Balloon Fight Lovin'

[Bang]

IDK, but for the past 22 years, I've kept coming back to this game. Sometimes, on the Wii, I can't help but feel this is the best 500 points I've spent. I managed to "rank 1" on balloon trip on the VC the first time a couple of years ago, and also, I think the game is far superior to Joust, even though the game was obviously influenced by it. What do you guys think about it? Unsung treasure from Nintendo? Piece of ****? Meh? Let's talk! My current best VC score on BF is 524550 ( no snaps to prove ). any looped scores or levels?

[Betagam7]

I have a copy of Tingle's Balloon Fight that's sealed. I'm debating whether or not to open it or keep it that way as Jogurt tells me the seal is probably a reseal job.

[Bang]

open it for sure, games are meant to be played, post pic of your copy and let me see if its a re-seal

[slangman]

I recently bought the VC version of this. Already owned on Animal Crossing, but I decided to buy it again anyway for 60Hz support and better controls. Truly one of the best early NES games. Very simple to pick up and play and also great for beating your high scores. Never could get rank 1 though.

[SKTTR]

I have maxed out the score in the NES version of Balloon Fight on Animal Crossing for Gamecube. 99.990 was the score when it reset to zero I think.

I believe the stages loop after Phase-18 but enemy AI gets better and clouds lightning strike faster.

And agreed, Balloon Fight is one of the NES all-time classics, and better than Joust by far.

8/10


Other games I haven't bought on VC because I have them on Animal Crossing but worth 500pts nonetheless, since they provided more than 5 hours of fun each:

- Clu Clu Land 7/10
- Excitebike 7/10
- Ice Climber 7/10
- Pinball 8/10
- Punch-Out!! 8/10
- Wario's Woods 9/10

[Betagam7]

Originally Posted by slangman

I recently bought the VC version of this. Already owned on Animal Crossing, but I decided to buy it again anyway for 60Hz support and better controls. Truly one of the best early NES games. Very simple to pick up and play and also great for beating your high scores. Never could get rank 1 though.

Arn't the Animal Crossing games 60hz versions? I don't have the game anymore but I thought they were.

[SKTTR]

Originally Posted by slangman

Never could get rank 1 though.

Oh yes, the Balloon Trip mode, only #2 there. Good for you reminding me, I have to try again some day.

[slangman]

Originally Posted by Betagam7

Arn't the Animal Crossing games 60hz versions? I don't have the game anymore but I thought they were.

Nope, they run in 50Hz slower with borders. Music isn't effected for some reason.

Originally Posted by SKTTR

Oh yes, the Balloon Trip mode, only #2 there. Good for you reminding me, I have to try again some day.

No problem. Baloon Trip mode is a tricky beast.

[Betagam7]

Originally Posted by slangman

Nope, they run in 50Hz slower with borders. Music isn't effected for some reason.

Really, dang. I need to change the reference to them in my NL article then as I'd thought they were evidence of 60hz emulation. I'm sure the ones on the Zelda Collector disk run 60hz though.

[slangman]

Originally Posted by Betagam7

Really, dang. I need to change the reference to them in my NL article then as I'd thought they were evidence of 60hz emulation. I'm sure the ones on the Zelda Collector disk run 60hz though.

Yep the Zelda collection runs in 60Hz.

I see NL have finally listened to sense for once. Good luck with your NL article.

[Eight Bit]

Long, long ago, when I was a little boy, before the Gameboy came out, I owned the Game & Watch Balloon fight.

I played it for days. It was the closest thing to having a hand-held Nintendo at the time. The game basically was only the "Balloon Trip" Mode except in a liquid crystal display.

That artifact of gaming history has sadly been destroyed and I no longer have that. (worth some money now days).

I never owned the NES version until recently on the VC. I don't play it much and I'm not very good at it. I actually purchased the game simply to have it. Reminded me of the classic Game & Watch that I loved.
To this day, if I am in a retro gaming-shop or pawn shop, I check to see if I come across one. Until then, the VC for NES will have to do.


That's my balloon fight story and why I have the game.

[Pocketim]

Me and my friend always come back to this game every now and then to play the great co-op gameplay. Because of co-op, I'd say this is one of my longest lasting VC games =)

When I play alone though, I tend to play Balloon Trip. Popping deformed chicken's balloons and watching them get eaten by a giant fish isn't the same without a friend =P I also love how they made a 3D Balloon Fight minigame in Smooth Moves.

[Betagam7]

I had my first blast of Tingle's Balloon Fight for DS last night. It's pretty good fun although the buttons take a real hammering. I love how they incorporated Tingle's now trademark sounds from the first Tingle game. It seems to have infinite continues in both flight and fight mode and there's a weird gallery of odd pictures of him to unlock

[Refa]

Originally Posted by SKTTR

- Clu Clu Land 7/10
- Excitebike 7/10
- Ice Climber 7/10
- Pinball 8/10
- Punch-Out!! 8/10
- Wario's Woods 9/10

Really? While I've never played the other games, I can't believe that you gave NES Pinball an 8/10. It is so lifeless and mediocre. Maybe it's worth $1, but not $5, when you can get much better pinball games on VC, such as Alien's Crush and Devil's Crush.

Originally Posted by Eight Bit

Long, long ago, when I was a little boy, before the Gameboy came out, I owned the Game & Watch Balloon fight.

I played it for days. It was the closest thing to having a hand-held Nintendo at the time. The game basically was only the "Balloon Trip" Mode except in a liquid crystal display.

Is it on any of the Game Boy Game & Watch Collections?

[SKTTR]

Originally Posted by Refa

Really? While I've never played the other games, I can't believe that you gave NES Pinball an 8/10. It is so lifeless and mediocre. Maybe it's worth $1, but not $5, when you can get much better pinball games on VC, such as Alien's Crush and Devil's Crush.

Sure I give Pinball (NES) an 8/10 as it's addiciting and great!
I can't see any mediocrity in this one. In fact it was one of the most played games in Animal Crossing (GC) by me and my friends thanks to us being highscore freaks and having a save feature (which is translated to the Wiis suspend feature). Yeah, it's just one table (in 3 screens) and two modes (easy and hard), but it has enough secrets and challenges to make a good pinball game.

And I think it isn't even worth $1 as you can get it for "free" with 15 other NES games and a Gamecube game incl. Gamecube Memory Card for $15 nowadays but that's not the point.

In my opinion it's a neat retro pinball game that aged very well and deserves a 8/10 for NES standards.
For me it's a true NES classic that most people will enjoy even today.

For the record, unfortunately I haven't played any of the Turbografx pinball games.

[LinkFanatic]

I only played this a little bit when I first got my NES. I borrowed it from a friend and never owned it, but I felt Joust was a bit better as far as the variety...BUT, like I said, I didn't play much of this...maybe I should dl it from VC...you think?

[Jogurt the Yogurt]

I'm with SKTTR; NES Pinball is awesome.

[slangman]

Originally Posted by Refa

Really? While I've never played the other games, I can't believe that you gave NES Pinball an 8/10. It is so lifeless and mediocre. Maybe it's worth $1, but not $5, when you can get much better pinball games on VC, such as Alien's Crush and Devil's Crush.

I agree with this. Pinball isn't bad, but it is average and it doesn't offer anything to make me come back to the game. Maybe I should give it another chance, since it has been a while since I played it on AC.

Originally Posted by LinkFanatic

I only played this a little bit when I first got my NES. I borrowed it from a friend and never owned it, but I felt Joust was a bit better as far as the variety...BUT, like I said, I didn't play much of this...maybe I should dl it from VC...you think?

Go on, it's only 500 points.

[RetroNL]

I think that this is somewhat the same discussion as with Tetris.

[Refa]

So why is this game worth 500 points? Just wondering, because I am interested in picking this one up.