The Video Game Critic

When you think of hardest NES game, what comes to mind? TMNT (first one), Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!, Ninja Gaiden, Contra, and of course Battletoads. But this one's difficulty beats them all in my own humble opinion, even though there is some definite fun to be had. Based on the early 90's TV series you play as three men on a rescue and espionage mission to rescue Shannon and Dr. O from evil clutches. Each men has strengths, weaknesses and special abilites. Max Hart moves slow but hits hard and long with his gun and bombs that can blast open doors, plus takes less damage. Grant Collier (my personal favorite), can move fast, punch hard though up close and open doors electronically. Nicholas Black has average speed, throws boomerangs, and can disguise himself for a short period of time. There are plenty of stages that bring a lot of challenge and if you lose all your life you lose a man unless you find him. There's also a speeder boat chase that's a lot of fun and a tic-tac-toe where you have to draw instead of score a victory. The challenge is unfortunately very relentless even with emulation this game lives up to its name! The graphics are quite polished for an NES game and the music is terrific, in fact at the start if you wait it gets better you get the iconic theme! So is this game worth playing today? If you like challenges by all means, just make sure to do it on emulation to eliminate some of the frustration.