Mighty Bomb Jack was the first time I ever felt misled by a game's box art as a kid. When I rented it, I thought I'd get to play as a cool superhero that threw bombs at bad guys. Then I played it, got hurled into the torture room, got lost, and gave up. Never had I encountered a game that seemed so unwilling to be played before. I revisited the game when it popped up on Switch's online service, but before I did, I read the manual online. My childhood rental never came with it. Imagine my surprise when I found that most of the game's weirdness was explained within! If only that rental place had included it.
Solomon's key brings back memories, because being old, I come from the time of renting games from stores, and If you wasted a rental that was it, your weekend was ruined. It was my turn to pick one week and my brothers were on a roll with the last 2 rentals being metroid and the legend of zelda. My turn comes up, we walk around the video store for an hour, I finally pick soloman's key, and rush back to the house pop it in and I remember that horrible feeling of picking a dud. We sit and stare at each other, my brothers walk out of the room and I'm left alone with this shitty game for the weekend. It became a household meme "don't pick soloman's key" became shorthand for "don't fuck it up".
@@Alianger Awesome is a stretch. I think jeremy is very fair here. I agree, it has some value for its time and place in gaming, and my opinion was skewed by just playing absolute masterpieces just prior. But awesome, is silly hyperbolic hipster revisionism. It is a interesting footnote/ mediocre game.
Robert Driscoll It sucks you had such a negative experience with Solomon's Key, especially since you had people around you to help out and in my own experience ,which sounds like the complete opposite to yours, my friend and I were able to each tackle the rooms using each others' ideas to collectively solve each one and discover the hidden secrets.
Solomon's looked and sounded pretty boring in those early Nintendo Fun Club advertisements. However a friend lent it to me after a couple of years (I was bored and would likely play anything new in those days, y'all know how it was) and was pleasantly surprised how immediately enjoyable of an experience it was. For one, it was unlike anything I'd seen on the NES before - not only that, but it as very engaging and required a fair bit of creative thought to play compared to so much else available at the time (run to the right, kill badguys with your infinite ammo). Yes those were still quite fun, but this was a refreshing change of pace. The presentation was also quite compelling too, I'd say the soundtrack is still ingrained deep in my brain. A really solid game, lots of great memories.
Games were so new when these released that any shortcoming felt like my fault not that of obtuse game structure. I miss that feeling that if I try just a bit harder it will all make sense.
I loved mighty bomb jack. It not only fascinated me as a kid in the 80s, but it was a challenge I never did complete. I pick it up now and again to try, but, without a guide it's nearly impossible to complete. Like many 2600 and nes games, they were way more challenging and unforgiving than games today. I think most kids, like me, had a small library of games, and getting one of these games did provide a very long play value
My neighbor growing up had a Bomb Jack arcade machine in her living room that I played quite a lot. Fantastic game. I didn't even know there was a sequel on NES!
I played Solomon's Key for the first time about 10 or so years ago after playing its spiritual successor Fire 'n Ice. I actually thought it held up extremely well, and was surprised that it was such an early NES title. I might even go as far to say that it's an NES must play. On the other hand, I played Mighty Bomb Jack for the first time a few days ago, and was just utterly confused the entire time. I can't see myself recommending it to anyone, even though this video did a great job in showing how and why the game can be fun.
Solomon's Key was one of the few NES games I owned that I could never complete. It just got too challenging for me at some point, and without having a way to continue my progress, I gave up eventually. I still have fond memories of it, though.
Man I would've loved these games back in the day. My mom and I had a notebook we'd write down stuff from bubble bobble, like what makes that blue jewel appear on stage 5 and how that makes other stuff happen... I kinda miss obtuse stuff like this
Mighty bomb jack is a work of genius that more than stands the test of time. I wish more contemporary games would have non-standard controls, esoteric mechanics, and torture chambers instead of just ripping off capcom and konami over and over again.
My mom and dad bought Mighty Bomb Jack with the NES, so it was as much a part of my early experience with video games as Mario was. I played it for years and never understood the coins until recently. Also, the enemy movement is entirely random, so predicting movement is almost impossible.
I remember kinda liking Solomon's Key as a kid, so when I heard that was Tecmo's big offering for that month I was kinda excited to revisit it! It took me almost the entire rest of the month (and several save-state abuses) but I did finally get to the end! didn't get the true ending though, perhaps someday I'll revisit it for an attempt. Also! I don't know if you knew but there's a Bomb Jack you can collect in Solomon's Key, that turns all the enemies into fairies!
I really like these games conceptually and I wish they’d give them another shot to try and refine the original concepts but I’ll enjoy playing them on switch for now
These two are both two of my favourite arcade games. I never played the NES game of Bomb Jack though. It looks like the original arcade levels are now relegated to be the torture rooms.
I've been counting down the days until Mighty Bomb Jack gets added to the NES Online collection, and you surprise me with this?? Jeremy, you're a gem. Now, to feel Chief Arino's agony firsthand...
Have you ever seen the "GameCenter CX" episodes where Arino played these respective games? I own the "Retro Game Master" DVD set, and it has both of these episodes.
The bit where Arino learns the Solomon's Key continue code becomes less effective in the final stages is one of the show's most heartbreaking moments, right up there with forgetting to use the continue code in Wing of Madoola...
yes these are great - it helps give additional perspective on how to play the game and more background behind the history such as how they love puzzle games there
@@JeremyParish and that one time they saved an extra Famicom that was on all day so he could play the true final level of Gimmick only for the game to freeze. Oof.
Yeah, I feel like if there's ONE thing that really distinguishes 80s/8-bit games, it's the whole thing where they have obscure mechanics that follow their own logic, with no hints. It didn't take devs (aside from Cyan) long to figure out players just didn't have much patience for that sorta thing. Also, damn you for getting the Bubble Bobble theme stuck in my head again. :-P
... Shit. I wish I'd known about _Mighty Bomb Jack_ back when Videoland MUSH was running. I would've at least considered playing the character. That would've been hilarious.
Smart decision on devs side to make all the secrets in Solomon's Key prerequisite only for a special ending and not for the main ending like was done in Tower of Druaga.
God the RUclips algorithm has failed me. It just a few days ago turned me on to your content. Subscribed and time to spend the next month watching all of these amazing videos!
Really surprised to see the Anna Anthropy callout, but it's appreciated. Might Jill Off is great for showing off _why_ Mighty Bomb Jack's unique jumping controls and physics are so great and then put them into a much more easy to understand environment. While Jill Off lacks the exploration and discover of Bomb Jack, it does so in service of providing a much cleaner experience. I've always felt Might Bomb Jack was just a couple steps away from being a true gem. The mechanics are just a bit too obtuse and the eponymous bombs littered everywhere distract the player in the normal stage rooms. The Torture Chamber mechanic though I feel is quite brilliant, telling the player it's okay to use the resources they collect, and dealing out a punishment that can be a task, but isn't necessarily a death sentence while you're learning the game.
I was really excited to see Jeremy refer to Mighty Jill Off, too! The moment I saw Mighty Bomb Jack's art, the connection became clear to me. I didn't even know Jill Off was inspired by Bomb Jack, I had never heard of MBJ before!
I am still bemused and impressed that somebody got the Mighty Jill Off working near flawlessly on actual retro hardware (there's a version for Atari 8 bit systems) The retro 'port' lacks the second stage, or any of the ending scenes... But it looks nearly identical to the PC version, has a near flawless rendition of the music and sound effects, and DOES include the entire intro sequence. And it does all this while fitting within the 64k memory limit of the later versions (the 800XL onwards) So... Overall very impressive. I suppose the reason the ending and second stage are missing is because it's already borderline improbable to fit the whole thing into 64k... Maybe a version designed to operate off a 130k floppy disk with multiple stage loading would've been able to fit the whole thing... But that would've been a different project I suppose. But it really is an amazing demonstration of what these old 8 bit systems were actually capable of. Something that might not have been particularly obvious if you saw the releases on the system back in the day. (The Atari 8 bit home computers typically got games that made the early NES games look like complex masterpieces. The system was capable of more, but that's the standard set back in the day... So it often surprises people to see the more advanced titles it was actually capable of.)
Awesome Famicom collection! I love how in depth you went with these.. I love collecting Famicom I am at about 273 games at this point according to my GameEye.. looks like I’m def missing a bunch that you have that I will have to add to my wish list to pick up eventually.. 😂 I def collected a lot more of the big hitters over my time with Famicom though.. there’s just a few I’m still missing when it comes to the pricey ones
The text review you showed clearly the reviewer didn't realise if you press jump again it stops your advance. Had you Jeremy realised if you hold up on the joystick when you press jump you will jump to the top of the screen (if it's a non vertically scrolling room). I couldn't tell if you knew that from the vid.
this is such a well made video you have a talent and a great voice for this and a great mind people like you make lives better you're kind and you have a great mind and a talent for this and made my day the commenters here are always so cool and kind and inteligent
When I played Mighty Bomb Jack as a kid I felt like something was wrong with me because I just didn't get it at all. Watching this video now, I realize that "not getting it" was the expected experience, and that going into this game without a strategy guide, or in my case without even a manual, is a fool's errand.
Solomon’s Key (and Solomon’s Club on GB) are both great games, but I love the NES sequel, Solomon’s Key 2 aka Fire and Ice, even more. It’s a shame it was only released in Spain, Germany and Scandinavia (I think...) cos it’s an absolute belter!
Eh, I don't know that I can really dock points for making a bonus ending obscure. I feel like that was for players who had beaten the game, and wanted to see what else they could find in it. Bomb Jack makes some of its mysterious elements more essential, but nothing you can't figure out. And still, the extras with the lit bombs seems like something a player who has beaten the game might start to pick up on. We generally spent more time with each game back then, so it's not as unlikely that some people would have figured things out.
I also think anything in the manual is fair game in the 8-bit era. Games were becoming more ambitious than they ciuld effectively communicate in game, so having the manual supplement the in-game information is acceptable for that period. Solstice, for instance, gives you most of the story, your goal, some great atmosphere, and even hints at the overall layout of the castlegrounds. It's one of my favorites, but I can't imagine playing it without the manual.
fun fact there´s this anime called "Rio´s rainbow gate" where both deena and jack apear, the reason for this is because the anime is based on the licence of "Rio super black jack" a series of gambling machines produces by Koei Tecmo.
MY CHILDHOOD!!11 I just wanted to say that because earlier I was watching videos with my daughter from a kids cartoon and all the comments are from 11 year olds saying that even though they're actually still children, but in this case, it's true.
As for Mighty Bomb Jack, I like it! I also like (actually *really* like) Solomon's Key. Interesting thing about these games is they got ported to home computers at the time. Solomon's Key's ports tended to take after the arcade game, but it was the NES Mighty Bomb Jack got ported, with varying degrees of fidelity, to those machines. Of particular note is the C64 version of MBJ, which is pretty darn cool! Look for yourself: ruclips.net/video/k3Xbf1V_028/видео.html That quick scrolling isn't easy to do on the C64.
I feel like calling Jill Off a manifesto is a bit strong. The bondage themes are largely irrelevant and in fact only come into play during the brief moments when the player isn't playing. Plus there's no central message or idea being expressed.
I had both of those games, I hated Mighty Bomb Jack, it was one of the only games I had that I couldn't beat, it tore, it still tears at my soul. I couldn't beat Solomon's Key, but it didn't bother me as much.
Mighty Bomb Jack is enjoyable so long as you take it on its own terms. You have to really stick with it and it's not exactly great but it can be pretty addictive. Solomon's Key freaks me out though, never bothered trying it out as it just looks very intense.
I find it interesting that Solomon's Key was an arcade game but the NES Ninja Gaiden wasn't. (I know there's an arcade game but it's different from the NES game).
@@JeremyParish Ah okay. Is that because you're not fan of the series or something else? I've only played the recent one PS4 and visited your channel to see if I could get some history on the series.
@@RhubarbGames It's because Dragon Warrior won't come out for the NES until August 1989 . As this is a chronological exploration of the NES and its games, it's not going to be for awhile.
Mighty Bomb Jack is my favourite NES game on Switch. I'm surprised you have never made a video about Yoshi, a charming puzzle game i'm also enjoying a lot on NES Online. (made by Game Freak)
I quite like the original Bomb Jack arcade game, and I'm sorta disappointed to see it run into the NES as a convoluted puzzle game. At least the jumping mechanics and the bombs are still there, so fans of the original game won't be too lost.
It felt weird playing Bomb Jack for the first time because the reason I figured out about it was via playing Anna Anthropy's The Mighty Jill Off. And it was weird going from a game like Jill that was definitely very difficult, but still very honest, straight forward, etc and thus "fair." And then coming back to Jack and finding a game that felt cryptic and obtuse. With both games controlling exactly the same. I enjoyed Jack, but I still prefer Jill.
I've spent a lot of time recently playing a retro port of 'the mighty jilloff' - the original is on PC and in retro style, but the version I play the most was a port to the Atari 800XL. Leaving aside that the game has a vaguely 'lesbian bondage' vibe going on, it owes a few things to Mighty bomb jack. Not being familiar with that, I was never really sure what, exactly it derived from that old game. But I have since been able to figure out that the design of the main character is similar, and the movement mechanics are nearly identical as well. The core gameplay however has nothing in common with Mighty Bomb Jack. Still, the derivation is obvious when you see them side-by-side... Amusing sometimes what modern indie devs do with the inspiration they take from older games... XD
Speed run one jump grab every intended balloon 🎈 land on hidden square jump reveling hidden treasure second jump collect every coin and remainder balloons somehow runs directly into wall at specific height enters hidden bonus room do that on every level and you have my 70 something year old great grandma knew way to much about this game and probably would give record holders a run for their money .. also space invader and Tetris die hards 50 60 70 tetrises in one game maxxed out on level 30 if correct and still played at for another 10-30 minutes after level max out .. Tetris was part of her elderly life she played for minimum 12 years on game boy same size as 2 iPhone but screen like and small as an apple Watch
I disliked both of these games. SK just needed a password system and I would've stuck with it. I loved Legacy of the Wizard so I could've done SK. MBJ has design issues. Bombs are either weapons to collect and use or dangerous to be avoided, like Zelda or Bomberman. They aren't collectibles like coins. Jumping to open a chest, not landing but the full launch and land, is just wasting player's time with that kind of jump. Airborne and variable jump is more intuitively done by holding a button. And the backgrounds just screamed generic with no sense of place or uniqueness. Cryptic stuff is fine as a spice, but it can't be the whole meal.
Yikes, watching you play Solomon's Key is vaguely upsetting. I almost want to shout at the screen about things you're doing wrong. "Those diamond items can be turned into better things! Duck when you press the fireball button there to kill more enemies! Here, move over, let me play!" There actually *is* a little of the destroy-random-walls stuff in Solomon's Key, there's two or three apparently-indestructable blocks that can be broken, although you have to invisibly "power up" your block magic by using it on a mirror first. It's kind of obscure, but if memory serves is clued in the manual at least, although it's used so rarely in the game (just the last level, and hidden levels) that most sane people will have forgotten about it by the time it becomes important.
Mighty Bomb Jack was the first time I ever felt misled by a game's box art as a kid. When I rented it, I thought I'd get to play as a cool superhero that threw bombs at bad guys. Then I played it, got hurled into the torture room, got lost, and gave up. Never had I encountered a game that seemed so unwilling to be played before.
I revisited the game when it popped up on Switch's online service, but before I did, I read the manual online. My childhood rental never came with it. Imagine my surprise when I found that most of the game's weirdness was explained within! If only that rental place had included it.
Solomon's key brings back memories, because being old, I come from the time of renting games from stores, and If you wasted a rental that was it, your weekend was ruined. It was my turn to pick one week and my brothers were on a roll with the last 2 rentals being metroid and the legend of zelda. My turn comes up, we walk around the video store for an hour, I finally pick soloman's key, and rush back to the house pop it in and I remember that horrible feeling of picking a dud. We sit and stare at each other, my brothers walk out of the room and I'm left alone with this shitty game for the weekend. It became a household meme "don't pick soloman's key" became shorthand for "don't fuck it up".
@@Alianger Awesome is a stretch. I think jeremy is very fair here. I agree, it has some value for its time and place in gaming, and my opinion was skewed by just playing absolute masterpieces just prior. But awesome, is silly hyperbolic hipster revisionism. It is a interesting footnote/ mediocre game.
Robert Driscoll It sucks you had such a negative experience with Solomon's Key, especially since you had people around you to help out and in my own experience ,which sounds like the complete opposite to yours, my friend and I were able to each tackle the rooms using each others' ideas to collectively solve each one and discover the hidden secrets.
I recently finally finished Solomon's Key after 30 years thanks to Switch Online save states.
Yeah I could do that too, but that doesn't feel right
Solomon's looked and sounded pretty boring in those early Nintendo Fun Club advertisements. However a friend lent it to me after a couple of years (I was bored and would likely play anything new in those days, y'all know how it was) and was pleasantly surprised how immediately enjoyable of an experience it was. For one, it was unlike anything I'd seen on the NES before - not only that, but it as very engaging and required a fair bit of creative thought to play compared to so much else available at the time (run to the right, kill badguys with your infinite ammo). Yes those were still quite fun, but this was a refreshing change of pace. The presentation was also quite compelling too, I'd say the soundtrack is still ingrained deep in my brain. A really solid game, lots of great memories.
It's still a fun game, though very difficult. Reminds me of the Lolo games.
Games were so new when these released that any shortcoming felt like my fault not that of obtuse game structure. I miss that feeling that if I try just a bit harder it will all make sense.
I really enjoy your content buddy, thanks for making such quality videos..
I loved mighty bomb jack. It not only fascinated me as a kid in the 80s, but it was a challenge I never did complete. I pick it up now and again to try, but, without a guide it's nearly impossible to complete. Like many 2600 and nes games, they were way more challenging and unforgiving than games today. I think most kids, like me, had a small library of games, and getting one of these games did provide a very long play value
This series just keeps getting better an better. Thanks for making it
My neighbor growing up had a Bomb Jack arcade machine in her living room that I played quite a lot. Fantastic game. I didn't even know there was a sequel on NES!
I played a Bomb Jack arcade for the first time a few years ago. I found it _way_ more enjoyable than Mighty Bomb Jack. XD
I really love this NES Works series!
I played Solomon's Key for the first time about 10 or so years ago after playing its spiritual successor Fire 'n Ice. I actually thought it held up extremely well, and was surprised that it was such an early NES title. I might even go as far to say that it's an NES must play.
On the other hand, I played Mighty Bomb Jack for the first time a few days ago, and was just utterly confused the entire time. I can't see myself recommending it to anyone, even though this video did a great job in showing how and why the game can be fun.
Solomon's Key was one of the few NES games I owned that I could never complete. It just got too challenging for me at some point, and without having a way to continue my progress, I gave up eventually. I still have fond memories of it, though.
a couple of underrated games that hearken back to the early NES days of gameplay
Man I would've loved these games back in the day. My mom and I had a notebook we'd write down stuff from bubble bobble, like what makes that blue jewel appear on stage 5 and how that makes other stuff happen... I kinda miss obtuse stuff like this
The ZX (Zed Ex) Spectrum version of Bombjack is superb!
Mighty bomb jack is a work of genius that more than stands the test of time. I wish more contemporary games would have non-standard controls, esoteric mechanics, and torture chambers instead of just ripping off capcom and konami over and over again.
My mom and dad bought Mighty Bomb Jack with the NES, so it was as much a part of my early experience with video games as Mario was. I played it for years and never understood the coins until recently. Also, the enemy movement is entirely random, so predicting movement is almost impossible.
I remember kinda liking Solomon's Key as a kid, so when I heard that was Tecmo's big offering for that month I was kinda excited to revisit it! It took me almost the entire rest of the month (and several save-state abuses) but I did finally get to the end! didn't get the true ending though, perhaps someday I'll revisit it for an attempt.
Also! I don't know if you knew but there's a Bomb Jack you can collect in Solomon's Key, that turns all the enemies into fairies!
The Anna Athropy reference
I really like these games conceptually and I wish they’d give them another shot to try and refine the original concepts but I’ll enjoy playing them on switch for now
These two are both two of my favourite arcade games. I never played the NES game of Bomb Jack though. It looks like the original arcade levels are now relegated to be the torture rooms.
The NES game isn't a port but more of a sequel and it plays quite differently from the arcade classic.
I love both of these games keep up the good work Jeremy 👍
I've been counting down the days until Mighty Bomb Jack gets added to the NES Online collection, and you surprise me with this?? Jeremy, you're a gem. Now, to feel Chief Arino's agony firsthand...
"Possibly even fun," is the nicest thing I've ever heard anyone say about Mighty Bomb Jack. I love Solomon's Key though.
Have you ever seen the "GameCenter CX" episodes where Arino played these respective games? I own the "Retro Game Master" DVD set, and it has both of these episodes.
The bit where Arino learns the Solomon's Key continue code becomes less effective in the final stages is one of the show's most heartbreaking moments, right up there with forgetting to use the continue code in Wing of Madoola...
yes these are great - it helps give additional perspective on how to play the game and more background behind the history such as how they love puzzle games there
@@JeremyParish NES Works CX! Parish ON!
@@JeremyParish and that one time they saved an extra Famicom that was on all day so he could play the true final level of Gimmick only for the game to freeze. Oof.
Yeah, I feel like if there's ONE thing that really distinguishes 80s/8-bit games, it's the whole thing where they have obscure mechanics that follow their own logic, with no hints. It didn't take devs (aside from Cyan) long to figure out players just didn't have much patience for that sorta thing.
Also, damn you for getting the Bubble Bobble theme stuck in my head again. :-P
... Shit. I wish I'd known about _Mighty Bomb Jack_ back when Videoland MUSH was running. I would've at least considered playing the character. That would've been hilarious.
You do one-of-a-kind work on here, Mr. Parish. It's much appreciated, and I look forward to every new upload!
Smart decision on devs side to make all the secrets in Solomon's Key prerequisite only for a special ending and not for the main ending like was done in Tower of Druaga.
God the RUclips algorithm has failed me. It just a few days ago turned me on to your content. Subscribed and time to spend the next month watching all of these amazing videos!
Really surprised to see the Anna Anthropy callout, but it's appreciated. Might Jill Off is great for showing off _why_ Mighty Bomb Jack's unique jumping controls and physics are so great and then put them into a much more easy to understand environment. While Jill Off lacks the exploration and discover of Bomb Jack, it does so in service of providing a much cleaner experience.
I've always felt Might Bomb Jack was just a couple steps away from being a true gem. The mechanics are just a bit too obtuse and the eponymous bombs littered everywhere distract the player in the normal stage rooms. The Torture Chamber mechanic though I feel is quite brilliant, telling the player it's okay to use the resources they collect, and dealing out a punishment that can be a task, but isn't necessarily a death sentence while you're learning the game.
On the other hand, Mighty Jill Off does climax with a rousing finish.
A happy ending?
Jill Off also had a nice, if on-the-nose, use of the Torture Chamber, too!
I was really excited to see Jeremy refer to Mighty Jill Off, too! The moment I saw Mighty Bomb Jack's art, the connection became clear to me. I didn't even know Jill Off was inspired by Bomb Jack, I had never heard of MBJ before!
I am still bemused and impressed that somebody got the Mighty Jill Off working near flawlessly on actual retro hardware (there's a version for Atari 8 bit systems)
The retro 'port' lacks the second stage, or any of the ending scenes...
But it looks nearly identical to the PC version, has a near flawless rendition of the music and sound effects, and DOES include the entire intro sequence.
And it does all this while fitting within the 64k memory limit of the later versions (the 800XL onwards)
So... Overall very impressive.
I suppose the reason the ending and second stage are missing is because it's already borderline improbable to fit the whole thing into 64k...
Maybe a version designed to operate off a 130k floppy disk with multiple stage loading would've been able to fit the whole thing...
But that would've been a different project I suppose.
But it really is an amazing demonstration of what these old 8 bit systems were actually capable of. Something that might not have been particularly obvious if you saw the releases on the system back in the day.
(The Atari 8 bit home computers typically got games that made the early NES games look like complex masterpieces. The system was capable of more, but that's the standard set back in the day... So it often surprises people to see the more advanced titles it was actually capable of.)
Awesome Famicom collection! I love how in depth you went with these.. I love collecting Famicom I am at about 273 games at this point according to my GameEye.. looks like I’m def missing a bunch that you have that I will have to add to my wish list to pick up eventually.. 😂 I def collected a lot more of the big hitters over my time with Famicom though.. there’s just a few I’m still missing when it comes to the pricey ones
Bomb Jacks did a wonderful job at the Tecmo Super Bowl halftime show if I may say so myself
Cant tell you why, but even if its "too" simple, the original Bomb Jack for the arcade, is one of my favourite game of all time!
It was a hit for a reason.
So glad HAMSTER put it on the Switch! Arcade Archives is so good
this series calms me to sleep like warm tea.
RUclips's caption auto-generation has determined Jeremy is speaking in Dutch.
Parker Dickinson Well, jah
I loved Solomons Key as a kid, but it is a hard game for me lol
I need to download more NES games just to hop on them sometimes.
I owned mighty bomb jack as a kid and i played it a ton despite not ever really understanding it...
The arcade version of Mighty Bomb Jack on the Nintendo VS. System gives you unlimited continues, thankfully.
The text review you showed clearly the reviewer didn't realise if you press jump again it stops your advance. Had you Jeremy realised if you hold up on the joystick when you press jump you will jump to the top of the screen (if it's a non vertically scrolling room). I couldn't tell if you knew that from the vid.
I love how you always manage to time these so perfectly with new re-releases. And in Castlevania's case, with Halloween.
The mighty bombs jacks are best known as the super bowl half time show on tecmos best known hit super tecmo bowl.
this is such a well made video you have a talent and a great voice for this and a great mind
people like you make lives better you're kind and you have a great mind and a talent for this and made my day
the commenters here are always so cool and kind and inteligent
6:35 What about Wrecking Crew?
When I played Mighty Bomb Jack as a kid I felt like something was wrong with me because I just didn't get it at all. Watching this video now, I realize that "not getting it" was the expected experience, and that going into this game without a strategy guide, or in my case without even a manual, is a fool's errand.
Oh wow Jeremy I’ve been looking for “Pleiades” a long time with no knowledge of the name but a vague memory of it. Thank you!
MBJ is fun in small doses. The controls are unique and tight
Solomon’s Key (and Solomon’s Club on GB) are both great games, but I love the NES sequel, Solomon’s Key 2 aka Fire and Ice, even more. It’s a shame it was only released in Spain, Germany and Scandinavia (I think...) cos it’s an absolute belter!
I'm in the US and I rented Fire and Ice multiple times as a kid
I always got stuck on the same level
Eh, I don't know that I can really dock points for making a bonus ending obscure. I feel like that was for players who had beaten the game, and wanted to see what else they could find in it. Bomb Jack makes some of its mysterious elements more essential, but nothing you can't figure out. And still, the extras with the lit bombs seems like something a player who has beaten the game might start to pick up on. We generally spent more time with each game back then, so it's not as unlikely that some people would have figured things out.
I also think anything in the manual is fair game in the 8-bit era. Games were becoming more ambitious than they ciuld effectively communicate in game, so having the manual supplement the in-game information is acceptable for that period. Solstice, for instance, gives you most of the story, your goal, some great atmosphere, and even hints at the overall layout of the castlegrounds. It's one of my favorites, but I can't imagine playing it without the manual.
fun fact there´s this anime called "Rio´s rainbow gate" where both deena and jack apear, the reason for this is because the anime is based on the licence of "Rio super black jack" a series of gambling machines produces by Koei Tecmo.
MY CHILDHOOD!!11 I just wanted to say that because earlier I was watching videos with my daughter from a kids cartoon and all the comments are from 11 year olds saying that even though they're actually still children, but in this case, it's true.
As for Mighty Bomb Jack, I like it! I also like (actually *really* like) Solomon's Key. Interesting thing about these games is they got ported to home computers at the time. Solomon's Key's ports tended to take after the arcade game, but it was the NES Mighty Bomb Jack got ported, with varying degrees of fidelity, to those machines. Of particular note is the C64 version of MBJ, which is pretty darn cool! Look for yourself: ruclips.net/video/k3Xbf1V_028/видео.html That quick scrolling isn't easy to do on the C64.
I feel like calling Jill Off a manifesto is a bit strong. The bondage themes are largely irrelevant and in fact only come into play during the brief moments when the player isn't playing. Plus there's no central message or idea being expressed.
MBJ, amazing game
Mighty Jill Off? Oh, I see what they did there.
Considering the underlying lesbian bondage themes, it's even more appropriate than it seems. XD
I duuno?? Both games look like sweet time capsule and fun to play, I may but both in the future?
I had both of those games, I hated Mighty Bomb Jack, it was one of the only games I had that I couldn't beat, it tore, it still tears at my soul. I couldn't beat Solomon's Key, but it didn't bother me as much.
One day I want to see Jeremy streaming Tower of Druaga, explaining to us all of its secrets.
I don't understand all its secrets
Mighty Bomb Jack is enjoyable so long as you take it on its own terms. You have to really stick with it and it's not exactly great but it can be pretty addictive. Solomon's Key freaks me out though, never bothered trying it out as it just looks very intense.
I find it interesting that Solomon's Key was an arcade game but the NES Ninja Gaiden wasn't. (I know there's an arcade game but it's different from the NES game).
It's a terrible, terrible fit for arcades.
Hi Jeremy, I love your videos. Are you planning a Dragon Quest video soon?
I absolutely am not!!
@@JeremyParish Ah okay. Is that because you're not fan of the series or something else? I've only played the recent one PS4 and visited your channel to see if I could get some history on the series.
@@RhubarbGames It's because Dragon Warrior won't come out for the NES until August 1989 . As this is a chronological exploration of the NES and its games, it's not going to be for awhile.
Can't wait for Adventure of Lolo.
I'm afraid that's waaaay far out in the future. Check back in 2025.
I remember begging my mom to buy this game for me. Why I remember this idk lol. It was a hard game from what I remember.
Don't downplay the challenge of Solomon's Key. It's a very, very tough game.
Mighty Bomb Jack is my favourite NES game on Switch.
I'm surprised you have never made a video about Yoshi, a charming puzzle game i'm also enjoying a lot on NES Online. (made by Game Freak)
Yoshi is a very late release. He's going through the NES' library in chronological order.
I quite like the original Bomb Jack arcade game, and I'm sorta disappointed to see it run into the NES as a convoluted puzzle game. At least the jumping mechanics and the bombs are still there, so fans of the original game won't be too lost.
The very moment NINJA GAIDEN's image popped up on screen, my poor thumbs got real sore and the death them popped into my head.
What's this next episode music? I know it from somewhere, evangelion maybe?
Who the hell is Seanbaby?? lol
I will play Solomon's key. 😀👍🎮
Solomans Key is one of those games where it had the potential to be really great, but the individual levels' design ended up making it less than....
I had no idea that Mighty Bomb Jack was a Tecmo game. I just always assumed it was Capcom, since they made Mighty Final Fight...I'm dumb. lol
Are there ANY games that aren't inspired by Tower of Drauga?
Space Invaders
Ah, the Torture Chamber... Suddenly Mighty Jill Off makes so much more sense :)
More like Mighty Bum Crack
I wonder what happens if you reach mighty level nine...
GameCenter CX.
Arino's struggle to complete Mighty Bomb Jack.
That's all I'll say. Go watch it.
It felt weird playing Bomb Jack for the first time because the reason I figured out about it was via playing Anna Anthropy's The Mighty Jill Off. And it was weird going from a game like Jill that was definitely very difficult, but still very honest, straight forward, etc and thus "fair." And then coming back to Jack and finding a game that felt cryptic and obtuse. With both games controlling exactly the same. I enjoyed Jack, but I still prefer Jill.
Jill Off LOL!! They obviously didn't consult Urban Dictionary 😉
They did. It's an explicitly sexual game about BDSM.
@@JeremyParish I shoulda been paying better attention
Bob-omb!
I will play mighty bomb jack. 😀👍🎮
I've spent a lot of time recently playing a retro port of 'the mighty jilloff' - the original is on PC and in retro style, but the version I play the most was a port to the Atari 800XL.
Leaving aside that the game has a vaguely 'lesbian bondage' vibe going on, it owes a few things to Mighty bomb jack.
Not being familiar with that, I was never really sure what, exactly it derived from that old game.
But I have since been able to figure out that the design of the main character is similar, and the movement mechanics are nearly identical as well.
The core gameplay however has nothing in common with Mighty Bomb Jack.
Still, the derivation is obvious when you see them side-by-side...
Amusing sometimes what modern indie devs do with the inspiration they take from older games... XD
Speed run one jump grab every intended balloon 🎈 land on hidden square jump reveling hidden treasure second jump collect every coin and remainder balloons somehow runs directly into wall at specific height enters hidden bonus room do that on every level and you have my 70 something year old great grandma knew way to much about this game and probably would give record holders a run for their money .. also space invader and Tetris die hards 50 60 70 tetrises in one game maxxed out on level 30 if correct and still played at for another 10-30 minutes after level max out .. Tetris was part of her elderly life she played for minimum 12 years on game boy same size as 2 iPhone but screen like and small as an apple Watch
I disliked both of these games.
SK just needed a password system and I would've stuck with it. I loved Legacy of the Wizard so I could've done SK.
MBJ has design issues. Bombs are either weapons to collect and use or dangerous to be avoided, like Zelda or Bomberman. They aren't collectibles like coins. Jumping to open a chest, not landing but the full launch and land, is just wasting player's time with that kind of jump. Airborne and variable jump is more intuitively done by holding a button. And the backgrounds just screamed generic with no sense of place or uniqueness.
Cryptic stuff is fine as a spice, but it can't be the whole meal.
The OG Bomb Jack felt more fun. I found this game pretty awkward.
I like Mighty Final Fight
Is that *MINECRAFT?*
Nice title, haha
This was one of the first games I rented when I was a kid in 1988 and I'm still pissed off at how much it sucked.
Yikes, watching you play Solomon's Key is vaguely upsetting. I almost want to shout at the screen about things you're doing wrong. "Those diamond items can be turned into better things! Duck when you press the fireball button there to kill more enemies! Here, move over, let me play!"
There actually *is* a little of the destroy-random-walls stuff in Solomon's Key, there's two or three apparently-indestructable blocks that can be broken, although you have to invisibly "power up" your block magic by using it on a mirror first. It's kind of obscure, but if memory serves is clued in the manual at least, although it's used so rarely in the game (just the last level, and hidden levels) that most sane people will have forgotten about it by the time it becomes important.
Sorry for not being an expert in a game with obscure and opaque mechanics, I guess?
@@JeremyParish Heh, it wasn't an accusation, just an example that I know far far too much about Solomn's Key.