Tag: arcade

Mario Bros. (Nintendo 3DS eShop)

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Mario and Luigi were just a couple of plumbers trying to do their job. Unfortunately, monsters live in the pipes. Can Mario and Luigi destroy these monsters before they go above ground?

Mario Bros

I finally got to play what people consider the very first Mario game. Donkey Kong may have been Mario’s first appearance, but Mario Bros. is the first game where our hero got his name and title. The first game in the series is nothing more than one long arcade game with Mario knocking monsters on their backs and then destroying them. You go through phase-to-phase collecting points by killing monsters or collecting coins. This game also has a special bonus level where you try to collect all the coins before time runs out.

This game is simplistic yet addictive. I give it 5 out of 10; Mario got off to an okay start.

Donkey Kong Jr. Math (Wii Shop)

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Donkey Kong’s back and this time he’s teaching his son math. Can Junior master his father’s lessons?

After Donkey Kong 3, the makers decided it wasn’t stupid enough and decided to make a learning game. There is no plot in this and the whole purpose of the game play is to add, subtract, multiply and divide various numbers in order to reach the number Donkey Kong holds up. It shouldn’t be too hard if you’ve graduated from Elementary School. The numbers are scattered throughout the screen and you control Junior when you climb the vines to collect numbers. You also jump from platform to platform to collect the right signs.

This game is stupid and boring. I give it 0 out of 10; a horrible attempt at edutainment.

Donkey Kong Jr. (Nintendo 3DS eShop)

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When Mario kidnaps Donkey Kong, it’s up to Junior to rescue him. Can Junior free his father from Mario’s wrath?

That’s right, Nintendo made a sequel to the original Donkey Kong and they switched the roles. Donkey Kong’s the good guy and Mario’s the bad guy. Not much else to say about the plot except for one thing. Instead of a hero rescuing his girlfriend, it’s a son rescuing his father.

The game play is similar to the first one in that you have to jump over minions, collect items for points and get to the top to free the captured victim. The only difference is the final stage where, instead of destroying the construction site, you use six keys to unlock Donkey Kong’s cage. If you care about getting the high score, keep playing the same four stages over and over. If you just want to see the ending, quit after the fourth stage.

This game is addictive yet simplistic. I give it 6 out of 10; something to do when you’re bored.

Combat (Xbox Live Game Room)

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The classic Atari game is back in the Xbox Live Game Room.  Battle a friend with tanks, biplanes and jet fighters.

This game has no story so I wasn’t sure how to introduce it.  I only got this game because I have a book called The Art of Video Games and this one was the very first on the list.  I love what they can do with video games now but that doesn’t mean I want to forget the old.  All you do in this game is move a vehicle around while trying to shoot the one your friend is controlling.  Unfortunately, you can’t battle against an AI but, if you don’t know anyone that likes video games, you can always shoot a standing still tank.  Trust me, it’s much more fun with two people.

This game is simplistic yet addictive.  I give it 7 out of 10; a true classic.