Silver Surfer

• Release Date: 1990 11
• Genre: Shooter
• Style: Side-Scrolling Shooter
• Similar Games: Dragon Spirit: The New Legend (Nintendo Entertainment System), 1942 (Arcade), 1943: The Battle of Midway (Nintendo Entertainment System), Gradius (Nintendo Entertainment System), 1942 (Commodore 64/128), 1943 (Commodore 64/128), 1942 (Nintendo Entertainment System), 1943 (TurboGrafx-16), 1942 (Game Boy Color), 1942 (Macintosh)

Game Description

Based on the adventures of the popular Marvel Comics character, Silver Surfer pits you in the role of everyone's favorite space traveler versus the forces of the Magik Domain. Use your cosmic powers to blast away at your enemies as you fly through two types of intermittently changing perspectives (horizontal side view and vertical bird's-eye view). Once you've fought through the forces of Reptyl, Mephisto, Emperor, Possessor and Firelord, you'll finally make it to the Magik Domain where the infamous mutant Mr. Sinister awaits.

Your old master, Galactus, has summoned you, Silver Surfer. But this time his message is for the good of life -- or so it would seem. According to this devourer of worlds, there is a new threat known as the Magik Domain that has the power to destroy all life in the universe, including his own. With some of the galaxy's most powerful supervillains in on it, only bad things can result. It's up to you to retrieve the Cosmic Device and save all life in the universe.

Roots & Influences

Superman for the Atari VCS was the first superhero video game while Defender was the first side-scrolling shooter.

Review: Overall

Loosely based on the adventures of Marvel Comics' superhero of the same name, who has been fighting intergalactic bad guys since 1966, Silver Surfer for the NES is a mindlessly enjoyable shooter with above average graphics, gameplay and sound. Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's venerable creation blasts away at supervillains, fish (!), frogs (!!) and other enemies through two types of intermittently changing perspectives (horizontal side view and vertical bird's-eye view). Control is smooth, and the thumbs get a good workout, but it is sometimes hard to tell which objects are obstacles and what parts of the background you can fly safely over, creating moments of frustration. All in all a solid, if somewhat flawed, game.

Production Credits

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