Do You NintenKnow: March 2024

Below is a set of clues for games that have a notable US release date anniversary (5, 10, 15, etc.) in the current month. See if you can figure out the title before clicking the blurred image to find out if you were correct! Head down to the comments when you’re finished and reminisce about the personal memories that were dredged up. Remember that these are going by the release date in the United States. Have fun!

March 1989

Tecmo developed and published this side-scrolling NES action title starring Ryu Hayabusa as he slashes his way through stages on a quest to get revenge for his murdered father. Besides Ryu’s Dragon Sword, he can use secondary weapons like throwing stars and fireballs. The game had anime-style cutscenes to help tell the story, which was quite novel at the time. Ryu’s journey is fraught with danger from every angle. Seriously, the game is HARD. Screw those birds that knock Ryu off the stage for instant deaths!

March 1994

This (very) late NES game developed by Capcom was the Blue Bomber’s last foray on Nintendo’s 8-bit console. Because of the declining popularity of the NES in favor of the newer SNES, Capcom let Nintendo take on publishing duties in North America. Gameplay was relatively unchanged from the previous titles in the series, but the debuting Energy Balancer which automatically refilled the weapon with the lowest energy which was a nice touch. Robot Masters from this title include such “icons” as Centaur Man and Tomahawk Man. Seems like they were really stretching for ideas here!

Another NES game in 1994? You bet! This sequel was from Nintendo itself and was the second-to-last first-party game released on the NES. Mike Jones is back again in another Zelda-like where he’s sent into the past and must make his way through various periods of Earth’s history. Gone is Mike’s yo-yo from the first game, giving way to other various weapons and magic. He also isn’t limited to moving on a grid and can even change directions in mid-jump. There’s also not a part in this game that requires you to dip a letter that came with the game in water to get a code, which is an enduring legacy of the first title. I guess that’s a bonus?

Did you know that Nintendo used to have a majority ownership stake in the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball? In 1994, they used this connection to release a baseball title for the SNES containing only one real MLB player – the star of the Mariners! Since they had the MLB license, but not the license for the MLB Player’s Association, every other player was based on their real 1993 season statistics but given a made-up name. You could play an entire 162-game season with the cartridge keeping track of your stats all year long! There are other game modes such as the home run derby with the cover star along and other participants like Can O’Corn and Nick Noheart!

We’ve got another sports game here, with this being an arcade port to the SNES of a very popular two-on-two basketball title. If you want realistic basketball action, this isn’t for you. Instead, you can execute ridiculous dunks and shove other players out of bounds to get the ball back. Even if you’re never played the game before, you might be familiar with the iconic phrase uttered when a player makes three baskets in a row…”He’s on fire!”

March 2004

Nintendo’s monster collecting mega-franchise found its way onto the Nintendo GameCube with this RPG developed by Genuis Sonority. It’s not exactly like the handheld counterparts, but also more fleshed out than the previous N64 battling titles from the same property. There are no random encounters, and you steal the “monsters” from other trainers…but only Shadow versions. Yes, it’s a bit of a strange setup but the usual turn-based battling is still there so all is not lost. You can also trade “monsters” with the GBA generation of mainline titles which is a neat addition.

Tactical Espionage Action on the GameCube? This remake of Kojima’s 1998 PlayStation title was developed by Silicon Knights and featured plenty of changes from the original. Besides the obvious graphical improvements, there were new cutscenes, voice acting, and gameplay elements such as the ability to shoot from first-person view. The Psycho Mantis boss fight also was adapted to call out a few Nintendo titles from your memory card. “You’ve been playing Super Mario Sunshine, haven’t you?”

Marvelous Interactive’s pioneering farming series got a GameCube installment with this title that allowed you to not only have a child but watch them grow into adulthood. The seasons were shorter with only 10 days in each one, but each day was much longer than past titles to let you get more done. There were four different kinds of cows to purchase, with each having different looks and characteristics. Plenty of crops and trees can be purchased to test your green thumb. In addition, these can be combined in various ways to create hybrid crops and trees. Despite the subtitle of the game, Jimmy Stewart is not the main character…though you could name him that if you want!

March 2009

Rockstar developed and released this DS title in their popular “Great Steal Vehicle” franchise set once again in Liberty City. This game is top-down akin to the first titles in the series but that doesn’t mean the action is pared back. You’ll still be chased by the police as your wanted level increases, and you can engage in buying/selling drugs to make money. Probably not the type of game you want your young children to play but if you’re of age…go nuts!

The Wii, generally seen as a family friendly console, got this M-rated hack-and-slash title from PlatinumGames and Sega which leaned on the black-and-white (and red) aesthetic. Blood provides the only color in the game and boy is there a lot of it! Ever heard of “Man Darts”? That’s a minigame where the main character, Jack, uses a baseball bat to hit enemies at a giant dart board to score points. The game is intentionally over-the-top in order to lend a comical spin to the action. Did I mention Jack has a chainsaw attached to his prosthetic arm? Yeah, it’s that kind of game. Tears for Fears has a popular single of the same name, but considering the song was released in 1982, the band likely had something else on their mind!