QCF: Abobo's Big Adventure

he NES is the most iconic representation of video games to this day. Even after 27 years its fond reverence knows no bounds, and whether you’re a gamer or not its image will remain forever embodied as the avatar of video gaming until the end of time. If you're now thinking, “Gee, I don’t know George, I know the NES is really important to video games but what you’re saying seems a bit exaggerated,” then you may belong to one of two camps: You either never owned or played one, or you didn’t have the opportunity to experience many of the games for it beyond Super Mario Bros and so on.

Well, you’re in luck, because not only does Abobo’s Big Adventure hit home with anyone who’s ever been graced with an NES in their childhood but it also manages to spectacularly cater to both of the aforementioned demographics. Abobo’s Big Adventure steps up and then owns up to the daunting responsibility of representing it’s source material and its best form and becomes more than just a simple tribute game.

Let’s examine that label, though: a “tribute” game. Now what does that exactly mean? To honor or carry out in the name of to fulfill some sort of significant homage to continue the spirit of themuse that spawned its production. Abobo’s Big Adventure fits this criterion to a tee but evolves the experience because of just how well it’s executed. The forgotten and mostly disregarded Double Dragon thug sets out to save his son who’s been kidnapped, Marian style from Kid Nikki and gang, and unlike other crossover fan projects, the cameos of the NES characters are organically portrayed from start to end. The first stage will have you boot thumping Goombas in the face, throwing your soup bones at that tikiface dude from T&C Surf & Skate, and dodging barrels from Donkey Kong, and yet still retains the wackiness of their appearance in a game that shared amongst them to begin with. The real kitsch to this fan game is that not only does it host a cavalcade of familiar character sprites from the NES era. However, it homages the gameplay of seven distinct classics (and one other that serves the role of facetious humor) and runs away with 54 flying colors.

Abobo’s Big adventure begins the game within the unlikely hero’s routes in a Double Dragon styled beat’em up, but then it continues on transplant the muscle man into the game styles of Super Mario Bros, Legend of Zelda, Urban Champions, Balloon Fighter, and more. The game sets itself apart by authentically emulating the play styles of all of these different gameplay mechanics, and then adding additional elements make the entire retread of these familiar levels feel unique again. You’re in a Legend of Zelda level, and all of the sudden, Dig Dug shoots with his his trade mark hose and inflates you into a walking bulbous monstrosity, giving you fifteen seconds to evade any enemy contact yee less want to be a bloody mess. These kind of additional alongside the copious displays of graphic violence displayed is what really sets apart Abobo’s Big Adventure from any other tribute game. There are points where the game’s intention to hearken moments of unreasonable difficulty seems lucid of the intent and presentation that the title aims for, but some moments ask for more out of the player than what’s necessary and this even applies to NES veterans as well.

Another disadvantage is that because the game was originally a flash game, the jump to make it downloadable didn’t motivate the developers to include controller driver options to immediately recognize a controller. Instead, it relies on the much maligned alternative universal controller driver software, Joy2Key. The software hits home with everyone who plays it in its best form when a controller involved, but the process of configuring the inaccessible mess that is Joy2Key may turn away others to just settle for the keyboard layout instead.

In short, Abobo’s Big Adventure is nothing short but a brilliant take at showcasing what it truly meant to grow up with an NES, and why the system’s influence lives on even to this day. Abobo’s Big Adventure is currently available to play directly from your browser on its official website, or you can download the executable for free for a limited time at The Free Bundle’s website along with a slew of other titles. Beyond the fact that it’s free, this game should be played by everyone that wants recapture or experience the magic of the NES.