066 - SPELUNKER

SPELUNKER

Episode 066

Show Notes

Spelunker HD | Spelunker 2 | Spelunker Black | Spelunker Party

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OUR THOUGHTS

MIKE

Spelunker is definitely a cute game. The overall appearance of the game could’ve been a big detraction when you think about being in a dark cave with little to do. Tim Martin makes the most of this expectation by filling the cave with collectibles, hazards, platforms that range from elevators to slopes, and a cute little playable character to top off the charm. Forget for a minute that virtually anything (including a well timed jump) in this game will kill you. Forget that there isn’t much to collect. Forget that the enemies repeat often. Forget that the song loops almost immediately. Appreciate what this NES port is doing when compared to Lode Runner or Sky Kid. It’s not just making sure it gets the gameplay conversion from arcade to home correct, it’s focusing on the overall experience to put it above other ports. Look at all the Atari 2600 arcade ports that are nothing more than blobs and lines that follow the same ruleset. That’s exactly what Spelunker manages to avoid.

THE VERDICT - NOT ESSENTIAL

Slightly different than Donkey Kong Country

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