Rambo

"What is this?!"

Introduction- Rambo: First Blood Part II was the perfect movie to turn into a video game. While it was just as good (in my opinion) as the original First Blood, it featured more video game worthy aspects such as invading enemy territory, blowing up scum, and rescuing POWs. The Nintendo Entertainment System as well as the Sega Master System each got their own game adaption of the movie, but the similarities end there. While the SMS Rambo is a blast to play, the NES version is needlessly hard and drawn out.

Gameplay (2/10)- Believe it or not, the gameplay is similar to Zelda II, without the top-down elements. However, this game is almost no fun at all. It starts out well enough, with Rambo dropping into the enemy territory, but quickly goes downhill from there. Since when did Rambo kill bees? Who thought that brilliant enemy up? You endlessly run through screens trying to desperately meet up with your sidekick, Co. The controls are decent at first, but you soon tire of the constant cheap shots you're exposed to.

Story (8/10)- I will say that the story is straight (more or less) from the movie. Rambo must enter a POW camp, take pictures, and get to the extraction point. Of course, it doesn't go as planned, and Rambo ends up engaging the enemy (AKA- Rambo kicks some butt). If you plan on playing this all the way through (HA!), I won't go any further into the plot. Let's just say if you've seen the movie, you're not missing much here.

Graphics (5/10)- The graphics are decent enough for the NES. Rambo looks good, so do the enemy soldiers. But what's with some of the enemies? Bees, pink flamingos, and bubbles (seriously!). The levels consist of running around trying to find where you're supposed to go, and since so much of it looks the same, the task is easier said than done. In the end, the graphics are mostly disappointing.

Sound (5/10)- Lots of looping music here. While there's one track that sounds pretty good, most of the music is forgettable. The sound effects aren't anything special either. The sound is pretty much a disappointment (except for that one good track).

Replayability (1/10)- AHHHHH! Why would anyone want to play this again?! The game is pure torture to play through once, forget about repeated plays. The game neither delivers satisfying action or really intriguing gameplay (due to constantly getting hit and being able to do nothing about it).

Final Recommendation- I think it's safe to say that the SMS got the superior Rambo game. This game is certainly ambitious, but it fails in nearly every aspect, save for story, which the game designers really didn't think of themselves. Rambo: First Blood Part II was a great movie, and inspired one great game and one awful one. Buy only as collection filler.

Reviewer's Score: 2/10, Originally Posted: 08/28/03