Ice Climber

"An OLD NES game...kinda dull"

OK, I won't be too hard on Ice Climber. After all, this was one of NES's first games ever. Regardless, it plays more like an Atari 2600 game then anything else, but it's really not tooo bad of a game, considering its age of course...

You play the role of some guy in a parka with a hammer. You have to get to the top of the levels, but there's ice ledges and stuff in the way. So by jumping, you raise your hammer above you, and smash any ice bits that you encounter. By making holes in the platforms, you can climb up the the level's exit. However, there were different things holding you back. There are icicles that form and drop on you, there are seals that attack you, and even birds. Luckily for you, you can swing your hammer too. When you get to the top of a level, there's a bonus stage where you can collect bonus items, and continue to climb. The game isn't really that bad, but it controls like there's a hippopotomus is tied to your back, as the character jumps almost straight up, and hardly diagonal at all. This is very frustrating, especially when you have to jump on moving platforms.

The graphics of this game are really good, considering that this is one of the first NES games to come out. The character looks really detailed, and everything animates well. The sound has nothing spectacular about it, and isn't very memorable.

If you're into first generation NES games, you'll probably dig Ice Climber. If you're into Atari 2600 games, you'll probably dig Ice Climber, as it has a sort of "Atari" feel to it. The game's certainly not bad, it's just old, and didn't really stand the test of time. Regardless, this game is fun for a little while, but I wouldn't recommend buying it unless it's really cheap. It's just not that good of a game.

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