NES Launch Games Revealed
Today’s edition of the Milwaukee Journal had a great article outlining the upcoming Nintendo Entertainment System and its slate of launch games. Edward Semrad writes a weekly column called Video Adventures, where he often reviews the latest computer and video games. He got his hands on the soon to be released NES and has had a chance to play many of the initial titles. The rest of us will have to wait until later this month when Nintendo tries out the U.S. market by releasing the console and games in New York.
As was previously known, the NES will come packed with the control deck (obviously), two controllers, the Zapper Light Gun, and R.O.B., the interactive Robotic Operating Buddy. In addition, two games will be included in the box: Duck Hunt and Gyromite, taking full advantage of the extra accessories Nintendo has provided. The entire bundle is set to retail for $179.95.
Duck Hunt will utilize the Zapper, a high tech light gun game that will have players take aim at the television set to try and shoot ducks flying about the screen. Similar games have been featured in arcades and fairs, but Nintendo promises this technology to be accurate and the games to be fun and entertaining. Other games that will use the gun include Wild Gunman and Hogan’s Alley.
Gyromite is a unique game that makes full use of R.O.B., which interacts with the television via photsensors in his eyes. The player must navigate the levels by raising and lowering different colored cylinders. This is where R.O.B. does the heavy lifting, by watching the game he will manipulate the on-screen gates by pressing the appropriate buttons on the NES controller. Other Robot Series games are in the works, with the first being Stack-Up.
Right now, according to Mr. Semrad, the NES is scheduled to launch with the following games:
- 10-Yard Fight
- Baseball
- Clu Clu Land
- Duck Hunt (Packed In)
- Excitebike
- Golf
- Gyromite (Packed In)
- Hogan’s Alley
- Ice Climber
- Kung Fu
- Pinball
- Soccer
- Stack-Up
- Super Mario Bros.
- Tennis
- Wild Gunman
- Wrecking Crew
He also mentions the following games are slated for 1986:
- Balloon Fight
- Donkey Kong
- Donkey Kong Jr.
- Donkey Kong 3
- Donkey Kong Jr. Math
- Heli Fighter
- Mach Rider
- Mario Bros.
- Popeye
- Urban Champion
We will have much more on these games and impressions of the NES as we get a chance to try them out for ourselves. We will have the finalized launch games and more information, as the launch looms closer. I’ve got a screen shot of the Milwaukee Journal article below. Notice the stock photo being used is of an outdated Nintendo system (back when it was called the AVS). The controllers are different as is the light gun and the console itself (the game is on top of the unit like an Atari). I found a clearer image of that same photo that I’ve placed below. Keep in mind the system will look like the one pictured above, not the one shown below:
Craig has been covering the video game industry since 1995. His work has been published across a wide spectrum of media sites. He’s currently the Editor-In-Chief of Nintendo Times and contributes to Gaming Age.
