After releasing five games from Rare just one week ago, it's another down week for the Nintendo Switch Online. That's okay, because we still have a handful of Nintendo Entertainment System games that are in desperate need of getting the Review Crew treatment. This includes killer 8-bit hits like Ninja Gaiden, Balloon Fight and the oft-forgotten Vice: Project Doom. Yes, all of these games came to the Switch 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 GamePro, Mean Machines, Computer & Video Games and more classic magazines to see what the critics said back when these games first came out. Get ready to enjoy some early cut scenes, because this is a very cinematic episode of Nintendo Switch Online Review Crew.


While Balloon Fight may not have been the most original game on the Nintendo Entertainment System, it was certainly one of the most entertaining games in the early days. Inspired by Williams hit arcade game Joust, this simple action game sees one or two players floating around the level in an attempt to pop the opponent's balloons and be the last person standing ... er, floating. The game mixed things up with a fun bonus stage and multiplayer support, making it a good value when it hit the NES in 1986. It's a classic these days, but let's see what the critics said back when Balloon Fight first came out.

Let's first start with the lower of the two scores, which came from Nintendo Magazine System. In their first issue, they looked back at the classic action game and gave it a 74%. “The aim of Balloon Fight is simplicity itself! Boasting gameplay similar to the classic Joust arcade game, it's your job to fly around the screen descending on enemy sprites and bursting their balloons, while guarding your own from attack. Even though there's simultaneous two-player action, it all grows dull very quickly.”

Things were a bit rosier over at Computer & Video Games, who gave Balloon Fight a solid 8 out of 10. Once again, they noted the similarities to Joust, though certainly didn't see that as a negative. “The graphics are nothing special and the sound is merely adequate. Nevertheless, the game delivers in its FEEL. Overall, this is a great game for those of you with that urge to surge and a little bit of finesse on the joystick.”

I don't know if I have the “urge to surge,” but Balloon Fight is definitely worth checking out, especially when you look at the star-power responsible for its creation. If you haven't already, give Balloon Fight a try on the Switch.

Inspired by the Ninja Gaiden series, Vice: Project Doom is a cinematic action game for the Nintendo Entertainment System with political intrigue, futuristic fearmongering and a good, old-fashion hero that gets the girl ... at least on the cover. What actually happens in the game is a lot more tragic and heart-breaking, but I'll leave that for you to discover. And you should definitely do that, because this is a surprising fun and satisfying 8-bit action game, complete with cool levels and some genuinely innovative boss designs. I dug this game as a kid and still think it holds up remarkably well.

Nintendo Power wasn't as impressed as I was, giving it a 3.8 out of 5. Unfortunately, this was still early enough in the magazine's life when they didn't really write critical reviews, so the 3.8 out of 5 is all we have. Thankfully, GamePro is here to the rescue. Giving the game a very similar 4 out of 5, they liked that the game mixes elements from Ninja Gaiden, Spy Hunter, Operation Wolf and even Golgo 13. They concluded that “Actually, Vice is more than nice – it's superb! The intriguing story sequences keep you interested, and the excellent action keeps you on your toes. If it seems easy at first, hang in there – there are enough challenges to make VICE a good habit.”

This is another strong release on the Switch that doesn't get talked about enough. If you liked Ninja Gaiden's cinematic approach and are up for a crazy story, definitely give Vice: Project Doom a play.

For gamers of a certain age, Ninja Gaiden on the Nintendo Entertainment System was nothing short of a revelation. In an era when a game's plot was usually limited to the instruction manual, Ninja Gaiden bucked the trend by giving us an action/platformer with cinematic cut scenes that told a surprisingly deep and involving story. While primitive by today's standards, these cinema scenes were incredible and made you care about the characters like never before. Of course, It didn't hurt that the actual ninja action was also a lot of fun. Between the excellent story, the amazing presentation and the hard-boiled action, Ninja Gaiden went on to become one of the best 8-bit trilogies of all time. Let's see if the critics agreed when they reviewed this first Ninja Gaiden.

Let's go ahead and start with Mean Machines, which gave the game a strong score of 88%. Julian argued that “Ninja Gaiden is very much like a simplified version of the Shadow Warriors coin-op, with the hero running around beating the seven shades out of the baddies and using the backdrop to climb and leap to seemingly inaccessible parts of the screen. The graphics are great, with varied, well-drawn backdrops and some great sprites. The sound doesn't quite match up to the standards of the graphics, but what's there is atmospheric and suits the action. It seems pretty tough at first, but once you get used to the combat moves, you'll find yourself cutting a swathe through the enemy, swords and shurikens flying. Ninja Gaiden is a thoroughly enjoyable beat ‘em up and is highly recommended to combat fans.”

Raze also liked the game, giving the NES title a high score of 90%. That's cool and all, but the magazine I want to draw your attention to is Game Informer, which actually gave Ninja Gaiden the lowest score. Reviewed a few years after its first release, the three Game Informer editors were less than excited about revisiting this 8-bit classic. Paul, The Pro Player, gave the game a 5 out of 10, noting that “When this game first came out, I assumed it was the arcade translation ... wrong. Since then, I've felt the 8-bit version was lame. The arcade version was awesome, and this isn't even close. I guess I'm still bitter, so I'll leave this version in the attic ... and play the real arcade version on the Lynx.” Ross, the Rebel Gamer, liked the game a bit more, giving it a 7.25 out of 10. “The cinemas between levels have yet to be topped by any NES game. The one problem this game has is its playability. The main character is a ninja, trained in both martial arts and assassination, who should be virtually unstoppable. Unfortunately, that invincible quality just doesn't come through.” With an average score of 6.5 out of 10, Game Informer was not impressed with Ninja Gaiden.

It's a shame there aren't more reviews, because it would be great to see if others agreed with Ross and Paul. Based on the scores for the sequels, Game Informer was definitely in the minority. Personally speaking, I love it, and I would argue that it's one of the very best games on the Nintendo Switch Online. Give it a try and see who you agree with.