Yo! Noid

"Surprisingly, this is a good game!"

Introduction- If you grew up in the late-80's/early-90's, you remember The Noid, the bizarre little man in a red rabbit costume who constantly tried to destroy quality pizzas, but could never overtake the power of a Domino's Pizza. Well, it seems Domino's wanted to expose The Noid to everyone possible, and in 1990 they and Capcom released Yo! Noid, a platformer for the NES. Aside from the title screen, Domino's Pizza is not mentioned in the game (that I saw), but it's still an obvious plug for Domino's. Normally, all of this would combine to produce a simply mediocre platformer (or worse), but this time around, something different happened: This game is good! I remember reading a review of this in an old Nintendo magazine, but it took awhile for me to actually play the game. I wish I would've played it sooner.

Story (5/10)- Okay, the story is stupid, but I suppose it's better than The Noid out on a quest to destroy Domino's. The premise has one Mr. Green (simple a green Noid) attacking New York city, and only The Noid can stop him. Why only The Noid? Well, would you mess with a strange man in a rabbit suit that's slinging a yo-yo all over the place? Of course you wouldn't.

Gameplay (8/10)- Wow, this game turned out to be addictive! The controls are simple, you walk, jump, and throw out your yo-yo. You also have the ability to use a special power, considering you have enough energy and the icon of the power you desire. Throwing your yo-yo out may produce hidden items throughout a level (they're actually hidden in mid-air). The levels are fun to play through, and while most are of the standard variety, there are two flying stages that keep the game fresh. There are two bad points to the gameplay, however. First off, The Noid dies with one hit. No big deal, right? Well, he isn't Super Mario, he can't just be 'downsized' one hit and that's it. Sometimes it's hard to avoid a hit, but always possible. Second, after every other level, there is a pizza eating contest, which just stops the game in it's tracks, and is mind-numbingly simple. Pick the card with the higher number of pizzas, and you eat the difference. Of course, your opponent can do the same. The contests just aren't much fun.

Graphics (10/10)- WOW! The graphics are excellent! Everything is of cartoon quality, and very well detailed. The Noid looks good during regular gameplay, and perfect during little cutscenes (shown at the beginning and end). The stages are bright and colorful. Animation is smooth and reasonably good for an NES. The graphics are very pleasing to the eye, overall.

Sound (8/10)- Not spectacular, but the tunes are catchy enough. None of the music is bad, just that it doesn't really stand out. The only music I can remember is the pizza eating contest tune, and that's because you have to go through it every other level. Sound effects aren't bad, either, they sound okay for an NES.

Replay (6/10)- Replay suffers a little. This game is often very difficult, and coupled with the pizza eating contests, you may not want to replay it for awhile. You can usually get your fix by playing the first two or so levels. Replay isn't awful, but could be better.

Overall- Don't get me wrong, this is no Super Mario Bros. or Super Mario Bros. 3, but it is a good platformer. If you're looking for some quality platforming action, this is definitely a good choice. Games with mascots aren't always good, but this is a definite exception. Good graphics, good sound, good gameplay, fair replay, bad story, that sums this game up. Recommended, for sure.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 05/26/04