Do You NintenKnow: April 2023
Below is a set of clues for games that have a notable US release date anniversary (5, 10, 15, etc.) in the current month. See if you can figure out the title before clicking the blurred image to find out if you were correct! Head down to the comments when you’re finished and reminisce about the personal memories that were dredged up. Remember that these are going by the release date in the United States. Have fun!
April 1993
This SNES puzzle-platformer from Silicon & Synapse (now Blizzard Entertainment) features three bearded “Norsemen” with different abilities that the player must switch between to solve each level. Erik the Swift, Baleog the Fierce, and Olaf the Stout were kidnapped by Tomator – the emperor of the Croutonian Empire – to be displayed in an inter-galactic zoo. Ok then. The main characters have made plenty of cameo appearances over the years, popping up in Rock n’ Roll Racing and ClayFighter among others.
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April 2003
Nintendo published this sequel RPG developed by Camelot Software Planning for the Game Boy Advance. Continuing on from the previous game, the player takes control of the first games’ anti-hero Felix. Like the original title in the series, gameplay features the Djinn system. Find the various elemental creatures hiding throughout the world and use them to modify character classes, attack opponents, or summon elemental spirits. No spoilers here, but you will interact with the previous games’ hero, Isaac, as you play through the game.
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Konami released this Game Boy Advance title developed by Hudson Soft featuring Joe Osugi as he tries to stop a terrorist group influenced by mystical masks over five missions – each of which have three levels and a boss fight. The game was pretty well received by critics but sold like doodoo. Because of this, it’s now one of the rarest and most sought-after handheld games. The name is something like “Samurai Six-E”.
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This stealth action video game from Ubi Soft Montreal was released on the GameCube nearly six months after first appearing on the Xbox. Sneak around as NSA black ops agent Sam Fisher and utilize some nifty tools like sticky shockers and sticky cameras for covert surveillance. Pay attention to your light meter and stay in the dark whenever possible. This debut title was so successful that it spawned multiple sequels. Must have been the split jump!
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Treasure ported this popular shoot’em-up to the GameCube after it gained popularity on the Dreamcast in Japan. Play as Shinra in five vertically scrolling stages, piloting the craft that I can’t name here because it’s also the title of the game! This title is also a spiritual successor to Radiant Silvergun. It’s not Garakui, but it might not be far off…
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April 2008
Square Enix and Jupiter developed this unique action RPG for the Nintendo DS which takes place in Shibuya and follows the story of Neku as he takes part in the Reaper’s Game. Battles take place on both screens and utilize equipped pins. Slash, tap, and swipe to your heart’s content!
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This “Zelda-like” action-adventure game from Clover Studio was ported to the Wii despite poor sales on the PlayStation 2. Take control of wolf-goddess Amaterasu and use the Celestial Brush for combat and puzzle solving. It’s kind of like Zelda, but with a wolf. Why didn’t Nintendo think of that?? Wait a minute…
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Nintendo’s popular racing franchise released this sixth installment in the series on the Wii and bundled it with the fabled Wii Wheel accessory. This title had the biggest playable roster in the series up to that point and included bikes for the first time. It was the second-best selling Wii title behind Wii Sports at over 37 million units sold. Surely, no racing game would ever sell more than that, right? Especially not one in the same series…
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April 2013
The third title in the “Operation Rainfall” campaign, this Wii game saw the hero Aeron trying to stem the curse of his love interest Elena which is slowly turning her into a monster. To help him in his quest, Aeron has the Oraclos Chain, which can be used as both a weapon and as a tool for movement and puzzle solving. How does Elena reverse her curse? By eating monster meat hacked up by Aeron of course!
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April 2018
Nintendo developed this series of “games” for the Nintendo Switch which involved folding cardboard and using the Joy-Con in unique ways. The Robot Kit stands out for being the most involved and potentially the goofiest looking…unless you enjoy wearing a cardboard backpack. Hey, at least this was Nintendo’s way to get back into VR!
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