Many people thought it couldn’t be done. It just couldn’t. Yet somehow, there is a game in the NES library that surpasses every other NES game as the most difficult, unforgiving, and downright sadistic game for the NES. A game that is even harder than Castlevania. A game that surpasses Contra with the difficulty. A game that puts even the infamous Ninja Gaiden to shame. I’m of course talking about Silver Surfer, a game that many consider to be the hardest game ever made for the NES. Even with Game Genie and the Turbo controller, it’s almost impossible to complete a single level. It’s incredible to consider how well known a game can be for something as simple as its difficulty. Let’s check out all the fuss over Silver Surfer and see if it lives up to the hype.


Graphics - 7


Surprisingly, we’re starting this review on a high note. The graphics are actually pretty decent for the NES. To begin with, the backgrounds are pretty well done and each stage looks different and offers diversity to gamers. But some of the stages could’ve used a little more creativity. For example, in the horror themed stage, you have jack o lanterns and ghosts as enemies; pretty stereotypical if you ask me. While some of the stages where a little blaze, the overall environment is still there. You have a wide variety of enemies to take down and each have different directions; some move simple and straight while others move diagonal and in odd patterns. The bosses are also unique and clever and as I mentioned before, none look like the other. Overall the graphics are well done which is why I give this game a 7/10.


Sound - 10


Here’s another shocker; the music in Silver Surfer is what I believe to be the BEST music I have ever heard on the NES. The music is among the most underrated soundtracks to video games out there. It sounds incredibly impressive seeing how this is the NES we are talking about. It’s what you expect for a 2-D shooter; fast paced and full of adrenaline. It fits the game perfectly and gets you in the mood to shoot down enemies and bosses. The music sounds like it was on the SEGA Genesis and that came out years later. Overall I was really surprised at this game’s delivery on it’s music. Despite having a total of only 5 or 6 tracks, each track sounds fresh, upbeat, and each have their own vibe. Never do the tracks sound similar. I give this game a 10/10 for its sound.


Story - 5


Here’s where the game’s quality starts to turn a little sour. The story itself isn’t that bad to begin with. You are Silver Surfer (big shocker) and you are given information from Galactus about a weapon called the Cosmic device that will spell chaos and destruction to the universe if it falls into the wrong hands. Only one problem: the Cosmic device was scattered throughout the galaxy into 5 separate pieces. Each piece is guarded by one of Silver Surfer’s many enemies. The enemies are as follows: Reptyl, Mephisto, the Possessor, Dorrek VII, and the Skrull Emperor. It’s left up to Silver Surfer to defeat these villains and to restore the Cosmic device back to its original form. To begin with, that’s a fresh and cool story. It’s not about Silver Surfer saving some damsel in distress. So why such the low rating? Simple. This game has the worst ending ever. It makes Mass Effect 3’s ending look Oscar worthy. I’m not going to spoil it but let me assure you that the ending will leave you speechless. Overall, I give this game a 5/10 for the story department.


Addictiveness - 7


Surprisingly the game is addictive despite being incredibly difficult. In fact, I’d say that the difficulty is the reason why people play this game. You get frustrated at dying constantly to the point where enjoyment doesn’t matter anymore. What matters is that you can sleep tonight knowing that you were able to make it farther in a level or beat that once impossible boss than you did the previous session. You try to meet the game’s demands…. only to get punished some more. It’s a cycle: you die and rather than just giving up, you persevere regardless of whether you get better or not. Being able to say “I BEAT SILVER SURFER ON NES!” is already enough to make most gamers stick around. Many would say that the only reason why people talk about this game is because of its difficulty. While this would deter any potential gamers with its steep difficulty, it’ll leave NES gamers wanting more. With that said, this game gets a score of 7/10 for its addictiveness.


Depth - 6


Unfortunately, this game doesn’t really have that much depth. While the game offers a variety of enemies, you aren’t given many ways on how to destroy them. You only have 2 upgrades which are pretty easy to get anyway. Let’s face it: the best part about shooters are the large varieties of weapons to use when killing enemies. Imagine Contra where you only get the machine gun and the laser. Or Life Force where you only get your default weapon. It wouldn’t be nearly as fun. As for the levels, you have two variations: a 2-D horizontal shooter and an overhead shooter. The game also has a variety of enemies but the majority of them are just reskins that copy the same moves. Overall, this game gets a stale 6/10 for its depth.


Difficulty - 10


Many people can agree that this is one of the most difficult games ever made let alone for the NES. The game is beyond unfair; it’s the meanest, nastiest, most revolting bully you’ve ever met - and it’s a videogame cartridge. From what I have gathered, there are four major flaws that destroyed what could have been an NES classic. Flaw #1: You have to constantly press in order to fire continuously. Unless you have a turbo controller, you have to constantly press the fire button. This would be fine if Silver Surfer was a platformer like Super Mario Bros but last time I checked this is a SHOOTER; there are dozens of projectiles EVERYWHERE! Your thumb starts to get sore after constantly pressing the fire button to the point where it becomes a chore rather than a pleasure. Not to mention, these projectiles take more than one hit which brings us to Flaw #2: One hit and you’re dead. That’s right. All it takes is one measly hit and you’re a goner. This also means that Silver Surfer himself is the weakest character in the entire game; every enemy takes atleast 2 or 3 hits but all it takes is one hit and you’re dead. Not to mention, it’s really hard to dodge enemies due to Flaw #3: Silver Surfer is too big a target. Trust me when I say that the size of Silver Surfer is another disadvantage. His board is too long and can be a nightmare to maneuver around the levels. Which brings us to probably the worst flaw of them all.

Flaw #4: Anything can kill Silver Surfer. You know games like Ninja Gaiden and Contra and how they are known for their difficulty? Well imagine dying by doing something as simple as touching the floor or ceiling. That’s right; touching the ceiling or floor kills you. Let me continue by asking one simple question. One. Measly. Little. Question. WHO ON EARTH THOUGHT THAT WAS A GOOD IDEA?!?! WHY? WHY WOULD YOU TAKE SILVER SURFER: ONE OF MARVEL’S STRONGEST CHARACTERS, AND TURN HIM INTO A COMPLETE WIMP?!?!? One hit deaths: I understand. Constantly press to fire: OK. Have a huge character: hard but not impossible. But….. floor and ceiling deaths?!?!? ARE YOU MAD?!?! That is straight up sadistic, even by NES standards. If you can overcome that then you’d be surprised to find that the boss fights are surprisingly easy compared to the stages. The bosses have very easy patterns and are a walk in the park which gives you a sense of relief that they aren’t nearly as hard as the stages. If I could I would give this game a 20/10 in difficulty; 10/10 does not do it justice. It’s a game that you have to try for yourself and see why it’s hated by gamers and critics alike. As I mentioned before, this game gets a 10/10 for its difficulty.


Overall - 6.8/10 - DECENT

Overall, this is one of the more enjoyable games I have played for the NES. Sadly, decent graphics and an amazing soundtrack can’t save a game from being a little mediocre. If you like shooters for the NES, go for games like Life Force or 1942. This is without a doubt the MOST unfair and downright unforgiving NES game I have ever played. Unless you are a serious collector or have a turbo controller, I suggest finding another game. Trust me when I say that it’s not worth 20 or 30 dollars. This game will make you laugh. It will make you cry. But most of all, it will bring you new levels of frustration and anger beyond your wildest possibilities. It’s not like Mega Man or Castlevania where you replay it. It’s a game that you play once and be done with it. If you can somehow master the game’s mechanics and beat it, I can assure you that you will be given the absolute worst ending for a game you’ve ever seen. Altogether, this game started strong but was an overall disappointment. It had potential. Think about it: a 2-D shooter featuring one of MARVEL’S better comic book characters. It worked for shooters like Life Force and 1942, so why couldn’t it work for Silver Surfer? This game should have been a classic, joining Batman as one of the only good Superhero games for the NES but instead, it became the exact opposite being hated by the gaming community and Superhero fans alike. I’m being generous with the rating too. As a Silver Surfer fan myself, I hate the fact that I’m giving the game a low rating. Am I saying that this game is the worst ever made? No. Try it out. But at your own discretion.

Spectacular! I felt like every point that you made perfectly describes the game at that level. A lot of people who review this game pan it for its insane difficulty, and I think it's refreshing to see that someone had made a full, thorough opinion on it. Thank you for making this review, and I hope to hear more from you in the future!

I hope this review becomes the featured one for this game. It's well-structure, it gives abundant details AND warns people about the many... risks of trying to play it. I can't wait to read another of your reviews!

gorillaz99 : Good job on the review man. I liked the depth and structure you used. I look forward to reading more reviews from you in the future!!

As far as the game goes, I enjoy this game. Sure it's challenging at times, but that doesn't mean that it's a bad game. This game has gotten a bad rap because of Youtube videos, but really it's a fun action packed game with some GREAT NES TUNES to keep you rocking along!

Once you beat it, you just feel a huge sense of accomplishment. Kinda like when you beat Ninja Gaiden 2. lol

Great job with this review man! You definitely did a great job with adding a good amount of detail and you did a great job with the organization with the review as well. I agree with you about the music, that game is a perfect example of unforgettable NES music.