Konami was one of the best known video game developers of the 8-bit era. Take away Top Gun they made for the NES, and their library is near perfect. Konami was known for the difficulty of their games and kick ass music. Add normally well done graphics, Konami made some of the best NES games out there. They also gave us the most famous cheat code in history. We all know it – Up, up, down, down, left, right, left right, B, A, start.
A friend that lived across the alley from me introduced me to my first Konami game. That game was called Contra. Contra is a military vs alien platforming action game. The game starts with you with three lives and is known for dozens of enemies on screen at once, awesome stage designs and some of the coolest boss battles on the NES. Like most, we somehow heard from a friend who heard it from a friend about the Konami cheat I mentioned before, which gave you 30 lives. Even today, Contra holds up well due to spot on controls and awesome weapons.
Almost around this same time-frame, my now brother-in-law and sister were actually living about six houses down from my parents and me. My brother-in-law was in college at the time and I thought he was one of the coolest guys out there. So when he wasn’t busy, we played video games. He had a Konami game called Jackal. The game was a lot like Contra. Instead of controlling a person however, you controlled a jeep which shot grenades, which could be upgraded for missiles. Like Contra, this game had excellent controls, diverse levels and kick ass boss fights.
Two games I borrowed from friends and rented were Lifeforce and Gradius. Both are space flying fighters. Like Contra, these games are known for their difficulty. But once again, these games have kick ass music, kick ass weapons and level designs. While they fell short for me when compared to Contra, both were fun and enjoyable games I highly recommend for any new retro gamer out there.
Blades of Steel was a game I rented and loved. While not a hockey fan back then or now, Blades of Steel was fun because it was more about fighting than the actual hockey game. Many NES Sports Games top ten lists has this game on it. The game had good graphics, simple but good play control and comical game play. We all spent a few hours beating the hell out of the other team. The score of the game came second to the fighting.
Castlevania. My God, what more needs to be said? Part one and three are classics. Near perfection in video gaming history. Part two has gotten more popular in recent years. Even if you still hate it just remember the old Meatloaf song states “Two out of three ain’t bad” and Konami made two of the greatest 8-bit masterpieces ever made. Cool graphics. Legendary boss fights. Some of the greatest video game music ever composed. And us kids yelling and tossing our controllers due to the difficulty of these games. I can’t say enough great things about Castlevania. Just talking about it has my nipples hard.
Last but not least, let’s talk about the three Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles games. The first one for years was hated for odd enemies never seen in the cartoon and its difficulty. While the game took heat early on, with thanks to online gamers and speed-runners, the game is now seen as somewhat of a classic. While less popular than the other two, this game had awesome music and cool power-ups. TMNT2 the Arcade Game was awesome. The game was a “beat em up” and I would argue one of the best, if not the best on the NES. TMNT3 the Manhattan Project won Nintendo Power Magazine game of the year in 1992. The game is either loved or hated by TMNT fans. I think TMNT3 while not as fun as TMNT2, is still a very good game.
I could go on and on. Konami were masters of the 8-bit. They made other underrated titles such as Goonies 2, which has gained popularity over the past few years. Rush N’ Attack while no Contra, was still a decent game. Double Dribble is a sports classic. Base Wars is an underrated sports title that me and a childhood friend wasted hours on. If you are new to retro gaming, just stay away from the two Top Gun games. I am not sure what Konami was doing during the process of making those two games.
In recent years Konami has taken a lot of shit. Some blame them for ruining the Silent Hill games. Others mock their attempts as they take on FIFA at making soccer games. We can debate this all day long. One thing is carved in stone. Konami were masters during the 8-bit era. If you say you don’t like a Konami game during this era, you are clearly lying or know nothing about video gaming.
Father O'Malley's Gaming 