Review #16: Snake Rattle n' Roll: Bring a friend along and enjoy!

The game box

Rare is one of the best companies that developed back in the day for the NES. This game is one of their masterpieces in every level. Extremely fun to play with, especially in the 2 player co-op mode, very very nice graphics and awesome music.

Gamespot's 20th NES birthday documentary

DIY: Replacing the 72 pin connector inside the NES

The reason of all faulty NES systems. The 72 pin connector

So your Nintendo doesn't behave that good lately. It blinks, it boots for a while and then freezes, the graphics are full of pixels that don't belong there and many more... You've blown the carts, you've cleaned them, you have moved the cartridges left and right in the system, you even put a spoon in it so it doesn't lift all the way up for the NES to read it.

Review #15: Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. A weird Zelda game that is actually good. Give it a chance...

Zelda II box and golden cartridge

"Oh why", I thought about 20+ years ago when I first played Zelda II. Why didn't they just follow the recipe to make another gem like the 1st part? Nintendo decided to do a little experimentation with the 2nd release of the Zelda franchise. You get the top-down view only in the Overworld, but all levels, battles, interaction etc. is side-scrolling.

Busy week, but it ended...

I know I neglected the blog this week, but I was really busy at work. Thank God it ended and I have a three-day weekend in front of me, so I'll devote some time to make some posts. Thanks for reading my blog.

-NES Cat

Review #14: Terminator 2 Judgement Day. Great movie, ok game

Terminator 2 box art. Arnie looks good!

One of my favorite movie series is the Terminator. I remember when I saw T2 back in 1991 I was amazed. I liked T1 better (favorite movie scene of all time: When the Terminator rises from the flames of the burning truck, showing the full metal skeleton, in Terminator 1) but T2 also offered a new perspective to the series.

8-bit Google Maps? Huh?

Review #13: Castlevania: An atmospheric adventure that spawned several sequels, started on the NES

Castlevania box art

Ahh, Castlevania. When I hear about this game, I remember my friends and myself, stuck in front of a TV for hours, sharing the levels with each other so we could rest, as most of us already had Nintendo thumbs (aka: Nintenditis, a  90's video game disease that carved a circle on your right thumb, from the repetitive pressing of the buttons).

Review #12: Super Mario Bros 2 USA and EU. Way better than the Japanese version

Super Mario Bros. 2 box art

After the standard-setting, industry-saving, platform gender-changing etc. Super Mario Bros Nintendo had to continue the success of the Italian plumber. Super Mario Bros 2 was released in Japan on June 3rd, 1986 but the game was just Super Mario Bros with new (super difficult) levels.

Every US NES game ever made in 15 minutes...

Thank you nesguide for this great video. It lists all 749 US NES games in just 15 minutes. Take a look.

Check out these rings...

Are you a NES freak? You want to show your love about the best console ever produced? The 

Super Mario t-shirt and socks are not enough? Say hello to the Nintendo cartridge rings. 

Robotic NES video game themes!

What a great project! Watch the robotic piano and drums play some of the most well-known Nintendo games themes. Thanks to roboband for uploading!

The Aladdin Deck Enhancer: A clever system for low cost cartridges

The Deck Enhancer Box

The Aladdin Deck Enhancer is an unlicensed accessory for the Nintendo Entertainment System  produced by Camerica and released in November 1992. There are a total of 7 games released for the system, out of 24 that were announced when it was released.

Nostalgia TV commercials

Remember these? These commercials were on our TV during the late 80's-early 90's any time of the day. Let's freshen up our memory with this amazing compilation of NES TV Commercials, uploaded by jeremy8780.

David Darling talks to nintendolife.com

Nintendolife.com has a very interesting interview from Codemasters Co-Founder David Darling that talks about the NES era and more.

Glad this thing didn't come out in Europe...

What? What is this? A Nintendo lock? Back in the day, everyone tried to exploit the success of the NES by making all kinds of stuff for it. The Homework First Nintendo lock is one of these.

Follow us on Google+

The Google+ page is up and running. Follow us at https://plus.google.com/115676700239523147947

The NES Rarity List

Have you ever wondered what the rarity list that I refer to in every review is?

Well here it is. Today I will post the list (you can find it in many sites-just Google NES rarity list) so you can evaluate your games.

Review #11: First you draw a circle, then you dot the eyes, add a great big smile...

Kirby's Adventure box art

...and presto, it's Kirby!

A little insight on the NES accessories

Our favorite console had plenty accessories from many different manufacturers, some licensed and some other not. Let's take a short look to some of the licensed accessories for the system:

Brand new facebook page

The NES Cat facebook page is now up and running. Like us at https://www.facebook.com/pages/NES-Cat/167448016791061.

Check out NES games and more on my eBay page

I got some duplicate NES games for sale and other stuff too. Check out my eBay page at http://www.ebay.com/sch/iron2184/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_ipg=&_from=

Review #10: Mario Bros Arcade. Where it all started

The Mario Bros. arcade cabinet

Let's do a little history lesson and go back in time before the NES was out. Mario and his brother Luigi existed back then too, starring in the game Mario Bros.

Watch nearly 1000 Super Mario players, play at once

Rad Racer expert? Let's see what you can do in real life...

All of you out there that played Rad Racer and call yourselves experts on the game, let's see what you can do in real life.

The Legend of Zelda Mega Review Part IV: The final dungeon

So, you have completed the largest part of the quest, your Triforce is complete, your heart containers are full and your item list is complete. "Just one more level to go", you think, "how hard is that?". 

The Legend of Zelda Mega Review Part III: Levels 5-8

Continuing on with the Zelda mini-walkthrough, I'll give you a taste of levels 5-8. These dungeons are quite challenging and far more complicated than the previous levels.

The Legend of Zelda Mega Review Part II: Levels 1-4

As promised yesterday, today I'll continue the review-mini walk through of Zelda, by writing a short pass through levels 1-4.

The Legend of Zelda Mega Review Part I: Beginning your quest

I know I already have reviewed The Legend of Zelda, but a legendary game like this that spawn over a dozen sequels must be reviewed in depth. I will write a mini walkthrough of the game and tell you some secrets you should follow before you even enter Level-1.

The NES expansion port. Why is it even there?

The NES expansion port

If you turn your NES upside down, you'll see a cover in the middle that can be removed and underneath it a piece of plastic that covers a 48 pin port known as the NES expansion port.

Nintendo's success father dies at 85. Rest in peace Hiroshi Yamauchi

The man that made Nintendo what is today, the person that did all the right moves back in the day, Hiroshi Yamauchi, died at the age of 85.

The following article about his death was published by the New York Times:

Hiroshi Yamauchi, Who Steered Nintendo to Dominance, Dies at 85

By HIROKO TABUCHI

Published: September 19, 2013

Review #8: The game that created and set the standards for platform side scrollers. It's majesty Super Mario Bros itself.

Super Mario Bros box art

Well, this game needs no introduction. We all played it, we all love it, it's the game that is connected deeply with our childhood. It spawned a legendary series that still exists to this day with each game being a landmark and receiving exeptional reviews. The chubby Italian plumber gave us endless hours of fun, trying to beat the enormous stages and save Princess Toadstool (Peach). 

Review #7: There's something strange, in the neighborhood, who you gonna call?

New Ghostbusters II box art

Ghostbusters!

So Ghostbusters it is for today's review, "The new Ghostbusters II" by HAL Laboratory in particular, a game that many of the US NES players haven't heard of, as it was only released in Europe and Japan. The States never saw the game because of licensing problems with Activision, that already had released "Ghostbusters II" for the NES.

Review #6: Shadow Warriors 2: The Dark Sword of Chaos (Ninja Gaiden 2 in US)

Shadow Warriors 2 is what a gamer should expect from a ninja themed game back in the 90's. It's packed full of action, the difficulty is above average and it's super addictive.

Review #5: Sing along everybody! Might solve a mystery, or rewrite history...

DuckTales box art

...Ducktales, Oowoo, woo.

So, today it's all about Ducktales. A phenomenal NES game that is still played and was recently (a month ago) remastered and re-released with enhanced visuals and audibles.

Released by Capcom's Mega-Man team in 1989, the game was praised for its controls, non-linear gameplay and it became one of the best and most selling NES games, having sold over 1.67 million copies worldwide.

Review #4: The Simpsons-Bart vs the World

The Simpsons box art

Another relaxing Saturday afternoon, hanging at home, watching TV. While zapping I stumbled upon the Simpsons and thought "Hey, how about some Bart vs the World?".

Another great NES birthday article from NBCnews.com

NES at 30: Why Mario still makes a difference

Devin ColdeweyNBC News

• il

July 15, 2013 at 5:25 PM ET

Nintendo

The original box for the Nintendo Entertainment System.

The Nintendo Entertainment System, which turned 30 Monday, may seem like a relic in an era of consoles like the PS4 and Xbox One — but it helped define those systems and the games on them in more ways than one.

Last July was NES birthday. Happy 30th birthday!

Our favorite console turned 30 two months ago, but since this blog wasn't up yet, I want to wish happy birthday and I hope its memory never fades.

Here's an article on NES's birthday from arstechica.com:

The NES turns 30: How it began, worked, and saved an industry

On July 15, 1983, Nintendo sold its first Famicom. Gaming hasn't been the same since.

by Andrew Cunningham - July 15 2013, 5:00pm EEST

• CLASSIC GAMING
 
• CONSOLE GAMING

165

A must read for every Nintendo fan: New Yorker's article on Shigeru Miyamoto

Digging around the Internet, I found this article for the ultimate game maker Shigeru Miyamoto. Take a look if you feel like it. It's very well written and informing.

MASTER OF PLAY

The many worlds of a video-game artist.

BY NICK PAUMGARTEN

When Shigeru Miyamoto was a child, he didn’t really have any toys, so he made his own, out of wood and string. He put on performances with homemade puppets and made cartoon flip-books.

Review #3: The game of all games, the pioneer of its kind, it's time for The Legend of Zelda

The Legend of Zelda box and golden cartridge

                                 

Zelda box rear view

From the rock bottom of NES games (see Review #2) I'll elevate you to the very top. It's time for a closer look to the Legend of Zelda.

Review #2: Deadly Towers. Probably the worst NES game ever made

Deadly Towers Box

This is a sad day for Brotherbund Software and a sadder day for the so called "Nintendo Seal of quality".

Ok guys, lets get this straight. This game sucks. It sucks so hard that it should have been called "Sucky Towers" or even better, this game should never be released and disgrace the "Seal of quality" that ensures the gamer that the game is licensed by Nintendo and is, supposedly, checked for its quality. There are some other bad games on the NES, but this one goes straight to the first place.

Here's the first review: Bram Stocker's Dracula

Dracula box art

My first review will be on a hidden NES gem, a game based on the popular movie Dracula. Bram Stocker's Dracula by Sony Imagesoft is an excellent side-scroller game, Castlevania style, that came out in 1993.

NES TV

My TV channel with collection from videos from the NES era. TV commercials, shows and lots more. Stay tuned. http://nescattv.blogspot.gr

Acquiring and restoring the NES

I managed to get through my preteen years NESless only by playing with my cousin's console and borrowing it to my home. After a few years, I still couldn't get one because at one point its production seased, but that didn't stop me.

Meeting the NES

The Nintendo Entertainment System. The console that saved the gaming industry

The year is 1990. 8 year old me got a call from my cousin telling me his parents got him a Nintendo. I had only seen the system in magazines and TV so I rushed down his house (accompanied of course by my mother) to see the system. It was nothing much, just a grey VCR type box, not very exciting. He got it with the game "Kung Fu". His dad hooked it up the TV and he turned it on.

Editorial

Welcome to the NES Cat, a blog dedicated to all of you NES lovers out there. As a proud owner of a Nintendo Entertainment System, I'll describe in future posts my first encounter with the system back in the 90's and how it became my all-time favorite console. I'll review the games that I own plus the ones I'll be getting soon. I hope you'll enjoy my blog and it becomes your every day rest stop.

-NES Cat