We love Super Mario Bros. In fact, we played the game (and many others) with our Family Computers when we were thiiiis small. However, when we became acquainted with newer titles with more eye-candy, we wondered how it would look like if it was blessed with updated graphics. The video below might serve as a preview.
Okay, so maybe not. Still, it offers a pretty refreshing take on the game's first level (if not disturbing because of the bits of squashed Goombas), enough that we would watch the whole length of it (and maybe even a part 2 featuring the modernized version of level 1-2). However, that last bit was just, um, sad. Good thing the real deal doesn't end that way, although good ol' Mario sure had a hard time finding the right castle to go into.
Want to reminisce a bit? Then head to the gallery below for popular Family Computer games in the 80s and 90s...
Metal Gear
The legendary video game title actually started here. Yep, it was already a hit back then, thanks to its unique gameplay and a variety of stealthy devices. Amazingly, even if you play a pixelized Solid Snake here, the game experience was still as kick-ass as the high-def Metal Gear we have today. Here's a trivia for you: The box, radio communicator and remote rocket launcher actually made their debut in this old school version.
Battle City
Who could forget this wall pulverizing, tank-destroying game? The agenda is to protect your "Eagle" base from attacking enemy tanks. Power-ups are abundant, so as the seemingly endless brigade of bullets. Still remember that "tink, tink, tink" sound when you hit metal tanks?
Gradius
A basic shoot 'em-up game where a player pilots a space ship and must battle through different levels in outer space. Gradius offers hordes of enemies and bosses that become harder (exponentially) after every level. Different power-ups are available because the regular gun just won't cut it. Especially not when you're up against those large Easter Island heads.
Bomberman
Bomberman became big in the 90s. As the title implies, your main arsenal are, well, bombs. Lots of them. Here, a combo of timing and strategy is key. Feel the rush of adrenaline as you blast enemies to smithereens as you make sure you're not caught in the line of fire. This is one helluva game. Explosive, even. Pun intended.
Contra
This game is all-testosterone! It screams "Ang angas ko !" as the game introduces you to a gamut of guns, bullets, heavy artillery, soldiers and, yep, flying aliens. It's nearly impossible to beat, really, if not for the famous cheat code which goes up, up, down, down, left, right, left right, B, A, B, A, select, start (did we get that right?).
Double Dragon
It's one of the world's earliest famous beat-'em-up games! Double Dragon revolves around the brothers Billy and Jimmy Lee who are also martial arts experts. The aim here is to fight through mobs of villains and thugs in an effort to rescue Billy's girlfriend who was kidnapped by a street gang. The game was quite popular in its time and even had a movie adaptation. Recall that buffed kalbo , Abobo? Classic, indeed.
Excite Bike
Back in the day, this is the closest you can get to experience motocross racing without actually riding a bike. Clicking on the back (left) button lets you ride up obstacles and gain solid hang time while pressing the forward (right) arrow too long and you'll end up stumbling in the dirt. This is extreme sports gaming, '80s style.
Punch Out
This is the grand-daddy of Fight Night. Here, you'll need to work your way up the professional boxing circuits by facing a series of colorful and fictional pro boxers until it leads you to a final fight with a real-life superstar boxer, ex-World Heavyweight Champ, Mike Tyson. Ready your button-mashing powers when you face the Champ, just make sure he doesn't bite your ear off. Here's some news for you: This 80's smash hit is now playable on the
iPad .
Ice Climber
A smashing game, literally! Ice Climber revolves around the characters Popo and Nana and their quest to get up to the top of the damn mountain. They have their own wooden mallets that they use to carve holes in the ice and to smack enemies to kingdom come. The game is very difficult to finish and we can honestly say that none of us has even come close to doing so.
Double Dribble
Double Dribble, the basketball addict's only refuge during the Family computer days. The grand-daddy of NBA Live and NBA 2K, Double Dribble's basic and dot-matrix graphics were enough to get baller fans hooked on it. Controls, though, were crazy hard to master! Those "slow-mo" slam dunk images were crappy now, but quite amazing back then.
Super Mario Bros.
This title about Mario the plumber and his flimsy bro Luigi is perhaps the most popular video game in world. Super Mario doesn't need much of an introduction let alone an explanation. You've got the bros battling against King Koopa's minions trying to rescue the always-in-another-castle Princess Peach. As fun as it is to play this game, it's also a tad frustrating, considering your only weapon most of the time is your somewhat powerful jump. But if you really want to finish it, then go for the cheat. Hundred lives, baby!
Rock Man (Megaman)
Rock Man (or Megaman as it's called in the US) is one of the more recognizable icons in the video game industry even to this very day. His stint with the Famicom however, is the most memorable since it help set the standard for side-scrolling shooters for years to come. Despite defeating Dr. Wily in every sequel, Mega Man somehow always ends up fighting him again. Predictable, but the game is still irresistibly fun to play.
Urban Champion
Urban Champion is a fighting game where players duke it out in the streets. It's a button-masher that relies mainly on the player's use of stamina and timing. A player wins when he knocks the other one into a manhole as you dodge dropping pots and police cars. 8-bit violence, gotta love it.
Duck Hunt
Forget the Nintendo Wii and other interactive controllers out there, this is where it all started. Armed with a revolver pistol controller that's plugged to the the Family Computer, you aim on the TV screen and shoot at incoming (flying) ducks. Your pistol's accuracy and reaction time is pathetic, of course, but considering what era it came from, Duck Hunt can truly be called a game changer.
Castlevania
The first of the Castlevania series made its debut in 1986. From then on, the game became a staple for gamers. In this classic side-scrolling platform game, You take the role of Simon Belmont, a descendant from the family of vampire hunters. He travels to Dracula's demonic nest called Castlevania and fights his way through the castle by destroying minions until, finally, Dracula himself.
Karateka
One of the first fighting games in gaming history, Karateka is an awesome side-scrolling gem that came from the same creator of Prince of Persia. As trained master Karateka, you must invade the castle to rescue Princess Mariko from the clutches of evil Akuma. So you'll slice, make flying kicks and karate chop your way inside the baddie-infested castle until you meet the ultimate big boss black belter.
Road Fighter
This is the first car racing game from Konami. The goal is to reach the finish line without 1.) running out of time and 2.) running out of fuel. Unique in this game is the refueling system, where you hit a special type of vehicle to get extra gas. Oh, and recall what happens when you're almost at the finish line and you got there without bumping into other cars? Yep, Superman flies across the screen.
Galaga
Galaga is the younger brother of Space Invaders and Galaxian. Here you control a space ship as you shoot alien invaders. Want to control two spaceship in the game? Let your flying vessel be taken away by the alien ship when it dishes the reverberating light you see on the image above. Soon as it attacks again, shoot it down. Voila, twin spacecrafts. Classic!
Circus
Play as Charlie the clown, and perform a variety of acrobatic stunts until you reach the end game. Simple? Not exactly. Particularly since the reaction time of controllers back then are crude as hell. Here's a little secret: If you complete 10 consecutive events, you'll be treated to a special bonus stage that involves trampolines and dolphins.
Adventure Island
If Mario Bros and Sonic the Hedgehog would have a love child, this will have to be it. Throw an axe on incoming snails and whatnots, jump on clouds or go over barracudas as you travel through the stages of Adventure Island. Typical platform game, you say? Maybe, but riding a skateboard and cruising through the island at insane speed gives a new kind of rush.
Video via Deloix on YouTube
See also
