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Armchair Arcade -> Forums -> Videogame & Computer Reviews - Community
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 Balloon Fight (NES)

Moderators: Bill Loguidice, David Torre, crcasey, Mark1970, deshrill
Author Post
davyK
Sun May 01 2005, 03:07PM Quote

Registered Member #74
Joined Mon Jan 19 2004, 07:40AM
Location: Belfast, N.Ireland
posts 902
 		Balloon Fight - Nintendo - NES - 1985

Introduction
Balloon Fight is a "Joust-em-up". What is that ? Joust is an arcade game produced by Williams in the early 80s. In that game 1 or 2 players are represented by small figures armed with lances and mounted on ostriches. The idea of the game is to fly around the single screen levels disposing of the enemies (also armed with lances and mounted on eagles) by colliding with them head on but slightly above them. Joust (and Balloon Fight) is a 2 player simultaneous game. It is up to the players if they want to co-operate or not.

In Joust, the game control is very simple. Press a button repeatedly to fly (each press equating roughly to a wing-flap) and use a joystick for left and right directional control. Stop flapping and you will start dropping to the bottom of the level. When you collide with an enemy, the higher combatant wins the joust. If you lose a joust, then you lose a life. If you win then the enemy is turned into an egg which you can catch for bonus points or pick up later (for slightly less points) off one of the floating platforms that exist in each level. If you leave the eggs alone they will eventually hatch into an eagle rider. An eagle will fly in and pick the rider up and rejoin the fray (usually now behaving faster and more aggressively).

If you take too long to clear a level a pteradactyl will appear which is almost invincible. Fly too low in a level for too long and the lava troll will grab you. (After the 1st couple of levels the platform at the bottom of the level disappears and is replaced by a lava pool).

I am explaining this game in some detail because Balloon Fight is Joust Nintendo-ised. It has all of these gameplay features, and more.

Gameplay
Instead of a rider on an ostrich , the player is repesented by a comical little character harnessed to two balloons. Pressing the flap button makes the character flap his arms so propelling him into the air. Control is almost exactly the same as Joust - you control flying with a flap button and steer using left and right. You also have an auto-flap button in Balloon Fight - hold this button down to get repeated flapping - though not at a speed you could achieve by repeatedly hitting the flap button. Control is extremely well implemented with a beautiful realisation of inertia which is consistent and intuitive.



The levels are laid out similarly to Joust levels, featuring several floating platforms on which you can stand if you want. At the bottom of the level there is a lake instead of Joust's lava pool.

The enemies have one balloon each and have large pointed faces - I have no idea what they are supposed to be!

You remove enemies in this game the same way as in Joust - collide slightly above the enemy which bursts his balloon. If you lose a joust you lose a balloon, dropping into the lake if you are left with none (you will not fall onto a platform) and losing a life. Having 2 balloons means you live to fight another day if you lose a joust. Your enemies, while they have only one balloon, have a trick up their sleeve.

When an enemy loses a joust and his balloon, he engages a parachute which allows him to float onto a platform. If you hit him while he is parachuting then he falls into the lake. He may also ,via bad luck, float into the lake at the bottom of the level in which case he is gone, but, if he lands on a platform, he starts to pump up another balloon. You can also take him out of the game by hitting him while he is doing this. Once he has inflated a new balloon - he rejoins the battle - faster and more aggressive.

When enemies are disposed of, bubbles float up from the bottom of the level , one for each enemy dispatched , and can be grabbed for bonus points.

Fly too close to the bottom of the level over the lake and a giant fish will jump out of the water and swallow you - you lose a life no matter how many balloons you have!

In the background of each level are some clouds which seemingly do nothing to affect gameplay. However, if you take too long to clear a level of its enemies, lightning bolts start to appear from these clouds. They leave behind a ball of lightning which bounces around the screen and will take you out if you collide with it (again it doesn't matter how many balloons you have). Keep on delaying the end of the level and more lighting bolts will appear.

The screen wraps around horizontally as in Joust (i.e. leave the screen on the left and you reappear on the right and vice-versa). Also, as in Joust, the platforms can be used to skillfully rebound yourself quickly out of trouble or into enemies. As the levels progress, there are fewer and fewer platforms to use, and some of them turn into propellers. Touch one of these and they spin, throwing you off in a seemingly random direction at high speed. Expert players may learn to use these but I certainly didn't!



Every 5 levels you are presented with a bonus level in which there are a number of pipes spewing out balloons you (and your partner/opponent) must burst. Burst them all for an extra bonus. When the bonus level finishes, you return to normal play with 2 balloons even if you have lost one during normal play.

A Bonus
I feel that this game is superior to Joust. It is a home game so is slightly easier - but that is what is expected from home games. It is cuter , friendlier.....and the gameplay is more varied with bonuses to chase. But in addition to the main game there is an extra bonus game - Balloon Flight (sic).

This is a 1 player game. You have 1 life. You begin on a small platform from which you launch yourself into the air and the screen automatically scrolls left to right. Your job is to see how long you can stay on screen while avoiding stationary and moving obstacles and avoiding being swallowed by the fish at the bottom of screen.

You also have balloons to collect - collect 20 in a row (not letting any get by you) and you get a bonus after which the balloons change colour and increase in value. This scoring mechanism and the survival mode nature of this game make it very addictive.

Graphics
This is an early title but the graphics are pretty good - everything is clear and full of character. Your avatar has a cute arm-flapping animation when he loses his balloons for instance.

Sound
This is great too - the action is accompanied by brilliant spot effects and jingles. Very weird ambient sounds play the background.

Overall
The great thing about this game (and Joust) is the scenarios that come about from the 2 player simultaneous nature of it. Given that you get points for taking your opponent out there are lots of different ways to play this game. Getting greedy by snaffling the bonus bubbles in the main game and racing for balloons in the bonus levels is great fun.

This is an excellent game existing in a sadly underused genre. Highly recommended.



[ Edited ]
Davy 'Grey Gamer' Kelly
Where's the retro of tomorrow ?
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