5. Jackal
Type: Action
Platform(s): NES
Heading into the final five we begin with one of the mainstays of 8-bit technology. Jackal took the classic side-scrolling textures everyone was used to at the time, flipped it to the opposite plane of axis, and threw you in a heavily armed jeep. The premise of the game was simple: maneuver your jeep around (with the option for a second player of course) a multitude of obstacles and artillery shots, rescue as many P.O.W.s as possible, and blow up as much as you can. However, execution of this all proved to be incredibly difficult, though not impossible as many NES games at the time were. With just the right amount challenge and an incredibly fun interface, Jackal became one of my all time favorite NES games. Just like a good dusting off of the original Contra, CastleVania, or Ninja Gaiden will do, Jackal can reinvigorate your love for the simpler days of gaming.
4. Haunting: Starring PolterguyType: ???
Platform(s): Genesis
Haunting is a game that defies description. Really, the only other game made in its genre would be the Spy VS. Spy title for the NES. As such there really isn't a category you could fit it into. This proves to be its strongest point though. Simply put, this is one of the most original games ever designed. As Polterguy, you were set the task of evacuating an unwanted family from your humble abode. Being a subject of the undead you could not do this directly. Instead your supernatural powers were used to set traps on everyday household objects (a concept clearly lifted from the aforementioned Spy VS. Spy title) in hopes of delivering a terrifying shock to the family members often with hilarious results. When frightened enough the unit would run screaming from the building never to return (not until the next level that is). This power didn't come without a price however and you were expected to replace your waning ectoplasm in a treasure hunt scenario through the underworld. Games like this truly only come along once in a lifetime. I really wish the developers (and gamers) would get out of their one dimensional views and strive for more unconventional ideas.
-RaiNny
hk_newbie said...
Jackal got pretty easy after playing through it once. You had basically no chance of losing all of your lives...Never played that other game, though i heard alot about it.
said...
I loved teh coin-op Jackal, and I played the coin-op version on MAME last week. Still haven't worked my way to the end, though.