Lethal Weapon (NES)

Lethal Weapon is a side-scrolling action game released for the Nintendo in 1992 which was a pretty late release for that system. Despite the name, it is really based on the first three Lethal Weapon movies, not just the first one.

As far as games based on movies go, this one is probably better than most. The graphics and music are excellent. However, it is not without its drawbacks. The biggest drawback is the fact that this game is really, really hard. Expert gamers intent on their next harder challenge may enjoy this one but more casual gamers will just find themselves frustrated.

Lethal Weapon consists of three levels each of which contains three stages. You use both the main characters from the movie, Murtaugh and Riggs, and swap between them throughout the course of the game. While a character is not being used, he gains back some of his health. The characters have slight differences. Riggs can jump higher, pick up knives and has a special high kick attack. Murtaugh can pick up crates and has a stronger punch. Some other items can be picked up along the way as well, including grenades.

In addition to the NES version, there were also a number of other versions. The Game Boy version was essentially a port of the NES version but with a slightly cut down number of stages. There was another version of Lethal Weapon developed and released for the Super Nintendo, Atari ST, Amiga, Commodore 64 and DOS based PCs but this version is substantially different from the one released for the NES and Game Boy.

Lethal Weapon has not been re-released and probably won't given that it is a movie license (though I hear another movie is coming). While it is a nice looking and sounding game on the NES, it is hard to recommend because of its difficulty. However, if you are a masochist or a really big fan of Lethal Weapon, it might be worth picking up. Otherwise, give it a try on an emulator and see how you like it.

Screen shots above are from the NES version of the game.

Vintage Photos - Lot 6 (249-252)

All of the photos in this set are from the late 1960s and they were all probably taken in the Lansing, Michigan area.

The first photo was processed in January 1966. It is labeled and while I can't quite read it all, it says something about a 1965 MRPA program. I think MRPA stands for Minnesota Recreation and Parks Association. I'm not sure what the point of this program was...maybe a fundraiser? But it was probably in late 1965. Photos from this same event have shown up in previous sets.

Vintage Photos - Lot 6 (249-252)

Mountain King (Commodore 64)

Mountain King is a game that was released by CBS Electronics in 1983. The basic goal is to descend into a diamond mine, retrieve a crown and bring it back out again. Obviously, it isn't quite so simple and there are certain challenges that must be overcome. First, you have to collect 1,000 points worth of diamonds. You then must find the flame spirit. The flame spirit is necessary to gain entry to the temple the crown is in which also must be found. Assuming you accomplish all of this, you must make it back out of the mine before time runs out. Be careful as there is a spider guarding the depths of the mine and bats bats will try to steal the crown from you. Once you complete your task, you begin again but with less time.

This game got pretty good reviews when it was released. However, I don't think it has held up as well as some other classic games. The graphics are pretty weak for this type of game regardless of what version you are playing. Sound and music are put to pretty good use though you may found the music repetitive as it consists of two musical pieces by Edvard Grieg, including 'Hall of the Mountain King' from which the name of the game is derived.

This game was released for a variety of systems, including the VIC-20, Commodore 64, Atari 2600, Atari 5200, Atari 8-bit computers, and ColecoVision. Graphically, the 8-bit computer versions are not as much of an upgrade as you would expect over the Atari 2600 version. This game has not been re-released as far as I know so you will have to track down an original or use emulation to play it. It isn't the best game but it is a fairly unique little platform game that's probably worth adding to your collection for whichever of the above systems is your favorite if you can find it cheap (which you probably can).

Screen shots above are from the Commodore 64 version of the game.

PC World (September 1990)

PC World was one of the most popular PC specific magazines for a long time throughout a good portion of the 1980s, the 1990s, and well into the 2000s. The September 1990 issue includes:

PC World (September 1990)