We must go back to the Future! (For NES, of course.)
Z #unpopular game idea tag that’s been floating around recently, I thought I’d delve into my own unpopular opinion. Back to the Future for the NES is not a bad game. It’s not the greatest, but it certainly doesn’t deserve the criticism it’s getting.
Strip away the obvious movie-based plot and you’ve got a pretty decent vertical scrolling shooter. Granted, you don’t start out with a gun, but if you dodge enough hits, you’ll eventually pick up a bowling ball to throw around. There is also a speed boost in the form of a skateboard. So basically, this Gradius game but instead of a ship you play as a human… Okay, that’s a stretch, but you get the point.
Gameplay
Back to the Future is divided into four levels, each containing four stages. Three of the four stages are top-down parts of the game I mentioned. The last stage of the level is a special stage with a unique challenge.
On the first of four special sections, you fend off bullies by throwing milkshakes. In the second, you reject Lorraine’s love block cartoon hearts. In the third – you rock your guitar and collect musical notes. Finally, the last special section allows you to try go back to the future in a DeLorean.
It’s a simple game that has little variety in terms of gameplay, but it’s still there unattractive factors too.
The same song is played over and over in the street scenes. It’s reportedly a Power of Love song … just sped up and converted to MIDI.
It’s good at first, but it gets tiresome. The first two specials have no music at all, so you get a little respite from the Power of Love track. The third special stage has a MIDI version of Johnny B. Hood, which actually sounds quite nice. The fourth special section simply repeats the Power of Love track from the street levels.
The street scenes are also a bit the same. Aside from swapping colors, there’s nothing to differentiate the levels. The same enemies appear throughout the game.
The worst are the bees/birds flying at you from all directions. You have to keep an eye on these guys or else they will sneak up on you and knock you off your feetp. Enemies are also difficult to dodge, but at the same time you need to try to attack them to score points. If an enemy knocks you over or trips you over an object, you will lose the bonuses.
I’ve heard people complain about the clock collecting mechanic, but I don’t find anything wrong with it. It’s a way to keep the game interesting so you don’t just jump from one stage to the next. It’s also an interesting mechanic because you are literally finding time to stay alive.
The photo at the bottom of the screen acts as your timer. As the characters in the picture disappear, so will Marty. You collect clocks to keep the characters from disappearing. When you collect 100 watches, the photo will return to its “unfaded” state. This is useful if you are stuck.
The last level of the game is a bit unfair. As I said before, you drive a DeLorean around town. You need to dodge the lightning to reach the right speed to go back to the future. If you fail to get there, it’s game over. It doesn’t matter how many lives you have, you have to start the whole game over.
The graphics are also pretty decent for the NES. I’ve seen the best, but I’ve also seen much worse.
Final Thoughts: Back to the Future for the NES
in general Back to the Future for the NES has a certain appeal. It’s one of those “it’s so bad it’s tolerable” type of games, but like I said, it’s completely mediocre. I felt compelled to play the entire game after turning off the controls. It has the right amount of challenge for the short game.
Try it. You might just like it. Just play with the TV off.
I give this game 2.5 hours out of 5.
So, with that said, this is just one of my unpopular gaming opinions. What are yours? Let me know in the comments.