Video Game Collecting

If you could pinpoint the most significant contribution the Nintendo Entertainment System had done for the video game industry it was clearly the influence of color and style in the characters you played. Especially if it was a two player game. For instance….

POW: Prisoners of War. Two players. Two Bandanas. One wears Red, the other wears Blue…

The Ikari Warriors. Two players. Two Bandanas. One wears Red, the other wears Blue…

Guerrilla War. Two players. No Bandanas. One wears Red, the other wears Blue…

POW: Prisoners of War. Two players (VS Mode). Two Bandanas (on the box art only). One wears Red, the other wears Blue…

Contra. Two Bandanas. One wears Red, the other wears Blue…

And on a completely unrelated topic, I knew the boxart to Contra (and well, part of the story of the game) was loosely based on Predator, but in looking at the game and the poster the only difference is the face. However the face on the dude on the Contra box looks more fitting for a Kool, New Port, or some other fruity cigarette brand’s ad as featured in Better Homes and Gardens.

I received a bunch of games this week and I’ll follow up later on this week’s NES collecting progress, but I wanted to point out this awesome gem. P.O.W: Prisoner Of War is a perfect example of how I feel a game should be made. The combat system is fairly simple- simpler then that of Double Dragon but certainly higher then say Kung Fu. I mention this first because it would be my only criticism.

Otherwise lets start with the music. It’s fantastic. It has a hint of urgency that really sets the pace. The next time you are racing home from work because you feel explosive diarhea coming on just think of this game’s music. I promise you’ll make it in time.

Lets talk about items. Beating to death the guards in the barracks and trucks earns you gear. Body Armor: Cool. Brass Knuckles: Instantly turns your enemy into a quadralepligic. Machine Gun: Your mother would be proud.

Graphics? Detailed stages with a layout requires no convincing that this is a prison camp. Parts of the environment scrolls in front of you adding depth that many platformers miss.

That’s all I’ll mention about this game. Its badass. It’s a testament to the spirit of any American Veteran P.O.W. Make sure you play it on Veteran’s day. And be thankful that real life P.O.W.s sacrificed a lot so we can have the freedom to play this gem.