Definitely a goofy game; the gameplay is very similar to that of Bubble Bobble.
The Table of Contents
The Game Structure of Snow Brothers:
The overall game isn't very hard, long, or redundant. You have to complete 50 stages in the game, with a boss battle after every 10. The bosses are some crazy-looking reptilian-type characters.
Meet Tom and Nick
You play as either one or two snowmen, named Tom and Nick, who have been transformed into snowmen by the evil king.
Single Player vs Multiplayer
You can play Snow Brothers as a 1-player or 2-player game. Snow Brothers is definitely more exciting with a friend, but not much changes if you play by yourself.
Each level has a variety of enemies you need to defeat in order to proceed. Each level is a little like a puzzle. Enemies are closing in from all sides. You need to jump around the maze or puzzle to defeat them.
The Snowball Mechanic
Your character has the ability to throw snowballs at your enemies. The idea is to hit an enemy with a snowball and keep hitting the enemy until he turns into a giant snowball. When the enemy turns into a snowball, jump and press "B."
The snowball will roll down the maze to the bottom of the screen. The trick here is to have the enemy snowball roll down the maze toward the other enemies.
All the enemies that get run over by the giant snowball will also be destroyed. This is a key trick to defeating levels quickly and easily. You also have the ability to hop on the snowball and move down the maze as well.
This is good for getting out of a bad situation or for avoiding getting pinned between enemies. The enemies won't stay in their snowball forever, so you need to roll the snowball quickly. If you happen to die while transforming an enemy, the enemy can start to shake off the snow.
Power-Ups and Bonuses
Along the way, certain enemies will drop some goodies for you to pick up. Most of the items are food, which will give you some bonus points. Some enemies will drop different types of potions. These will give your character special abilities as long as you stay alive.
After you defeat a boss, in between levels, you have a chance to play a slot machine. If you match up the characters, you can get bonus points and extra lives, which come in handy.
50 Levels: When It Gets Good
As I mentioned above, you have 50 levels to complete. For the most part, the first 40 levels seem redundant. The enemies will vary, but the puzzles or mazes seem sort of the same. Once I hit level 40, the game got more fun. There were puzzles that made me stuck. I had to wait for an enemy to pass by.
Other times, you could fall to the bottom of the screen and land at the top. These types of levels became really fun and created more creative ways to defeat the enemies. Most levels have a time limit, even though it isn't noticeable.
If you take too long, an evil pumpkin head and some ghosts will chase after you, so don't take too long. I don't think you can turn Pumpkinhead or the ghosts into a giant snowball. So, dodging them is the best option.
Graphics and Music
Most of the levels in Snow Brothers didn't impress me with their graphics. I understand this is 8-bit material, but nothing stood out to me. The later levels did provide better graphics, and the music wasn't good or bad. I would say the music didn't really paint a picture or tell a story, but it fit the game well.
The Verdict
We rate: Snow Bros. (NES) a 5.5/10 — a ★★½☆ on our retro review scale.
Would I recommend it?
No, I would not, Snow Brothers reminds me a lot of Bubble Bobble and BurgerTime. The overall gameplay is pretty simple, but addictive nonetheless. I definitely would not pay the current asking price just to play Snow Brothers. It's fun, but not worth around $270+ fun unless you're a serious collector.
Would I replay it?
Probably Not, the game got pretty redundant and, at times, boring.
Why Snow Brothers Costs So Much
Snow Brothers is a pricey game by Nintendo NES standards. Loose cartridges in good condition can sell for over $279. The reason this game is expensive seems to be the old economic ways of thinking. The game in 1990 didn't achieve great sales, so because there wasn't a huge demand, the supply wasn't available. That said, a game with a limited supply back in the 1990s is rare today.
Did you know?: If you have Snow Brothers or other rare NES games, we buy them at The Old School Game Vault - loose or complete - for cash.
