Summer`s fading fast, and we`ve got a few loose ends we need to wrap up before those school bells ring. Here`s a quick look at the last games of summer.
Super Bowling (American Technos, for Super NES. $65). If you`re in the mood to knock down a few pins, but are maybe afraid to go to your local alley without a funny nose-and-moustache disguise, this one`s for you.
If you know anything about bowling, then you know how this game works. One to four players take turns in practice or regular modes. There`s even a
”golf” mode that makes you hit certain pins in order to rack up a golf score.
The sound and graphics are super, and the game play is incredibly smooth. But the action might get stale pretty quickly for non-bowlers. Rating: Big Kid (over 12) 7; Mid-Kid (7 to 12) 7; Kid (under 7) 7.
Yoshi (Nintendo, for NES and Game Boy. $35). After Tetris and Dr. Mario, we thought the Big N might be going to the well once too often with another puzzle game. We didn`t see how Yoshi could compete with those two addictive gems. Well, now we remember why the Big N is the Big N, and we`re newspaper columnists.
Yoshi is a blast. Mario (and Luigi in the two-player mode) stands at the bottom of the screen with a pair of platters in each hand. Any of these can trade places with its nearest neighbor.
As the game begins, bad guys from the Mario Bros. games rain from the sky. Goombas, ghosts, squids and those nasty spitting flowers fall by twos. You can`t change the order they fall in.
There are also half-eggshells that fall randomly. Match a top and bottom and you`ll hatch a Yoshi. This one`s also great on Game Boy. Rating: BK 9; MK 9; K 9.
King`s Quest V, (Konami, for NES. $45). OK, smart alecks, we don`t know what happened to the first four either. We`re just glad Quest V made the transition from PC. This is a smart role-player that looks unbelievably good on the ol` NES.
The rewards here tend to come more from fast thinking than from fast fists. If you`re looking for a different kind of RPG, as well as another reason to hang on to your eight-bit system, check this one out. Rating: BK 8; MK 8; K 6.
Maxivision, (American Video Entertainment, for NES $100). This is a great concept-15 games on a single cart. The question is, how much do you want from your games? The games range from puzzlers to shooters to sports. Jonathan, at age 6, loves Maxivision. For Chip, it`s not quite challenging enough-in fact, some of the titles remind him of old Atari 2600 hits.
If you`re looking for user-friendly gaming, Maxivision`s a great bet. Rating: BK 5; MK 7; K 9.
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Got a question? An inside tip you`d like to share? Write to Chip and Jonathan Carter, Friday Audio-Video Section, Chicago Tribune, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, Ill. 60611.
Games of the week: Quickies
For: Super NES, NES, Game Boy
