Nintendo wants you to celebrate Independence Day the way the founding fathers would have wanted ... by playing a bunch of games from the UK and Japan. Throw down your hotdog and carefully extinguish that firework in your hand, because seven classic Nintendo Entertainment System games were just added to the Nintendo Switch Online. I'm talking about Solar Jetman, Mach Rider, Golf, Donkey Kong Jr. Math, Urban Champion, The Mystery of Atlantis and, one of my favorites, Cobra Triangle. That's a stacked line-up, but are any of these games actually worth playing? To answer that question, I decided to flip through the pages of Electronic Gaming Monthly, Computer & Video Games, GamePro and more classic magazines to see what the critics said back when these games first came out. Get ready to fight both gravity and giant sea monsters in this exciting episode of Nintendo Switch Online Review Crew!


Long before Rare teamed up with Nintendo and Microsoft, they were known by an entirely different name – Ultimate Play the Game. While that name is a little clunky, the Stampers managed to put out a number of incredible games, including the 1983 classic Jetpac. This was later followed by a sequel called Lunar Jetman, which led to the game we're going to talk about today: Solar Jetman: Hunt for the Golden Warship. Released seven years after Jetpac, this is a science fiction adventure that forces us to use thrusters and expert steering to overcome each planet's gravitational pull. There are different missions and enemies to shoot, along with wonderfully-crated stages that are both challenging and fair. The gameplay takes a little getting used to, but once you've got it down, Solar Jetman is a blast.

When it comes to the critics, this game is split up into two different camps – those who loved Solar Jetman and those who thought it was just okay. Let's start with Electronic Gaming Monthly, who represented both sides of that divide. On one hand, you have Sushi-X give the game a 6 out of 10, arguing that “Solar Jetman is an interesting game because it is so different from everything else. The gameplay is hard to get used to, and will take some time to master the moves. The massive mazes are long and challenging, making the game even more difficult to master. But still fun!” Steve, on the other hand, gave the game a 9 and called it “EXCELLENT! Solar Jetman is one of the best original entries I've seen in a long time, taking the basic premise from the rarely-seen coin-op Gravitar and bringing it home to the NES. Tradewest and company have done a fantastic job with this flying, collecting, shooting game with no equal!” With the critics divided, Electronic Gaming Monthly gave Solar Jetman a score of 7.5 out of 10.

You also saw a lower score from Nintendo Power, who gave the game a 3.8 out of 5. The usually enthusiastic GamePro went all the way down to a 3 out of 5, which is the lowest score I could find. “Solar Jetman is not as fast-paced as most NES titles – you'll do more exploring and maneuvering than fighting aliens. But it's a lot of fun, and many of the worlds are expansive and maze-like – you'll take hours to explore them. With all the weapons to choose from and the different atmospheres to test your flying skills, Solar Jetman is a real blast.”

On the flipside, we have the British press gushing over Rare's latest game. Computer & Video Games went as high as a 94%, which also turns out to be the same score that Mean Machines gave it in their third issue: “Wow! The old Spectrum Jetman classics were good, but for sheer playability, fun and excitement, Solar Jetman really stomps on them! The prospect of Gravatar-style gameplay with plenty of bolt-on weaponry makes for a totally fantastic game. The gravity alters for each world, and on some of the levels simply keeping control of your ship is the greatest challenge. With a depth of gameplay second to none and amazing graphics and sound, Solar Jetman ranks as the greatest NES cartridge released this year!”

The highest score came from Nintendo Magazine System, who gave the game a 95%. “The action is very similar to the old coin-op Gravitar, but there's much more to Solar Jetman as you explore a series of planets looking for pieces of the Golden Warpship. The playability is superlative, the graphics are great, and the sound is similarly excellent. Put all those factors together and you've got a simply brilliant Nintendo title which is an essential part of your collection.”

This is one of those times where the split is perfectly split by geography, with the British press liking this much more than the Americans. Could it be because they had already played Jetpac and Lunar Jetman? Yeah, probably, but I would say that this game is still fun if you've never even heard of those classics. Give Solar Jetman a shot, just be patient with the gameplay. You'll get it.

One of the Nintendo Entertainment System's earliest racing games came with a secret – it was actually a shooter. Okay, maybe it's not a shoot ‘em up in a traditional sense, but what at first looks like a straight-forward racer ends up being an action game hybrid, more along the lines of Spy Hunter or Road Blasters. While I think that makes this game a lot more fun to go back to, I can also understand how some people might be disappointed that this isn't a straight-up motorcycle racing game, like Sega's Hang-On. Let's see which side of that divide the critics landed when they reviewed this NES classic.

As you might have already guessed, the critics were a little mixed on Mach Rider. Computer & Video Games gave the racer a score of 58%, explaining that “having seen Mach Rider screen shots, I was looking forward to playing this, but unfortunately, I found myself coming away disappointed. The 3D effect is fast, but the road moves quite jerkily and the motorbike controls don't feel particularly good. The graphics are quite garish, too, although the sprites are solid-looking. The three modes of play is a good idea, but unfortunately, the endurance and solo options are a letdown by being too easy, allowing a novice to get far into the game with little practice. Fighting, on the other hand, is very tough, almost too the point of being off-putting. The difficulty levels just haven't been balanced very well. The gameplay is fun for a while, but doesn't hold your attention long enough.”

Believe it or not, CVG's 58% is actually right in the middle of the pack. Nintendo Magazine System legitimately HATED the game, giving it an extremely low 36%. “This is an early Road Blasters clone, in which you have to drive your motorcycle down numerous stretches of highway, zapping any of the other aggressive drivers who get in your way. The official NES Road Blasters conversion isn't really up to much, but this lookalike is even worse. The graphics are laughable and the gameplay extremely dull. Leave this well alone.”

When it comes to Mach Rider's highest score, it looks a lot better than it actually is. Ace gave it a score of 636, because they were the one magazine that wasn't going to settle for a ten or one-hundred point scale, they went all the way to a thousand. “Once you get over the initial embarrassment caused by crashing into everything, precise control comes quite easily, and this is due to a certain amount of help from the computer. It leans you into the bends and doesn't overreact when you do. It may not sustain interest after you've got well up in the levels, but designing your own tracks will take up time in the future.”

While there's a lot to like about Mach Rider, there's no question that it feels incredibly dated. This is the kind of game you play for a while and never play again.

Golf on the Nintendo Entertainment System is ... well ... it's golf and it's on the Nintendo Entertainment System. It is a simple, bare-bones golf simulator that was an early sports game for the 8-bit system. But, from a historical perspective, Golf is more than that. After companies had spent years trying (and failing) to find the right interface for golf, Nintendo came and changed the look and feel of the video game sport. For years to come, companies like SNK and Electronic Arts used this NES Golf game as the template. Yes, it's simple and has barely any content, but it's also fun and extremely influential.

The reviews largely reflect the game's importance. The lowest score I could find came from Nintendo Magazine System, which went with a still respectable 76%. “As far as Golf games go, this Nintendo effort offers no surprises. Simply take your golfer around the video course, select your club, judge your shot and try to hole the ball. The graphics and sound aren't exactly spectacular, but this cart offers a very challenging, playable round of golf. Recommended to golfing fans.”

Computer & Video Games, liked this sports sim a bit more, giving it an 80%. “If you're just after a good time, Golf will probably be enough, but if you want a no holes barred simulation, you'll have to look to the Commodore or Spectrum computers. Wind variance and weather just aren't in this Nintendo game.”

Don't act too surprised that the British press preferred their computer games to the Nintendo Entertainment System, that's kind of their thing. While this game is definitely fun and influential, there are also a lot of other similar golf games on the Switch, so you may find that this 1985 classic doesn't get as much love as NES Open Tournament Golf or Mario Golf.

Before we talk about Cobra Triangle, let's first take a look at a couple of early Nintendo Entertainment System games that were not reviewed by classic magazines. First up is Donkey Kong Jr. Math, an educational game that uses Donkey Kong Jr. to teach kids how to add and subtract. On one hand, this is an interesting relic of the past that sees Nintendo testing the waters and using video game technology as a teaching tool. That's something we would see more of in the 8- and 16-bit generations, though not necessarily from Nintendo. As an actual game, this one is hard to go back to as an adult for obvious reasons. And with the real (and far more entertaining) Donkey Kong Jr. already on the Switch, I can't imagine this Math alternative will get much play.

You have to hand it to Nintendo for getting into the fighting genre early. First released in Japan in 1984, this early one-on-one street fighter looks like a prototype to what Capcom would be doing a few years later. Unfortunately, while a lot of the ideas are in place, Urban Champion is a flawed fighter that is no fun to go back to. It's a game that Nintendo has re-released a dozen times, and every single time I'm struck by how boring it is. This is a fighting game. Where is the excitement? Sadly, there are no magazine reviews for Urban Champion, but we reviewed it on the Defunct Games website back in 2009. We gave it a D-.

One of the more interesting games we're getting this week is The Mystery of Atlantis, or Atlantis no Nazo, as it's called in Japan. This is one of those rare gems that never made its way to the United States or Europe, which is why there aren't any reviews. It's a side-scrolling platformer starring an amateur adventurer named Wynn, who is on a mission to save his kidnapped master. At the time, Sunsoft hoped that The Mystery of Atlantis would beat the all-mighty Super Mario Bros, even using a slogan that flat-out brags that the game “surpasses Super Mario.” I'm not sure I would go that far, but The Mystery of Atlantis is a fun trip back to a game we never got in the West. Who knows, maybe you'll agree that this truly is the game that surpassed Super Mario.

Golf on the Nintendo Entertainment System is ... well ... it's golf and it's on the Nintendo Entertainment System. It is a simple, bare-bones golf simulator that was an early sports game for the 8-bit system. But, from a historical perspective, Golf is more than that. After companies had spent years trying (and failing) to find the right interface for golf, Nintendo came and changed the look and feel of the video game sport. For years to come, companies like SNK and Electronic Arts used this NES Golf game as the template. Yes, it's simple and has barely any content, but it's also fun and extremely influential.

The reviews largely reflect the game's importance. The lowest score I could find came from Nintendo Magazine System, which went with a still respectable 76%. “As far as Golf games go, this Nintendo effort offers no surprises. Simply take your golfer around the video course, select your club, judge your shot and try to hole the ball. The graphics and sound aren't exactly spectacular, but this cart offers a very challenging, playable round of golf. Recommended to golfing fans.”

Computer & Video Games, liked this sports sim a bit more, giving it an 80%. “If you're just after a good time, Golf will probably be enough, but if you want a no holes barred simulation, you'll have to look to the Commodore or Spectrum computers. Wind variance and weather just aren't in this Nintendo game.”

Don't act too surprised that the British press preferred their computer games to the Nintendo Entertainment System, that's kind of their thing. While this game is definitely fun and influential, there are also a lot of other similar golf games on the Switch, so you may find that this 1985 classic doesn't get as much love as NES Open Tournament Golf or Mario Golf.