Get your own Free Home PageThis article was originally printed in the February 1993 issue of Nintendo Power (Issue #78).
Have you ever wondered if there was a game out there that you may have overlooked? A good game that just slipped right past you while you weren't looking? We're willing to bet that it has happened to most of you. This article deals with NES games that didn't sell nearly as well as we thought they would and the reasons they may not have reached their potentials.
What influences a person, namely, you, to purchase a video game? It's probably a combination of things. First of all, there's the advertising and marketing efforts. If the TV commercial looks hot, you may be tempted to purchase the game. Does the package appeal to you? Providing that you don't know much about the game, how much can its outward appearance influence you to reach for it and your wallet? Seeing ads in video game magazines really hits home, as well, but, unfortunately, what you see is not always what you get.
Mass people purchased the first Simpsons game, Bart Vs. the Space Mutants. Many were disappointed with the odd play control and the overall format of the game. So why did it sell so many copies? Well, for starters, everyone loves the Simpsons. Does this mean that a video game is going to be as good as the TV show? Not necessarily.
How much of your purchase decision is affected by the licensee company's reputation? Are you more likely to purchase a new Capcom, Konami, or Nintendo game because of their track records? It's a good bet that the answer is "yes". While this strategy may be fairly safe, sonner or later you'll pass over some great stuff. It takes a little more effort to seek out information regarding less talked about titles, but the results will be worth your while.
There are other sources of information. Reviews in gaming magazines like Nintendo Power give players an oppurtunity to see what a game is about. Go for a little word-of-mouth information from your friends, too. They won't steer you wrong. Now, what about the influence of a familiar character? Everyone knows they can count on Mega Man and Mario, but how willing are you to take a chance on an unknown video game character? Every hero has to start somewhere!
Another excellent medium for advertising video games is print. Namely, video game magazines. Remember Kemco's "Shift Happens" advertisement for their racing game, Top Gear? The game sold very well. Granted, it was a good racing game, but F-1 ROC is on the same level as Top Gear, and it hasn't sold nearly as well. According to our Power Meter ratings, it should have been a closer race. We certainly applaud Kemco for coming up with such a creative and very effective advertisement. Bravo!
Another extremely important factor in the marketing of a video game is distribution. You can't buy a product that you can't find. Smaller licensee companies often have difficulty getting their products on the shelves of large retailers. It's likely that a game from a smaller licensee company will have to have a very strong pre-release demand to obtain a spot in the video game displays of retail giants like K-Mart and Wal-Mart. It may take a little detective work on your part to find some of these less talked about games, but in the end, it'll be worth the effort. The games that we'll be discussing here have all been on the market for well over a year. Some of them may be difficult to locate in stores. However, you can always call the licensee companies who produced them. They may be able to help.
Let's take a brief look at several games that may have suffered from a lack of marketing support and a lack of good distribution.
by IREM
Released:September 1990
Action
Password feature
MetalStorm could possibly take the award for the "Unsung Hero" of NES games if there were an award given out for that. Since there is no such award, you'll have to trust us. A factor that contributed to MetalStorm's low profile is that it did not have good distribution. MetalStorm has great play control. It also has very inventive play control. A robot that can manipulate its gravitational orientation is the main character. The best marketing support this game received was when it was featured on the cover of Nintendo Power (Volume 22). The game was also given a 12-page feature review in the very same issue. The game is challenging, but not extremely difficult to play. The space/robot theme is a tried and true format, but you have to admit, it does lend itself very well to video games.
by American Sammy
Released: November 1991
Action
Here's another game that appeared on the cover of Nintendo Power and was given a 12-page review (Volume 24). The 11-stage sci-fi adventure game had lots of action to offer, but there weren't a lot of stores who offered it for sale. The distribution of this game was anything but great. Unfortunately, American Sammy doesn't have the ability to muscle their product onto the shelves of many major retailers. Another important factor contributing to the game's weak sales statistics is that the game was released several months after it received the magazine coverage. Volume 24 was the May 1991 issue. Oops! When the game was finally released, about half a year later, many people had forgotten about it. This is also approximately the time when the Super NES was being eagerly awaited by many NES owners. Saving up cash for the Super NES was much higher on the priority list than giving a new NES game a try. Getting back into the game itself, the storyline is fantastic. The variety of the stages also makes for an enjoyable play. Next time you fire up your NES, keep this one in mind.
by American Technos
Released: January 1990
Adventure
Password feature
Two major things contributed to the downfall of American Technos' River City Ransom. First of all, the distribution of the product wasn't very good. Secondly, and possibly a more important factor, the game seemed to succumb to competition from other games, namely Double Dragon. It's ironic that Tradewest markets Double Dragon, but American Technos developed it. In essence, they ended up competing with themselves! Recently, they released a new NES title called Crash 'N the Boys: Street Challenge and are busy working on Super NES projects. American Technos did manage to put out a pretty good game when they released River City Ransom. Ryan and Alex, the main characters in the game, are out to clean up the city and the local high school. Good graphics and great fight sequences are high points in this brawling action game.
Kickle Cubicle, Solar Jetman, Little Nemo the Dream Master, and Maniac Mansion, all good games, were released in the month of October in 1990. During the same time period, Castlevania III and Dragon Warrior II were released. It was likely that most NES users would have been familiar with Dragon Warrior and the popular Castlevania series, so the follow-up games enjoyed strong sales while the others faltered a bit.
It's safe to assume that most people don't go around buying every game they see. They may just get one and then wait until they master it before going back to the store to get another one. That's perfectly fine, but by the time the person finally went back to the store to find another hot title, Dr. Mario, Mega Man III, and TMNT II had all been released and the first four games we mentioned here were passed over.
On a similar note, MetalStorm was released in February of 1991. During the same month we saw the release of Adventure Island II, Double Dragon II, and Bart Vs. the Space Mutants. Unfortunately, Irem's MetalStorm was likely to be passed over in favor of the titles with more "name" recognition. For those of you who are currently searching high and low for an older NES title, try calling the licensee for some help with your search.
by IREM
Released: October 1990
Puzzle/Action
Password Feature
Here's another really good game from Irem that rates fairly high as far as puzzle games go. It's fun for all ages, although the main character, Kickle, has a definite "younger" appeal. The storyline is another one of those "rescue the princess and save the world" kind of things, but if you put those things aside, Kickle Cubicle really shines. The initial levels in the game are easy, but the difficulty level steadily increases throughout the game. New enemies are introduced as you progress, too. A password feature is included and, if your game ends, you are allowed to Continue as many times as you like.
by Tradewest
Released: October 1990
Action
Password feature
The play control is what differentiates Solar Jetman from other games in which you have to pilot a spaceship. It's really cool, but if you happen to get a bit overzealous with the boost button, you're likely to get caught up in the gravitational pull of the planet and crash your spaceship. The play control is rather touchy, but once players get the hang of it, they're cruising around the 13 planets with the best of 'em! A six-page review in Volume 18 was the extent of the Nintendo Power coverage given to the game. It may have been an oversight on Nintendo Power's behalf not to give the game more space. The game doesn't have much in the way of name recognition, but that fact shouldn't stop you from playing it!
by Capcom
Released: October 1990
Action
Password feature
To the visionaries who purchased this game when it was first released: Good call! Not many people know about Little Nemo, but more people should. This game is also in the running for the "Unsung Hero" award and could possibly beat out MetalStorm. Seeing that it's a Capcom game should prompt a potential purchaser to investigate a bit further. Check out the review in Volume 18 to see what the adventure is all about. At a glance, Nemo seems to appeal to a younger player, but the level of difficulty certainly is appropriate for more experienced players. It's an excellent game.
by Jaleco
Released: October 1990
RPG
Battery save feature
The cover of Volume 16 was adorned with the characters and setting for this cool RPG. Final Fantasy may have garnered more attention from RPG fans, but the PC-ish Maniac Mansion, with it's weird characters and wacky attitude, certainly deserves a look.
Many consumers have laid their trust on the strength of a game by what they can see on the outside of the package. Don't judge a book by its cover and don't trust box art. It can go either way. A poor game can have great box art and a great game can have poor artwork on the package. A good example of this is the first Mega Man game from Capcom. Compared to the packaging from recent Mega Man games, the first one was pretty lame. However, the game ruled. A lot of people now want the original Mega Man game. Capcom re-released the game largely because of consumer demand. Maybe it was initially passed over because consumers weren't compelled to grab it off the shelf and take it to the cash register.
OK, who would you choose? Little Kevin McCallister from Home Alone or some kid named Mike Jones? If you said "Mike Jones," you're pretty smart and a true Nintendo fan. Home Alone is a very strong seller despite the fact that it isn't an outstanding game. The same can be said for the Simpsons' NES games, too. Everyone tends to feel safe with what they know. It's OK - it's natural. However, a poor game with a fantastic license is still a poor game. When making a purchase decision, try to look "past" the license to get to the heart of the game and ask yourself, "Will I really enjoy playing it?" Here are some games that don't feature a popular, licensed character, but nonetheless deserve a closer look.
by Nintendo
Released: January 1991
Adventure
Battery save feature
A boy named Mike Jones is the hero of this adventure, but he didn't receive what Nintendo would call a hero's welcome. This game could have been a blockbuster if it had a popular character in the starring role. Mike's yo-yo is the only weapon he has to protect himself for most of the game. StarTropics aptly combines elements of action and role-playing in the adventure. The play control is a bit awkward, but it doesn't take much time to get over that and to get used to it. The action gets fierce for Mike in the final stages of the game. Give it a try!
by Atlus Software
Released: September 1991
Action
Password feature
More inventive play control is waiting for you in Rockin' Kats. The main cat, Willy, is a total no-name character. He's certainly no Chester Cheetah or Tom from Tom and Jerry, but Willy is on the ball and does have some really cool moves at his disposal. His best ally and main weapon is a gun loaded with a retractable boxing glove. The boxing glove also acts as a grappling hook and allows Willy to make some outstanding moves. Rockin' Kats is another game that you may have to search high and low for at various retail locations.
by Nintendo
Released: July 1990
Action
This game lacks a certain degree of visibility. The snake character isn't one that anyone recognizes or would automatically be interested in. The play control is tricky to learn, mostly because the snake moves diagonally, but in actuality, the control is very precise. People who love puzzle and action games should enjoy every level in this game.
by Sunsoft
Released: November 1988
Adventure
Sunsoft should have stuck a licensed character in Blaster Master. In relation to its release date, the graphics are great! The action switches between side-scrolling stages and stages that have a Zelda-ish view. If you look for Blaster Master in stores and can't find it, you might want to give Blaster Master Boy a try on your Game Boy!
by Kemco-Seika
These two role-playing games generated a huge number of calls to the Nintendo Game Play Counselors. They have many puzzles to solve and you'll often have to retrace your steps, so they're difficult games. The graphics and sound are nothing to speak of, but the value of these games comes in the challenge factor. They can be frustrating for action game fans, but to everyone else, these two games should score high marks!
Don't end up buying a game you won't like. Take some time and seek out sources of information other than TV commercials, box art, and packaging information to find out about a game before purchasing it. Check out Nintendo Power for reviews. Give the licensee a call. See if there's an in-store display, etc. Also, speaking of stores, go to many. You'll be able to see more games that are available and you'll also be able to find the best prices. Taking these steps will help you to find a game that you'll really enjoy.
Get your own Free Home Page