Jul 18th 2013, 10:30, by Chris Holt, Sarah Jacobsson Purewal
Ah, the 1990s—a time where game console technology was rapidly changing and most video games could be beaten in a single day. A time with colorful action figures and small hand-held tech toys in a pre-cell phone world. As kids who grew up in the 80s and 90s, we find ourselves missing some of the games and toys we used to hold so highly. Luckily, we're seeing ports of classic games—and modern spins on older hits or classic toys—onto mobile platforms popping up more and more. Although they don't have quite the same feeling, they come pretty close. Here are three games for iOS that are sure to inspire nostalgia for gamers in the 90s.
The Other Brothers
With its combination of challenging platforming mechanics and iconic (if unlikely) heroes, the Mario Brothers took the world by storm in the early 80s. Now, three decades later, many of the same tropes that the Mario Brothers first pioneered are still alive and well. It's important to know your video game history when you play a game like 3D Attack Interactive's $2 The Other Brothers, which is really a love letter to not only to the Super Mario Brothers series, but iconic platformers of old. It's also, despite its seeming periodic origins, a great, challenging platformer in its own right with a classic art style and compelling world.
Mechanics Joe and Jim witness the kidnapping of a woman by two mafia types, and decide to give chase. Yes, they have overalls, and they attack enemies mainly by jumping on their heads, but aside from these not-so-subtle nods, the game draws from various sources and even muscles in some genuinely original moments. You can see level design that seems reminiscent of Earthworm Jim and Shank, but you'll also fight a giant mafia robot atop a boiling tide of minestrone soup—so there are some things that even seasoned vets will be surprised by.
I appreciate that the game doesn't take place on Chaos Isle, Marioland, or some other fantasyland. Your enemies are gun-wielding mafia hit men, police offers, rabid dogs, and varied environmental challenges, which makes the game a bit grittier, or perhaps real-world, then the bizarre imaginary lands conjured up by golden era platformers.
ConversionConversion EmoticonEmoticon