1989 (Prince of Persia, Shadow of the Beast and A Boy and his Blob are released)
Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap/Monster World II: Dragon no Wana (SMS, 1989/PCE, 1990/GG, 1992)
Subgenre: ARPG-ish (hub town, shops, player forms have gear affinities, slightly randomized damage outputs)/Zelda-like Platform Adventure
Movement Mechanics: Flight (as hawk man), Swimming (as piranha man)
Other: Overworld and dungeons split
Playthrough - Video Review - Mini Review & SMS vs. GG Comparison
Subgenre: ARPG-ish (hub town, shops, player forms have gear affinities, slightly randomized damage outputs)/Zelda-like Platform Adventure
Movement Mechanics: Flight (as hawk man), Swimming (as piranha man)
Other: Overworld and dungeons split
- First area ties into the prequel (used later in Castlevania: SotN)
- Can transform anywhere w/ a secret gear combo
- Password save (loading one resets consumable items in chests which makes it easier to grind for charm stones for example)
- Charm stones determine if you can or can't buy certain gear (in the SMS and PCE versions - on GG they are used to teleport back to town instead))
- No map
- Some sequence breaking possibilities (can do Lion Man's area before the pirate ship, more with the tasmanian sword which is gained in that area)
Playthrough - Video Review - Mini Review & SMS vs. GG Comparison
Strider (NES, 1989)
Subgenre: AA w/ some ARPG elements (basic leveling system of sorts - learn a new spell+gain some HP & MP after finishing a sub goal, NPCs), Similar to Ys III and Bionic Commando
Movement Mechanics: Slide move (default, generally can't use it as a combat dodge, can use it as an attack later on), High jump spell (temporary effect), Walk on certain walls and ceiling w/ the magnet boots, Wall jump (default ability)
Other: Hub map (airship home base), Can return to your ship via a level's entrance
Playthrough - Video Review - Mini Review
Subgenre: AA w/ some ARPG elements (basic leveling system of sorts - learn a new spell+gain some HP & MP after finishing a sub goal, NPCs), Similar to Ys III and Bionic Commando
Movement Mechanics: Slide move (default, generally can't use it as a combat dodge, can use it as an attack later on), High jump spell (temporary effect), Walk on certain walls and ceiling w/ the magnet boots, Wall jump (default ability)
Other: Hub map (airship home base), Can return to your ship via a level's entrance
- Linear structure unless you use a glitch to sequence break
- Backtracking to previous levels to explore everything that can be found
- Password save (not too long)
- No lives and no checkpoints - you do get unlimited continues however (if you choose game start at the main menu after dying you continue before the last level you were on), Can refill your HP and MP by going back to your ship
- Recover data files in the levels which are analyzed back at your ship - messages from NPCs providing info and side quests,
- Gain a warp to ship spell after about 4 levels (kind of expensive to use though and at that point you're generally auto-teleported at the end of levels anyway), Some shortcuts (pneumatic tube elevators; later used in Sonic) but you sometimes have to backtrack through a whole level back to your ship - later on you'll be able to warp back to the ship though
- Sub weapon/spell inventory
- Gain a ranged charge attack - Zelda (at one point used to knock the weapon out of a boss's hands)
- Get ambushed at your base at one point
- One sequence break by using a damage boost glitch (past the lvl 5 door in australia)
- Off screen enemy respawning (they can drop health but it's sometimes rare+see below) and sometimes constant respawning if you don't move forward, Can despawn some enemies by moving away from them (doesn't happen with dropped items)
- Some death pits (annoying how you don't die immediately but also can't get back up)
- Enemy drops disappear in about 4 seconds
- Some resource management (sub weapons/spells cost energy/MP and are kind of expensive)
- Some control/interface issues (very poor wall jump controls, no invincibility time, no area maps, sometimes glitchy physics around platforms, etc)
- Trial & error (matic boss, the ranged charge attack (plasma cipher attack) isn't explained in-game, leaps of faith - can't look up/down, some data files are found by randomly jumping in certain spots - no clues, some pointless one-way paths, etc)
- Some tedious aspects (backtracking to your ship early on - no new enemies or hazards when backtracking in a level, inconsistent enemy drop system, etc)
- Some unavoidable hits
- Confusing progression at times
Playthrough - Video Review - Mini Review
Clash at Demonhead/Dengeki Big Bang (NES, 1989)
Subgenre: ARPG-ish (shops, force points=exp points+force ability energy, NPCs)
Movement Mechanics: Swimming, Flight via jet pack and a spell, Climbing
Other: Hub map (one big world, can only move between connected areas/levels normally and can replay "beaten" areas - most routes/areas have two entry points, many branching paths on the map), One randomized and timed bomb defusal code sequence right at the end (pretty much luck-based unless you use an exploit which still isn't quite reliable)
Playthrough - Video Review - Mini Review
Ys III: Wanderers from Ys (Multi, 1989)
Subgenre: ARPG
Other: Hub map, Town and hostile areas split
Playthrough - Video Review (SNES) - Mini Review (MD)
Subgenre: ARPG-ish (shops, force points=exp points+force ability energy, NPCs)
Movement Mechanics: Swimming, Flight via jet pack and a spell, Climbing
Other: Hub map (one big world, can only move between connected areas/levels normally and can replay "beaten" areas - most routes/areas have two entry points, many branching paths on the map), One randomized and timed bomb defusal code sequence right at the end (pretty much luck-based unless you use an exploit which still isn't quite reliable)
- Partially non-linear structure (one big hub map w/ various branching paths - can take 3 different paths after the first route, routes or levels have to be traversed to get to a destination whether or not you've beaten them previously or not and you can only move between connected destinations unless you use teleportation, certain events will not occur until other actions have taken place in other routes and you'll run into dead ends if you just take a random path, need to traverse pretty much the whole map to finish the game, some gating via harder enemies or bosses, one optional boss - pandar)
- Shops (upgrades and new ammo-based guns, jet pack for reaching some places, aqualung/scuba gear for not taking damage underwater and swimming faster, hyper boots for moving faster and jumping further, super suit/lava suit which also lets you climb icy surfaces, etc.)
- Password save (fairly long, have to buy them though they are cheap)
- Gain some abilities for traversal/exploration by collecting force/exp points (have to visit the hermit to gain the first one - the rest are gained automatically at certain points and can be accessed via the pause menu; shrinking (only needed once), teleportation to previously visited areas, flight which lasts until hit)
- Shop call item (consumable, have to buy additional ones in the shop or find them which you can only do in one or two areas, can't use it everywhere)
- Unlimited lives (restart at the beginning of the current route) however you lose half of your force points
- Fast travel via teleport
- No level maps (can just check which route you're currently at on the hub map) and the hub map doesn't show all visited route numbers - only the adjacent ones to where you are (even when using the teleport ability)
- One alternate bad ending
- Can put partially used up gear back into the inventory - good since traversal items are all consumables and their power drains pretty quickly
- Some scripted events
- Some life bar upgrades
- Minor sequence breaking possibilities (can skip meeting some NPCs+one boss+destroying the eggs, can skip some platforming challenges with jetpack)
Playthrough - Video Review - Mini Review
Ys III: Wanderers from Ys (Multi, 1989)
Subgenre: ARPG
Other: Hub map, Town and hostile areas split
- Very linear structure
- Save feature (anywhere except during boss fights, 10+ slots)
- No dungeon maps
- No tool items for traversal/exporation gained besides the Fire Jewel (creates a guiding light in a dark maze) and arguably the Fire Dragon's Amulet (dries up a lava river) - the rest are used as keys or for trading
Playthrough - Video Review (SNES) - Mini Review (MD)
Fantasy World Dizzy (AMI/Multi, 1989) - WIP
Subgenre: Puzzle Platformer/Collectathon (coins)
Map feature (shows coins and some platforms)
No save or password save
Improved inventory interface, Item bag (only increases capacity from 3 to 4 but still)
Only one kind of non-key item (sort of - 3 boulders to raise the water level on one screen)
One sequence break (the game doesn't actually require the magic bean to be planted for the beanstalk to grow - only the bucket of water - so you can skip all the steps involving the bean) - check which version
Playthrough - Video Review - Review
Friday the 13th (NES, 1989) - WIP
Subgenre: Survival Horror/Rescue Mission
Perspective: Side View (outdoors)/Third Person or Behind the Avatar View Hybrid (indoors)
Six playable chars with randomized starting locations (Paul and Debbie have identical stats though and both are worse than George) that you can switch between while indoors
Map feature (outdoors only - going left moves you clockwise around the map while going right moves you counterclockwise)
No save or password save
Limited item inventory (4 per char, can pass weapons but not other items between chars, picking up a new weapon replaces the one you have)
Minor ability/tool gating (lighter for the cabins and flashlight for the cave)
Playthrough - Video Review
Prison (AMI/ST, 1989)
Subgenre: Action Platformer/Adventure Hybrid similar to Spellbound, Collectathon element (escape craft parts)
Other: Not much platforming, Layered world (background and foreground paths/doors), Some trader NPCs
-Item inventory and basic inventory puzzles
-Some tool gating (bombs, place a platform at a gap to be able to jump it, weight on a platform to open a door; the rest are used like keys)
-Enemies can move between rooms
-Can threaten NPCs
-A couple of fetch quests
-Enemies also trigger mines
-Some teleporters (some are one-way only?)
-No map system?
-Save feature?
Playthrough
Outliers:
TMNT/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (NES, 1989) - Kinda similar to Zelda II in structure (the overworld is played in a TD view and has real-time combat in it, the game's structure is linear but most of its hub areas allow for non-linear gameplay, can't backtrack to a previous hub area)
Basic overworld maps
No save or password save, limited continues
Non-persistent power ups in sub areas means you can grind for pizza and sub weapons
One tool gate and its use is pretty straightforward (rope item used like a key to cross some pits)
Playthrough - Video Review - Mini Review
River City Ransom (NES, 1989) - Beat 'em up w/ RPG elements (shops and character building using food/books/music CDs (10 different stats), 2 item inventory), Tilted view, 2-player co-op!,
New moves help with combat but aren't required to progress through the areas
Password save anywhere
No map
Help menu in-game
Playthrough - Video Review - Mini Review
Midwinter (ST, 1989/AMI/PC, 1990) - 3D Action Adventure w/ RPG elements (various char attributes & skills, recruit chars for a 2-6 person party), FP view, Hub map/building select when entering towns
Detailed map w/ zoom feature, compass and mini-map
Time limits?
Blow up buildings with explosives
Save feature
Three vehicles (hang glider - beginning only?, skiing - default?, snow mobile) - Jumping via hills only (no traditional movement?)
Playthrough - Review
Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse (NES, 1989) - Proto-Platform Adventure (branching paths between levels, recruit and switch between characters with different skills like climbing and flight)
Password save
Partial and vague world map (shown in segments in-between levels)
Grant and Alucard can pull off some sequence breaking through their climbing and flight skills, respectively
Playthrough - Video Review - Mini Review
Quest for Glory series (PC) - Graphic Adventure/ARPG hybrid, mixed TP views, no direct platforming but can use climbing as a skill (and you can jump as a dodge move during battle in QfG 2)
Avoidable monsters which you can also attack before they reach you and switch the engine into a basic fighting game in isometric view
Save anywhere
No maps (world map in V)
Playthrough (EGA) - Video Review/Retrospective - Mini Review (QfG1 VGA)
Switchblade (AMI, 1989) - Maze Platformer (linear structure)
Charge attack
Many hidden rooms behind breakable walls
Bosses require that you use specific weapons gained throughout the game
No save or password save
No maps
Playthrough - Review
MechWarrior (PC, 1989) - 3D Mech Sim/RPG/Graphic Adventure Hybrid (recruit a crew (4 char party?) at a bar, customize/buy/maintain mechs, reputation mechanic, negotiate mission contracts), FP view, Jump jets (no standard jumping), Non-linear mission-based structure (menu select), Can keep going after failing a mission, Guard and Rescue missions, CPU allies that can be ordered around, 5 year time limit
Maps and mini-maps, Compass
Save feature (in-between missions?)
Random starting planet and procedurally generated missions
Gameplay - Video Review
Project Firestart (C64, 1989) - Run 'n gun-ish Maze Action/Survival Horror, Tilted view without platforming
Enemies can follow you between rooms
Optional rescue mission (affects the story)
Dark rooms (someone flicks a light switch mid-way through the game)
Pretty cinematic for the time w/ plenty of cutscenes during the game (including various "meanwhile" scenes)
Journal entries on computers
Came with a map
Some interactive dialogue with your senior
No save feature?
Playthrough - Video Retrospective
Tusker (C64/AMI)? - Action Adventure or Maze Action?, Tilted view without platforming
Some dark rooms
Thirst mechanic
Can free certain beasts
Two active item slots (similar to Castlevania)
One fetch quest
AMI: music and sfx, partially different level design
No map?
No save or password save?
Playthrough (C64) - Review
A Boy and his Blob (NES, 1989) - Puzzle Platformer/Maze Platformer
Features an NPC-controlled blob ally that you can feed with different jellybeans to transform it into tools for traversal/key gating/combat (14 different forms in all)
All tools are available from the get go
Some resource management (limited amount of jellybeans)
Ammo shop (pharmacy, buy ammo w/ found treasure)
Targhan (PCs, 1989)? - Maze Platformer/Puzzle Platformer?
Item inventory
DuckTales (NES, 1989) - Hub map, Non-linear structure, One key gate
Upgradeable HP
Three different endings depending on the amount of money you've collected
Little Ninja Brothers (NES, 1989) - JRPG/Beat 'em up Hybrid (Single Screen BEU encounters, JRPG-style (TB) boss battles), 2-player co-op (the other player can join or leave in-game)
Can avoid random encounters (flee before battle mechanic - dice roll based)
Password save (fairly long)
No maps
The Persian Gulf Inferno (AMI) - Maze Platformer/Action Platformer
Prince of Persia (PC, 1989)
Subgenre: Action Platformer/Puzzle Platformer w/ Maze-like levels
Other: More realistic physics than usual, Cling onto and climb platform edges, Fencing duels (parry, parry-then slash/counter attack, move backwards), Time limit
Upgradeable lifebar (large red potions)
Temporary hover jump/slow fall ability via the green potions (these are used when picked up)
Switch and timing puzzles as well as an upside down room puzzle (one of the later green potions has this effect) and a doppelganger/mirror image puzzle (have to merge with it as damaging it hurts you too)
Subgenre: Puzzle Platformer/Collectathon (coins)
Map feature (shows coins and some platforms)
No save or password save
Improved inventory interface, Item bag (only increases capacity from 3 to 4 but still)
Only one kind of non-key item (sort of - 3 boulders to raise the water level on one screen)
One sequence break (the game doesn't actually require the magic bean to be planted for the beanstalk to grow - only the bucket of water - so you can skip all the steps involving the bean) - check which version
Playthrough - Video Review - Review
Friday the 13th (NES, 1989) - WIP
Subgenre: Survival Horror/Rescue Mission
Perspective: Side View (outdoors)/Third Person or Behind the Avatar View Hybrid (indoors)
Six playable chars with randomized starting locations (Paul and Debbie have identical stats though and both are worse than George) that you can switch between while indoors
Map feature (outdoors only - going left moves you clockwise around the map while going right moves you counterclockwise)
No save or password save
Limited item inventory (4 per char, can pass weapons but not other items between chars, picking up a new weapon replaces the one you have)
Minor ability/tool gating (lighter for the cabins and flashlight for the cave)
Playthrough - Video Review
Prison (AMI/ST, 1989)
Subgenre: Action Platformer/Adventure Hybrid similar to Spellbound, Collectathon element (escape craft parts)
Other: Not much platforming, Layered world (background and foreground paths/doors), Some trader NPCs
-Item inventory and basic inventory puzzles
-Some tool gating (bombs, place a platform at a gap to be able to jump it, weight on a platform to open a door; the rest are used like keys)
-Enemies can move between rooms
-Can threaten NPCs
-A couple of fetch quests
-Enemies also trigger mines
-Some teleporters (some are one-way only?)
-No map system?
-Save feature?
Playthrough
Outliers:
TMNT/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (NES, 1989) - Kinda similar to Zelda II in structure (the overworld is played in a TD view and has real-time combat in it, the game's structure is linear but most of its hub areas allow for non-linear gameplay, can't backtrack to a previous hub area)
Basic overworld maps
No save or password save, limited continues
Non-persistent power ups in sub areas means you can grind for pizza and sub weapons
One tool gate and its use is pretty straightforward (rope item used like a key to cross some pits)
Playthrough - Video Review - Mini Review
River City Ransom (NES, 1989) - Beat 'em up w/ RPG elements (shops and character building using food/books/music CDs (10 different stats), 2 item inventory), Tilted view, 2-player co-op!,
New moves help with combat but aren't required to progress through the areas
Password save anywhere
No map
Help menu in-game
Playthrough - Video Review - Mini Review
Midwinter (ST, 1989/AMI/PC, 1990) - 3D Action Adventure w/ RPG elements (various char attributes & skills, recruit chars for a 2-6 person party), FP view, Hub map/building select when entering towns
Detailed map w/ zoom feature, compass and mini-map
Time limits?
Blow up buildings with explosives
Save feature
Three vehicles (hang glider - beginning only?, skiing - default?, snow mobile) - Jumping via hills only (no traditional movement?)
Playthrough - Review
Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse (NES, 1989) - Proto-Platform Adventure (branching paths between levels, recruit and switch between characters with different skills like climbing and flight)
Password save
Partial and vague world map (shown in segments in-between levels)
Grant and Alucard can pull off some sequence breaking through their climbing and flight skills, respectively
Playthrough - Video Review - Mini Review
Quest for Glory series (PC) - Graphic Adventure/ARPG hybrid, mixed TP views, no direct platforming but can use climbing as a skill (and you can jump as a dodge move during battle in QfG 2)
Avoidable monsters which you can also attack before they reach you and switch the engine into a basic fighting game in isometric view
Save anywhere
No maps (world map in V)
Playthrough (EGA) - Video Review/Retrospective - Mini Review (QfG1 VGA)
Switchblade (AMI, 1989) - Maze Platformer (linear structure)
Charge attack
Many hidden rooms behind breakable walls
Bosses require that you use specific weapons gained throughout the game
No save or password save
No maps
Playthrough - Review
MechWarrior (PC, 1989) - 3D Mech Sim/RPG/Graphic Adventure Hybrid (recruit a crew (4 char party?) at a bar, customize/buy/maintain mechs, reputation mechanic, negotiate mission contracts), FP view, Jump jets (no standard jumping), Non-linear mission-based structure (menu select), Can keep going after failing a mission, Guard and Rescue missions, CPU allies that can be ordered around, 5 year time limit
Maps and mini-maps, Compass
Save feature (in-between missions?)
Random starting planet and procedurally generated missions
Gameplay - Video Review
Project Firestart (C64, 1989) - Run 'n gun-ish Maze Action/Survival Horror, Tilted view without platforming
Enemies can follow you between rooms
Optional rescue mission (affects the story)
Dark rooms (someone flicks a light switch mid-way through the game)
Pretty cinematic for the time w/ plenty of cutscenes during the game (including various "meanwhile" scenes)
Journal entries on computers
Came with a map
Some interactive dialogue with your senior
No save feature?
Playthrough - Video Retrospective
Tusker (C64/AMI)? - Action Adventure or Maze Action?, Tilted view without platforming
Some dark rooms
Thirst mechanic
Can free certain beasts
Two active item slots (similar to Castlevania)
One fetch quest
AMI: music and sfx, partially different level design
No map?
No save or password save?
Playthrough (C64) - Review
A Boy and his Blob (NES, 1989) - Puzzle Platformer/Maze Platformer
Features an NPC-controlled blob ally that you can feed with different jellybeans to transform it into tools for traversal/key gating/combat (14 different forms in all)
All tools are available from the get go
Some resource management (limited amount of jellybeans)
Ammo shop (pharmacy, buy ammo w/ found treasure)
Targhan (PCs, 1989)? - Maze Platformer/Puzzle Platformer?
Item inventory
DuckTales (NES, 1989) - Hub map, Non-linear structure, One key gate
Upgradeable HP
Three different endings depending on the amount of money you've collected
Little Ninja Brothers (NES, 1989) - JRPG/Beat 'em up Hybrid (Single Screen BEU encounters, JRPG-style (TB) boss battles), 2-player co-op (the other player can join or leave in-game)
Can avoid random encounters (flee before battle mechanic - dice roll based)
Password save (fairly long)
No maps
The Persian Gulf Inferno (AMI) - Maze Platformer/Action Platformer
Prince of Persia (PC, 1989)
Subgenre: Action Platformer/Puzzle Platformer w/ Maze-like levels
Other: More realistic physics than usual, Cling onto and climb platform edges, Fencing duels (parry, parry-then slash/counter attack, move backwards), Time limit
Upgradeable lifebar (large red potions)
Temporary hover jump/slow fall ability via the green potions (these are used when picked up)
Switch and timing puzzles as well as an upside down room puzzle (one of the later green potions has this effect) and a doppelganger/mirror image puzzle (have to merge with it as damaging it hurts you too)