3D Worldrunner for the NES
3D Worldrunner for the NES is a game about a space cowboy named Jack in Japan. The game was developed in 1987 by a company named Square. Its main feature was 3d, being one of the first games made at the time that had three dimensional visuals. Its primary focus was on running, another first, but also featured jumping. Your job was to leap over large, void pits and dodge various obstacles. Your main concern was towering pillars, which some were beneficial to you and others would make you lose a life. Other obstacles were enemies that try to sabotage your running; these enemies were either random faces or hands. Some enemies would kill you or just block your way. Worldrunner 3D had tons of great game play to be experience, but in a limited world.
Like I said before, three dimensional graphics was the main selling point in this game. It was the very first of three games to feature this and gamers loved that. The other games were the sequel to Worldrunner and Red Racer, two lesser games compared to this one. Also, Worldrunner had another mode for 3D glasses. This worked well because they included anaglyph glasses for every sale. But there were still some other great parts to Worldrunner.
The game play was purely focused on the athletic feats of Jack. His main objective was to run through the level before time runs out, so he had to do it with agility and speed. You'd achieve this speed by holding up on the directional paid, which also let you jump higher. Increasing speed with the directional pad seems a little pointless, since you have to do it the entire time. Even with holding the up button down, it wasn't a hindrance to finishing the level quickly. Still, there were other aspects to 3D Worldrunner for the NES than jumping.
The other great game play feature was jumping. As Jack you'd vault your way over huge puts that were littered with obstacles. The objects inside the pits make it hard to get over the holes, but everyone needs a challenge. Let's further specify what kind of objects you'll be seeing in the game.
There are tons of enemies and obstacles infesting the Worldrunner universe. Generally, the enemies were amorphous blob repetitive over time. Not only that, but it finished extremely quickly. Give or take 5 hours, but the lack of content is expected in older games. For example, the enemies were just amorphous faces, some that are tall and some that are round. The only variety you'll ever really see are the color and height changes, that goes for the entire game.
One of the stranger sides of WR3D is the pillars that you run into for bonuses. They're exactly what they sound like, giant house supports that you ram yourself into, causing helpful powerups to jump out of it. Not all pillars are good, though; the ones on fire will kill you and force you to restart the entire level. Though, there are a few levels. The main problem with this game is that it becomes fairly
This wouldn't be a good review without a score, would it? 3D Worldrunner for the NES is an excellent old game that has a lot to offer for its time. Nostalgic gamers will have a lot of fun playing this title, even though it's a bit over simplified. My only real complaint is the repetition, though it only hits you when you're almost finished with the game. Overall, I give the game an 89% out of 100, which I feel is a somewhat generous score. Under this review are some game cheats and hints, enjoy!
B (4x), hold Up + Left, press Start (at screen before game begins) = Hard Mode
Hold Down + A (when you lose a game) = Free Continue
Press: B, B, B, B now hold Left/Up and press Start to begin game play = More luck
Strategy for the first level on Gamefaq.com
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Level 1
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This is the first level, so you might want to not worry about getting through it and just get a general feel for the game. I strongly suggest this. Right at the beginning you will see a small area of green pillars. Crashing into the first row will get you a rocket, allowing you to fire at unwanted enemies. Crashing into the second will get you a potion to make you invulnerable for a hit. Crashing into the third will be rewarded with instant death from a mushroom.
After moving on you will encounter your first enemies. They are small, ugly, and green. Although they may seem like something to get in a fuss about, they aren't. This is the first level. Just move out of the way or jump over them. Soon you will come to a black pit you must jump over. Don't jump too far. After doing a series of small jumps you will encounter these small white-floating faces. Again, don't worry about them. Here there is no real strategy for learning how to get past this. Just play around with it and learn where the large jumps and the small jumps are. You should be in World 1_2 now. When you get here, your time limit will reset.
Don't stress yourself out about getting to the next world before the time runs out, in this level, its not a factor.
Now you should be getting to your first balloon. Grabbing on to it will take you to the Alternate World, also known as world 1_B. Here there are no enemies, just stars. Have fun, explore, collect the stars. Also here there are pillars. Most will contain potions, however, usually the last one before leaving the world will contain a heart.
Now that you've gotten past that, you should come back to world 1_2. Mainly there are just a lot of stars. There should be another balloon around the area, so watch for it, and just go at a steady pace.
It shouldn't be too long before you get to World 1_3. Once you get here you will have a chance to replenish your items. Watch here for balloons and fire cacti. They will kill you if you touch them, but if you follow them they will usually lead you to where you need to go.
World 1_4 is fairly short. Just dodge the enemies and watch out for the variation in small and large jumps.
Finally, you're at the first boss. As soon as you get to him you will hover into the air and start to fight him. If you couldn't fire before you can now. When he comes at you dive to the side of down. Start firing rapidly at his head for a quick kill. Congratulations! You've gotten past the first level.