Game Boy's Forgotten Gems

For the third straight post, I am unveiling a new series of articles that will continue through May. These “Forgotten Gems” articles will examine three of Nintendo’s more obscure - but awesome - games. A different system will be highlighted in each of these pieces. This week, let’s take a closer look at the forgotten gems of Nintendo‘s original handheld wonder.

BALLOON KID

In the first few years of the Game Boy’s life-cycle, Nintendo was keen on releasing sequels to some of their favorite NES titles. These years saw the release of well-remembered classics like Metroid 2: Return of Samus and The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening. Less remembered, however, is the sequel to the relatively obscure classic Balloon Fight.

Balloon Kid retains the simple gameplay mechanics of its predecessor. The player’s on-screen avatar is held afloat by a small group of balloons, and well-timed button presses will keep the character floating to avoid obstacles. However, the original’s Joust inspired play is left for multiplayer bouts, while the main game is more reminiscent of Balloon Fight’s sub-game Balloon Trip. In the process, Nintendo created a unique forced-scrolling, story based platformer.

Balloon Kid’s protagonist Alice sets out on a quest to rescue her younger brother, who just happened to be carried away by a large grouping of balloons (never mind the Cold War; I’m pretty sure 99 Luftballons is about these sinister kidnappers). Her quest takes her through a variety of lands, in which she must evade everything from birds to camp fires. Balloons, left as a trail by her brother, serve as collectibles.

While Balloon Kid is a very fun game, it is easy to see why it never really gathered a fan base. The childish characters and artwork likely turned away fans of the original Balloon Fight. Additionally, the game has a relatively steep learning curve which surely frustrated younger players that took to the game’s colorful box-art. However, Nintendo fans with some patience and a tolerance for cartoony characters should thoroughly enjoy this title.

SOLAR STRIKER

Nintendo is not particularly known for creating shoot-em-ups, but as they were first breaking into the arcade gaming scene, many of their creations belonged to this genre. Game historians will likely remember that one such game, Radar Scope, was expected to be their first breakout hit in the US; at least until it fared horribly in focus testing. The company ended up using Radar Scope’s cabinets to house Donkey Kong, effectively ending their interest in shooters and creating a tradition of character-based action games. From there, Nintendo never looked back…well, except for a short period of time when they created the next forgotten gem, Solar Striker.

In addition to being Nintendo’s last vertical shooter, Solar Striker also has the distinction of being one of the only games of its type that is actually fun on the Game Boy. The game play is slower than current-day shoot-em-ups, but well placed enemies and patterns make the game surprisingly addictive.

So, why was Solar Striker destined to be forgotten? Well, after the industry crash in the early 80s, shoot-em-ups have continuously struggled to find anything more than a niche market. This is especially true on the Game Boy, where puzzle games and platformers ruled. Still, this is a game that shows a different side of Nintendo, and gives us a hint of the types of games they would be making today had Radar Scope not floundered.

MOLE MANIA

In this intriguing action-puzzle game, you take charge of Muddy, an obviously-named Mole that is tasked with rescuing his wife and children from the evil farmer Jinbe. Each of the areas Muddy visits contain progressively harder brainteasers in which he must lead a heavy ball to the exit door in order to break it down and advance. Muddy maneuvers around the playing field by burrowing underground. However, the holes left by venturing under the terrain can hinder the movement of the ball, so every move matters, especially in the more complicated levels.

The game’s worlds have a similar, though more linear, feel as dungeons in early Legend of Zelda titles. In each area, Muddy’s immediate purpose is to find a way to open the door which leads to the next area. After working his way through all of the regions in the map, Muddy then encounters one of the many memorable bosses, such as a kangaroo that is bested by placing a tack under him when he jumps.

Most players will have a fun and challenging time just seeing Muddy through to the end of his quest, but there is incentive for more experienced players to keep playing after the end-credits. The game tallies a score for each world based on how many areas have been cleared and how many items have been found. Obtaining a perfect score on each of the worlds is half the fun of the game.

With everything Mole Mania had going for it, the game seems like it should be one of the Game Boy’s fondly remembered gems. Unfortunately, it suffered from bad timing. In America, it was released toward the end of the Game Boy’s lifespan, when few people paid the grey brick much interest. In Japan, Mole Mania was released shortly after Pokemon, so the only way it stood a chance of standing out in that country was if you played as a character named Muddychu or Moleimar.

Fortunately, the game plays as well now as it did then. Mole Mania comes highly recommended.