"one of the most overlooked games out there"

Let's face it there are a lot of games out there. There are a lot of games out there for each system, let alone all of the history of home console games combined. So why should you pick an oft-overlooked game based on a Japanese cartoon (eventually made into a somewhat obscured by Disney American animated movie)? Well, it is just a well-made and fun game, plain and simple.

First, the premise of the game has to do with dreams (a favorite topic of mine). In his dreams, Nemo encounters a land where the princess and her kingdom have been taken over by the Nightmare King (resident bad dude of the dream world). As the traditional hero, Nemo must fight to regain the loyalty of the princess' bewitched subjects (who happen to be animals) and destroy the Nightmare King! Although it borrows a little here and there from the Mario Bros. series, the story is strong and has a rich background to work with in the world of dreams. The characters, including Nemo, are appropriately rich and detailed and encourage you to become fully engaged in this game.

The game is from the era in which Capcom had to make games well in order to gain the respect of avid gamers (disregard Street Fighter: 2010 if you even remember the game). Little Nemo screams production values from the very beginning, and it is excellent in helping the game's image. Graphics are lush and cartoony, and the color palette is very effective in creating this surreal, dreamscape environment. In fact, many of the levels are austerely beautiful; even though they're brightly colored and childish, they have this lonely quality that speaks about dreams all on its own. The short of it is that whoever did the graphics for this game should definitely have received a bonus. The music complements the graphics adequately most of the time; on some levels it stands out, but it just doesn't have the consistent flair that the visuals possess. None of the sound effects are bad either (except when Nemo dies- this candy coated MIDI sample crap has to go), therefore they don't really affect the game for better or worse.

The gameplay and controls are a mixed bag. The game involves Nemo, armed with a bottomless sack of candy, trying to make his way across each level, at times alone and at times assisted by a particularly helpful animal member of the world of dreams. While most monsters are under the Nightmare King's spell and can only be stunned by Nemo's candy, a few are especially resilient to spells and are merely asleep. Fortunately for Nemo, these animals can be awakened and employed for the low, low price of three pieces of candy. The strong point of this feature is that each animal (be it a fish, gorilla, lizard, etc.) has their own unique powers to help Nemo navigate the many perils of the dream world. The powers also aren't just different versions of the same idea: while the frog can destroy monsters, take three hits and allow Nemo to jump higher, the lizard can take four hits and climb any vertical surface, but must stay away from hostile animals. This variety (coupled with the fact that you can sometimes choose one of two animals to complete a level depending on your strategy or preference) adds a lot to the game's fun factor and replay level. If you really want a challenge, try to complete the game using your helpers as LITTLE as possible.

The controls, as I said before, are a little quirky. They are great when you are using an animal friend, but Nemo is noticeably shaky when you are trying to guide him through pbstacles, especially when jumping. However,it is not a tragic flaw. When Nemo recieves a scepter with which he can pound on enemies in the last "dream" (set of 3 levels), the controls proves to be very intuitive and makes the final areas of the game gripping and intense.

Overall, Little Nemo is a class act by Capcom, then a pre-Street Fighter class act company. Although this game recieved little buzz upon its release, its production values and interesting and engaging gameplay merit a second look by even the most hardened gamer. In sum, Little Nemo ranks as yet another good reason to dust off the NES and relive the times when graphics had to be poor, so gameplay had to deliver.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 11/01/99, Updated 01/13/01