Ice Climber

"This game is just so much fun..."

Ice Climber was released by Nintendo in the mid 80's. It's a very basic game, but somehow, I get plenty of fun playing it. So let's take a journey back in time to when games were original and look and Ice Climber in depth.

Gameplay: The object of Ice Climber was easy. Climb to the top of each mountain. There are 31 mountains for your climbing pleasure. The nice thing is is that you don't have to start at mountain one. The game gives you a choice of what mountain you want to start at. Now, let me run down a mountain in Ice Climber for you. There are two sections of a mountain, the normal part and the bonus part. To complete the level, you must advance through the different parts of the level. You break through blocks, hit enemies with your hammer, and climb up. If you take too long on a certain part, the Polar Bear will come and cause hell, which basically means you die. Once the normal part is finished, you reach the bonus part. The object is to get to the top and grab the bird, while collecting the fruits on your way. Really, it's more fun than it sounds. You don't have to complete the bonus to win the level. Also, mountain one is really easy while 31 is downright impossible.

Graphics: Hey, it's an early NES game, give it some credit. Graphics aren't stunning, but hey, who need em'? You can make your your Eskimo and the animals so that's good enough for me.

Music and Sound: There are some good tunes in the game, but sadly, there are only two of them. The sound effects are, you guessed it, bleeps and bloops. If your working for mountain 31, put on a C.D.

Replay Value: If your determined to beat 31, then you'll find replay value out of this game. If your not, then you'll play it once, and forget about it. I still get replay value out of it.

Ice Climber is a lot of fun. Add another player and it's really fun. It's a great co-op game that ranks up there with Bubble Bobble and Contra. Pick Ice Climber up, it's note expensive, and I promise you a fun time.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 12/28/01, Updated 12/28/01