By Greg Kulevich

     Indiana Jones has another story to tell!  Any fan of Young Indy, or even history will enjoy this game.  Yes, it is Nintendo, and a typical Nintendo game.  Side scrolling and lots of action!  Nothing really new, in terms of game play, but who says it is not fun?  This game in fun!  I have found myself coming back to this game to play again and again.  With practice you will master this game easily and beat it.  For a beginner this game poses quite a challenge, because of the number of enemies Young Indy faces in his travels.  But you will soon learn the locations of these enemies, and thus killing them quite easily.  Experienced gamers may want more of a challenge, but will still have a fun time playing the game.

 Graphics: 4 out of 5 

     Not too great.  But it is Nintendo, and it is fine compared to some other titles that were on the Nintendo platform at the time.  Don’t expect a lot of detail.  COOL CUTSCENES!!!

 Sound: 3 out of 5

      I don’t remember very much about the sound.  Expect jazzy Nintendo tunes in the background of every stage and loud exaggerated sound effects.  :D

 Controls: 5 out of 5

     Simple controls make it easier to fight and defeat the many big bosses found after every stage.  We have the two button system- jump and action.  Very simple and nice.

 Fun: 5 out of 5 

     This game is very fun.  It is my favorite Nintendo game of all time.  Young Indy gets to use many different weapons in this game such as, a rifle, machine gun, rocks, grenades, dynamite, and yes, his pistol, whip and fists.

 You can also drive a motorcycle, airplane and tank!

 Synopsis: (WARNING: Contains Spoilers)

     The game starts with Old Indy telling us a story about the time he took a trip to Mexico and found himself in the middle of the Mexican Revolution.  While fighting his way out of it, he finds out about a man named “The Claw” who has, in his position, a very valuable artifact; a golden jackal head that was found in Egypt.  Indy heads into an abandoned silver mine to find the “The Claw” and take the jackal.  After a fight, the Claw runs away and drops the jackal and Indy recovers it.

     Afterward, Indy meets with Remy (Indy’s friend).  Remy is worried about the war in Europe, and Indy and Remy both enlist in the Belgian Army.  After completing basic training, the squad goes to France to fight against the Prussians.  However, the squad leader has a special mission for Indy, now a corporal.  Indy must sneak behind enemy lines and eavesdrop on a meeting taking place across the lines.  Indy learns about a new secret weapon named “Big Bertha;” a new high powered long ranged artillery gun.

     Now Indy makes a risky decision.  He decides to go after and destroy Big Bertha, because by the time he gets back to his command center it will be too late!  Indy locates the base on top of a cliff.  He climbs the cliff and finds the gun.  Big Bertha is heavily armored, but with some grenades Indy blows it up!

     Indy comes back as a hero, and is immediately promoted to Captain.  Along with his rank he also gets a new and dangerous mission.  He learns of the German High Command and Weapons Facility.  The Germans developed a new nerve gas that they plan to drop from airplanes on the men in the trenches.  Indy’s mission is to find and blow up the gas lab!

     Indy hitches a ride on a German train carrying supplies into Germany.  Some troops find him and Indy holds tem off until a biplane comes to Indy’s rescue and lifts him of the train.  Indy finds out that the pilot of the plain was non other that William “Billy” Bishop, the Canadian flying ace.  He tells Indy that he is looking for the Red Baron.  Just then, they spot a group of German biplanes flying off to some place.  Bishop is hungry for action and attacks the plains.  The Red Baron shows up and Billy Bishop takes this as his one and only chance to shoot him down!  The two aces dogfight and the Red Baron goes down in flames!

     Billy learns of Indy’s mission and sets him down on an abandoned strip a few miles away from the German High Command.  Once Indy enters the German High Command he storms through the building looking for the weapons facility.  It is a dangerous place.  Acid drip from the ceiling and gas leaks from pipes.  Then Indy finds it!  The gas lab.  He plants the bomb and sets the timer for two minutes.  Indy races out of the building and dives behind some bushes just in time to watch the whole German High Command explode in flames!  The game concludes with Old Indy saying that, “it was just another victory for justice and humanity.”

Stuck?  Email Greg with any questions: kulevich@uchicago.edu