Pixilated Dreams and 8 Bit Escapism
Posted February 7, 2007
I was a poor kid. My first Nintendo was played on a used hospital TV long before gamers became an official pedigreed social group. Most of my friends got off on Tecmo Bowl and other sports they could just as well play in their back yard, but I wanted more. I wanted to slay giant turtles and snatch enchanted bling. Sure, I liked the big boys - the Super Marios, the Metal Gears, and the Zeldas but, like record hunting, I was always on the lookout for something a little off the beaten console. Here are a few of my favorite games from the era that never really caught on with the popular kids.
Rygar: My gym class buddy recommended this game to me one Monday morning while running laps to UB40. He said it was an Aztec adventure, even thought it wasnt, and I was intrigued. Rygar was a fantasy game without the usual fantasy standbys of swords, potions, and dragons, and you could duck into hidden mountain hideouts for a Zen moment with a chubby little demigod.
Golgo 13: Top Secret Episode Golgo 13 let you shoot enemy agents in the head, have sex to up your energy, and otherwise cause all sorts of mayhem years before outraged parents called for the banning of Grand Theft Auto. It was probably because the game never received anything more than cult status outside Japan, where newsstands routinely carry a veritable smorgasbord of taboo (thats putting it lightly) comics. Although I didnt know it until later, the game was based on a Japanese manga.
Monster party: Scraping the bottom of the barrel of cheap obscure games, Monster Party looked like something a couple of programmers threw together during a weekend LSD binge. Almost like an 8-bit Thtre de l'Absurde, the level bosses included a huge caterpillar, walking pants, a haunted well that threw plates, and a giant fried shrimp. (Note: for the longest time, I thought I dreamed this game. But I Googled it, and it does exist.)
NARC: Upped the ante on video game violence with rocket launchers that could blow up evil-doers into showers of flaming body parts. I dont remember hearing a lot of uproar over this game either, probably because its ok to blow the intestines out of people as long as theyre nasty drug dealers.
Wizards and warriors: A lazy comparison, I know, but I liken this game to a sword and sorcery Metroid, where you could choose your own adventure and pace from any manner of levels that scrolled up, sideways, and anywhere in between. Tasty lamb hocks kept your energy up and all sorts of keys and tools o magic kept the intrigue high.
I think the last game I ever played was Super Mario 3. That was on a Sunday. On Monday, I picked up a microphone.
