Overall 8.8 Graphics 8.3 Sound 8.3 Addictive 4 Story 6 Depth 7.3 Difficulty 7.3
8.4
Dream On, Dreamer Eirinn
Sleep. It's a wonderful thing, isn't it? Says the guy typing this review out at three A.M....
Little Nemo - The Dream Master is about a young boy by the name of --you guessed it-- Nemo (boy you're clever) who receives a distress message from the dream world princess and begins his great quest to save happy dreams, one bedtime at a time! Odd perhaps, but you can't say it's an overused plot anyway.
The game's controls are crazy easy to learn, and are as follows:
-D-pad = Move
-A = Jump
-B = Attack/Throw candy (Yes, throw candy)
-Start = Pause/Unpause
-
Select = Change weapons
And that's all that you need to know to get started, well that and a little bit that I will mention later in this review, but if I tell you everything now you won't have a need to finish this review, and quite frankly I need all of the tricks that I can utilize to uh..."encourage" people to read my reviews in their entirety. It's not cheating...
Graphics: 9/10
Excellent.
While they may not be the absolute best graphics on the system, they certainly do offer a good idea of what the NES was capable of. The levels are sharp as far as 8-bit platformers are concerned and can challenge some of the more renowned titles on the beloved Gray Toaster-Console that powered some of the finest games of it's time.
The characters are well made and there are a fair amount of them, but they aren't what pushed me to rate the graphics so highly. Rather it was a combination of their animations and the backgrounds, and their animations is what I plan to address here.
Simply put, the animations are perfect. They're smooth, and there are so many different variations that each sprite takes that I can hardly imagine how much of a pain making them would have been. During the game, Nemo will take his usual kid form to start with, but he soon begins using his candy to get the different creatures to "give him a ride" though honestly it looks more like he wears them than anything much of the time. To give you an idea of how many transitions Nemo's looks take during the full game, I'll say that off of the top of my head I can remember five and I'm likely forgetting at least one. You know the graphics artists must have wanted to throw something at the project leader when he/she told them how many different appearances Nemo would take on during the course of the game. For each new look that Nemo takes on they had to make at least ten sprites to animate him, and sometimes more depending on each new look's abilities. I sincerely hope they received a large paycheck when all was said and done.
But enough talk about the amazing work the artists did on Nemo's various appearances and animations (seriously, it's even more amazing than pizza!...or at least pizza flavored chips, which I totally want right now), let's move on to the great backgrounds.
Nemo has several levels to traverse, though the exact number eludes me at the moment. Suffice to say that the graphics designers had their work cut out for them yet again. Quick! Somebody call the labor board! Capcom is clearly overworking these poor artists...those MONSTERS! Still, artist abuse or not, the backgrounds are very well done, especially in the last level. Perhaps it's my recent experience in graphics designing that has brought me to appreciate just how much labor was clearly put into these backgrounds, or maybe it's the fact that I know how few people actually appreciate or grasp the trouble they went through adding all of that painstaking detail. Just pause the game and look at the trees in the backgrounds of the outdoors areas: all of those little waves designating the leaves and branches. Then there's the waterfalls, in one instance the buildings, and other various things that if I yammer on about here you'll quit reading, and the graphics section is far too early to lose readers. Please stick around through the Story at least. Please? I'll give you a cookie....
So with plenty of good looking sprites, tons of animations, nice looking level designs, awesome backgrounds, and those nice little hand drawn characters in the cutscenes that I somehow forgot to mention but am too lazy to add in at four A.M. (yeah, been writing for a half hour already), the graphics of Little Nemo easily earn their right to stand among the giants of the NES days.
Highlights:
-Well made sprites
-So many transformations to keep things fresh visually and gameplay wise that I hate to think of the amount of work that it took
-Some of the best backgrounds of any NES title I've seen
Sound: 9/10
Excellent.
The music, oh the music. It's like a tiny 8-bit orchestra playing a "the best of NES music" concert. Seriously, I loved the tunes that much, and they fit the game so well. From the lighthearted tune in the mushroom forest that just sings childhood dreams, to the dark (or at least the closest this game can get to dark) tune of the final level and final boss fight. The music is almost always sure to please. It's one blemish is found in the opening tune that plays prior to the start screen while you're watching the story begin. It's fitting enough, but after about ten seconds your ears will begin bordering on hurting and you'll want to mute it (still, it sounds better than a Justin Beiber song. I really need to stop picking on Beiber...he's just such an easy target). Do just that: mute it, because you kind of need to sit through the entire opening scene if you want to have any idea as to what's going on. In fact, feel free to unmute it as soon as you see title screen, because the tunes from here on out are something you do not want to miss. And really the opening tune isn't bad, it's just so overpowering. A tragedy really.
That brings us to the sound effects: they're pretty solid and I really have no complaints to lodge against them at all. In fact, I have to praise the audio designers for their good work here making the hardware produce such good sounds. They definitely sound 8-bit, but only in the best way possible, they have a certain charm to them. And my personal favorite is the sound the creatures make after you feed them enough candy to swing a ride from them: they snore (I assume it's a snore. Looks like they're a
sleep to me) in this super cartoony way, the best way I could define the sound is to say that it's completely and utterly adorable. It's easily the cutest part of the game aside from the story. Well done, Capcom.
And so in the end, we find our ears being treated to catchy and well fitting 8-bit tunes all game long as well as some sweet sound effects, apparently as Capcom's way of apologizing to us for putting us through that dreadfully long ear torturing opening tune.
Highlights:
-Great music once you get past the ear torture that is the opening cutscene tune
-Good and sometimes downright adorable sound effects
-They didn't leave it to Beiber (not that any of you get that reference. Man I'm old)
-You've almost made it to the Story section!
Story: 9/10
Excellent.
Okay, first hear me out: I don't have any cookies. Well, I did have some, but Vizzed told me that if you get a new cookie it'll log you out, so I left them behind. Sorry. But if you still read on, I'll give you a hearty "thank you" comment. I'm telling the truth this time too!
Next, had this been on any system after the NES/SMS days it would have gotten a lower score, but since I'm trying to be fair and compare it to other games from it's time, I have to say Little Nemo - The Dream Master ranks right up there with some of the better in-game storylines in 8-bit games. The story is simple, but it's cute and easy to follow. You don't need additional information from an instruction booklet in order to follow it, and it's chock full of cutscenes and cute little anticdotes that anyone who has been a child (and I'm fairly certain we all have...except maybe Light Knight or ender44. Even if they have, they're too old to remember) will certainly be able to identify with. In fact, some of these moments will be even funnier to those of us who have had any part in the raising of a child. You'll know what I'm talking about when you see it.
To put it simply without ruining it for you, the story is about a little boy who one day is visited by a messenger from the dream world. He informs the boy that the princess of the dream world has sent him to the boy to ask him to come play. Once he arrives however, he finds that the king of Dream World is in terrible trouble, and they need help rescuing him and saving all of the good dreams before they're all stolen by the evil bad dude guy.
And so Nemo embarks on his quest to save the dream world, but as you might expect, one can only help save the dream world from the bad guys whilst one is a
sleep and actually inside the dream world. So with that our pint sized hero sets out on his journey and makes his way to the final confrontation, moving closer and closer as each night brings him into a new dream sequence. It may be simple, but it's certainly cute and more original than so many other games of it's time were.
Highlights:
-Original concept for a game
-Adorable and straight forward story
-I got a chance to make fun of LK AND ender. Best review ever!
Depth: 10/10
Incredible.
While no one factor in Little Nemo merits this rating, each portion of the game works together to earn it. The first thing I'll cover is the number of levels, which is --if memory serves-- around five or six which isn't so great, nor is it just awful for an NES game. Still, it's a little below average and is thus the downfall of the Depth category.
Next: The gameplay. Now traditionally I would cover this more in the Addictiveness section, but this time around it merits mention in the Depth category as it factors in greatly for the depth rating.
The goal of the levels in the average 8-bit platformer are simply to get from point A to point B (usually the far left of the level and the far right respectively), but not so in Little Nemo - The Dream Master. No, in this platformer you start off at the left side of a level like you would expect, and the exit is indeed at the far right of the level, but the exit is a door with several locks on it. Now in order to open the door you of course need to unlock the locks, and as you might guess that takes keys.
Now here's where it gets interesting: you must find and collect all of the keys in each level before you can unlock all of the locks and open the door. Think of it like the ancestor of modern platforming concepts where you have to collect so many stars/orbs/gems/name-a-collectible before opening the next level, only not only can Nemo not enter the next level without enough keys, he's trapped in his current dream until he finds them. So maybe instead of "Little Nemo - Master of Dreams" it's more like "Little Nemo - Fighting A Coma". Any way you slice it, this is a huge boost in depth for an 8-bit platformer.
Then there's the level designs: now we know that we'll have to collect all of the keys in order to leave each level, but how difficult can it be to find hidden items in a sidescrolling 8-bit game? Granted, it isn't too terribly diffficult, but it may be a little trickier than you would think. You see, these levels aren't set on a single flat plane like most of it's contemporaries were. Instead there's usually at least two (and often three or more) "layers" if you will, to each level. These additional areas of the level may be accessed by "getting a ride" (more like fusing with) a mole to dig underground, or they may require a ride with a bee, or the help of a fish. You never know what each level will have you doing just to reach another area to find the next key, and sometimes these areas are hidden very well, and at least one level has a key hidden a little unfairly, but I'll leave that up to you to figure out. After all, what is an old school platformer without a little frustration?
And how about those "rides" that you get with various creatures? So I've hinted at this a few times already, but to make it a little more clear, here's how it works: throughout the game you'll run into different creatures that will help you out if you throw enough candy to them. Now the game calls this "giving you a ride", but it appears what actually happens is that they fall a
sleep (or perhaps fall into a trance) and you may then walk up to them and Nemo will fuse with them. So say you feed a bee a few pieces of candy, he'll go to
sleep(?) and you may then fuse with him to become part Nemo part bee, and fly around the level (virtual candy that doesn't have to be crushed...and isn't boring?? Who knew this was possible? Take that, King!). Same goes for all of the other creatures such as the hermit crab, and the mole. There are a few exceptions however when Nemo literally rides the creature, such as the lizard...thing.
This is easily the most important game mechanic and will not only be useful, but absolutely necesarry in order to finish the game, or even the first level for that matter. Now a good game gives you several fun things you can do, but a great game gives you several fun things that you must do in order to finish it, and incorporates them into the game in a seamless and highly enjoyable manner, and Little Nemo does just that. You'll have a blast seeing what all Nemo can do with his new found allies, utilizing their skills is almost always great fun, and you'll be doing this a lot and with several different types of creatures. Thankfully the creatures that will help you somehow always manage to be easily identified, still, don't touch them until they've had enough candy or they'll hurt you just like any other enemy. Candy, man: it's what makes the childhood world go 'round...and go hyper.
So with a refreshing twist on objectives for a platformer of it's time, a nice approach to level designs, and an innovative abilities/fusion system, Nemo and his candy addicted friends earn themselves every bit of the rating they get for depth.
Highlights:
-The key system adds an interesting change to an otherwise extremely predictable genre
-Ride/Fusion system gives a unique and highly enjoyable gameplay experience that few other titles of it's day can match
-Smart and detailed level designs make finding everything you need in each level (and the hidden secrets) a lot of fun
-Sending virtual creatures into a sugar induced coma has never been more fun!
-Candy. Much. Uncrushed. Fun. Candy
Addictiveness: 5/10
Average.
Little Nemo - The Dream Master is a game that I'll definitely come back to at some point, but just how soon or often that will be, I cannot say. The game as a whole is very refreshing as I already said, as it takes you down an entirely different path than you'd expect from a platformer from it's time, and it manages to not only be innovative but also fun. And while it may not be the most addicting game you'll play, it's definitely one of the more adddicting NES games out there. Sadly, this rating reflects how addictive it is as far as games in general go, so instead of a 7 or 8 (which it likely would have received if compared against other NES games alone for addictiveness like it was for graphics), Little Nemo will receive a considerably lower score as I can think of a decent number of games from the 16-bit days and onward that I'd rather play again.
As for how well the game can hold you, it kept me playing from start to finish with little to no breaks to play other games. It's fairly engaging, and full of charm that will likely hold your attention for a decent length of time if platformers are at all your cup of tea.
Highlights:
-It holds the player's attention well enough
-It's fun if you enjoy platformers at all
Difficulty: 5/10
Average.
While the game itself isn't exceptionally challenging in any one spot, you will likely run out of lives a few times. Thankfully the developers were kind enough to offer a continue system so you can pick right back up in the level you lost your last life in, but you will have to return to the beginning of the level. Still, it's far less punishing than most games of it's time which gave you a set number of lives and no continues, effectively sending you back to the first level when you ran out of lives...in the last level...against the final boss...with a now broken controller and a controller shaped hole in the wall.
Long story short, Little Nemo - The Dream Master will challenge most of us, but will also leave victory entirely within question if you're willing to keep trying at a given level until you conquer it. Got patience?
Highlights:
-It's somewhat challenging, but the continue system makes it's difficulty the forgiving kind
Overall: 8.4/10
Exceptional.
While it may not be the best game out there, or even the best NES game out there (it is one of the best though), Little Nemo - The Dream Master is certainly deserving of this rating as it truly is "exceptional". It's the exception to the rule on the level of fun you would have with the average NES title, and it's a cut above what you would expect even from a good platformer. It's easily one of the better 8-bit games I have tried personally, and it's overall just a really good game for any era.
So it's all led up to this I suppose, my closing statements where I tell exactly how I personally feel about this game as a whole. Simply put, Little Nemo - The Dream Master is definitely worth playing, and if it's priced reasonably, worth a purchase. in fact if I were buying games for an NES collection, I would easily pay $30 for this one, it's really just that good. So if you're into old games at all, try this one out; tt's good enough to appeal to most retro fans and certainly good enough to please fans of old school platformers. Little Nemo delivers plenty of 8-bit fun, especially considering it's low Viz price tag.
This is a game unlike any I've played, and one I will never forget about, it's that memorable. And while it may not be perfect by any stretch, I can't help but think we would have done well to have made more games like this back in the day, and perhaps even use some aspects of it's gameplay and story in modern day games. As for my personal rating of this game, this is one time that I can walk away feeling that my personal rating and my "professional" rating of the game are pretty much the same, as I would give it around an 8 or so. Now what are you waiting for? Go enter the world of childhood dreams and embrace your inner dream master. After all, it's not like you have any cookies to eat, so you might as well get something out of reading this review. Why not make it finding a good game?
Graphics 9 Sound 9 Addictive 5 Story 9 Depth 10 Difficulty 5
Review Rating: 5/5
Submitted: 04-27-15
Updated: 04-28-15
Review Replies: 11
7.4
Little Nemo: The Dream Master NES Review THEKILLERJUNKER
It’s no secret that movie based games generally tend to end up awful. It’s been like that since the days of the Atari 2600 to the present; nothing’s really changed. But there’s an exception to that: what about games based off animated films and shows? Some of the best games on the NES and SNES were based off successful animated movies and shows. These included Disney’s Aladdin, Lion King, and Ducktales. The company responsible for these great games is the revered Capcom, a company famous for its many game franchise like Street Fighter and Resident Evil. Among these great movie titles is one of their earlier entries; Little Nemo the Dream Master. Believe it or not this game was actually a tie in to an already existingmovie; Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumber land. What’s that? You never heard of the film? Well it doesn’t help that this film bombed when it hit theaters back in 1989. With such a critical failure as this game’s inspiration, it's bound to be as disappointing as its film counterpart…..right? Let’s find out.
Graphics - 8
To be honest, my expectations weren’t all that high for this game initially. I ended up getting caught by complete surprise the moment I saw the story unravel. Not only did the story follow the movie closely, but the graphics give a great overall presentation. The characters look completely identical from the movie and the overall background and delivery is spot on and well done. And the best part is things only got better and better as I progressed throughout the game. Not only are the character sprites rather polished for an NES game, but the level design is some of the best I’ve seen on a plat former. Capcom made great use of the NES’ limited color pallet and it shows. This has to be one of the best looking NES games for the system; the time and effort that went into what is essentially a movie based game shows Capcom’s dedication into creating quality level games regardless of what other companies would do. There are far too many examples of movie based titles on the NES showcasing horrible graphics; this game is not among them. Which is why it gets an 8 for the graphics department.
Sound - 9
As if the great graphics wasn’t enough, Little Nemo also has a great musical score. The music is some of the best I’ve heard on the NES and considering the kind of music the NES has, that’s saying a lot. This game has such nice and calming music that it’s refreshing. As much as I like adrenaline pumping music from games like Contra and Silver Surfer, it gets stale after so many times. With Little Nemo not only does the music fit the overall atmosphere of the game, but it’s also some of the most unusually satisfying music you’ll find on the NES. The only other game that I can think of that gave me the same kind of feeling on the NES is the first Legend of Zelda. Both games have an almost hypnotic kind of musical score; the music fits the game so perfectly that it can be pretty touching in certain aspects. And unlike many NES games where there might be only 5-6 tracks at most, Little Nemo has a vast amount of tracks with each level getting their own theme. That’s right: no level sounds the same! The music overall is rather well done which is why it gets a 9.
Addictiveness - 6
The real surprising thing about this game is that it’s not all that addictive. Sure it’s a fun and inventive plat former but you won’t find yourself playing it as frequently as let’s say Super Mario Bros or Contra. The surprising thing is that it shouldn’t be so low when it comes to the addiction. The truth is that this game has quite a different way of how it’s mechanics work. What do I mean by this? Let’s compare it to one of Capcom’s other titles, Mega Man. There’s a reason why the Blue Bomber is Capcom’s mascot: it’s a series that’s fast paced and requires quick thinking. The series makes great use of these two elements which is why it’s outlived countless of other franchises and still obtains a strong and loyal fan base to this day. But with Little Nemo, the game play is really slow and relaxed.
Rather than having a quick and fast environment like Capcom’s other titles, Little Nemo plays at a much slower pace; the controls are rather floaty and there’s no sense of urgency when completing some of these levels. Out of all the stages only a handful of them require quick thinking. Not to mention, the game’s levels have various paths and areas for you to explore, which is a good thing. But here’s the drawback; in order for you to make it to the next level, you need to collect a certain amount of keys to unlock the door at the end of the stage. The keys are scattered all over the stages. Because of this, exploring the levels feel more like a chore than actually fun or adventurous. Why give me these levels when I’d rather explore for the sake of simply getting all of the keys and finishing the level? This, combined with the slow and tired game play, is why the game’s addictiveness is a stale 6.
Story - NA
As mentioned before, this game is based off an animated movie that came out roughly the same year. By explaining the plot, I’d be spoiling it for anyone who wants to see the film. For those who are tempted to watch it here’s my overall opinion to take into consideration; if you want a captivating story with interesting characters this isn’t the best film. But if you’re willing to look past all of that for good animation then go ahead and see it. With that said the game follows the movie pretty close which is why discussing the story might ruin the chance of anyone wanting to see the film at all. NEXT!
Depth - 7
For a movie based game, Little Nemo has a surprising amount of depth and replayability. Unlike a lot of movie based games on the NES where there’s little to no resemblance to their source material, Little Nemo actually follows its story very closely. The game features most, if not, all of the major characters in the film as well as feature levels based off areas in the movie. As for the game itself, it has a lot of things going for it besides the good music and sound. For starters you have a wide variety of animals to use. Each animal has their own strengths and weaknesses. All you have to do to use these animals is to throw 3 pieces of candy at them. After that, their powers are granted to you. There are many animals throughout the game but here are the 3 that I think are the most common that you’ll find. There’s the frog; it allows you to stomp on enemies and jump higher.
There’s the lizard; it walks much faster and can climb walls although it can’t defend itself from any of the enemies in the game. And at last there is the wasp; it can fly and shoot down enemies with its stinger. Those are just 3 of the many animals you’ll come across throughout the game. Why did I only bring up 3? Because it would ruin any sense of surprise for any curious gamer if I told them about every single animal in the game. With that said this game does have its drawbacks. One issue that this game has is that there’s a lack of bosses to face. You get little to no bosses which is really unusual considering how Capcom’s flagship series, Mega Man, is well known for its many difficult and elaborate boss battles. The other problem is that Nemo himself is overall defenseless. In order for you to stand even some sort of chance, you need to have an animal with you. Otherwise you can’t attack any enemy. The only way you can attack the enemies without an animal is if you obtain the magic rod, but that doesn’t show up until much later in the game. With that said, these issues are rather minor and not something that really handicaps the game’s enjoy ability. Because of this the game gets a 7 for its depth.
Difficulty - 7
Like all of Capcom’s games for the NES, Little Nemo is rather difficult as a game. While it’s not as difficult as let’s say Castlevania or Ninja Gaiden, it’s still challenging as a plat former. For example, as mentioned previously Nemo himself can’t attack any of the enemies. Without assistance, all it takes is 3 hits and he’s dead. Each animal also has their own strengths and weaknesses. One may be able to stomp on the enemies but it may not be able to climb walls. Another may be able to fly but it can’t stomp on the enemies. Each animal also has its own health bar with some being able to take more abuse than others. The difficulty comes from not the level design itself, but where the enemies are placed. That’s right: it’s not the few bosses that will get you in the game, it’s where the enemies are in the levels. Enemies are in spots where it’s difficult to avoid and in areas where you wouldn’t expect them. I remember constantly dying in stage 1 simply because of where and when the enemies spawned. Not to mention, the enemies appear in endless numbers. It doesn’t matter if you took an enemy down: if you leave where you killed a certain enemy, it will re spawn infinitely. Aside from that this game is far from impossible. As long as you become familiar with the levels and where the enemies are, it’s a walk in the park. Which is why it gets a 7 for the difficulty. Time to wrap things up.
Overall: 7.4/10 - A hidden Gem
Out of all the movie based games made for the NES, this one took me by complete surprise. Not only is this one of Capcom’s better NES games, but it’s also one of their most overlooked. This is one of the most interesting plat formers for the NES. It has so many things going for it; great graphics, great game play, great music, and great replayability. Right now, this game goes for much less than most of Capcom’s games for the system; usually a $10 - $20 price tag. I recommend picking it up for anyone who wants a good plat former. It’s a must have for any NES collector and anyone who enjoyed the film counterpart. Altogether, this is one of those hidden gems that needs to be brought back to attention. I’ll be the first to say that while it may not be any masterpiece, it’s still much better than many movie based games on the NES. It’s a game that deserves much more recognition than it gets. Next time someone mentions Ducktales or Mega Man 2 as great Capcom games, bring Little Nemo up as it deserves as much spotlight as Capcom’s other games for the NES.
Graphics 8 Sound 9 Addictive 6 Depth 7 Difficulty 7
Review Rating: 3/5
Submitted: 07-09-16
Review Replies: 4
5
Why did i play this game. gokugoku500
Now some people may not agree that i call this garbage, but i think its CHEAP and NOT WORTH YOUR TIME.
Heres my rating:
Graphics are actually kinda good, but sometimes i think to myself "HOW DO I GET A FROG SUIT FROM... THIS AWKWARD THING???"
Sound isnt that bad either. Its actually kinda catchy. Like megaman.
Do i want to play this again? Hahahahahaha NO. It doesnt even have good gameplay! COLLECTING KEYS! Yeah go play metroid instead.
Story i dont care about story and i always skip it. I belive its even still something like BLAH BLAH BLAH SAVE THE GIRL NOW GOU. And in the very beginning, you have to listen to guy named flip ALWAYS WHEN YOU START THE GAME. BLAH BLAH BTW MY NAMES FLIP.
I actually starts thinking he is a... Pedo..?
The game MAY be kinda big. IF YOU GET PAST THE FIRST CHEAP DREAM.
Now here comes the fun part: DIFFICULTY.
Its cheap. You cant beat it. You want to beat it but you just continue 10 years until you get to second level.
For example in the first level theres a place where you jump up some blocks attached to a waterfall (yeah right) and you just take frog suit and jump but WHOOPS, bee comes and pushes you down and you lose a life. Now theres only THREE. LIVES. It should have at least 99!
And then theres that CHEAP ENEMY PLACEMENT. You go to the almsot end of the stage and you know theres a key on top of the hill. You start feeding the dinosaur but a BEE COMES AND KILLS YOU WITH NO WARNING. And you cant even attack it, BECASUE NEMO IS SO WEAK. And you only can attack with frog suit. BY JUMPING ON ENEMIES. Now theres 2 mario references.
Overall, DONT PLAY IT.
ITS A SEQUAL TO ET ON ATARI.
Graphics 8 Sound 7 Addictive 1 Story 3 Depth 5 Difficulty 10
Review Rating: 1.4/5
Submitted: 10-17-12
Review Replies: 4
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