Millipede

Name: Millipede
Year: 1988
Publisher: HAL Laboratory
Developer: Atari
Genre: Arcade
Hours Played: 2
Beaten: N/A

Centipede was a wildly successful arcade game released in 1980.  A single-screen shooter in the vain of Space Invaders or Galaga, Centipede broke new ground (no pun intended) by having the game take place in a garden instead of space, and filling the screen with harmless, stationary objects (mushrooms) that obstruct your shots at the enemy (spiders, fleas, and the titular centipede).  The object is to destroy the centipede as he travels down the screen, and shooting him causes him to split into smaller centipedes.

The game was successful enough to see a sequel, Millipede, in 1982.  Besides introducing a couple new elements (DDT bombs, new enemy behaviors), the game was mostly the same, and never enjoyed the popularity of it's predecessor.  While Centipede was ported to all the consoles and computer systems of it's day, Millipede only managed a handful of ports.

And yet, it was Millipede and not Centipede that Atari chose to port to the NES in 1988.  Prehaps they figured that sinse their wasn't that much difference between the games, it only made since to pick the "superior" version.  Whatever the reason, the NES port of Milipede is a little... lacking.

The biggest problem here is the playing field.  Millipede for NES only uses about two thirds of the screen, leaving the rest as a green border.  It's truly baffling; the NES is capable of fairly accurate graphics for Pac-Man, Galaga, and Joust, but apparently the bugs and mushrooms of Millipede were just too much for it?  The game feels like a port of a computer version, rather then a direct arcade port.

And... that's it.  Honestly, I've run out of things to say about this game.  It's an awful-looking port of a moderately playable arcade game, and I can think of literally hundreds of NES games I would buy over this one.

Graphics & Animation: 0 (Awful)
Millipede was never exactly the most graphically impressive game, but it was at least colorful and appealing; this is just abysmal.  I usually try not to compare NES game to games for other systems. but com'on - Centipede for the Atari 7800 looked better then this, and this is a sequel game on a more powerful console!

Music & Sounds: 1 (Bad)
The arcade sound effects are pretty accurately recreated here.  Unfortunately, the game has no music, not even when you start or end a level.

Controls & Level Design: 3 (Average)
The controls are a little slippery, and the levels just repeat endlessly, but that's all in keeping with it's arcade heritage, so I can't fault it too much there.  Unlike the original Centipede, Millipede adds a grayed out effect to the bottom of the screen to make it clearer where your ship's boundaries are - a useful (if not as visually appealing) touch.

Story & Presentation: 0 (Awful)
HAL game this game a scaled down presentation, similar to the title screens of Donkey Kong and Balloon Fight on the NES - and this was three years later. I hate to keep repeating this, but... Centipede on the Atari 7800 looked better then this!!

Length & Replayabilitiy: 0 (Awful)
I complain about arcade games like Joust and Pac-Man for being just one level that repeats over and over and over, but at least those were good quality ports.  This is abysmal.

Total: 4 (Bad)

Joust

Name: Joust
Year: 1988
Publisher: HAL America Inc.
Developer: Williams Electronics Inc.
Genre: Arcade
Hours Played: One Hour
Beaten: N/A

Williams Electronics, a company known primarily for making pinball machines, dipped it's toe into the arcade game market in the early eighties; perhaps it's no surprise that one of their first hits, Joust, involves bouncing around obstacles at high velocity.

In Joust, you play a knight riding atop an ostrich (or in two-player mode, a stork) battling even knights riding vultures above a volcano.  In true arcade fashion, all the action takes place on one screen, and you get around by rapidly tapping the jump button to flap your wings.  The mechanic is similar to the swimming controls in some video games, but there's also a momentum element; if your ostrich touches the ground, he'll brake into a run, and you end up running into platforms and careening all over the place.  The goal is to take out the enemy knights, which is done by touching them when you're higher then you are; if you collide dead on, you'll bounce off each other, and if they're higher then you, you'll lose a life.  The frantic pace of the game is part of the appeal; ideally it should be easy to always hover at the top of the screen so you're unbeatable, but the slippery nature of the controls and constant clutter of the screen ensure that you're always bumping around  and trying to reposition yourself.

The first two levels serve as basic training; there's safety platforms over the lava to make thing a little easier.  After level two, the platforms disappear, and fiery hands will appear to yank you into the lava if you get too close.  Defeated knights drop eggs, and if you don't destroy them in time, they hatch into more powerful knights.  As the levels progress, platforms disappear; while this is meant to make the game harder, it actually gives you less obstacles to bump into, making things a little easier.

Joust game demands you pay constant attention to your surroundings, and it's pretty challenging and fun, if not a bit repetitive.  It's a solid arcade game, but as a complete package it's pretty lacking.  If you're a fan of Joust, I highly recommend Nintendo's own Balloon Fight, which improves upon the formula in several ways, and even adds a second game mode that's reminiscent of Flappy Bird.

Graphics & Animation: 2 (Average)
There's not a lot going on, but what's here is pretty good.  The characters boast an impressive amount of colors per sprite (six, as opposed to three as in most NES games) and the volcano floor is well detailed.

Music & Sounds: 1 (Bad)
It's not that the music is terrible; their just isn't any music, aside from a little tune on the start screen.  No music when you die, no music at game over.  The sound effects when you flap your wings are satisfying, but not anything you consciously notice when you play.

Controls & Level Design: 2 (Average)
Joust is the sort of game where the tricky controls are intended to be part of the challenge, and Joust straddles this line perfectly.  Despite careening all over the place, it still always feels like your fault when you die... well, at least in the case of the controls themselves.  There's no invulnerability when you respawn, so if you appear in the wrong place you can lose a life before you have a chance to do anything.  Also, the pterodactyl is extremely random and can spawn right where you're hanging out, again costing you a life before you have a chance to react.

Story & Presentation: 2 (Average)
There's some nice presentation here: the title screen gives an appropriately medieval feel, and the "welcome to Joust" screen adds a little epicness to the proceedings. When the lava pit becomes accessible, the platforms above it actually catch fire and burn, which is a very nice touch.  Like the rest of the game, it's well executed; there's just not much of it.

Length & Replayabilitiy: 1 (Awful)
This is definitely one of those "play it over and over again for a high score" kind of games...  unless you're a humongous fan of Joust, this just doesn't justify a fifty dollar price tag.

Total: 8 (Average)

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)