Ice Climber

"An old NES game, nothing spectacular"

Ice Climber is now a very old game. It isn't really a bad game, though, given the time it came out. However, like so many games of that age, it lacks any depth, and that works against it. The story seems to go like this: you are an eskimo with a hammer, and you have to finish each level by climbing to the top of the screen. Each screen is comprised of many floors, and you have to climb to the top floor. This is accomplised by using your hammer to break up through the floors, which consist of breakable blocks. You break a hole, jump up through, and repeat until you reach the top. However, seals and birds stand in your way, and in the higher levels, floors have to be accessed by fast moving platforms, the floors themselves are conveyor belts, and sometimes they are made of ice, making your footing slippery. The enemies can be dispatched with a blow from your hammer. At the end of each stage is a bonus level, where the object is to grab as many pieces of fruit as you can before you die or time runs out. This is a one or two player game.

Graphics: 5/10

Old school Nintendo. Very bright and colorful, but little detail. They serve their purpose well enough.

Sound: 4/10

Again, if you've played any of Nintendo's early games (mid 80s) you've heard this before. Music can't get any more video gamey than this, and neither can the sound effects.

Gameplay: 6/10

The game gets credit for varying the levels; every few levels something new is added to keep it somewhat interesting. However, it's hard not to tire of the game fast. There is only one play option, the one I've been describing. The two player option is welcome, but doesn't add much to the experience. The AI of the enemies is non existant. The control could have been better, as jumping accurately is sometimes very difficult, and you will frequently come up short. The difficulty is great in high level, but no more than it should be.

Replay: 3/10

Nothing here a second time around. Finish it, and the only reason to go back is to get a higher score than a friend, and that won't keep you entertained for very long.

Overall: 6/10

I'm sure at the time of its release this game got decent reviews; now it's simply a fun game that lacks the depth to be played for any more than a short period of time. I would recommend a rental only; it's unlikely you would see any reason to keep the game longer than that.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 11/01/99, Updated 08/07/01