1990 (Wing Commander, Metal Gear 2, Crystalis and StarTropics are released)
Gargoyle's Quest (GB, 1990)
Subgenre: Similar to Zelda II (separate overworld w/ random and set encounters, towns w/ shops, no exp point leveling)
Perspective: TD view overworld and town exploration, Side view encounters and area/level exploration
Movement Mechanics: Stamina-based flight
Playthrough - Video Review/Retrospective - Mini Review
Cadash (ARC, 1990/MD/PCE)
Subgenre: ARPG (leveling, towns w/ shops)
Other: 2-Player Co-op (4 different chars to choose from - only 2 on MD), Time limits in the ARC ver. only
Playthrough - Video Review - Mini Review (ARC)
Magicland Dizzy (Multi, 1990) - WIP
Subgenre: Puzzle Platformer/Collectathon (30 diamonds)
No save or password save?
No map?
Playthrough - Podcast Review
Subgenre: Similar to Zelda II (separate overworld w/ random and set encounters, towns w/ shops, no exp point leveling)
Perspective: TD view overworld and town exploration, Side view encounters and area/level exploration
Movement Mechanics: Stamina-based flight
- Mostly linear structure
- Password save (short)
- No maps
- Lives system (can buy and find more)
- No fast travel
- Life bar upgrades (the first is given to you by an NPC right before going into a hostile area while the next two are given after being challenged to a fight by NPCs easily found in towns - don't need to explore the side view areas for them)
- Some one hit death hazards
Playthrough - Video Review/Retrospective - Mini Review
Cadash (ARC, 1990/MD/PCE)
Subgenre: ARPG (leveling, towns w/ shops)
Other: 2-Player Co-op (4 different chars to choose from - only 2 on MD), Time limits in the ARC ver. only
- Linear structure (maze dungeons with some detours for items though, can skip a minor part in dungeon 2 and most of dungeon 3)
- Very minor ability gating (have to backtrack a little at one point to get a magic item needed to go through a wall, brief gnome transformation to enter small buildings in one town)
- Two passwords/skip codes on PCE only (use one of two special names when starting a new game)
- No maps
- No fast travel
Playthrough - Video Review - Mini Review (ARC)
Magicland Dizzy (Multi, 1990) - WIP
Subgenre: Puzzle Platformer/Collectathon (30 diamonds)
No save or password save?
No map?
Playthrough - Podcast Review
Dizzy 3 and a Half: Into Magicland (Multi, 1990) - WIP
Subgenre: Puzzle Platformer
Very short (basically a trailer for Magicland Dizzy)
No save or password save?
No map?
Playthrough - Video Review
Subgenre: Puzzle Platformer
Very short (basically a trailer for Magicland Dizzy)
No save or password save?
No map?
Playthrough - Video Review
The Adventures of Rad Gravity (NES, 1990)
Movement Mechanics: Limited flight via the Energy Disk (can't move upwards though and it drains life+can't attack while using it and can only activate it while standing on the ground), Reverse gravity areas
Other: Hub map (galaxy map divided into several solar systems, can exit a level from anywhere using your communicator item), Item and weapon inventory, Less bugs in the PAL ver.?
Commander Keen Episode I: Marooned on Mars (PC, 1990)
Subgenre: Action Platformer, Like SML2 but more linear overall, Collectathon (spaceship parts)
Other: Hub map/Overworld (can move around freely)
Playthrough - Video Review/Retrospective
Ghostbusters (MD, 1990)
Subgenre: Semi-Platform Adventure, Like Quackshot or Ducktales but with a shopping system (in-between levels), a char select (3 chars) and maze levels
Other: Hub map
Playthrough - Video Review - Mini Review
MoonShadow (C64, 1990)?
Subgenre: Maze Platformer/Proto-PA?
Other: Time limit
One life and no continues (no save or password save)
Tools are used for lock and key-style puzzles and alternate weapons only help with combat?
No map?
Playthrough - Find Review
Todd's Adventures in Slime World (Lynx, 1990/MD/PCE CD, 1992)
Subgenre: Puzzle/Maze Platformer, PA-lite
Movement Mechanics: Temporary flight
Other: Six different game modes (easy/mode 1 - find the exit, exploration/mode 2 - find the rescue ship, action/mode 3 - somewhat harder version of exploration, logic/mode 4 - no gun+tools and monsters are restored after you die, arcade/mode 5 - one life only, suspense/mode 6 - time limited mode where you pick up mushrooms to increase the timer), MP link mode for up to 8 players on Lynx, 2-Player vs. on MD, PoP-style jumps when jumping over liquids (horizontal focused). Jumping is also faster than walking, No swimming
Playthrough (Lynx) - Video Review (MD) - Mini-Review
Corporation (AMI/ST, 1990/PC, 1991/MD, 1992)
Subgenre: FPS w/ RPG/Adventure elements, 3D-ish (sprite objects)
Movement Mechanics: P&C aiming with a crosshair, Jumping and running+crouching+strafing
Other: Buy equipment before starting, Basic stealth and hacking as well as trapping, Not much platforming
6 different playable chars (2 men, 2 women, 2 androids; only humans can use psionics)
Linear structure
Some equipment and psionics for exploration/traversal (bombs can destroy walls, flight via a jet pack and levitation power, gas mask and face mask for gas protection, three vision types (infrared, image intensified, thermal) for detecting things, clairvoyance=move as a spirit for scouting ahead)
Mini-map via a laptop and partial 3D maps via the holograms, Compass
Save feature
Healing psionic power/spell
Can get captured and placed in a cell from which you then have to escape if you're knocked out or black out from exhaustion
Weight mechanic
Can take damage to 10 different body parts
No fast travel?
Playthrough (AMI) - Video Review (MD)
Outliers:
Super Mario World (SNES) - Proto-Platform Adventure w/ hub map (mostly linear, gained abilities aren't permanent nor needed to progress, no item inventory unlike in SMB3)
Some alternate exits
The world is interconnected via the star road (a separate hub map) but it can't be used to skip ahead in the regular game
Some maze levels
Single item inventory
Save feature
No level maps
Kagerou Densetsu (NES, 1990) - Zelda II-like ARPG (automatic stat distribution), Overworld, TD View/Side View hybrid, Random and set encounters (codes let you control when they happen), Menu-driven town exploration, 3 different playable chars (switch on the overworld), Not much platforming and no side view exploration
Partially non-linear (only need to fight two of five bosses)
Save feature (on the overworld)
Invisibility and time stop spells (combat only though) - no other ability gating
No fast travel
No maps
Can run from battles
Majin Eiyuuden Wataru Gaiden (NES, 1990)(Fan translated) - JRPG/ARPG Hybrid, TD View Exploration/Side View Combat Hybrid (see Tales of Phantasia)
One spell moves rocks in TD view - otherwise key gating only
Teleport magic (can go to the previous town)
Escape magic (dungeons and battles)
Shadow of the Beast II (Multi) - Linear except for some minor parts
No save or passwords
No abilities/tools gained that are used to reach new segments in previously explored areas?
No map
Screwing up a puzzle usually means having to restart the game
Danan: The Jungle Fighter (SMS) - Linear (Similar to Wonder Boy in Monster Land)
No save or password save
Blue's Journey (ARC, 1990) - Action Platformer/Hop 'n Bop w/ AA/RPG elements (shops, persistent items if you buy a safe), 2-Player Co-op (player 2 can jump in at any point), Choose your own path between 2 levels at a time, alternate paths through some levels
Can't replay beaten levels or go backwards on the level select map
No save or password save
City Hunter (PCE)? - Level-based; Fan translated
A Nightmare on Elm Street (NES, 1990)(Different) - Hub area, Collectathon/Maze Platformer, 4-player co-op
Randomized initial locations and you must clear them in a certain order
Dream world (there's a day/night cycle of sorts) - Can encounter Freddy here
Temporary transformations (dream world and boss fights only) - For combat purposes only
No movement abilities gained
Hidden lifebar
Treasure Mountain (PCs, 1990) - Puzzle/Edutainment/Collectathon Platformer (Side view gameplay, tilted view visuals),
Minor platforming (ladder climbing and sideways jumping between them, can jump outside but there are no platforming challenges)
Interconnected world and non-linear structure?
Save feature
Light resource management (coins are used to find keys to get to treasure, elves can steal coins, the net wears out but can be restored in a cave using coins)
Catch elves with nets to access riddles or math problems and get rewarded with hints to coin locations
No new movement abilities or traversal/exploration tools gained
No area maps?
Movement Mechanics: Limited flight via the Energy Disk (can't move upwards though and it drains life+can't attack while using it and can only activate it while standing on the ground), Reverse gravity areas
Other: Hub map (galaxy map divided into several solar systems, can exit a level from anywhere using your communicator item), Item and weapon inventory, Less bugs in the PAL ver.?
- No area/level maps
- Password save (fairly long, given after dying), No checkpoints or save points within levels, Unlimited lives
- Partially non-linear structure (linear first two levels on the first planet and getting your computer back - after that you unlock 3 other planets however there's no point in going to Volcania as you'll just get stuck halfway through (also can't beat Vernia (unlocked after Turvia) until after Sauria unless you find the well hidden upgraded crystal bombs there as you can't kill the boss there without crystal bombs), can go to Odar or Volcania and then Utopia or Volcania if you went with the former after getting the teleporter beacon though Volcania is tougher - after these there's just Telos to go to; some backtracking within levels with gained abilities to progress in them)
- Some interesting tools (teleporter beacon tool - Exile (1988), limited flight with the energy disk)
- Upgradeable lifebar and armor as well as weapons (the upgraded sword also reaches longer)
- Some fetch quests
- Some decent-good puzzles (Sauria besides getting the life upgrade there, getting underground on Odar with the teleporter beacon and the block sliding puzzles there, getting into robot city through stealth and using the beacon, have to use the crater pillar's fire outbursts on the boss in Volcania), Puzzle-style bosses
- Some breakable walls but they're completely obvious - there's also a couple of false walls found by trial & error
- No in-game descriptions of new gear that you pick up
- Can grab and throw certain items (SMB2) as well as shoot them to nudge them to the left or right
- Large teleporter maze on one planet
- Some scripted events of sorts (computer theft, ship damage from asteroid belt; these play like additional levels in-between the others)
- Some enemies can hit each other (used to progress in Utopia though it's a bit tedious)
- Very minor sequence breaking - can use the disk to skip a minor part on Telos and can use the communicator to reduce some backtracking (more with out of bounds glitches)
Commander Keen Episode I: Marooned on Mars (PC, 1990)
Subgenre: Action Platformer, Like SML2 but more linear overall, Collectathon (spaceship parts)
Other: Hub map/Overworld (can move around freely)
- Gain one persistent tool used for traversal (pogo stick in one of the first levels - only really needed at one point in the first episode though
- Save anywhere on the hub map (9 slots), Extra lives system
- No level maps
- Limited ammo (brutally so in Episode 3)
- No fast travel
Playthrough - Video Review/Retrospective
Ghostbusters (MD, 1990)
Subgenre: Semi-Platform Adventure, Like Quackshot or Ducktales but with a shopping system (in-between levels), a char select (3 chars) and maze levels
Other: Hub map
- Only one hard ability/tool gate (need infrared scopes to see in one house)
- Basic level maps (no item/enemy/door details)
- No save or password save (has difficulty options though)
- No fast travel
Playthrough - Video Review - Mini Review
MoonShadow (C64, 1990)?
Subgenre: Maze Platformer/Proto-PA?
Other: Time limit
One life and no continues (no save or password save)
Tools are used for lock and key-style puzzles and alternate weapons only help with combat?
No map?
Playthrough - Find Review
Todd's Adventures in Slime World (Lynx, 1990/MD/PCE CD, 1992)
Subgenre: Puzzle/Maze Platformer, PA-lite
Movement Mechanics: Temporary flight
Other: Six different game modes (easy/mode 1 - find the exit, exploration/mode 2 - find the rescue ship, action/mode 3 - somewhat harder version of exploration, logic/mode 4 - no gun+tools and monsters are restored after you die, arcade/mode 5 - one life only, suspense/mode 6 - time limited mode where you pick up mushrooms to increase the timer), MP link mode for up to 8 players on Lynx, 2-Player vs. on MD, PoP-style jumps when jumping over liquids (horizontal focused). Jumping is also faster than walking, No swimming
- Password save anywhere (displayed when pausing), Pretty frequent checkpoints and unlimited lives in most game modes - lose all inventory items besides the map if you die though, Pretty frequent healing points (water pools) and you can create more with the cleanser item
- Decent map system (auto-mapper which shows explored rooms and your position+pools of slime and water and hidden paths if you explore close enough to them; can't place markers on it and it doesn't show found items like jetpacks; can't move while checking the map+it takes a while to draw+gameplay doesn't pause+can't view it while climbing, can't browse the map - only displays part of the world). On MD it is always displayed but still zoomed in like a mini-map
- Some interesting tools (jetpack - can't pick things up or shoot while using it though, enemy bait, pool cleanser - turns a slime pool into water (some hidden paths are placed underneath these pools); can only carry one of each in an inventory) - these are all single use power ups however they can be carried in an inventory
- Hidden doors (invisible ones and breakable walls that look like regular surfaces - you use the map to find these rather than look for clues in the in-game view)
- Temporary gun upgrade - only one level though and it's also removed if you die, Temporary shield power up
- Some branching paths through the levels
- Cool how some rooms are more dynamically shaped and connected than in many other maze platformers or platform adventure games of the era which tend to have more of a square grid-shaped room layout
- Some decent puzzles (spatial awareness - going back to use the jetpack where you couldn't jump or climb, luring enemies away from a narrow path, some timing puzzles)
- Decent sense of vulnerability in Logic mode
- 10-way aiming (slow though)
- In-game manual
- Some resource management (can't farm for items)
- Suicide/pop command (always there in the item inventory - having it there means you can accidentally pick it if in a rush as there's some delay if you tried to pick up an item you already have there where the game says "you already have one" in the same spot as the item inventory display)
- Some instant death hazards (red boogers (from flying red enemies) - they also go through a shield) and various enemies kill almost instantly with contact damage
- Creates a more seamless world with fog of war over rooms you're not currently in (Rogue?)
- Red gems (best gems) can be destroyed and they shoot out red boogers if you do which kill on hit
- Some rooms with infinitely respawning worm enemies spewing forth all over the place (trap rooms basically). Levels are otherwise persistent in that enemies and items don't respawn and altered pools stay altered
- No bosses besides a mini-boss like enemy in action mode
- Some notable cons:
- Various control issues (see the mini review)
- The ability gating would've worked better with permanent inventory items and/or being able to carry 2+ items at once - especially since you can't just farm for new ones if you don't have what you currently need but have to backtrack or sidetrack instead and in some cases you can't go back to where you wanted to use an item due to energy barriers destroying your inventory items+since items don't respawn after dying you might have to go quite far
- Each mode is pretty short compared to a full maze platformer or platform adventure game (about 30-40 mins for Easy, 1h+ for Exploration and Action; the zoomed in view forces you to play slower on Lynx)
Playthrough (Lynx) - Video Review (MD) - Mini-Review
Corporation (AMI/ST, 1990/PC, 1991/MD, 1992)
Subgenre: FPS w/ RPG/Adventure elements, 3D-ish (sprite objects)
Movement Mechanics: P&C aiming with a crosshair, Jumping and running+crouching+strafing
Other: Buy equipment before starting, Basic stealth and hacking as well as trapping, Not much platforming
6 different playable chars (2 men, 2 women, 2 androids; only humans can use psionics)
Linear structure
Some equipment and psionics for exploration/traversal (bombs can destroy walls, flight via a jet pack and levitation power, gas mask and face mask for gas protection, three vision types (infrared, image intensified, thermal) for detecting things, clairvoyance=move as a spirit for scouting ahead)
Mini-map via a laptop and partial 3D maps via the holograms, Compass
Save feature
Healing psionic power/spell
Can get captured and placed in a cell from which you then have to escape if you're knocked out or black out from exhaustion
Weight mechanic
Can take damage to 10 different body parts
No fast travel?
Playthrough (AMI) - Video Review (MD)
Outliers:
Super Mario World (SNES) - Proto-Platform Adventure w/ hub map (mostly linear, gained abilities aren't permanent nor needed to progress, no item inventory unlike in SMB3)
Some alternate exits
The world is interconnected via the star road (a separate hub map) but it can't be used to skip ahead in the regular game
Some maze levels
Single item inventory
Save feature
No level maps
Kagerou Densetsu (NES, 1990) - Zelda II-like ARPG (automatic stat distribution), Overworld, TD View/Side View hybrid, Random and set encounters (codes let you control when they happen), Menu-driven town exploration, 3 different playable chars (switch on the overworld), Not much platforming and no side view exploration
Partially non-linear (only need to fight two of five bosses)
Save feature (on the overworld)
Invisibility and time stop spells (combat only though) - no other ability gating
No fast travel
No maps
Can run from battles
Majin Eiyuuden Wataru Gaiden (NES, 1990)(Fan translated) - JRPG/ARPG Hybrid, TD View Exploration/Side View Combat Hybrid (see Tales of Phantasia)
One spell moves rocks in TD view - otherwise key gating only
Teleport magic (can go to the previous town)
Escape magic (dungeons and battles)
Shadow of the Beast II (Multi) - Linear except for some minor parts
No save or passwords
No abilities/tools gained that are used to reach new segments in previously explored areas?
No map
Screwing up a puzzle usually means having to restart the game
Danan: The Jungle Fighter (SMS) - Linear (Similar to Wonder Boy in Monster Land)
No save or password save
Blue's Journey (ARC, 1990) - Action Platformer/Hop 'n Bop w/ AA/RPG elements (shops, persistent items if you buy a safe), 2-Player Co-op (player 2 can jump in at any point), Choose your own path between 2 levels at a time, alternate paths through some levels
Can't replay beaten levels or go backwards on the level select map
No save or password save
City Hunter (PCE)? - Level-based; Fan translated
A Nightmare on Elm Street (NES, 1990)(Different) - Hub area, Collectathon/Maze Platformer, 4-player co-op
Randomized initial locations and you must clear them in a certain order
Dream world (there's a day/night cycle of sorts) - Can encounter Freddy here
Temporary transformations (dream world and boss fights only) - For combat purposes only
No movement abilities gained
Hidden lifebar
Treasure Mountain (PCs, 1990) - Puzzle/Edutainment/Collectathon Platformer (Side view gameplay, tilted view visuals),
Minor platforming (ladder climbing and sideways jumping between them, can jump outside but there are no platforming challenges)
Interconnected world and non-linear structure?
Save feature
Light resource management (coins are used to find keys to get to treasure, elves can steal coins, the net wears out but can be restored in a cave using coins)
Catch elves with nets to access riddles or math problems and get rewarded with hints to coin locations
No new movement abilities or traversal/exploration tools gained
No area maps?
