While some late Even so, the Game Boy Advance has an important
releases proved that the hardware was still capable of place in gaming history. It was arguably the first handheld
delivering amazing experiences – The Legend of Zelda: to deliver an experience which wasn’t held back by
Minish Cap being one example – it was obvious that hardware limitations. “The GBA was the first handheld
the DS had picked up the slack and Nintendo’s early system that allowed you to make authentic versions
insistence that the DS and Game Boy Advance could of the types of games people had been playing in the
happily coexist began to sound alarmingly naive. Third- arcades and on consoles up to, say, the mid-nineties,” REBELSTAR: TACTICAL
party studios switched focus to the newer system and David says. “That was a major change of scope COMMAND
Game Boy Advance titles began to dry up. compared to Nintendo’s previous handhelds. There QRebelstar is the work of strategy supremo
are lots of fantastic games for Game Boy and Game Julian Gollop and his brother Nick, and plays like
Boy Color, but the ones that work best are tailored to a scaled-down version of Gollop’s original
the format – and the format was so limited that not X-Com game. The deep and rewarding gameplay
everything was going to work,” Paul agrees. “It was like is augmented by some excellent anime-style
a handheld SNES, and that was a big deal. It proved to graphics, and it’s a crying shame this didn’t
be a strong platform in itself, and is fondly remembered receive more attention upon release.
for having substantial titles, similar in scope to the best of
16-bit era.” While Nintendo has seemingly retired MARIO VS. DONKEY KONG
the Game Boy brand, David has a hunch that QWhile this GBA-exclusive stars two famous
we’ve not heard the last of it. “Successful brands Nintendo characters, the unique puzzle-
do tend to have an inherent value. The Game Boy platforming gameplay was refreshingly new, and
name could well return at some point, or maybe laid down a template which is still be utilised to
they’ll reinvent the Virtual Boy for a face-off this day. Guiding those adorable Mini-Mario toys
» The Super Mario Advance series spanned four games and
updated some of the Italian plumber’s finest 8-bit and 16-bit titles. against Oculus Rift?” to the exit is harder than it sounds.

READERS’
CHOICE

TOP 25 GBA GAMES
25 Gunstar
Future Heroes
QDEVELOPER
QGENRE
: Treasure/Hitmaker
: Run-and-gun QYEAR: 2005 6 REASONS TO REVISIT KANTO
It feels more like a
remake, but the return
20 Pokémon FireRed & LeafGreen
of Gunstar Heroes is QDEVELOPER : Game Freak
packed with variety and QGENRE : RPG QYEAR: 2004 Pokémon
some great throwback The original Pokémon games on the Game Boy boast all-new
sections. Thanks to were mind-blowingly successful games, but they moves and abilities
Treasure’s programming, it’s also one of weren’t perfect. What’s more, they weren’t cross- introduced in the second
the system’s most impressive games. and third-generation
compatible with the new Game Boy Advance games, allowing for
games, so there was no way to get your precious more complex battle
24 Sonic Advance Squirtle off that old cartridge. Fortunately, these strategies. First-
generation
remakes not only ensured that players could once
Pokémon all retain their
QDEVELOPER : Dimps again catch ’em all, they improved significantly on later evolutionary lines, so
QGENRE : Platformer QYEAR : 2001 the originals with a wide range of new features. you can pick up the likes of
Pichu, Magby, Crobat,
It was almost heretical Kingdra and
in 2001, but Nintendo’s Slowking.
handheld proved to be
a fine home for Sega’s
mascot. The first game
in the Advance trilogy is You can transfer
the best of the bunch, sticking to what Pokémon from
FireRed & LeafGreen to
made the Mega Drive games great. the DS and 3DS games,
allowing you to preserve
23 Super Mario
over a decade of
progress.
The monochrome
Advance 3: and often ugly sprites
of the original games
Yoshi’s Island have been replaced with
far more appealing and
QDEVELOPER : Nintendo on-model, full-colour
QGENRE : Platformer QYEAR: 2002 designs. You can
now breed your
The GBA was home to Pokémon, providing
quite a few conversions the opportunity to pass
of great SNES games, down moves and stats
and Yoshi’s Island is one There’s in an attempt to get
a much more the best possible
of the very best. Very combination.
involved post-game
few compromises were than in the originals – you
made to bring the Super FX 2-powered can visit the Sevii Islands,
original to the portable system. catch legendary Pokémon
and even fight the Elite
Four again.
22 F-Zero:
Maximum Velocity
QDEVELOPER : Nd Cube
QGENRE : Racing QYEAR: 2001
Who needs full 3D
19 Super Mario Advance 2:

when you can have
the retro delight of
Mode 7-style rotating
race tracks? This sequel
to the SNES classic
Super Mario World : Nintendo EAD
: Platformer : 2001
QDEVELOPER
QGENRE QYEAR
delivers a brand-new set of vehicles and When we asked our readers to name the very best
tracks, but keeps the classic fun. games ever for issue 150 of Retro Gamer, Super
Mario World was the one that topped the epic list due
21 Rhythm Tengoku to its superlative level design, structure and sense of

adventure. Since Nintendo saw fit to give it a portable
QDEVELOPER : Nintendo SPD outing on the Game Boy Advance, it stands to reason
QGENRE : Rhythm action QYEAR: 2006 you’d be seeing it in this list too – it wasn’t new, but
The very last first-party it was a near-perfect game very closely replicated for
release for the GBA handheld players.
didn’t make it out of Of course, there’s a bit more to this release than
Japan, but the thriving being just a straight conversion of the SNES original.
import market lapped up The colours have been lightened a bit to help owners of
the addictive beat-based early Game Boy Advance models, there’s a brand-new
minigames. Sequels for the DS, Wii and intro sequence, and there are now Dragon Coins in
3DS followed. levels that didn’t originally have them.

NEW TWISTS
ON OLD WARES
18 Wario Ware Twisted
QDEVELOPER : Intelligent Systems
QGENRE : Minigame collection QYEAR: 2004
QWario Ware Twisted included both a gyro
sensor and a rumble feature, allowing for
motion-controlled games with a force-
feedback feature.
QUnlike the first game, Wario Ware Twisted

16 Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
features games which require you to turn QDEVELOPER : AlphaDream QGENRE : RPG QYEAR: 2003
your system around – sometimes through a
full-360 degrees. Having already had Super Mario RPG and
Paper Mario, Nintendo’s portly plumber
■ Despite the fact that the cartridge houses wasn’t satisfied with his level of role-
the gyro sensor, the game works identically playing stardom and roped his brother
on all compatible hardware (although we don’t in for another new spin on the genre.
recommend using the Game Boy Player). Vibrant sprite work, genuinely amusing
dialogue and simultaneous control of the
QWario Ware Twisted wasn’t released in Europe brothers make this a treat.
due to the presence of mercury within the gyro
sensor – a banned substance in electronics within
the European Union.
17 Advance Wars 2
QDEVELOPER : Intelligent Systems
QGENRE : Strategy QYEAR: 2003
The original Advance Wars was a stunningly good handheld strategy game, and the
sequel didn’t mess with a winning formula. A new campaign mode featured the Black
Hole Army’s bid for dominance over Macro Land, but few other substantial changes
were made – here are the most notable ones…
QEight new commanding officers join

the game – Hachi from Orange Star, Colin
from Blue Moon, Yellow Comet’s Sensei,
QAs well as the original CO Powers,
commanding officers in Advance Wars 2
RIGHTING THE
Jess of Green Earth, plus Adder, Lash,
Flak and Hawke from Black Hole.
can charge up to a second level for Super
CO Powers – enhanced versions of their
WRONGS OF THE PAST
usual characteristic abilities.
15 Final Fight One
QDEVELOPER : Capcom QGENRE : Beat-’em-up QYEAR : 2001
In the late Eighties, you couldn’t find Thankfully, Capcom was able
a better arcade beat-’em-up than to rectify all those mistakes on the
Capcom’s Final Fight, so it’s easy GBA. The SNES visuals have been
to understand why SNES owners pulled across, but this time the game
would have been excited to get their has the Industrial Area, you can play
hands on a conversion. Unfortunately as all three characters, there are
for them, it wasn’t all it could be – not more enemies on screen and with
only was it missing an entire level, a link cable you can even play co-op
one third of the protagonists, Guy, games. There are even some new
had done a runner and you couldn’t additions for fans – each boss is now
even play a multiplayer game with preceded by a dialogue scene, and
the remaining characters Cody and the Street Fighter Alpha 3 versions
QThe brand-new Neotank unit gives a Haggar. It wasn’t a bad beat-’em-up, of Cody and Guy can be unlocked as
third level of armoured assault vehicle, but it wasn’t the experience that alternate characters. It might just be
proving stronger than both regular tanks QInfantry units can now make use of one- fans had hoped for. the definitive version of the game.
and medium tanks. Of course, they’re also shot missile silo emplacements, spreading
more expensive. damage across a wide area without having
to get up close and personal with the
enemy’s forces.
TOP 25 GBA GAMES
RUMBLE WITH THE BOSSES

14 Drill Dozer
QDEVELOPER : Game Freak QGENRE : Platformer QYEAR : 2005
There’s more to Game Freak than Pokémon, although you wouldn’t know it from
the company’s Noughties output – Drill Dozer is the only original IP the company
developed during that entire decade. Luckily, it’s an excellent platformer with a cool
central mechanic. You take control of Jill, a member of the Red Dozers bandit gang
and pilot of the powerful Drill Dozer. This vehicle can drill through walls, enemies,
barriers and more, with more durable objects requiring you to shift to higher gears.
The cartridge includes a built-in rumble feature, allowing you to really feel the
carnage you’re causing.
CROOG Haunted Statue

This is your big bad guy, and in your early This malevolent masonry is possessed
encounters he’ll use this neat scorpion by an evil spirit, and is quite happy to splat
robot to attack you. You have to counter you with its spiked mace! However, those
its drill with your own to damage it. After spikes can retract if they make a big
taking sufficient punishment, the boss impact on the ground – when they do,
will transform – and that’s only you’ll get an opportunity to drill
the start of your troubles into the mace and damage
with Croog. your enemy.
CARRIE Tank Dozer

Skullkers aren’t particularly formidable
Carrie’s a detective, and thus on the side
enemies, so some of them will try to
of the forces of good. Of course, you’re a
improve their odds by manning tanks.
bandit, so you’re not exactly on the law-
These are easy to take out – just drill
abiding side, which will bring you into
into the front hole and accelerate to
conflict often. In this form, drill into
third gear. However, they have the
the cable that connects the two
ability to strike in tandem,
halves of her police-bot
so watch out…
to win.
13 Pokémon Ruby, 12 Castlevania 11 Final Fantasy

Sapphire & Emerald QDEVELOPER: Konami Computer Tactics Advance
QDEVELOPER: Game Freak Entertainment Kobe QDEVELOPER : Square Enix
QGENRE: RPG QYEAR: 2003 QGENRE: Action-adventure QYEAR: 2001 QGENRE : RPG QYEAR: 2003
Unsurprisingly, the only It might not be Koji This follow-up to the
brand-new Pokémon Igarashi’s favourite excellent PlayStation
adventures for the Castlevania, but the spin-off Final Fantasy
Game Boy Advance first of the series’ three Tactics is a masterful
were its bestselling Game Boy Advance isometric strategy RPG,
games. Two-on-two versions is a hit with and since its plot is
battles were introduced for the first time, and 135 fans. Despite dark visuals unsuited for the original standalone you can jump right in. The most
new creatures were available to catch – however, machine’s non-lit screen, the game impressed with striking feature of this game is the Laws system,
it was also the first set of games in the series in a structure that was reminiscent of the PlayStation in which in-game judges forbid certain actions and
which you could no longer catch ’em all. classic Symphony Of The Night. reward others.

A NEW STYLE FOR
ANCIENT EVIL
7 Castlevania: Aria Of Sorrow
QDEVELOPER : Konami QGENRE : Action-adventure QYEAR : 2003
Castlevania is a series that takes place in the past. That’s a
10 Golden Sun fundamental truth of the franchise, and yet Aria Of Sorrow discards it
with confidence to achieve a setting where Dracula has been revived
QDEVELOPER : Camelot Software Planning in 2035. However, beyond the modern clothing of protagonist
QGENRE : RPG QYEAR: 2001 Soma Cruz, this is the kind of exploration-focused Castlevania that
There’s no shortage of traditional Japanese people have known and loved since Koji Igarashi’s initial work
RPGs on the Game Boy Advance, but this on Castlevania: Symphony Of The Night. The big new feature
original effort even beats out beloved classics like here is the Tactical Soul system, which allows players to swap
Final Fantasy VI in your voting. The protagonist between abilities gained from defeating various enemies.
Isaac and his companions are out to stop
alchemy from returning to the world of Weyard,
in an attempt to prevent worldwide conflict. The
most striking feature of the game is the ability to
assign Djinn creatures to characters, altering their
stats and classes as well as granting the ability to
perform summon spells.
SWEET SOUL BROTHER Guardian Souls

These blue-coloured souls allow you to summon
Learn how the Tactical Soul system works familiars and even transform into various nasty beasts.
These souls include Devil Form, in which you become a
9 Fire Emblem Bullet Souls

devil and charge into enemies, Bat Form, which grants
you the ability to fly about the castle, and Guardian
QDEVELOPER : Intelligent Systems These red-coloured souls grant Soma the ability to use
Shadow Knight, which gives you an ally in battle.
QGENRE : Strategy QYEAR: 2003 additional weapons, like the old sub-weapon system of
Castlevania past. These include Eagle Shot, the ability
After 13 years and six untranslated games, the to hurl eagles, Stone Beam, which is gained from the
Fire Emblem finally made its Western debut on cockatrice and petrifies enemies, and Last Scream, in
the Game Boy Advance, and it was more than which you literally murder enemies with your voice.
worth the wait. Excellent tactical battles and the
ability to permanently lose your characters are
the defining features of this game, which offers a
substantial single-player campaign. Unfortunately
for those of you that wish to pick up Fire Emblem
now, scarcity has driven the second hand value
far above its original retail price.
8 Astro Boy:
Omega Factor
QDEVELOPER : Treasure/Hitmaker
QGENRE : Beat-’em-up QYEAR: 2003
Osamu Tezuka’s famous
creation gets an awesome
beat-’em-up, courtesy of
Sega’s Hitmaker studio and
technical wizards Treasure.
What sets the Omega Factor
Enchanted Souls
Yellow souls grant some kind of special property
apart from the rest is the non-linear structure that without the use of MP, but only one can be equipped at
sees you jumping through time in an attempt to any time. These include Search Eye, which identifies the
avert disaster, uncovering new and unseen parts breakable walls so often found in Castlevania games,
VIP, which lowers the price of goods in shops, and Deep
Ability Souls
of old levels in the process. Silver-coloured souls normally come via bosses, and
Seeker, which allows you to walk underwater. unlike the other kinds of souls they’re always active
and don’t consume any MP. These include things like
the Back Dash, allowing you to quickly escape danger,
Double Jump, which is something of a Ronseal ability,
and Comet Kick, an extra attacking move.
TOP 25 GBA GAMES
6 Wario Ware Inc.: Minigame Mania

QDEVELOPER : Nintendo R&D1 QGENRE : Minigame Collection QYEAR : 2003
Many of the best Game Boy Advance and lasting no more than a few seconds
games are sequels and remakes, so a at a time. The key to the game’s appeal is
brand-new and innovative game is even variety – you never know what’s coming
more highly prized than usual – and next, and you’ll be pushed hard as the
Wario Ware Inc. is just such a game. The speed increases and your reflexes struggle
premise is simple: a rapid-fire procession to keep up. Deservedly, this game was
of minigames, each with a singular goal followed up by several sequels.
WARIO WAREHOUSE A selection of the tiny games you’ll take on in Wario Ware Inc.…
shoot! finish!
stomp!
Balance!
catch!
dodge!
jump! fire!
swat! throw!
chop!
stop me!
5 Metroid: Zero Mission

QDEVELOPER : Nintendo R&D1
QGENRE : Action-adventure QYEAR: 2004
When discussing how to follow
up on Metroid Fusion, one of
the developers suggested a
4 The Legend Of
conversion of Super Metroid,
but Yoshio Sakamoto had
Zelda: The Minish Cap
other ideas. As a veteran of the QDEVELOPER : Capcom QGENRE : Action-RPG QYEAR : 2004
series, Sakamoto decided to return to the roots of QUnlike the vast QRather than QFor the first time QThe brand-new QMany new gameplay
the series with a full remake of the original Metroid. majority of Zelda manipulating time or in a handheld Zelda, Kinstones are pickups elements have been
The presence of both Metroid Fusion and games, this one wasn’t the wind, Link is able to Link can learn new that, when fused, can added from the 3D
Metroid: Zero Mission on the GBA was beneficial. developed by Nintendo shrink in size in order sword techniques as he yield rewards such as games, including rolling
Both games offered different takes on the same – instead, it was to interact with the progresses throughout Rupees, sidequests when running and the
template with Zero Mission favouring a more outsourced to Capcom. bug-sized Minish race. the game. and more. icon-based HUD.
traditional Metroid experience.

RETRO RACING RIOT
3 Mario Kart Super Circuit
QDEVELOPER : Intelligent Systems QGENRE : Racing QYEAR : 2001
When Super Mario Kart first graced Mario Kart Super Circuit doesn’t
our consoles in 1992, no home include any new items, and the
console was capable of anything like character roster is carried over from
the rotating racetracks it displayed. Mario Kart 64. What it does have is 20
Less than a decade later, the flagship new racetracks to conquer, each of
technique best known as Mode 7 was which is designed to the standards of
positively retro, swept aside by the the original game. Once you’re done
full-3D visuals of the 32-bit and 64-bit with those, you can revisit the 20
consoles. With a bit of programming tracks from Super Mario Kart as well.
wizardry, the GBA was capable of Mario Kart Super Circuit didn’t need
polygonal magic too – yet Mario Kart to reinvent the wheel, and doesn’t. It
Super Circuit stuck resolutely to the just provides a whole bunch of new
flat racetracks of its SNES forebear. content for a formula that worked
That appeal to retro sensibilities very well to begin with, and does so
was key to the appeal of Mario Kart in a package you can fit in your jeans.
Super Circuit. The original game is The Game Boy Advance has a superb
one of the most beloved racers of reputation for games that play to
all time, and there was far more and build upon your nostalgia, and
value in tapping into that than Mario Kart Super Circuit is one of the
making a cut-back 3D racer. reasons why.
2 Advance Wars
QDEVELOPER : Intelligent Systems QGENRE : Strategy QYEAR : 2001
Up until the launch of the Game Boy Advance, a lot of Intelligent Systems’ excellent work in
the turn-based strategy genre was unfamiliar to most players outside of Japan – there
were six Wars games prior to Advance Wars. Still, the developer quickly made up for lost
time. Advance Wars’ dinky-looking tanks and cutesy soldiers provided a universal appeal,
with accessible yet deep strategic gameplay to back it up. With a lengthy single-player
campaign, excellent multiplayer component and a range of commanding officers, each
with their own unique powers to utilise, Advance Wars will keep your inner strategic
general satisfied for ages. You can read about the COs and their powers below.
Nell Max Sturm

Max Power –
Lucky Star – Andy Meteor Strike –
All units gain a luck Sonja Direct fire units get Drake Olaf A strike deals 4HP
25 per cent bonus Hyper Repair – Tsunami – Deals 1 Blizzard – Instant
boost, potentially Enhanced Vision Increases all units’ damage to all targets
and one extra damage to all enemy snow storm,
increasing – Increases vision by HP by 2 . within a three-
movement unit. units (except those lowering enemy
damage. one unit, player can unit radius.
at 1HP). movement range
see into forests.
dramatically.
Grit
Kanbei Sami Snipe –
Morale Boost –
Double Time
Eagle Indirect fire units
Infantry receive a 20 Lightning Strike gain 65 per cent
– Units have no
per cent offensive – Units gain an extra offensive boost and
movement penalties
and defensive turn, but with stat two movement
and receive stat
bonus. penalties. units.
boosts.
S
FUSING OLD AND NEW

1 Metroid Fusion QDEVELOPER : Nintendo R&D1 QGENRE : Action-adventure : 2002
QYEAR
The Game Boy Advance was one of the very first Laboratories research station has been overrun by
platforms to recognise and cater to nostalgic the deadly X parasite, and Samus has to investigate
gamers in a big way, and this list is all the evidence what’s happening and ultimately stop it. Of course,
you need to support that. Conversions and since she’s lost all of her powers due to her own X ICONIC
remakes of Eighties and Nineties games make up
a fifth of the list, and that’s a trend that continues
infection, Samus must reacquire powers like the
missiles and iconic Morph Ball in order to progress VILLAIN: SAX
right through the voting – for example, games that through the station. We extrapolate why Metroid Fusion’s
narrowly missed the cut include the likes of Doom Metroid Fusion doesn’t allow for quite the antagonist is so iconic
and The Legend Of Zelda: A Link To The Past. But same level of freedom and sequence-breaking
the true appeal of the Game Boy Advance wasn’t as its predecessors, but the trade-off is a STAGE 1
that it housed a fine retro library in your pocket – it stronger narrative and a much more impressive QThe SA-X was formed from parts of Samus Aran’s
was the fact that it offered a home to classic 2D atmosphere. In a large part, this can be credited old Power Suit, which had been surgically removed
game designs that had become lost in the home to the SA-X, a ruthless and intelligent foe that and sent to quarantine after both she and the suit had
console world. stalks Samus throughout the game. While all of been infected with the X parasite.
That’s why Metroid Fusion is so brilliant. the encounters with it are scripted events, playing
After Samus Aran’s eight-year absence as a star through for the first time and not knowing when STAGE 2
character, Nintendo could have provided us with you’re going to be ambushed by a foe that can QThe X parasites can obtain the physical appearance,
a simple conversion of Super Metroid and most outgun you makes for some very real tension. intelligence and memories of their hosts, and even
people would have been happy. Instead, the There’s no area that Metroid Fusion doesn’t excel mimic technology. Thus, the SA-X is essentially a
developer went one better and delivered a true in. It looks lovely, with vibrant colours and detailed clone of a fully-powered Samus Aran, with all of her
successor, a brand-new adventure created with the sprites. It sounds great, with ominous music characteristic abilities and weaponry.
design sensibilities of the SNES classic. accompanying your every step. It plays superbly,
Like its predecessors, Metroid Fusion is an with tight controls and excellent stage design. It STAGE 3
exploratory platformer that places Samus alone wasn’t necessarily the game we expected to top QMetroids are the natural predators of X parasites.
in a hostile environment. The Biologic Space this list, but there’s no denying that it deserves to. Samus was cured with a treatment made from
Metroid cells, and she’s taken on some of its biological
traits – most notably, weakness to the cold. The SA-X
can detect this and will fight you with the Ice Beam.
STAGE 4
QDuring your initial encounters with the SA-X, you’ll
READERS
CHOIC ’ be no match for it – you’ll either have to hide in an
CE inaccessible area or simply run like hell, dodging and
weaving through the environment as it unleashes the
full force of Samus’ arsenal.
STAGE 5
QWhile the SA-X attacks in the same places during
every game, there’s often basically no warning that
it’s coming, so you feel truly hunted by this creature.
As soon as you spot it, it’s time to take action or you
are dead meat.
STAGE 6
QX parasites can reproduce asexually, and that
means that SA-X isn’t necessarily a singular foe. There
could be two, 20, 200 or even more – and if a single
one escapes the research station, it’ll kick off an
enormous galactic plague. Good luck!

GAMECUBE
As the boxy wonder turns 15, Damien McFerran

takes a look back at the system which struggled
against the PS2 and Xbox but established the
foundations for Nintendo’s juggernaut, the Wii
intendo’s standing in the videogame industry reasonable price, thereby attracting third-party support
had taken something of a knock when the without driving away customers with a lofty price
company began work on the GameCube, tag. To this end, Nintendo partnered with graphics
especially when compared to its glory days hardware design company ArtX – led by Dr. Wei Yen,
during the late Eighties and early Nineties. Following who was previously Silicon Graphics’ head of Nintendo
the runaway success of both the NES and SNES, the Operations and had worked on the N64 – and began
Nintendo 64 had been bullied into second place by development on ‘Flipper’, the graphics processor which
the arrival of the PlayStation, a system which picked would power Project Dolphin, the early codename for
up where the SNES left off in the eyes of many the GameCube. The CPU was the other piece of the
players. The Nintendo 64 went on to sell 33 million puzzle, and Nintendo would team up with IBM for the
units compared to the PlayStation’s 102 million, forcing GameCube’s brain, codenamed ‘Gekko’.
Nintendo to lick its wounds and ponder just what had “Coming from working on the N64, when we
gone so badly wrong. first saw the GameCube we were impressed by the
Nintendo’s insistence on sticking with cartridges step up in power,” says Phil Tossell, who worked
had undoubtedly contributed to the N64’s poor at Rare – a studio which had a storied partnership
performance, and it was decided that the with Nintendo – during this period. “The N64 was a
next console would use optical discs – a limited machine, particularly with respect to the size
first for the company. Nintendo was also and amount of textures you were able to use. At the
keen to ensure that its new system same time we were wary of the shift from cartridge to
would offer decent power at a disc. At the time we were working on Dinosaur

Planet – which would transition to the GameCube
and become Star Fox Adventures – and that utilised a
streaming world, so we knew that getting that to work
with a disc setup was going to be a real challenge.”
The GameCube arrived on store shelves towards
the end of 2001 and was accompanied by three
games in Japan and 12 in North America – none of
which had Mario in them, although his sibling took
the spotlight in the enjoyable Luigi’s Mansion. This
ghost-busting adventure may have been the title that
true-blood Nintendo fans flocked to at launch, but it
was Factor 5’s excellent Star Wars Rogue Squadron II:
Rogue Leader which truly sold the machine to the
» Resident Evil 4 was intended to be a GameCube-exclusive title,
masses. It offered the most convincing replication of however it made an appearance on the PS2.
George Lucas’ epic series yet seen in videogame form,
allowing players to step into their very own X-wing and intendo was keen to leave no stone unturned
play out all of their childhood fantasies. The fact that a when it came to designing the GameCube,
third-party studio was able to produce something so but there were some limitations. “The
polished at launch was a testament to accessibility of downsides were that it was severely
the system. “On the whole, the GameCube was very constrained on memory,” Phil says. “It only had
enjoyable to develop for,” says Phil. “The range of 24MB of main memory with 16MB of so-called audio
effects we were able to achieve due to the multi-stage memory. Although the GameCube supported texture
configurable graphics pipeline was remarkable. This compression it wasn’t appropriate for all textures.
pipeline was like an N64 on steroids – N64 had two Fortunately, Rare’s artists were already very adept at
stages, the GameCube had 16, if memory serves me making using of smaller textures to great effect as the
right – and was a precursor to the fully-programmable N64 permitted only tiny textures by comparison. The
graphics cards that were appearing on PCs.” other downside was the disc. It was pretty slow, in
The console’s controller was also unique. While it particular with the seek time, so it was necessary to
moved away from the three-pronged approach of N64 spin it up in plenty of time for when the data would
pad, the GameCube controller still offered innovations actually need to be delivered. This was particularly
of its own. The large A button was easy to reach, while tricky for Star Fox Adventures where we had taken
the shoulder buttons offered analogue and digital advantage of the near-instantaneous access and
support; a slight push triggered the analogue transfer speed of cartridge ROM. It became a favourite
input while depressing them fully activated the pastime of testers to try and find ways to bypass or
digital command. Nintendo also added a second defeat the triggers set up to begin loading of the next
analogue stick, the C-Stick, which would be section of a level to see if they could get it to visibly
primarily used for camera control. “Almost pop in or not appear at all!”
everybody at Rare loved the controller,” Having cut its teeth in the world of 3D with
Phil says. “It still rates as one of best the N64, Nintendo was able to embrace the third
controllers of all time for me.” dimension more freely thanks to the powerful
EVOLVING GAMES The Nintendo franchises that benefitted from the Cube’s extra power
THE LEGEND OF ZELDA SUPER MARIO METROID

QThe GameCube was home to not one but two full-3D Zelda QSuper Mario Sunshine wasn’t the sequel to Super Mario 64 that QCoded by Retro Studios, Metroid Prime took the 2D template laid
titles, with Wind Waker proving to be the most divisive of the pair many had hoped for, but it harnessed the power of the GameCube down by Metroid and Super Metroid but brought it into the third
upon its initial announcement. The gorgeous cel-shaded cartoon to present a unique twist on the concept of Mario in three dimension, adopting a first-person view and placing focus on the
visuals and massive, water-based overworld didn’t find favour with dimensions. Using his F.L.U.D.D. (Flash Liquidizer Ultra Dousing scanning ability of Samus Aran’s power suit. While the move away
hardcore fans, but ironically the game is perhaps better regarded Device), Mario has to clean up the gorgeous Isle Delfino, which from 2D might have been brave, Prime was able to include the
today than Twilight Princess, its successor. Both have been ported looks joyfully colourful, thanks to the sheer clout of Nintendo’s hallmarks of the series, such as inventive boss battles, the morph
to the Wii U as HD updates since. sixth-generation powerhouse. ball and the opportunity to explore your surroundings for secrets.

GAMECUBE
» Wind Waker
introduced us to a
new Link, a more
cartoon-like,
cel-shaded
iteration of the
hero. Initially, fans
weren’t impressed
with the new look.
GameCube hardware, and some of the company’s

most accomplished games can be found on
Nintendo’s system. Super Mario Sunshine built on the
fine work seen in Super Mario 64 while expanding
the iconic plumber’s repertoire by gifting him with
the ‘F.L.U.D.D.’ water shooter, while The Legend Of
Zelda: Wind Waker gave us cel-shaded Link and a
seemingly endless ocean world to explore. Elsewhere,
Pikmin kickstarted an entirely new IP for the company
and was to be Nintendo’s take on the Real-Time
Strategy genre. Animal Crossing was equally influential, The range of effects we were
delivering a ‘life simulation’ which was bursting with
charm. Elsewhere, existing franchises such as Mario able to achieve due to the multi-
Kart, Smash Bros. and Metroid all benefitted from
timely updates. Metroid Prime in particular was a stage configurable graphics
significant release, taking the series into the realm of
3D and paving the way for a trilogy that scored highly pipeline was remarkable
in critical and commercial terms alike. Phil Tossell
DONKEY KONG STAR FOX MARIO KART

QWhile many of Nintendo’s franchises were taken to new levels on QFox McCloud appeared twice (not counting Smash Bros.) on the QMany gamers were disappointed that Mario Kart 64 used 2D
the GameCube, Donkey Kong received the most surprising upgrade. CameCube. Star Fox Adventures – the final game to be developed sprites, but Nintendo really pulled out all the stops when it came to
Instead of offering a platformer in the vein of Donkey Kong Country by Rare before it was purchased by Microsoft – boasted some making its GameCube sequel shine. The karts in Mario Kart: Double
or Donkey Kong 64, Donkey Kong Jungle Beat mixed platforming amazing visuals despite not being a traditional Star Fox outing. It Dash!! – presented in full 3D this time – held two drivers at the
with music. It was compatible with the DK Bongos, which had remains one of the most technically impressive GameCube games, same time, offering a co-op mode where one player drives and the
launched alongside Donkey Konga in 2003. Progress was achieved while Star Fox Assault returned to a traditional Star Fox formula, player handles the weaponry and is able to perform a shove attack.
by tapping the drums and clapping in time with the music. with space battles and four-player split-screen local multiplayer. A fun sequel with rubber banding being the only real bugbear.

INSIDE THE CUBE
We take a peek under the hood of the plucky little console
24 MB MOSYS
1TSRAM ‘SPLASH’
SYSTEM RAM
QThe is the main system memory.
DISC DRIVE
QThis drive reads those
miniature discs that GameCube
games come on.
POWER SWITCH PCB
QThis board controls the turning
the power on and off. Not exciting,
but pretty damn important.
HEAT SINK
QThis slab of metal helps keep the
GameCube’s CPU at a manageable
temperature.
COOLING FAN
QAlong with the heatsink, this
useful fan helps to keep the console CONTROLLER BOARD
at a cool temperature. QThis circuit board connects
to the main board via a ribbon
(multi-wire) cable.
IBM GEKKO
POWERPC CPU
QThe brains of the GameCube
system, created by IBM and clocked ATI FLIPPER GPU
at 485 MHz. QThis chip handles all of the
visuals, and even does some of the
sound too.

GAMECUBE
Second-party studios, like Rare, were also put

to work on the GameCube, but the company didn’t
get the special treatment many assume it did. “I
One of the unmentioned things about the
think people labour under the misconception that
Rare had a lot of privileged access, but in reality we
GameCube was that for the first time the
didn’t,” reveals Phil. “By and large it mostly translated
into getting things like dev kits and SDK access
documentation was actually really good
Phil Tossell
before anybody else, but as far as making use of the
hardware in the best way, we had to do that ourselves.
Nintendo’s documentation up until the GameCube graphics didn’t look as good! Star Fox Adventures is
was pretty terrible, and I think actually that one of the still regarded as looking great, even now. Effects like
unmentioned things about the GameCube was that fur, grass, and reflective and refractive water still hold
for the first time the documentation was actually really up. I had the opportunity to travel to Kyoto to meet
good. This made it easier to fully make use of all the Miyamoto-san and Imamura-san. I’m not really a
available features of the hardware.” person that gets starstruck but it was an experience
Rare’s output on the GameCube may have been that will stick with me; sitting in design meetings
curtailed by the fact that it was sold to Microsoft in discussing with these guys about what we should do
2002, but the firm still managed to dazzle with its final with Star Fox Adventures is not something I’ll forget.”
release. “We ported the Dinosaur Planet engine onto
the GameCube,” explains Tossell. “We really rapidly ot every studio got that kind of treatment,
ported it over and started integrating as many new of course, but Nintendo made an effort
graphical features as we could in a really short space of to make third parties feel more at home » F-Zero GX was a blisteringly-fast racing game that offered
time. We had this little demo scene with a SharpClaw on the GameCube than they did on the arcade-quality experiences on Nintendo’s humble console.
character setup with really nice lighting, texturing and N64. Initially, third-party support for the GameCube
projected shadows. When we showed Nintendo they was robust, with many companies porting over their it became apparent that the PlayStation 2 was to be
were so impressed that they started asking why their PlayStation 2 releases to Nintendo’s machine thanks the dominant system of the generation, support began
to the parity in power. Sega was an early supporter, to melt away. To make matters worse, Microsoft’s
with titles like Crazy Taxi, Super Monkey Ball and Xbox – also launched in 2001 – had effectively stepped
Sonic Adventure 2 all finding a receptive audience on into second place by offering more raw power and
the GameCube – ironic when you consider that the functionality, pushing the GameCube even further
two companies had been bitter rivals during previous down the pecking order. The only saving grace for
few console generations. Capcom was another firm Nintendo was that it remained second in its native
which bet big on the GameCube, announcing a series Japan, where the Xbox had little impact.
of exclusives such as Viewtiful Joe, P.N.03, Resident The biggest blow would be Capcom’s decision to
Evil 4 and Killer 7. Making the fourth mainline Resident backtrack on its promise to offer exclusive support
Evil title a GameCube exclusive was a massive vote to Nintendo’s machine. Viewtiful Joe would gain rave
of confidence from the developer, and for a time it reviews but only sold around 275,000 units, leading
seemed like Nintendo had overcome the issue of third- Capcom to port it to the PlayStation 2 in order to
party support which had blighted the N64. bolster profitability. The same would happen with
» Mario was missing in the GameCube launch lineup, his brother However, while Nintendo’s own games sold well on Resident Evil 4, with Capcom bowing to fan pressure
took centre stage with Luigi’s Mansion instead. the console, external publishers found less success. As and confirming two months before it arrived on

ESSENTIAL
PERIPHERALS
GAME BOY PLAYER
QOne of the most appealing GameCube
peripherals available for the system, the Game
Boy Player bolted onto the bottom of the console
and allow players to run their Game Boy Advance
games on the machine.
» Mario Kart Double Dash!! flaunted the GameCube’s ability to

kickstart any local-multiplayer session with ease.
HORI GAME BOY PLAYER
CONTROLLER the GameCube that the survival horror outing would
QDesigned for use with the Game Boy Player also be coming to Sony’s console at a later date, an
and lacking many of the features of the standard announcement which seriously undermined sales
pad, this retro peripheral works with many of the Nintendo version. In the end, the only title out
standard games, such as Sonic Mega Collection. of the fabled ‘Capcom Five’ to remain GameCube
exclusive was P.N.03 – the fifth game, Dead Phoenix,
was cancelled in 2003 and Suda51’s Killer7 launched
DK BONGOS on the GameCube and PlayStation 2 at the same time.
QCompatible with the likes of Donkey Konga, Capcom’s commitment to the GameCube had been
Donkey Konga 2, Donkey Konga 3 and Donkey a massive shot in the arm for Nintendo and seemed
Kong Jungle Beat, the DK Bongos controller has to to suggest that the console was more than capable
rate as one of the most unusual, yet surprisingly of giving the PS2 a run for its money in terms of sales
functional, peripherals in the history of gaming. figures, but by going back on the deal, the publisher
dealt a blow to the GameCube’s fortunes, as well
as its standing in the eyes of the games industry.
MEMORY CARD PlayStation 2 owners had little reason to invest in
QUnlike modern hard drive-based systems the
Nintendo’s system when titles like Resident Evil 4 were
GameCube required a memory card to save data.
coming to their console anyway, and this move robbed
Animal Crossing and Pokémon Colosseum – two
the GameCube of the momentum it crucially needed
titles which have large save files – shipped with a
to attract more buyers.
dedicated memory card in the game box.
MICROPHONE
QCompatible with Mario Party 6, Mario Party 7,
Karaoke Revolution Party, Odama and Densetsu
No Quiz Ou Ketteisen, the GameCube microphone
allowed players to interact with games using
their voice to issue commands.
WAVEBIRD
QThe WaveBird offered wireless gaming a
generation before Sony and Microsoft. A small
receiver plugs into the joypad port on the
console, while the pad itself has an operational
range of around 20 feet.
ASCII KEYBOARD
CONTROLLER
QThis looks like someone has snapped a
GameCube pad in two and stuck the halves onto
either end of a keyboard. Despite this look, it was
useful for inputting text in Phantasy Star Online.
LINK CABLE
QMany titles – such as The Legend of Zelda: Four
Swords Adventures – allowed players to connect
Game Boy Advance consoles to their GameCube
systems to unlock additional features – such as
second-screen gameplay.

GAMECUBE
WHAT MADE
IT GREAT
UNIQUE DISCS
QThe proprietary
optical discs were designed
to deter piracy.
COMPACT CASING
QThe GameCube was
refreshingly compact and
» Mario Sunshine even had a carry handle.
didn’t hit the
acclaim of Mario 64,
but it was still a
commendable, FOUR PORTS
and great-looking,
platformer. QThe GameCube was
perfect for parties, all you
needed was the controllers.
Developers simply weren’t willing to PARITY OF

POWER
spend the time and money to port their QDespite its small size, the
Cube could match its rivals.
games over to the GameCube
Phil Tossell UNIQUE
COMPATIBILITY
he GameCube’s eventual install base totalled sell over 100 million units, despite the fact
T
QYou could play GBA, GBC
around 22 million units, way behind the that both the PS3 and Xbox 360 were and original Game Boy
PlayStation 2’s 153 million and a shade significantly more powerful and offered games via a special adapter.
behind the Xbox’s 24 million. As is often impressive HD visuals.
the case, a combination of factors contributed to its While the GameCube failed to place Nintendo
lackluster performance, but some stand out more than on top during its active life, its eye-catching design,
others. “I believe the GameCube struggled because
there just wasn’t the variety of content,” says Phil.
extensive range of unique peripherals and – perhaps
most important of all – its selection of excellent WHERE IT
“The Xbox and PS2 were largely comparable power-
wise and many developers simply weren’t willing to
first-party Nintendo releases have ensured that in
recent times it has enjoyed something of a modest FAILED
spend the time and money to port their games over resurgence among collectors. The console’s unique
to the GameCube for the relatively small returns. Japanese software packaging – which consists of a POOR THIRD
Nintendo were left to support the console all on their small, clear plastic case with a card sleeve – makes it PARTY SUPPORT
own and it just wasn’t enough for a wider audience.” incredibly appealing for import buyers, while the bright QNintendo failed to secure
While the GameCube appeared to be the next orange ‘Spice’ variant of the system and the super- consistent third-party deals.
step in Nintendo’s downward trajectory – following exclusive Panasonic Q fetch respectable prices online.
the N64 which sold 33 million compared to the 49 Overall, the GameCube is actually one of the more
million units of its forerunner, the SNES – it would lay affordable retro systems when it comes to collecting, SMALL DISC
down the framework for Nintendo’s most successful and it’s possible to purchase a console and a selection CAPACITY
home console ever, and that is perhaps its most of good games for a price that won’t leave your wallet Q1.5GB games were modest,
enduring legacy. Despite its innovative motion-sensing feeling too empty. Expect that to change over the next but the rivals had more space.
control system, 2005’s Wii was an evolution of the few years as its popularity increases, though.
GameCube in purely technical terms, boasting The GameCube may have been overshadowed by
the same core components. It would go on to its commercially-successful successor, but while the TOO FOCUSED
Wii was an underpowered, left-field champion, the ON THE FAMILY
GameCube marked the last time that Nintendo truly QThe design was seen by
tried to fight on even technological terms with its rivals some as too kid-friendly.
and balk to industry trends and offer something that
was deemed more ‘safe’ and ‘mainstream’. When
it came to raw power it was more than a match for NOT ENOUGH
the PlayStation 2 and Xbox, but this parity and the ONLINE
Nintendo name simply wasn’t enough to bring QIt didn’t support the online
results – in terms of sales, at least. Nintendo console gaming scene enough.
went back to the drawing board for the Wii and
decided to offer players an experience which
simply couldn’t be replicated anywhere NO INTERNAL
else, and that ethos has continued right STORAGE
up to the present day. QThe GameCube’s memory
» Sega made a home for itself on its former
rival’s console. cards were a mess.

Resident Evil 4
CAPCOM IS GOING TO DO WHAT?
»GAMECUBE table the GameCube debug unit was placed

»2005 on, because I couldn’t believe what my
» RETROREVIVAL
» CAPCOM eyes were showing me. It looked absolutely

I was working on incredible, and like no other game I’d seen
gamesTM when we up to that point. In fact, it still manages to
had our first briefing impress me today.
about Resident There’s a reason Capcom has
Evil 4. We knew shamelessly rereleased Resident Evil 4
that the final game multiple times in the years since its original
wasn’t going to be the same as what debut – it remains one of the best action
had been showcased in 2002, but as we games ever made. Yes, its movement feels
went through the checklist of changes a little clunky after experiencing the macabre
Capcom had sent us, we still didn’t delights of games such as Dead Space, and
believe the game would be that different. yes, the textures might look a little basic
“No zombies,” read the list, “Individual today, but the pacing, the boss battles, the
body parts can be targeted”, “Leon QTE cut-scenes… Every single aspect of
will be able to ride boats” – the list of Capcom’s game is as magnificent today as
improbable things went on and on and it was in 2005. Its influence can be seen
it sounded, quite frankly, nothing like a in everything from Gears Of War to Dead
Resident Evil game. Space 2 and it harks back to a time when
When I finally clamped my eyes on developers still weren’t afraid to take big
Resident Evil 4 in our game room a short risks. A true masterpiece that every gamer
time later I immediately looked under the needs to experience.

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What was Nintendo's original business before video games?

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Nintendo Archives First Edition

106 THE LEGACY OF FZERO 148 RETRO REVIVAL:

Arguably the most famous videogame

Key Players embraced by Nintendo, as his inventions became

» Nintendo found success in

Nintendo as it was branded over here

QNintendo may be family friendly

QCurrent Nintendo Of America

QThe code-name for the N64

» Many feel that Super

KIRBY 23 POKÉMON 22 WARIOWARE INC. 7

QIt restored faith in

QIt was hands-on with

QIt popularised portable

QIt introduced touch and

QIt showed the importance

incredibly exciting, as we were marketing Nintendo

VIRTUAL BOY 1995

GAME BOY SERIES 1989

SUPER FAMICOM/SNES 1990

FAMICOM console development!”

QThe rounded controllers clearly

» Double Dragon uses a limited

» Complex multi-sprite images in

sure the voice coming in from the microphone could be

BATTLETOADS » “My role was keeping down the cost,”

» Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! was superb, being a slick adaptation of

was not ‘personal’, it was right there for everyone, so

console was unusable. “The

is a custom in Japan for grandparents to give money to

» “I would like to have added larger sprites,”

Seattle if they were stuck in a

SUPER MARIO AKUMAJOU

28| NINTENDO ARCHIVES

RESCUE controlled riders, your goal is Typical

QDEVELOPER: Hudson Soft QYEAR: 1987 QGENRE: Action-RPG

ZELDA II: THE ADVENTURE

14 Players that kept their

12 This racer is one of

11 Taking the action of

THE LEGEND OF ZELDA

Anytime I’m feeling

Jon Hare, Sensible

It perfected the Mario

SUPER MARIO BROS. 3

» Battletoad Rash swings into action as he descends

» It’s “Bye, Bye, Blackbird!” as toad trumps

» The Battletoads’ ship, the Vulture, lowers Rash down to

effects. I thought it looked amazing when I

»NES technically, and like its creators, started life in the

» RARE Vs. System bearing the name Vs. Slalom, before it

SUPER MARIO GALAXY

SUPER MARIO WORLD

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