Othello

Name: Othello
Year: 1986
Publisher: Acclaim
Developer: HAL Laboratory, Inc.
Genre: Board Game
Hours Played: 2
Beaten: Yes, using saves states

Othello (trademarked by Mattel; also known as Reversi) is an abstract board game, sort of a simplified Go, in which players take turn flipping pieces to their color.  The game ends when the board is full, and whoever have the most pieces in their color wins.  As the trademarked slogan suggests, the board game has maintained popularity due to being easy enough for little kids to fully understand but enough strategy for adult to keep coming back.

This is a pretty no-frills interpretation of Othello.  Don't expect Spot: The Video Game, where pieces get up and walk around where you move them - this is literally a board game on your NES, no more, no less.  I do have to admit the menu system is pretty nice - you can chose amount of players, difficulty, who starts first, and time limit, and when a match is over you can choose to play again using the same options or to set up new rules.

I get the impression that Acclaim was aiming this game at the serious Othello enthusiast, as opposed to kids who like board games.  I dunno, do people play Othello using chess timers? Or did they in the eighties?  Because this game includes the option.  Either way, I wouldn't say the game lacks personality - it just takes itself very, very seriously.

Graphics & Animation: 1 (Bad)
The graphics get the job done, and that's really all I can say about them.  I hate to sound picky, but if literally the only thing you're required to draw for your Nintendo game is black and white Othello pieces, they'd better be the prettiest darn Othello pieces you've ever seen.  These are circles.

Music & Sound: 1 (Bad)
Music on the title page, music on the menu page, and the sound effect get the job done.  I was literally playing the game five minutes before writing this paragraph and I couldn't tell you what the music sounded like.

Controls & Level Design: 2 (Average)
The controls works exactly like you'd expect them to.  I was never confused or unable to play, and I never made the wrong move by mistake.

Story & Presentation: 1 (Bad)
The presentation on this game is pretty no-frills.  There's vines on the title screen and a coat of arms on the game screen, and that's about it.  Not even a cutscene if you (finally) beat the computer, but it does count out the pieces for each player at the end of a game.

Length & Replayability: 1 (Bad)
There's a two player option and difficulty options, but unless you're a true Othello enthusiast, you're gonna get bored pretty fast.

Total: 6 (Bad)