NES review #1: STINGER

Stinger is a great, and extremely fun game released on the Konami label in September 1987. This was sandwiched inbetween the releases of Gradius in December 1986 and Contra in February 1988, signaling quite a creative tear for the label. Gradius and Contra of course became classics, even archetypes of their respective subgenres (those being space shooter and run n' gun, respectively). This of course to say nothing of further winners such as Life Force, Double Dribble, and the hilariously titled Rush N Attack (let's not forget this was the time of Reagan and the cold war), and misses, however noble the intention, like The Adventures of Bayou Billy.
Somehow, though, the greatness of Stinger fell through the cracks. Much like the lesser known artists during the renaissance, when even being a great artist was not enough in the boom time of Leonardo and Michaelangelo, and later on, when even being a great band in the late 60's was not quite enough, when the public was spoilt for choice with bands like the Beatles, Rolling Stones and the Who and countless others. Inevitably, material that deserved notice, and would have gotten it under any normal circumstances, had to be in the shadows.



Such is life, and seemingly also the fate of Stinger. I remember playing the game as a child in the late 80's, and being struck by the originality of the game, as well as the attractive bright colors and music - of course a must for any NES game.
In the game, you fly through various worlds and shoot at various household objects: hangers, popsicles, jelly rolls, records and the like. All the while, you shoot at bells that fall from clouds. If you shoot the bells enough times, you can get improved weaponry and power-ups, but you can't spend too much time doing this, or you will lose focus and the baddies will get you. Addiction and constant continues ensue.
The first level is horizontal, and the second vertical, and so on. This breaks up monotony and was a common feature of Konami games (i.e. Contra, Super C, etc.) The bells are in the sky, the baddies come at you fast and furious in various formations in the middle of the screen, and there are secrets and extra points at the bottom of the screen as well. This keeps the game interesting and exciting and constantly replayable. It is also 2-player simultaneous (a feature disappointingly absent from the first Double Dragon, obviously I'm still a bit bitter about that), so to play with someone else makes it easier and fun to find all the secrets and combat the onslaught of evil objects.
The bosses are great: Evil watermelon, Evil hot dog, Evil faucet (which attacks with evil bubbles - a perplexing constant in NES games - expect more on this later) - Evil VCR, only in a later level does a more traditional evil demon appear as a boss. The programmers' ability to turn mundane objects we see every day into aggressive enemies that kidnap your grandfather, is a stroke of genius that would not be equaled until September 1991 when ASCII released the awesome GUN NAC, the semi-sequel to the also excellent ZANAC, when evil carrots and bunnies assailed you.
Just a quick word about the music: it is always bright and upbeat and infectious, just like the game itself. I especially like the music during "Let's Go Bonus Game" - it will surely put a smile on your face. And isn't that what it's all about, people?



In conclusion, Stinger represents a golden time when NES games were pure fun - an enjoyable experience in the halcyon times before Joe Lieberman droned on about how Mortal Kombat corrupts absolutely. If you have an NES, please pick up Stinger on Amazon or Ebay if you haven't already. You will be happy you did.