SkyKid
System: NES
Release Date: September 1987
Developer: Namco
Publisher: Sunsoft
Genre: Shoot ‘em Up
SkyKid is an interesting title on NES. It’s a side scrolling shoot ‘em up. From what I can tell, you’re a WW2 Ace in a WW1 plane. I figure this because I see some Nazi eagle symbology on the targets I’m bombing. You have to take off, fly to the left, pick up a bomb, and eliminate your target from the face of the Earth. Along the way, you need to avoid enemy fire and return it if you’re so inclined.
You move around the screen with the d-pad to avoid bullets, artillery, and obstacles. You shoot your guns with the A Button and earn points by taking out enemies on the field. The B Button has two functions. Normally, it causes the SkyKid to loop. You can loop three different ways depending on the direction you’re pressing while you loop. This is essential to staying alive. At certain points on each level, there will be a bomb, which you can pick up. Then, looping is disabled and you drop the bomb with the B Button.
I was having a crap ton of issues with level one. I’d make it to the target with the bomb in tow and then be unable to avoid enemy fire. Then down I’d go… frustration was starting to set in. Something that I read in the manual, and then totally forgot about while playing was reiterated to me by the kind Twitch user, LeviathanMist. If you’re hit, mash the buttons and d-pad and you can recover out of your tail spin. With this knowledge, I was able to move on for awhile until my family came home and my playtime was done.
On a side note, who is Pac-Man’s plastic surgeon? He’s had some Micheal Jackson level work done over the years.
Graphics: 1.5
The graphics are plain. Bah-dum-cha! They aren’t bad, but it’s totally dumbed down from the arcade release.
Sound: 1.0
The music isn’t great and the sound effects are again, dumbed down arcade.
Gameplay: 2.0
The gameplay is average for me. The looping mechanic is better here than say in 1942. Being able to save yourself is a godsend.
Difficulty: 3.0
Very hard to begin with, and the subsequent levels keep throwing loops at you. That’s good in my book.
Fun Factor: 2.0
I was frustrated, but as I learned, I started having fun.
Overall Grade: 1.9
SkyKid gets a C. I like this game and can recommend giving it a shot. It’s not something you need to spend hours on, so it’s a nice play.