Konami’s 1992 puzzle game is a match-three affair that tasks players with aligning creatures horizontally, vertically, or diagonally to clear the board. Developed during the puzzle game boom following Tetris’s massive success, Krazy Kreatures adds a strategic twist by rewarding players who set up cascading combos—matching four creatures with one in the middle creates particularly satisfying chain reactions. The game features progressively challenging levels with different creature types, from cute animals to snails to snakes, each with escalating difficulty. An interesting quirk: the game’s menu includes a mysterious “Stuff?” option that seemingly starts an inferior version of the main mode. As noted during gameplay, “This is an awesome game. Frankly, it might be a hidden gem on Nintendo,” and the assessment holds true—this is exactly the kind of reflex-rewarding puzzle game that deserves more recognition, earning its place among the NES’s better puzzle offerings with a well-deserved 1/1 rating.

Audiogenic’s 1992 puzzle-platformer proves that Simpsons games aren’t all bad. Players control Krusty the Clown navigating trap-filled rooms where the objective is guiding hapless mice into lethal traps manned by Bart Simpson and other Springfield residents. The gameplay borrows heavily from Lemmings, requiring players to place blocks strategically to create paths for the automatically-moving rodents, who then get “crushed by the boxing glove” upon reaching their destination. Developed by Software Creations and released across multiple platforms, the NES version showcases surprisingly clever level design that gradually introduces new mechanics like transportive pipes and multi-step puzzles. The game requires careful planning—blocks must be retrieved and repositioned to help mice overcome obstacles of varying heights. As observed during play, “It’s an amusing puzzle game… as a Lemmings-like I think that game’s pretty fun.” The creative puzzle design and Simpsons theming elevate what could have been a simple cash-in, earning a solid 1/1 rating.

Culture Brain’s 1989 beat-em-up (known as Super Chinese in Japan, the first in a long-running series) delivers explosive top-down action with a unique martial arts twist. Players punch enemies who literally burst apart like Fist of the North Star, while rocks yield power-ups including devastating fireballs that provide one-shot kills. The game supports two-player simultaneous co-op, making it an ideal choice for tag-team beat-em-up action (see next episode for a 2 player quickie).

Interestingly, Kung Fu Heroes shares sound effects with the original Kung Fu—a similarity that sparked the episode’s biggest revelation. Culture Brain would go on to develop numerous Super Chinese sequels in Japan, making this NES entry the series’ Western debut. The gameplay lacks the weapon variety of contemporaries like Double Dragon, but compensates with satisfying combat where “you just run around and punch dudes and they explode.” Purple enemies perform dangerous front-flip kicks, adding strategic variety to otherwise straightforward brawling. As noted, “This would be a fun two-player experience,” and indeed the game earns consideration as a hidden gem for co-op enthusiasts, receiving a 1/1 rating despite its relative simplicity.

Nintendo’s 1985 black box classic—originally Irem’s arcade game Kung-Fu Master—nearly slipped through the cracks, prompting an emergency addition to the list. This side-scrolling beat-em-up follows Thomas rescuing his girlfriend Sylvia from the clutches of Mr. X across five increasingly challenging levels.

As one of the NES launch window titles, it exemplified Nintendo’s early strategy of securing quality arcade conversions. The game’s deceptively simple controls favor kicking over punching due to superior range, while enemies introduce new mechanics gradually: dragons require jumping, small enemies demand ducking attacks, and boomerang-wielding foes force tactical positioning. What’s remarkable is the game’s tight design—it can be completed in roughly five minutes once mastered, which happened live during recording.

The first loop completion triggers a harder second playthrough with increased enemy counts. As enthusiastically declared, “This game nailed it… it’s so simple, but it’s so good,” a sentiment backed by childhood nostalgia: “Kung Fu is a game that I had as a kid. I played the hell out of it.” This arcade-perfect port absolutely deserves its 1/1 rating.

Koei’s 1991 historical strategy simulation places players in Napoleonic Europe, part of the company’s extensive catalog of turn-based strategy titles including Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Nobunaga’s Ambition. Unlike Koei’s typically Asian-themed offerings, L’Empereur ventures into European history with detailed military and economic management systems.

Players must balance army recruitment, artillery deployment, resource production, and diplomatic relations across multiple cities—all requiring extensive manual study and strategic planning. The game even includes a “Watch Computer Play” option that automates the entire experience. Unfortunately, the 5-minute format proves completely inadequate for grasping the complex systems, resulting in confused attempts to navigate menus: “Send officer… deploy artillery… No artillery in position.” The honest assessment: “Without a manual, without lots of trial and error, how am I supposed to play this?” While acknowledging “this may or may not be a good game” with solid presentation, the reality is these early strategy games haven’t aged well compared to later titles like Advance Wars or Fire Emblem. “I’d never recommend it to anybody” isn’t a commentary on quality but recognition that better alternatives exist. L’Empereur receives a 0/1 rating, though with the caveat that the format simply cannot do justice to Koei’s ambitious historical simulation.