Don't let the ridiculous cast of characters, including the game's protagonist, fool you: this game has got it going on. With a quicker tempo than Bonk, the game is more action-packed and helps define the genre, rather than promote its faults as the last few shoot-em-ups for the TG16 have.


Update: Something we didn't try when playing the game, apparently Wikipedia says the US VC release includes some functionality that was only special to the Japanese release of the game that allowed those with the Famicom Data Recorder to save custom tracks. Now, we can too!

If there's any kind of setting we love most, it's an apocalyptic future set on Earth. As the one and only Mach Rider, players must not only operate a motorcycle (the controls are a bit complex for a NES launch title, asking players to shift gears), but also take down enemies and search for survivors whilst doing so. Overall, the game is pretty fun.


Sure, we've admitted our addiction to puzzle games before, but we have always felt that the definitive puzzle experience on the NES was a war, raging for eternity, between Tetris and Dr. Mario. As such, our opinion of this game is a personal one, and perhaps a bit biased, so take that as you will.

As always, if you have any tips or rumors regarding Nintendo's Virtual Console service, be sure to let us know and come back next week when we take a look at the latest titles available on the Nintendo Wii.