Due to overwhelming demand the SB crew has decided to bring back the Retro Review feature. Since it takes a lot of time to play a game enough to give it a decent review and most of our time is spent playing new releases to get reviews of those out, the Retro Reviews won't come every week. We are shooting for once a month. If you've been a reader of the site for awhile you probably remember that Pickle and myself spend more time arguing and going off on tangents than reviewing the actual game. Usually they come out pretty funny, and they are fun to write.

Today we're going to be dissecting Balloon Fight for the NES. Back in our younger years the SB crew got countless hours of entertainment trying to pop each others balloons. Released in 1985, Balloon Fight is an NES classic.

While many people focus on what video games came out and when, I like to focus on what was going on at that particular time period. What inspired Balloon Fight? What was going on in the mind of the developers that encouraged a game where little guys try to kill demons that float on balloons? Could it be Communism? The year 1985 did see the election of Gorbachev in the USSR. I do think that somehow the developers were trying to give us hints as to what kind of politics we should expect to see. Was capitalism the balloons, communism the little demons that float to try to oppress the rights of citizens? Was the lighting in the sky the "Cold War"? Think about these things and you will truly find out what was really going on in Balloon Fight.

Umm, Right. Balloon Fight is a breed of game we don't see the likes of anymore. Cut from the mold of games like Mario Bros. and Donkey Kong, all the action takes place on one screen at a time. Basically your goal is to pop the balloons of these weird looking bird things and kick them before they pop all three of your balloons. On top of that you have to dodge lightning that randomly shoots from clouds and this stupid fish thing that jumps out of the water. The graphics in this game are exactly what can be expected from early NES titles, a bit pixilated and somewhat abstract.

You know Soda its all about oppression. The rights of many citizens were being oppressed by a communistic government overseas. As such your rights to fly a balloon in peace were being oppressed by the "bird things". The "bird things" were communism and you of course were capitalism. The balloon fight of course was the ongoing struggle that existed between the Americans and Russians. During this time an arms race for weapons of mass destruction was at hand. This was most evident when the "bird things" would inflate their balloon after you pop it. America was constantly ahead of the Russians in the arms race, however the USSR would keep coming back, similar to the "inflation" the bird things would do. It is quite obvious what was going on here. I can't help but feel a little patriotic after playing a few levels.

Pickle what the hell are you talking about? Next you're going to start telling me about how Zelda is a metaphor for Japanese persecution in the US. Jesus man, can we get back to the game please?

Balloon fight is at its best when you have some friends over to play. While the one player game and the "trip" feature can keep you occupied there is nothing better than trying to out fly your friends.

Zelda a metaphor for Japanese persecution in the US? What the fuck does that mean. Zelda was about a boy who was trying to save a Princess by piecing together parts of a mystical triforce.

Anyways like Soda was saying the game is best played when your friends are over. Because of course you can share stories of America's victory over the Russians during the "Cold War". It was quite simple really, the Russians ran out of money to fund just about anything. So what does America do to celebrate? They release a great game like Balloon Fight. Metaphors aside the game is fun and the physics and momentum displayed by the characters are fantastic. However, if anything remember that you can easily "stomp on the balloon" of oppression with this game. Do your part to recreate the Cold War.

Ah Jesus! I give up. Balloon Fight is a great game and if you still have an NES it's defiantly one you need to have in your collection. I'll let Pickle keep ranting about the oppression of the balloon creatures. I can't take his nonsense anymore.

What? What did I say? I will end this bad boy like I end my news posts. America shreds.