No, you aren't imagining things, it really has been more than a month since Nintendo announced a classic game for their online service. While we wait for their next announcement, it's time to once again take a look at the last few Nintendo Entertainment System games that still need to be given the Review Crew treatment. These include 8-bit gems like Metroid, Blaster Master, Wrecking Crew and the original Mario Bros. Sure, all of these games hit the Nintendo Switch Online service years ago, but I still need to ask: Are any of these games worth playing? To answer that question, I decided to flip through the pages of Electronic Gaming Monthly, Nintendo Magazine System, Computer & Video Games and more classic magazines to see what the critics said back when these games first came out. Get ready to kick some turtles and lay some pipe, because it's time for another exciting episode of Nintendo Switch Online Review Crew.


Part side-scrolling platformer and part overhead action game, Blaster Master was an 8-bit game full of ideas. It's the kind of game where you would be driving around in a tank one minute and then fighting a giant lobster boss the next. Complete with a great story and a bunch of incredibly memorable stages, this quickly became a fan-favorite on the Nintendo Entertainment System. While the sequels didn't fare as well, Sunsoft captured lighting in a bottle with this first installment, making it a great addition to the Nintendo Switch Online's library.

When it came to the reviews, the critics were completely won over by Blaster Master's unique approach. Electronic Gaming Monthly gave it a score of “hit” back at a time before they established the more familiar ten-point scale. “I was hooked on Blaster Master right from the start! It has great play and executes the theme with responsive interactivity that's impossible to ignore. Despite Blaster Master's dual scenarios, everything works well without the game becoming crowded or unbalanced. Blaster Master has all the addictive qualities of the most popular arcade games, and the strategic overtones of blockbuster adventure carts like The Legend of Zelda. Blaster Master is a powerful game that will definitely please.” It's worth noting that in that same issue they also gave Blaster Master the award for “Best Original Game,” once again cementing their love for this 8-bit classic.

Mean Machines also liked Blaster Master, giving the game a high score of 91%. Rad explained that “Blaster Master was released in Japan and America some time ago and now it's finally reached these shores. It really was worth the wait, because it's such an excellent title. The cute graphics aren't as sickening as you might expect and add to the bizarre tone of the proceedings, with the accompanying sound effects and tunes promoting the atmosphere still further. Blaster Master is definitely one of the best of the current batch of NES games and should be added to your collection forthwith.”

These reviews aren't wrong, because Blaster Master is a genuine 8-bit classic. Maybe it's because the sequels weren't as good, but I feel like it's one of those games that has been forgotten about over time, which is all the more reason why you should discover this gem on the Switch.

Long before they became Super and saved the Priciness from the evil Bowser, the Mario Bros. were the stars of a much more grounded game. A port of a 1983 arcade game, Mario. Bros. sees our plumbing heroes fighting turtles underneath the city and using the sewer pipes to pick up coins. It's a much smaller game than what we would later see from these characters and Nintendo, harkening back to the early days of gaming, when the experience was more about staying alive and racking up the high score. And while these Mario Bros. aren't as well-known as their Super counterparts, there is something about this formula that Nintendo really liked, as they kept coming back to the series with games like Mario Clash on the Virtual Boy and the Mario Bros. Classic mode that came with all four Super Mario Advance games.

As you can imagine, the reviews were positive, but nowhere as high as what you saw from any of the Super Mario Bros. games. Giving it an 80%, Computer & Video Games explains that “what makes the game really enjoyable is the one or two-player option, which allows Mario and Luigi to play simultaneously, either as a team, or as enemies. For me, the competitive edge of two-players battling together really makes the game – but the game is still incredibly enjoyable when you play solo. The graphics are simple and clean, but it's the gameplay that is superb; simple, yet incredibly addictive. Go for it!”

Nintendo Magazine System liked the game a little more, giving it an 83%. “In this single-screen platform game, Mario and Luigi have to run around punching the gantries under the critters to knock them on their backs, and then jump up to the same level and boot them off-screen. It's a nice, cute, simple game, but only truly worthwhile in two-player mode.”

These days, Mario Bros. probably won't hold your attention for as long as its Super sequels, but it's a fun multiplayer game that is simultaneously cooperative and competitive. From a historical perspective, this game is absolutely fascinating, and a cool way to see the early inspirations for this long-running franchise.

One year after saving the sewer from coin-carrying turtles, Mario and Luigi are back with their next game – the far less popular Wrecking Crew. This is a new side to the famous brothers, who can no longer jump because of that heavy hammer they are swinging around. This changes up the gameplay quite a bit, showing a Nintendo that had not yet fully grasped the true charm of the Mario Bros. That said, this is yet another fun look into the early days of Nintendo as a developer. You can see them fleshing out good and bad ideas, some of which would stick in the Super sequels, some of which would be quickly abandoned.

As a Nintendo Entertainment System game, Wrecking Crew was completely overshadowed by the bigger and more popular games (many of which also starred Mario and Luigi). However, that didn't stop Computer & Video Games from giving Wrecking Crew an 8 out of 10, the same score they gave Mario Bros. “I was hooked with this one. The morning I got it, I played for two hours solid and got to level 18 BEFORE changing out of my jammies into some clothes. Wrecking Crew is VERY playable, has plenty of levels to keep you interested, good graphics ‘n sound AND best of all, MARIO AND LUIGI.”

Once again, Nintendo Magazine System also reviewed the game, giving it a slightly better score than CVG. With an 81%, they concluded that “the graphics are simple, but nicely drawn and the soundtracks are superb, making this platform hammer ‘em up a treat to play. It's not easy, and there are loads of screens and even a designer option if you want to try and make your own.”

Much like Mario Bros., this is a fun way to revisit Nintendo's past. And with a level editor to play around with, does that make this the first Mario Maker? I'll let you be the judge of that.

Although Nintendo hasn't always handled it properly, Metroid remains of their most-beloved franchises. In an era when games generally scrolled from left to right, this Nintendo classic dropped you into a large map and forced you to explore the surroundings, no matter if they were up, down, left or right. With confusing architecture and absolutely no hand-holding, it was up to you to make your way through the maze, find the upgrades and defeat the Mother Brain. Was it frustrating? Absolutely. But it was also satisfying and unlike anything else on the market, making this a real stand-out for the NES.

Once again, there aren't a lot of reviews to look at, but I promise that at least one of these is going to leave you scratching your head. Let's go ahead and start with Computer & Video Games, which started to review Metroid ... but accidentally changed focus half-way through. Let's see if we can make heads or tails out of this review. Calling it an absolute blockbuster of a game, CVG explained that “there is just so much which has been absolutely packed into this game. You can enter the level you left on game over by entering a special code at the game start, and believe me, you will need this as you will not be completing this game in one sitting. Again, this game is hugely playable and is very gratifying to play. I really do think Nintendo is a match for Sega if it can continue producing software of such high standards.”

Nothing unusual about that, right? Well, check out the very next paragraph, which talks about increasing “your cars performance by collecting turbo, bigger tyres, missiles, bombs and a more powerful engine. The hazards are plentiful: puddles, oil slicks, pop up bars, skulls and drone cars. One feature I liked was the zipper patches on the course, these propel your car forward with a short burst of high speed. There are bonus letters around the course (try to collect enough to spell NINTENDO). The game plays very fast indeed.” Wait ... what?? Cars? Tires? Racing? What game are they talking about, because that's not the Metroid I remember. They ultimately gave the game a 7 out of 10, but even then, I'm not sure if that's for Metroid or the racing them they confusingly switched to halfway through the review. This is a weird one.

Now, you would think that things would be a lot more straight-forward over at Nintendo Magazine System, but here we go again with the weirdness. Giving it an 80%, the review starts with “@BOXTEXT: Metroid is a graphically impressive, very cleverly put-together arcade adventure with lots of unusuc features to keep things interesting. It's a tough game and ardent platform/adventure fans will love it.”

I don't know what they were going for with “unusuc,” but the rest makes sense. The wording is a little weird, but at least it didn't suddenly turn into a review of a racing game. The reviews may be weird, but the game still holds up. Obviously, Super Metroid is where the series really picks up steam, but this first installment is a cool time capsule that is a blast to play on the Switch.