RC Pro-AM (1) was an enjoyable game, but did not have multi-player options. But RC Pro-AM 2 did. You can play 4 players. This is what makes the game soar so high in my opinion.

This was one the 1st games I got on my NES, as far as I can remember. When I found out it was 4 player, I invited some friends over to play. We would have a blast. For several months 3 or 4 guys would come over once a week or every 2 weeks and we would play this game. If there were 5 of us, 4 would play until someone lost all their continues (lives) and was kicked out of the game. Then the 5th player would jump in and we would start a new game. We never completed the game this way but we would go far. I did complete the game solo many times, and because I was good at it I would be the 5th player if we had 5 players and would wait to play until someone got booted.

This game is more than just racing, you can find or buy weapons and shoot the other cars. There was other items like oil for oil slicks, nitro for short bursts of high speed, and other things. You would get money on the tracks or items by running over them, but you also got money by placing high in the finish of the tracks. After each race you could go shopping and upgrade motor, tires, weapons, or even buy continues! But each time you bought a continue the price would go up.

How did they make 4 players fit on a NES racing game? Slow cars would get "dragged along" even if they went the wrong way. They would even bounce forward by the game engine when they fell behind. Sometimes even ahead of the 3rd place car! This does not happen when the cars are not run by human players however. As NES cars could fall behind or race ahead!

If I remember correctly there were 3 types of basic tracks: standard racing type tracks, city type tracks, and dirt road tracks. And they came in that order.

And just like RC Pro-AM 1 you can upgrade your car type by spelling out I think the word "Nintendo" by picking up the letters along the track.

In later races, one of the computer cars is so fast that you cannot beat it by racing alone. You have to stay in by shooting it or using your continues. When I soloed the game I would set up 4 human players and would drag them along cause no one played them until they lost their continues and then the computer (NES) would take over the car. Eventually by the end of the game it would be 3 NES cars vs me. This allowed me to win the 1st set of tracks and build my car and continues, until the computer came along and was eventually able to beat me. The computer at the end of the game has a higher speed than any human car can ever get no matter how many upgrades you get.

There are a couple of cool Game Genie codes for this game, like free guns and stuff, I have used. But I don't or haven't used them alot.
 
 

I originally was familiar with MULE from my Commodore 64 days. It's been so long and I have played the NES version so much I cannot remember the difference, except not having to worry about having to use a key board to play! LOL!

MULE is an economics game and is still a game I play by myself, although not alot, but frequently enough. Though this game is fun with other human players.

MULE has 3 modes. A beginner mode, a medium mode, and an expert mode. The beginner mode I think last 6 months (turns), where as the other 2 modes last 12 months. But the expert mode has 1 extra resource available: crystite.

You start the game by choosing a color (1 of 4) and then a character (different species, with humanoid being only one of a few choices). 2 of the species have different monetary starting quotas. I think Humanoids start with less money and Flappers start with more.

You are then sent to a new planet to colonize it / terra farm it. Each month you choose a plot of land which you get for free. This is done by seeing the planet map and the rectangle plot cursor starts at the top left and begins moving almost quite quickly to the right. When it hits the end of the row it drops down to the next row on the left side and continues on. Each player (human or NES) then must choose which plot they want. And if 2 players choose the same plot at the same time, the one I think who has the least money gets it. Once the cursor finishes covering the map, whether or not the players succeeded in obtaining a plot this session is over.

The player with the most wealth starts their turn unless there is a shortage of mules (discussed later), in which case the poorest goes 1st.

The length of the turn is determined by how much food you have. Though there is a maximum starting and a minimum starting time.

Your turn then can be spent doing several things. Most importantly developing the plots of land you have, usually 1 per turn, although you can change the plots production to something else. This is done by buying a mule. A mule is a mechanized unit you program to perform a specific function. You then take that mule and outfit it to the function you want it to perform: farming, solar energy, mining smithore, or mining crystite. And this costs money as well, with farming the cheapest and outfitting for crystite being the most expensive. You then take your mule out to your property and place it there. If you place it on someone else's plot it will run off and is lost.

Other things you can do on your turn is check a plot for crystite (I usually let the NES players do that and remember the results), mark a plot of land of your for sale, go the bar and gamble (ending your turn, but never losing money, and always gaining more for the more time you have left in your turn) or go wumpus hunting (my personal favorite!).

Wumpus hunting is fun and a good way to get money. Though this is 2ndary to mule placement! To wumpus hunt you go out on the world map and wait. You will hear a "ding" and see a small graphic appear on a mountain. Go grab that wumpus and make him give you his treasure!

After everyone has done their turn, its time to sell and buy commodities! If you want to sell push up and make your character go to the top of the screen before that selling begins. The game doesn't wait long, and then the selling begins. Those who want to sell after the selling begins (another timer), move their character down to the price they want to sell at. If a buyer agrees he moves up from the bottom at the price to buy as long as both are touching the same "price" and time is left and commodities are available, selling will continue. While commodities are being transferred the clock stops and waits. The "house" never moves its price. But you can buy and sell to the house at the price the game declares for that turn based upon supply and demand from previous turns. The house never stops buying (never runs out of money), but will stop selling when it runs out of a commodity. While I call it "the house" the game may actually call it "the store".

As I mentioned above, food is used for the turn timer. Energy is used to produce all other commodities, including food. If you don't have energy you won't produce any commodities (though you could buy them). Smithore is used to produce mules (the store does this automatically, but must have smithore to do this, thus the store can run out of mules!). Crystite, as far as I can tell has no use in the game, but is only for profit.

Food grows best on the river plots. Energy is produced most in clear "plain" plots. Smithore is produced more in mountain plots. Smithore can be found anywhere, though I think IF it is found in the mountains, will produce more, except for a meteor shower hit (discussed below).

After each turn, I think before the trading, an event might take place: pirates take all crystite, store burns, meteor falls, and so on.

To win, all must win, however, there will be the richest player and the poorest. But if everyone gets greedy the colony will fail at the end. Therefore success for the individual must also come with success as the colony as well.

Colony wins are not clear cut, but are levels of success determined by the whole wealth of all players.
 
 

In Boulder Dash you control a little guy who runs through the dirt sort of like Dig Dug, if you ever played that. He tunnels his way through the ground to collect diamonds. In each level the goal is to collect a certain amount of diamonds before the time runs out. It has a puzzle like feel to it as you have to figure out how to get the diamonds without losing your guy. Boulders may fall on you, hence the name Boulder Dash. Or you may have to get past enemies, stuck in the dirt as well. These enemies do not dig through the dirt like you, nor move through the dirt like in Dig Dug. And to kill them you have to drop boulders on them. Or you can recapture them by surrounding them with boulders or other items. There are different kinds of enemies, one enemy is like an ameba or blob that keeps growing. It must be surrounded by boulders quickly or else it will engulf the entire open areas and the level is lost. But once it has been "captured" it will turn into diamonds. Other enemies also turn into diamonds if you kill them.

You can run (tunnel) through the dirt or open space in any direction, and can push boulders horizontally very slowly. If a boulder does not have dirt under it, it will fall until it lands on something. Most enemies move in a specific direction or pattern therefore you can plan their demise. Diamonds can fall like boulders, however they cannot be pushed, since they are collected the moment you touch them.
 
 

The game is about this character going through these dungeons, towers and rooms; where you battle enemies and collect treasure.

Here are some Deadly Tower links:

Here is a link for a Deadly Towers page with lots of maps and another review:

 VC&G Exclusive: Secret Deadly Towers Maps Revealed! - near the bottom, where folks make comments is very good set of instructions for winning the game. 

 Deadly Towers manual - another link to the game manual

 Deadly Towers manual - another manual on a different site

 GameFAQ's Deadly Towers walkthru's and FAQ's and other goodies

 Game Spot's FAQ's tips and cheats for Deadly Towers

 Neo Seeker's Walkthroughs, FAQs, and Guides

Here are some cheats, tips and codes to help.  I haven't verified these yet.

Extra Life:

Start a new character and die on the same screen. Write down the password, change the first two letters to EF or FE, and enter the results on the PASSWORD screen. When the game begins you should have a maximum of 102 hit points. Note: This only works if you die ASAP... if you poke around some, getting heart containers and the like, it won't work.

Game Genie Codes:

        LGXELPZU        Start with 75 Ludder
        GXSONPST       You won't take any Damage
        ZEUPKYPE         Pick up 1 Ludder, it becomes 10!
        GOUPUYIA          Pick up 5 Ludder, it becomes 20!
        GXUGLVON        Shopkeeper forgets to Charge you
 

Game Password:

EF1KDK.KTX          ready to defeat Rubas
GDXHDPMM10      Start with a lot of items 
FE1K10.TDK           Extra items
 
 

Rampart - for the NES. This game is like a mixture of Tetris and ships attacking castles. I really like this game, although it's not my favorite. You choose and area to build your castle, then you place your cannons (you have a time limit in doing so). Then you use your cannons to destroy ships off the coast of your area, while they attack your castle(s). This lasts a short time, then its time to rebuild your castle and make new ones! You get tetris shaped pieces to surround your castle area to rebuild the broken walls or to make new castles entirely. You have a timer! If you fail to build a complete a wall around 1 castle structure then you have lost. The more castles you have the more cannons you can have. And the bigger you build you castles, the more cannons you can have as well. The inside walls I believe disappear once the structure is complete, to make room for the cannons. And you then can add onto your castles to make them bigger. I think any walls that remain unconnected, disappear when the timing is done. I haven't played in awhile, when I do I will have more details.

Road Blasters - for the NES. I absolutely loved the arcade version but detest the NES version. You race a car in a limited amount of time to reach a goal. You also can run out of gas. There are enemy vehicles that can shoot you, land mines on the road, and sometimes guns on the side of the road shooting at you as well. As you drive you can run over I believe red and green balls. I am quite sure these give you more gas. (I haven't played in awhile.) Then every so often, a flying vehicle comes over and attempts to drop a weapon or device on the roof of your car. You can miss this or die before it happens. This special weapon helps you. Also when you shoot enemy vehicles I think some of them turn into balls of fuel as well.

The NES game just doesn't play near as good as the arcade version, and I just don't like it. It's really not a horrible game, it just upsets me that the conversion to the NES just wasn't well done. I keep it for more sentimental value of the arcade more than anything. But its an okay racing game.

Bugs Bunny Crazy Castle - for the NES. I have categorized this in a new category I call "Layered Platform Games". Layered platform games would include games like: Bubble Bobble, Burgertime, Elevator Action, Ice Climber, and the original Mario Bro's (not Super Mario Brothers). Although these kind of games are usually horizontally short enough they fit on the same screen, many do not fit vertically however. But with Bugs Bunny Crazy Castle you get neither, thus my skepticism for categorizing it as such. But in most aspects it is similar as the horizontal length is not very long, but longer than the screen width. I may have gotten this on the GameBoy 1st. I think its an okay game, more suitable for GameBoy however, and was tempted to sell it shortly after getting it, but the kids say they like it, although they don't play it, LOL.

You play Bugs Bunny and must collect carrots. But Sylvester the cat is trying to get you! You avoid Sylvester and reach the carrots through stairs and doorways. You can pick up items or push items to hurt Sylvester as well. Once you pick up all the carrots on the level you go to the next level and do it again. The levels are different but have the same theme. Each level has several or many stairs to get to higher or lower platforms. Sometimes platforms can be reached through the doors. You can jump or fall off platforms as well. I don't think this hurts you.

I think they did a good job on Sylvester's graphics but not on Bugs Bunny.

The game is okay. Nothing great, nothing horrible.

Mario Bro's - for the NES. Many people may not even know of this game. Some would guess wrongly that I am discussing Super Mario Brothers. Mario Bro's was the 1st game I believe where Mario got his name. Although this wasn't his 1st appearance, I think it was in Donkey Kong, but he was known as Jumpman then. Others would recognize this as the contest screen between Mario and Luigi in Super Mario Bro's 3. 

This is a multi-leveled game, hence categorized by me as a "Layered Platform Game". The top layer has a pipe on each side, as well as the bottom layer. The middle layers will have holes in the floor to access the other layers. Out of the top pipes will come creatures, and sometimes coins and fire balls. You must bonk the creatures from the layer beneath through the floor/ceiling to knock them unconscience. Then you must get to that layer and hit them directly to get rid of them. You can also stun them with the "POW" button I think it's called also seen in other Super Mario games.

If the creatures reach the bottom pipes they then come down again from the top pipes. Mario and Luigi cannot use the pipes but can scroll from one side of a layer to the other. Once all the creatures have been gotten rid of, you proceed to the next level and start over. I believe later levels look different with ice and such.

I don't like this game at all. But my youngest son loves it. He would always challenge his older brother in Super Mario 3 in those screens so I decided to get this game for him. It is a bit hard to get. Not extremely, but you can't get this game cheap. I think it cost me about $7.00. I usually only pay about $5.00 for my games, anything over $6.00 I consider hard to get.

It's an older game ported to NES. I am guessing some history here, but this may have came out later for NES, but the original arcade version was years earlier. When they brought it to the NES they did not update the controls. Controlling the characters is hard. You cannot be facing left and jump right for example. You have to turn around and face the direction you want to jump to, this is 2 distinct moves, not like in Super Mario Bro's where you can smoothly jump the other direction you are facing. This hurts the game in my opinion, although even if this was fixed, I wouldn't really enjoy this kind of game.

Another reason for the difficulty in getting this game is the name and the lack of people knowing the difference. I went on Ebay to find this game. I saw a copy of "Mario Bro's" ending in a few minutes and bid on it. But when I won the auction and looked at it, it didn't look right so I compared pictures and it was Super Mario Bro's (1). "Super" is written in small letters on the cart and cannot be seen easily. I didn't pay for that auction since they miss titled it. I then lost 2 or 3 auctions for Mario Bro's and learned it wasn't so easy or cheap to get and had to bid a bit higher before finally getting one.
 
 

These games play similar to Super Mario Bro's (1) but with better graphics, almost as good as Super Mario 2 or 3, although the quality isn't as consistent.  Your character, a cave man I think, runs through each level jumping over rocks and creatures. Most creatures cannot be touched or you die, even if you jump on them. Jumping on rocks I think hurts you but doesn't kill you. But you get weapons in the game. The 1st is a stone axe which you can throw. Later you get a boomerang (at least in games 2 & 3 I think). You also can ride a skateboard in at least 2 & 3.

Adventure Island 1 I think is the least best, but is still a good game, and perhaps only slightly less likable as #3. What's cool with #1 is that there are numbered markers in the levels, and as you pass them they are like auto-save points. So if your character dies, you don't have to start the level all over again.

Adventure Island 2 I think is the best for 3 reasons:

1. You can go backward, although you cannot retrace the whole level backwards
2. It was easier, I got through 5 levels in the same amount of time it took me to do 1 or 2 in the other ones
3. Riding the dinosaurs was cool, although 3 had this as well, but 3 didn't have the 1st two points above.

Adventure Island 3 is very similar to 2, but is harder and you can't go backwards.
 

Here is an article by one of the developers of the game:

 M.C Kids - a very nice article, with a review, tips, maps, and more

 M.C Kids manual - the manual for the game

 McKids Walkthrough - a McKids walk through

Game Genie codes:

PAKILYLA         Start with 2 lives
TAKILYLA         Start with 7 lives
PAKILYLE         Start with 10 lives
GXKSUOSE        Infinite lives
EGETYTIA        Infinite hearts
EKNVYIIA        Don't lose Golden Arches when hit
AOVEGTGE + AEVEPTLA     Super jump
AAKSAYZA + AEKSNPZA     1 heart per life
YAKSAYZA + YEKSNPZA     8 hearts per life

Exit level
To get out of a level, pause the game by pressing START, then press SELECT while paused. You will get out of the level, but you will lose one life.
 

Links on my website:

 The Entertainment Pages - This page will be a center hub of any other pages I may have concerning entertainment.

 Interactive 3D Temple Module for NWN - this page describes in detail about a 3D Temple I created for the game NeverWinter Nights. It's a free module you can download for the game. Details can be found there.

 The NES Pages - My page on the Nintendo Entertainment System and a list of my NES games, with links to game reviews and more.

 NES Accessories - Pictures and descriptions of the NES accessories I own.

 My Lord of the Rings Pages - now out-dated. While I still have over half of my collection listed there, some of its been sold or given away. I have lost interest. My disinterest began with the 3rd film. While I believe the films are great, I was upset at the scene on the volcano where Frodo used his ring against Gollum. That scene was in the book, but not in the movie. It also was the reason why Frodo got his energy back to run the rest of the way up. The movie made it look like Frodo just wanted to ride on Sam's back cause he was lazy, because he fell off and then just ran away!
 
 

Links elsewhere:

 The Faithful Knights of Christ - a christian gamers message board

 THE CHRISTIAN GAMERS GUILD

 Christian Duke Nukem Maps

 Christ Centered Game Reviews

 TALES OF THE UNWRITTEN - Christian MMORG in development

 Yahoo group for Christian EQ players

 Christian guild for the World of Warcraft

 Wisdom Tree - Makers and distributors of top selling Christian computer games designed for the Christian Community. (Yeah they're still in business and still have some Nintendo stuff for sale and other cool stuff as well.)