Disney’s The Jungle Book is a series of platform video games based on the 1967 Disney animated film of the same name. The game was released by Virgin Interactive Entertainment in 1994 for the Game Boy, Nintendo Entertainment System, Master System, Genesis/Mega Drive, Game Gear, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and MS-DOS. While gameplay is the same on all versions, technological differences between the systems forced changes – in some case drastic – in level design, resulting in six fairly different versions of the ‘same’ game. This article is largely based upon the Genesis version.
Category: Nintendo
Worms Armageddon
Worms Armageddon is a 1999 turn-based strategy video game developed and published by Team17. It was originally released for the Microsoft Windows operating system, and was later ported to the PlayStation, Dreamcast, Nintendo 64, and Game Boy Color. Worms Armageddon is the third installment in the Worms series. In the game, the player controls a team of up to eight earthworms tasked with defeating an opposing team using a wide range of weapons at their disposal. The game takes place on a destructible and customizable two-dimensional board and is characterized by cartoonish graphics and a unique brand of humor.
Worms Armageddon was originally developed as an expansion pack to Worms 2 and initially titled Wormageddon before it was released as a standalone game. Worms Armageddon was acclaimed by critics, who praised the refined gameplay and stylized graphics, and it has been featured in a number of “greatest games of all time” lists. Worms Armageddon is still updated periodically as of 2020, and was released on the Steam platform in 2013.
Tom & Jerry (and Tuffy)
A Tom and Jerry video game (also known as Tom and Jerry: The Ultimate Game of Cat and Mouse! or Tom and Jerry (and Tuffy)) was released by Hi Tech Expressions for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1991 and for MS-DOS in 1993. Tom has mouse-napped Jerry’s nephew Tuffy and locked him in a trunk in the attic. Usable weapons include bubble gum, meat cleaver, cups of water, moth balls, hammer, invisible ink and drill.
Ice Climber
Ice Climber is a vertical platform video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1985. In Ice Climber, the characters Popo and Nana, (Also known as Pepe and Nana in the German version) collectively known as the Ice Climbers, venture up 32 ice-covered mountains to recover stolen vegetables from a giant condor. In some European countries, the NES console was sold bundled with the game, increasing Ice Climber‘s familiarity outside Japan.
An alternate version was released in the arcades as part of the Vs. series, known as Vs. Ice Climber. It includes gameplay features not found in the home console release, such as an animated title screen, a stage select menu which appears at the start of the game and after completing each level, 16 additional mountains, occasional blizzard and wind effects, more enemy characters, and bonus multiplier items.
The inclusion of Nana and Popo as playable characters in the 2001 GameCube title Super Smash Bros. Melee brought the game renewed attention. Nintendo released a version of the game for the Nintendo e-Reader in 2002.
Super Mario Kart
Super Mario Kart is a 1992 kart racing video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System video game console. The first game of the Mario Kart series was released in Japan and North America in 1992 and in Europe the following year in 1993. Selling 8.76 million copies worldwide, the game went on to become the fourth best selling SNES game of all time. Super Mario Kart was re-released on the Wii‘s Virtual Console in 2009, and on the Wii U‘s Virtual Console in 2013. Nintendo re-released Super Mario Kart in the United States in September 2017 as part of the company’s Super NES Classic Edition.
In Super Mario Kart, the player takes control of one of eight Mario series characters, each with differing capabilities. In single player mode, players can race against computer-controlled characters in multi-race cups over three difficulty levels. During the races, offensive and speed boosting power-ups can be used to gain an advantage. Alternatively, players can race against the clock in a Time Trial mode. In multiplayer mode, two players can simultaneously take part in the cups or can race against each other one-on-one in Match Race mode. In a third multiplayer mode – Battle Mode – the aim is to defeat the other players by attacking them with power-ups, destroying balloons that surround each kart.
Super Mario Kart received positive reviews and was praised for its presentation, innovation, and use of Mode 7 graphics. It has been ranked among the greatest video games of all time by several organizations including Edge, IGN, The Age, and GameSpot, while Guinness World Records has named it the top console game ever. It is often credited with creating the kart-racing subgenre of video games, leading other developers to try to duplicate its success. The game is also seen as having been key to expanding the Mario series into non-platforming games. This diversity has led to it becoming the best-selling game franchise of all time. Several sequels to Super Mario Kart have been released, for consoles, handhelds, and arcades, each enjoying critical and commercial success. While some elements have developed throughout the series, the core experience from Super Mario Kart has remained intact.
Duck Tales 2
DuckTales 2 is a platform video game developed by Make Software and published by Capcom. It is a sequel to the original DuckTales based on the Disney animated series of the same name. It was released on the Nintendo Entertainment System in early 1993. The title was ported to the Game Boy handheld system in Japan and North America at the end of the year.
Duck Tales
DuckTales is an action platformer video game developed and published by Capcom and based on the Disney animated TV series of the same name. It was first released in North America for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1989 and was later ported to the Game Boy in 1990. The story involves Scrooge McDuck traveling around the globe collecting treasure and outwitting his rival Flintheart Glomgold to become the world’s richest duck.
Produced by key personnel from the Mega Man series, DuckTales would go on to sell over a million copies worldwide on each system, becoming Capcom’s best-selling title for both platforms. The game was praised for its tight control, unique and non-linear gameplay, and bright presentation, and is often regarded as one of the best titles for the NES, appearing on numerous “Best of” lists.
DuckTales was followed by a sequel, DuckTales 2, in 1993. A Remastered version of DuckTales developed by WayForward Technologies, featuring high-resolution graphics and performances by the surviving members of the show’s voice cast, was released in 2013 for PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii U. The original 8-bit version of the game was also included in The Disney Afternoon Collection compilation for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
Contra
Contra is a run and gun video game developed and published by Konami, originally released as a coin-operated arcade game on February 20, 1987. A home version was released for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1988, along with ports for various computer formats, including the MSX2. The home versions were localized in the PAL region as Gryzor on the various computer formats and as Probotector on the NES, released later. Several Contra sequels were produced following the original game.
Super Mario World
Super Mario World is a 1990 platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). The story follows Mario‘s quest to save Princess Toadstool and Dinosaur Land from the series antagonist Bowser and his minions, the Koopalings. The gameplay is similar to that of earlier Super Mario games: Players control Mario or his brother Luigi through a series of levels in which the goal is to reach the flagpole at the end. Super Mario World introduced Yoshi, a dinosaur who can eat enemies and gain abilities by eating the shells of Koopa Troopas.
Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development developed the game, led by director Takashi Tezuka and producer and series creator Shigeru Miyamoto. It is the first Mario game for the SNES and was designed to make the most of the console’s technical features. The development team had more freedom compared to the series installments for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). Yoshi was conceptualised during the development of the NES games but was not used until Super Mario World due to hardware limitations.
Super Mario World is often considered one of the greatest video games of all time. It sold over 20 million copies worldwide, making it the best-selling SNES game. It also led to an animated television series of the same name and a prequel, Yoshi’s Island, released in August and October 1995. It has been re-released on multiple occasions: It was part of the 1994 compilation Super Mario All-Stars + Super Mario World for the SNES and was re-released for the Game Boy Advance as Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2 in 2001, on the Virtual Console for the Wii, Wii U, and New Nintendo 3DS consoles, and as part of the Super NES Classic Edition. It was also released on the Nintendo Switch through Nintendo Switch Online using the Super Nintendo Entertainment System app. It is also a course style in Super Mario Maker, and Super Mario Maker 2.
Super Mario Bros. 3
Super Mario Bros. 3 is a platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). It was released in Japan on October 23, 1988, in North America on February 12, 1990, and Europe on August 29, 1991. It was developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development, led by Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka.
StarCraft 64
StarCraft is a 1998 military science fiction real-time strategy game developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment. In 2000, StarCraft 64 was released In North America for the Nintendo 64, co-developed by Blizzard Entertainment and Mass Media Inc. and published by Nintendo. Continue reading “StarCraft 64”
Re-Volt
Re-Volt is a racing video game developed by Acclaim Studios London and published by Acclaim Entertainment for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo 64, PlayStation and Dreamcast.
In October 1999 Acclaim Entertainment released the Re-Volt Car Editor which allowed players to export and edit, or create new cars for the PC version using 3D studio. The editor was simply discovered in the Acclaim Studios London office and as such was released as an unapproved and unsupported piece of code.[5]
In early 2000, a sequel titled RC Revenge was announced and later changed to RC Revenge, and was released in August 2000 for the PlayStation, followed by an enhanced port of the game a few months later called RC Revenge Pro for PlayStation 2.