Part nostalgia-bomb, part note-taking and part FAQ, what started in GameTrailers as a video game blog is now on Blogger. This blog is a look back at video games, both popular and obscure, from the video game industry's infancy all the way to the previous console generation.
The Shooting Gallery games are among the easiest to get into as well as among the most fun. If you know what you're doing, you can get 99 points fairly quickly.
The controls for the Game Modes 13-15 - the Shooting Gallery games - are a combination of the Anti-Aircraft and Torpedo games, as you can not only move left and right, but you can also aim at three different angles. Left and Right on the joystick let you move left and right like in the Torpedo Games, while Up and Down allow you to aim at different angles just like in the Anti-Aircraft games.
In these games, you'll be shooting three types of targets: rabbits, ducks and clown faces. The rabbits are worth three (3) points, the ducks are worth two (2) points, and the clown faces are worth one (1) point. By clearing the screen of targets, a new set of targets will pop up. The targets will move either left or right, and they can change direction at any time.
Game Mode 13
This is the standard Shooting Gallery game. Once you fire in any direction, your bullet will continue to travel in that direction.
Game Mode 14
This mode is the same as Game Mode 13, but you also have guided shots. You can control the angle of the shots with Up and Down on the joystick, much like with the guided missiles in the Anti-Aircraft games. Moving the joystick left or right will have no effect on your shot.
Game Mode 15
This is the player vs. computer mode for the Shooting Gallery games. The computer controls the gun on the left and fires endlessly, while the human player controls the gun on the right with a joystick in Controller Port 2 in order to compete against the computer-controller player.
The torpedo games encompass Game Modes 7-12. In the torpedo games, you can move your submarine left and right with Left and Right on the joystick while firing straight upwards with the fire button. The player on the left cannot move past the left half of the screen, while the player on the right cannot move past the right half of the screen.
Multiple targets will move from left to right, and you'll want to shoot them all down as quickly as possible to get new ones as well to achieve as high a score as possible. Timing is key to shoot down as many targets as you can in addition to your position on the screen.
In Game Modes 7-9, each target shot down awards one point.
Game 7
This is the standard two-player mode. After firing, your torpedoes travel straight up.
Game 8
Game Mode 8 introduces guided torpedoes that can be guided with Left and Right on the joystick.
Game 9
The game goes back to having standard missiles, and is a one-player mode versus the computer. The computer controls the left submarine, while the player controls the right submarine with a joystick in Controller Port 2. Once again, the computer player continuously fires.
In Game Modes 10-12, different targets will have different point values. The PT boats (which have three small lines sticking out of the top) award four (4) points, the aircraft carriers award three (3) points, the pirate ships (which have two lines sticking out of the top) award two (2) points, the freighters award one (1) point, and the mines award no points and just serve as an obstacle.
Game 10
Just like in Game 7, the torpedoes fired by the submarines always shoot straight upwards.
Game 11
Just like in Game 8, you can guide the torpedoes with Left and Right on the joystick to move them left and right.
Game 12
This is a one-player vs. computer mode with the player controlling the submarine on the right with a joystick in Controller Port 2. Once again, the computer player continuously fires.
Air-Sea Battle is a fixed shooter game for the Atari 2600 from 1977 and is one of the launch games for the system. It was one of the first games developed for Atari by Larry Kaplan, and in this game, you shoot down various targets with a gun to earn points. There are quite a few different ways on how to do this - anti-aircraft guns, submarines, a shooting gallery, naval ships, and bomber jets - and these ways encompass six different gameplay modes.
There are twenty-seven (27) different types of game types encompassing these six different modes, and some of them allows for one player to compete against the computer. All game end after two minutes and sixteen minutes (2:16) of play, with the score at the top of the screen flashing during the last sixteen seconds to dictate that the game is about to end. Games also end when one player reaches ninety-nine (99) points.
Believe it or not, the difficulty switches change the sizes of your shot. A/Expert makes the shot a quarter of the size that it is in B/Novice, and since I do not touch on this in any of these videos, I will do so here.
Anti-Aircraft Games
In the anti-aircraft game modes, you'll be stuck in a fixed position, holding Up and Down on the joystick to aim at 30 degrees and 90 degrees (straight up), respectively. The fire button, of course, fires a shot, and you can only have one shot on the screen at any time.
Multiple targets will move from left to right, and you'll want to shoot them all down as quickly as possible to get new ones as well to achieve as high a score as possible. Timing is key to shoot down as many targets as you can in addition to your firing angle.
In the first three game modes (1-3), all objects award one point when shot down.
All game modes are two-player simultaneous unless otherwise indicated.
Game 1
This is the standard game. Shots are fixed, so the angle that your gun is at when you fire dictates where your shot will go, and that direction will not waver.
Game 2
In this game, you have guided missiles. After firing, you can control with Up and Down on the joystick to make it move at different angles in case you're going to miss, which can be fun.
Game 3
This is much like Game 1, except the left gun is controlled by the computer and the right gun is controlled by the player on Controller Port 2. The computer will keep firing at one angle, though, so it's pretty easy.
In the second three game modes (4-6), small jets are worth four (4) points, large jets are worth three (3) points, helicopters are worth two (2) points, 747 planes are worth one (1) point, and the observation blimps with the "A" on them give you nothing and are just there to be in the way.
Game 4
In this mode, you'll have fixed shots that go in one continuous direction, just like Game Mode 1. The only difference is that different things are worth different points. It's easy to hit 99 and end the game earlier in modes 4-6 if you know what you're doing.
Game 5
Here, you'll have guided missiles that you can move around with Up and Down on the joystick. Just like in Game Mode 2, you'll be having fun with trick shots while scoring higher than ever before.
Game 6
Much like Game Mode 3, this is one player vs. the computer. Score more than the computer that keeps firing at the same angle to win.
In this entry, we finally beat the Zod Gang, who caused all the ghosts to wreak havoc on the city and send them packing for good. Metropolis is safe again...for now...
Freedom Island is all the way to the west. Head to the building west of Metropolis Park to farm up on pick-ups and health, because you're going to need them. Since there is a phone booth near the building, you can easily do both here. Of course, this assumes that you didn't use the "dying and continuing" trick like I did. Since this refills all your abilities, you can just fly to Senneville and then fly to Freedom Island from there. It's not like you're going to need that ability once you're at Freedom Island, anyway.
When you land, enter the door. You'll face robots that move towards you pretty quickly as you make your way up the stairs. At each floor above the entry floor, you'll need to go left and use your powers to defeat the members of the Zod Gang, who have the same powers that you do. You'll have to punch them multiple times, as your powers will have no effect against any of them. There are three enemies at all, and once you beat the third one at the top floor, you'll beat the game.
The first is Ursa. Get away from her when she jumps and avoid her Heat Vision blasts, then start punching away as she approaches.
The second is Non, who has the Super Breath. Just stand there and keep punching when you see him, and he will go down super easily.
You'll then finally face Zod, who has both the Super Breath and the Heat Vision attacks. He also has a sword. Avoid him as he jumps, and punch him when he lands on the ground or when he approaches you. He'll go down just as easily as his subordinates, and when you beat him, you'll see a cutscene where Ursa, Non and Zod are thrown into a portal into space.
You'll then meet The Statue of Liberty, who tells you that the Zod Gang will be cast into space and that the Earth will remain at peace. Superman will then be told that he must protect freedom and justice forever, then the game goes back to the title screen. You just beat Superman for NES!
In this entry, we finally beat Lex Luthor, but now ghosts are running amok in Metropolis. It's not going to be long before we reach the end of the game!
From the Metro Police Station, you'll need to the CBD area. Thankfully, we can fly there from Teaboro. From there, head to the left of the building you land near and use Super Spin to go down the funny look tiles.
Once you're underground, head all the way to the right and go down the ladder. From here, head right and go down another ladder. At this point, you'll have no choice but to head left and go down the ladder. Then, you'll need to head right and go up until you reach the end, where you'll find Lex Luthor. Hit him with the Heat Vision and stay away from him and his club while also taking out the gangster. When you beat Lex Luthor, he will be arrested, but a gang of monsters will soon be on the loose.
Interestingly, enemies do not move until you're completely off the ladder onto the ground. Weird.
When you beat Lex Luthor, monster gangs will be on the loose. Welcome to the last chapter, where your attack, defense and health will be as high as they can go.
Level 5
Back at the Daily Planet, Lois Lane will you that The B.G. Bros are waiting for you at Battery Park in Senneville. The B.G. Bros (B.G. being short for bubble gum) are actually the F.B.I. agents that you've been seeing throughout the second half of the game.
When you leave the Daily Planet, turn to Superman and use your X-Ray screen on every screen you enter so you don't get your butt handed to you by ghosts. The ghosts will be every single place you go from this point on.
Take the subway near the Daily Planet, then head east towards Senneville. Move to the left past the Metropolis Bank area, and you'll find the park and The B.G. Bros. They will tell you that the monsters' boss may be hiding beneath Metropolis Park. You'll also find out that this is the last time you will see them, as their work here is done.
Once you reach the park, keep heading right until you find the blocks you can go through with Super Spin.
When you go down the dig point at Metropolis Park with Super Spin, use your X-Ray Vision to see the enemies before going down the first ladder you see. Keep using X-Ray Vision at every screen. Go left and go down the ladder, then head right and head down the first ladder you see. Go left, then go down the next ladder. Head right, then go up the next ladder you see. From here, head left (right is a dead end), jump over the water, then go up the ladder. Head right from the ladder and go up the next ladder you see, then head right again and go up the next ladder. When you beat up the purple ghost in this room, it will tell you that their boss is waiting for them at Freedom Island.
Go back down the ladder, then head left and go down the next ladder. Head all the way to the left and go up the ladder, then go right and go up the ladder. Finally, head left and jump up the opening to end up back in the park.
Of course, that's if you want to do things that way. I take the quick and dirty route, and that's taking damage on the ladder from an invisible ghost and continuing to end up back at the Daily Planet.
If you die while climbing a ladder and return to the Daily Planet, you'll be in the ladder climbing animation when you come back. If you punch, you'll be standing in mid-air. You can also press and hold Down to get back on the ground.
Head down to the Art Museum in McKeesport. On the way there, you'll see the red zombies, which are the weakest of the three types of zombies that you'll face. When you enter, you'll meet the two guys from the F.B.I. They will tell you that Lex Luthor has failed in making a monster, which has turned into fire beasts that you'll need to defeat. You'll need to defeat these monsters, then return to the Metro Police Station in Teaboro.
The first fire beast is in University Plaza near Staunton, which is going to be quite the trek. You'll want to head right from the Art Museum until you see a subway station, then take it to Staunton. University Plaza will be right there, so go in and make your way all the way downstairs. Watch the blue as it jumps around and punch it when it lands. Beating it nets you the final Super Breath II extension of the game. Watch out for enemies, and use X-Ray Vision to see the enemies at the top half of the building.
The second fire beast is at the Palace Disco in Andersonville near the subway station that leads to Centennial Park. Thankfully, you just have the one room, and the fire beast here fights just like the one in University Plaza. Beating will net you the final Heat Vision extension.
The third fire beast is in front of the Civic Center. To get there, you'll need to take the subway to Teaboro, then keep going to the right until you no longer can. The fire beast will be right outside, and beating it will net you the final X-Ray Vision extension, which is the final power-up extension in the game.
Make your way back to the Metro Police Station and go inside. The F.B.I. will tell you that Lex Luthor is hiding under Central Station.
In this entry, we reprogram the computer - by force - and beat down Jay Falk to stop Ross Webster's plans before getting ready for the fourth chapter of the game.
If you have no idea that there is a computer center, you'll be looking all over for it. Thankfully, it's easy to find, as we have passed it before: it's at the "E" in Metropolis Park on the map. When you reach it, go inside and fight the enemies as you make your way to the lowest level.
Beating all the enemies on the entry floor will net you a Super Spin extension, while clearing the first floor below that will give you a Super Flight extension. Two floors down, you'll find the computer. When you see it, avoid the lasers as you jump into the computer and punch at the core. This will reprogram the computer to act as it normally did. Make sure you defeat all the gangsters on this floor so you can get a Heat Vision extension, too. After that, make your way back up and get out of here, and watch out for the zombies and ghost cats that have taken over the building on your way out.
From here, you'll want to head to the Metro Tower, which is to the east of the Computer Center. If you need to, use the nearby phone booth to turn back into Clark Kent and get your health refilled, then turn back into Superman and enter the Metro Tower.
Once inside, take out the gangsters and enter the elevator to go down. There are no pickups on the first two floors, but there will be a Super Breath II extension on the third, an X-Ray Vision extension on the third, a Super Spin extension on the fourth, a Super Flight extension on the fifth, and a Super Breath I extension on the sixth.
Always wait on the top of a stairs and keep punching if an enemy is below you; they'll eventually jump your way and into your attacks.
When you reach the bottom-most floor, equip Heat Vision. You'll eventually face Jay Falk himself. If he jumps, run under him and hit him with Heat Vision from floor level as he makes his way down, and punch him when he gets close in case you run out. You'll eventually beat Jay Falk, and you'll complete the third chapter before being sent to the fourth, where the museum is robbed courtesy of Lex Luther, who has posed a challenge for Superman.
At the Daily Planet, Lois Lane will tell you to go to the Art Museum in McKeesport to start the chapter off.
