Little Nemo: The Dream Master

Last updated
Little Nemo: The Dream Master
Littlenemocover.png
Developer(s) Capcom
Publisher(s)
Producer(s) Tokuro Fujiwara
Designer(s) Tatsuya Minami
Programmer(s) Yoshito Ito
Artist(s) Naoya Tomita
Natsue Ueda
Yoshifumi Onishi
Composer(s) Junko Tamiya
Platform(s) Nintendo Entertainment System
Release
  • NA: September 1990 [1]
  • JP: December 7, 1990 [2]
  • EU: December 12, 1991
Genre(s) Platform
Mode(s) Single-player

Little Nemo: The Dream Master [a] is a platform game released on the NES in 1990 by Capcom. It is based on the Japanese-American animated film, Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland from Tokyo Movie Shinsha, which itself is based on the comic strip Little Nemo in Slumberland by Winsor McCay. The game's music was composed by Junko Tamiya, credited in the game as "Gonzou".

Contents

The game revolves around a young boy in his own surreal dreams as he journeys to Slumberland. Nemo can ride certain animals such as a frog, a gorilla, or a mole, by feeding them candy. Each animal has its own skills needed to complete each level. The purpose of the game is to travel to the Nightmare land to rescue Morpheus, the king of Slumberland, from the clutches of the evil Nightmare King.

Gameplay

Gameplay screenshot NES Little Nemo - The Dream Master (Pajama Hero Nemo).png
Gameplay screenshot

In Little Nemo: The Dream Master, the player controls Nemo as he proceeds through side-scrolling, 2D levels. In each level, Nemo must collect a specific number of keys, which are generally scattered throughout the rather large levels. The number of keys needed to beat each level is not indicated to the player until reaching the exit at the end of the level, which has a corresponding number of locks. The player must proceed through each level, typically left to right but also up and down, searching for keys.

Throughout each level the player encounters several animals, which, after being fed, will allow Nemo to use their powers. A similar game mechanic would be used in Kirby's Adventure three years later. Using the powers of some animals is necessary, while others simply make things a little easier. The animal's life-bars often differ from Nemo's, with some animals possessing extra health bars. Such abilities are vital, as many challenging obstacles exist throughout the game, and enemies are virtually almost infinite. As such, Little Nemo is generally regarded as a highly difficult game.

Development and release

Reception

Little Nemo: The Dream Master on the Nintendo Entertainment System received positive reception from critics. [2] [9] Electronic Gaming Monthly 's four reviewers described the game as " Rescue Rangers in a dream world" and praised its Disney-esque pastel-style graphics, concepts, gameplay, frenetic action and constant challenge. [4] GamePro 's The Unknown Gamer also commended the title for its visuals, sound, gameplay, fun factor and challenge. [5] Brazilian magazine VideoGame gave high marks to its difficulty, graphics, music and sound effects. [11] Hobby Consolas ' José Luis Sanz gave positive remarks to the colorful and high-quality visuals, sound, gameplay and originality, but noted its difficulty and criticized the scrolling for being occasionally faulty. [6]

Player One's Christophe Delpierre highly praised Little Nemo: The Dream Master for the colorful graphics, animated characters, sound, well thought-out difficulty progression, longevity, controls and lack of sprite flickering. [7] Mean Machines ' Rob Bright and Radion Automatic disagreed with Delpierre on most points, criticizing the sprite flickering when too many objects are present on-screen, collision detection issues and numerous instances of instant death traps. Nevertheless, they commended the game for its presentation, cartoon-style visuals, "cute" and "cheery" sound design, responsive controls and ability to ride animals. [10] Video Games' Jan Barysch gave positive remarks to the title's audiovisual presentation, but noted its steep difficulty curve and criticized the controls for being somewhat unresponsive. [8] AllGame 's Christian Huey regarded it as "a wonderfully creative side-scrolling platformer", praising the cartoon-esque graphic and "ethereal" music, though he noted that its gameplay was basic. [3]

Retrospective coverage

Retrospective commentaries for Little Nemo: The Dream Master have been more mixed. In 2009, IGN placed the title on their "Top 100 NES Games" list at #68, but remarked that "the game's advanced difficulty level no doubt took some unsuspecting youngsters by surprise." [12] In contrast, Gaming Bus' Christopher Bowen wrote that Little Nemo was "punishingly difficult at times, even by NES games standards." Bowen also wrote that the game belonged in "the second tier of Capcom licensed games" alongside Adventures in the Magic Kingdom . [13] Hardcore Gaming 101 's Kurt Kalata felt that the ability to ride animals was awkward, due to each one featuring disadvantages, and criticized the key hunting gameplay portion to be annoying. Kalata also noted that its soundtrack was "fairly unremarkable" aside from certain music pieces, but he ultimately regarded it to be a decent platform title. [14] Anime News Network 's Todd Ciolek felt that the NES version "had greater traction" compared to its arcade counterpart, stating that the rideable animals turned each stage into a puzzle due to their abilities. [15] Digital Trends ' Steven Petite called it one of the best NES games of all time. [16]

Notes

  1. ↑ Also known as Pajama Hero Nemo (Japanese: パジャマヒーロー NEMO, Hepburn: Pajama Hīrō Nīmō) in Japan.

Related Research Articles

<i>Mega Man 2</i> 1988 video game

Mega Man 2 is a 1988 action-platform game developed and published by Capcom for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It was released in Japan in 1988 and in North America and PAL regions the following years. Mega Man 2 continues Mega Man's battle against the evil Dr. Wily and his rogue robots. It introduced graphical and gameplay changes, many of which became series staples.

<i>DuckTales</i> (video game) 1989 video game

DuckTales is a platform game developed and published by Capcom and based on the Disney animated TV series of the same name. It was first released in North America for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1989 and was later ported to the Game Boy in 1990. The story involves Scrooge McDuck traveling around the globe collecting treasure and outwitting his rival Flintheart Glomgold to become the world's richest duck.

<i>Mega Man 4</i> 1991 video game

Mega Man 4 is a 1991 action-platform game developed by Capcom for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It is the fourth game in the original Mega Man series and was originally released in Japan on December 6, 1991. The game was localized in North America the following January, and in Europe in 1993.

<i>Mega Man 5</i> 1992 video game

Mega Man 5 is a 1992 action-platform game developed by Capcom for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It is the fifth game in the original Mega Man series and was released in Japan on December 4, 1992. It saw a release during the same month in North America and in 1993 in Europe.

<i>Kung-Fu Master</i> (video game) 1984 video game

Kung-Fu Master, known as Spartan X in Japan, is a 1984 beat 'em up game developed and published by Irem for arcades. It was distributed by Data East in North America. Designed by Takashi Nishiyama, the game was based on Hong Kong martial arts films. It is a loose adaptation of the Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao film Wheels on Meals (1984), called Spartan X in Japan, with the protagonist Thomas named after Jackie Chan's character in the film. The game is also heavily inspired by the Bruce Lee film Game of Death (1972), which was the basis for the game's concept. Nishiyama, who had previously designed the side-scrolling shooter Moon Patrol (1982), combined fighting elements with a shoot 'em up gameplay rhythm. Irem and Data East exported the game to the West without the Spartan X license.

<i>Bionic Commando</i> Video game series

Bionic Commando is a video game franchise consisting of an original arcade video game released in 1987 and several later versions and sequels. The games are platform games in which, with two exceptions, the player cannot jump. A bionic arm is used to cross gaps and climb ledges. The player character, Nathan "Rad" Spencer, uses this as a grappling gun/hook to swing, climb and descend through levels. Seven games have been released, from the original 1987 Bionic Commando to 2011's Bionic Commando Rearmed 2. The series is based in an alternate timeline in which Nazism is not completely eradicated following World War II.

<i>Little Samson</i> 1992 video game

Little Samson is a 1992 action–platform video game developed by Takeru and published by Taito for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). The game stars four heroes summoned to stop the demon king Ta-Keed from wreaking havoc on the kingdom of Forgy. Each hero has different abilities and the player can switch between the four at any time.

<i>Mega Man</i> (1987 video game) 1987 video game

Mega Man, known as Rockman in Japan, is a 1987 action-platform game developed and published by Capcom for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It was directed by Akira Kitamura, with Nobuyuki Matsushima as lead programmer, and is the first game of the Mega Man franchise and the original video game series. Mega Man was produced by a small team specifically for the home console market, a first for Capcom, which previously focused on arcade video games.

<i>Mega Man</i> (1995 video game) 1995 action-platform video game published by U.S. Gold

Mega Man is an action-platform video game developed by Freestyle for the Sega Game Gear, and saw a North America-only release in October 1995. The game was sublicensed by British publisher U.S. Gold from Japanese-based company and creator of Mega Man Capcom. The game features Mega Man fighting against the mad scientist Dr. Wily and the six Robot Masters under his control, and features bosses and stages from Mega Man 4 and Mega Man 5.

<i>Mega Man X</i> (video game) 1993 action-platform game

Mega Man X is a 1993 action-platform game developed and published by Capcom for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It was the first Mega Man game for the 16-bit console and the first game in the Mega Man X series, a spin-off to the original Mega Man series that began on the Super NES's predecessor, the Nintendo Entertainment System. Mega Man X was released in Japan on December 17, 1993 and was released in both North America and Europe the following year. Taking place a century after the original Mega Man series, Mega Man X is set in a futuristic world populated by both humans and "Reploids", robots capable of thinking, feeling, and growing like their human creators. Because of these complex attributes, many Reploids are prone to destructive, renegade activity and are thereafter referred to as "Mavericks". The plot of the game follows the protagonist X, an android member of a military task force called the "Maverick Hunters". With the help of his partner Zero, X must thwart the plans of Sigma, a powerful Maverick leader wishing to bring about human extinction.

<i>Chip n Dale Rescue Rangers</i> (video game) 1990 video game

Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers is a platform video game developed and published by Capcom for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It is based on the Disney animated series of the same name. It was originally released in Japan and North America in 1990 and Europe in 1991. An arcade version was released by Nintendo in 1990. It sold approximately 1.2 million copies worldwide.

<i>Legendary Wings</i> 1986 video game

Legendary Wings is a fantasy-themed shoot-'em-up / platformer arcade video game released by Capcom in 1986. The player takes control of a young soldier equipped with magical wings who must save the world from a malfunctioning supercomputer. A home version for the Nintendo Entertainment System was released exclusively in North America in 1988. The original coin-op version is included in Capcom Classics Collection for PlayStation 2 and Xbox and in Capcom Classics Collection Remixed for PlayStation Portable.

<i>Super Ghouls n Ghosts</i> 1991 video game

Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts, known as Chou Makaimura in Japan, is a platform video game developed and published by Capcom for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1991. As the third game in the Ghosts 'n Goblins series and the first not to be released for the arcade, it again depicts knight Arthur saving Princess Guinevere and the kingdom from Emperor Sardius, who has cast a spell that has revived the Ghoul Realm.

<i>Low G Man: The Low Gravity Man</i> 1990 video game

Low G Man: The Low Gravity Man is a platform game developed by KID and published in 1990 by Taxan in North America and by Nintendo in Europe for the Nintendo Entertainment System.

<i>Ninja JaJaMaru-kun</i> 1985 video game

Ninja JaJaMaru-kun is an action-platform video game developed and published by Jaleco for the Famicom. It was released in Japan on November 15, 1985, and was ported to the MSX in 1986. The MSX version was released in Europe as Ninja II, being marketed as a sequel to Ninja-kun: Majou no Bouken, a game that used the name Ninja for its European MSX release.

<i>Strider</i> (1989 NES video game) 1989 video game

Strider is a 1989 action-platform game developed and published by Capcom for the Nintendo Entertainment System in North America. While the development of the NES version of Strider was produced in tandem with the arcade version, the Japanese version for the Famicom was never released. The NES version of Strider is included in the 2006 Game Boy Advance compilation Capcom Classics Mini-Mix.

<i>Bucky OHare</i> (NES video game) 1992 video game

Bucky O'Hare is a 1992 platform game for the Nintendo Entertainment System based on the comic book series of the same name. The game was developed, under the direction of Masato Maegawa, by Konami, which also published it in North America in February 1992 and in Europe on February 18, 1993. Graphics were created by Kaname Shindoh, Madonna Taira, and Toshiharu Furukawa, and the music was composed by Tomoko Sumiyama.

Takashi Nishiyama, sometimes credited as "Piston" Takashi Nishiyama or T. Nishiyama, is a Japanese video game designer, director and producer who worked for Irem, Capcom and SNK before founding his own company Dimps. He is best known for developing the scrolling shooter title Moon Patrol, the beat 'em up title Kung-Fu Master, and the fighting game titles Street Fighter, Fatal Fury and The King of Fighters. He also helped to develop the Neo Geo system.

"Nintendo hard" is an informal term used to describe extreme difficulty in video games. It often refers to games with trial-and-error gameplay and limited or nonexistent saving of progress. The enduring term originated with Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) games from the mid-1980s to early 1990s, such as Ghosts 'n Goblins (1986), Contra (1988), Ninja Gaiden (1988), and Battletoads (1991).

<i>Nemo</i> (arcade game) 1990 video game

Nemo is a side-scrolling fantasy arcade game released by Capcom in 1990. The game is based on the Japanese-American animated film Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland.

References

  1. ↑ "NES Games" (PDF). Nintendo of America. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 11, 2014. Retrieved August 9, 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 "NEW GAMES CROSS REVIEW: パジャマヒーロー". Famitsu (in Japanese). No. 117. ASCII Corporation. December 21, 1990. p. 31.
  3. 1 2 Huey, Christian (1998). "Little Nemo: The Dream Master (Nintendo Entertainment System) - Review". AllGame . All Media Network. Archived from the original on 2014-11-15. Retrieved 2021-10-16.
  4. 1 2 Harris, Steve; Semrad, Ed; Alessi, Martin; Williams, Ken (November 1990). "Review Crew: Little Nemo (Nintendo - Capcom)". Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 16. Sendai Publishing. p. 17.
  5. 1 2 Gamer, The Unknown (December 1990). "Nintendo ProView: Little Nemo: The Dream Master". GamePro . No. 17. IDG. pp. 116–117.
  6. 1 2 Sanz, José Luis (May 1992). "Lo Más Nuevo – Nintendo: The Dream Master – Viaje al mundo de los sueños". Hobby Consolas (in Spanish). No. 8. Hobby Press. pp. 114–115.
  7. 1 2 Delpierre, Christophe (May 1992). "Tests De Jeux — NES: Little Nemo: The Dream Master". Player One  [ fr ] (in French). No. 20. Média Système Édition  [ fr ]. pp. 54–57.
  8. 1 2 Barysch, Jan (July 1992). "Test: Träumender Klassiker — Little Nemo (NES)". Video Games  [ de ] (in German). No. 8. Markt & Technik. p. 78.
  9. 1 2 Ryan, Jackie (July 1992). "Console Review — Little Nemo: Dream Master (Nintendo NES)". Game Zone. Vol. 1, no. 9. Dennis Publishing. pp. 70–71.
  10. 1 2 Bright, Rob; Automatic, Radion (July 1992). "Nintendo Review - Little Nemo: The Dream Master". Mean Machines . No. 22. EMAP. pp. 108–110.
  11. 1 2 "Sistema Nintendo - Little Nemo: Dream Master". VideoGame  [ pt ] (in Portuguese). No. 6. Editora Sigla. August 1991. p. 28.
  12. ↑ Claiborn, Sam (2009). "Top 100 NES Games - 68. Little Nemo: The Dream Master". IGN . Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on 2009-10-17. Retrieved 2021-10-16.
  13. ↑ Bowen, Christopher (October 24, 2012). "Then and Now: Little Nemo: The Dream Master (NES)". Gaming Bus. Gaming Bus LLC. Archived from the original on 2015-01-11. Retrieved 2021-10-16.
  14. ↑ Kalata, Kurt (February 16, 2020). "Little Nemo: Dream Master". Hardcore Gaming 101 . Archived from the original on 2021-02-25. Retrieved 2021-10-16.
  15. ↑ Ciolek, Todd (May 1, 2020). "Anime vs. The NES – 7. LITTLE NEMO". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on 2020-11-07. Retrieved 2021-10-16.
  16. ↑ Petite, Steven (April 13, 2021). "The best NES games of all time". Digital Trends . Designtechnica Corporation. Archived from the original on 2021-07-11. Retrieved 2021-10-16.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.