Your Favorite Famicom Game that nobody likes?

[zmaster18]

Today I was reading a lot of comments of one of my favorite games, Clu Clu Land, and noticed that most people think this game sucks. Really? I love everything about this game! I think it's colorful, has balanced difficulty, controls are good when you know what you're doing, and I like the music! It's one of the games that got me into retro gaming as a kid!

What games do you love that other people seem to hate?  

[P]

Ikari. I'm not sure other people hate it but I've haven't heard people talk about it too much and I've seen some bad reviews about it.

I was never under the impression that Clu Clu Land is hated though? I'm personally quite bad at it since I haven't played it too much, and I never had it for NES either.

[Nightstar699]

Yeah, I've literally never once heard of Clu Clu Land being called a bad game. I never see it brought up among discussion of shitty NES games, and I mainly just hear praise for it. Where have you seen it bashed before, Zmaster?

My answer would have to be... Seikima II, I guess. I'll admit it borders on being kusoge, but I really, really like this game. Not sure if that's just because of how much I love the band, or what. Donald Land is another one... I saw a YT video of some AVGN-wannabe tearing it to shreds (over trivial and insignificant things, because of course), when honestly I'd list it alongside Holy Diver, Mitsume Ga Tooru, and Adventure Island 4 as being one of the best JP-exclusives on Famicom.

[chowder]

Front Line, just because it's hilariously bad.  The walking animations crack me up to this day   It's basic and plays like a bad homebrew game rather than a commercial title, but manages to have something endearing about it IMO.

[Cheetahmen]

I know this isn't technically a Famicom game, but I'd have to say Back to the Future. It sucks as a movie-to-game adaptation, but it's kind of fun as a somewhat simplistic arcade-style game. It's certainly a lot better than the sequel could ever hope to be.

As for games on the Famicom, I'd probably say Tiger-Heli. I remember some people saying it's lacklustre (I guess that's to be expected for a Micronics port) but it's alright to play every now and then even if I'm not very good at it.

[BaconBitsKing]

I love Spelunker. I'm awful at it, but I just can't put stop playing when I really get into it.

I don't think I've ever gotten past the first stage, either. The farthest that I've gotten is right after the two doors that you have to open with a key.

[P]

I haven't heard much bad stuff about Spelunker either. It's very popular I think. I've read some review saying that it's really a crappy game that is only loved by people out of nostalgia, but I really think it's fun so I can't take that review seriously.

[Ghegs]

I like Spelunker as well, and I've always been a bit confused as to why it apparently has a reputation as a kusoge in Japan. I'm assuming it's because the game came out shortly after Super Mario Bros. in Japan (only three months later) and since everybody played that, gamers got used to the platforming conventions there. And then Spelunker comes along and has you die when you fall more than 10 pixels. I never played it back then, so when I discovered it later I found it interesting to play something that's such a drastic departure from SMB which shapes the genre to this very day.

To answer with something different, I really like the Namcot version of Star Wars (the one with Scorpion Vader and all that jazz). Most reviews I've seen of it just focus on how it's completely different from the movie and therefore sucks.

[Nightstar699]

Spelunker definitely does have a reputation as kusoge in Japan, but as Ghegs said I'm willing to bet it's due to simply how much it strays from (what are now) platforming conventions.

Since Cheetahmen chose Back to the Future, I'll add Karate Kid to my answer, it also never came out on Famicom but I love this game. To me it just plays like a spiritual-successor to Spartan X, but with special moves and mini-games. I see no problem with that.

[BaconBitsKing]

I've never played the Famicom Star Wars game, but it seems a little silly to complain about a Famicom adaptation being different to its source material. That was pretty much the norm back then.

[UglyJoe]

I may be the only person in the US who thinks that the Pachio-kun series is actually kinda fun.  I don't know what it is about it, exactly, but I've always found it to be a good way to unwind for a while.

And then Spelunker comes along and has you die when you fall more than 10 pixels.

Definitely agree.  I think this is why most people who think Spelunker is crap think that it is crap.  I was under the impression that Americans thought it was kusoge but that Japan really liked it.  There was a top 100 Famicom games list that polled Japan in 2003 and it placed #23.

[Nightstar699]

I've never played the Famicom Star Wars game, but it seems a little silly to complain about a Famicom adaptation being different to its source material. That was pretty much the norm back then.

Not to mention, it's silly because a game =/= a movie. Why anyone would go into a game adaptation of something, expecting 100% the same experience as the movie/book/show/whatever it's based on, is beyond me. Go watch the movie if you want to experience the movie. That complaint has always bothered me more than any other.

I was under the impression that Americans thought it was kusoge but that Japan really liked it.  There was a top 100 Famicom games list that polled Japan in 2003 and it placed #23.

Huh. I notice Ikki is on there too, though, which is usually considered a kusoge? Those lists are mainly nostalgia-fueled, anyway.

[Cheetahmen]

Since Cheetahmen chose Back to the Future, I'll add Karate Kid to my answer, it also never came out on Famicom but I love this game. To me it just plays like a spiritual-successor to Spartan X, but with special moves and mini-games. I see no problem with that.

I played Karate Kid for a bit. Not sure what to make of it, I mean I like the core gameplay but actually progressing through the levels is annoying because you get knocked back quite a lot.

Oh yeah, considering that about 90% of unlicenced games get dogged just from being such I'd say a fair few of those games count too. Magic Jewelry II is probably one of my favourite Famicom games, and Q Boy is really quite solid too from what I've played of it so far.

[P]

I kind of like Karate Kid too, played it a lot many years ago. Haven't played it since though. It does have some funny controls that takes getting used to though.

I was under the impression that Americans thought it was kusoge but that Japan really liked it.  There was a top 100 Famicom games list that polled Japan in 2003 and it placed #23.

Huh. I notice Ikki is on there too, though, which is usually considered a kusoge? Those lists are mainly nostalgia-fueled, anyway.

No surprises there. The most popular games are often the most bought masterpieces. Nostalgia or not, all games 1-29 are great games (30 is Takeshi no Chousenjou). RPGs was popular as ever in Japan so DQ and FF tops the list. I guess Takeshi is considered a beloved kusoge so it made it up so high. Maybe Ikki too? I don't think Ikki is that bad though, certainly no Takeshi anyway.

[Jedi Master Baiter]

Back to the Future. It sucks as a movie-to-game adaptation, but it's kind of fun as a somewhat simplistic arcade-style game. It's certainly a lot better than the sequel could ever hope to be.

Well said. The sequel is an abomination. No one should ever have to be put through that travesty.

I really like the Namcot version of Star Wars (the one with Scorpion Vader and all that jazz). Most reviews I've seen of it just focus on how it's completely different from the movie and therefore sucks.

What I like about Star Wars tie ins is being able to see more of the Star Wars universe (whether it's canon or not ), and this game has Luke going through several planets before arriving on the Death Star.

Speaking of movie tie-ins, I liked Rambo. It was fun, had a sense of humour, followed the storyline really well (a little too well, honestly) and the music was badass: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAPDTRhNd3U

Oh! And something about the scrolling reminded me of Zelda II.