Woah, dude. Like… woah.
Bill And Ted’s Excellent Video Game Adventure made it’s way onto the Nintendo Entertainment System as a result of a worldwide contest held by Nintendo in order to find a mascot for the console.
While Nintendo was merely looking for a drawing, Mark Rider, a blind and deaf six-year-old from Wisconsin, blew away the competition by sending in Bill and Ted – a game he designed and programmed himself on his Texas Instruments solar calculator.
Rider’s contribution not only gave Nintendo a solid mascot. It redefined gaming and created a new genre – and just in time, too, as players were growing tired of walking, jumping, attacking, solving puzzles, and doing things. The world of gaming was saved by Rider’s telephone-and-telephone-book simulator.
Players could now experience the pleasure of calling someone and having them not answer the phone without having to do it in real life and feel the tidal wave of guilt and shame that comes with expecting someone to answer the phone…
The controls are relatively simple. The ‘select’ button switches between the phone and phone book. When viewing the book, the left and right buttons of the directional pad allows players to flip between pages; while it allows players to navigate the number pad when viewing the telephone. The ‘A’ button dials the highlighted number.
This course of events continues indefinitely.
Bill And Ted also features a cheat system that allows players to customize the game. Because of Nintendo’s innovative technology, players could wrap the conveniently-located NES controller cord around their necks and apply appropriate amounts of pressure by pulling on the controller for more leverage.
If done correctly, this cheat unlocks tons of new levels and characters, and even new colours for the phone. Watch out, though: the new final boss is almost impossible, but fighting a mirror-image of yourself high above the city as the skin begins to slide off your body has never been so fun.
In the end, Nintendo made the right choice. Now you can make the right choice by picking up a copy of this game.
Long live Bill and Ted.
Rating: 
