Paperboy, A Good but Not Great NES Game

I don’t remember if I’ve written about Paperboy, and since I can’t find a post that I made about the NES game, that’s where I’ll start. I have played several versions of this game before, and I’ve gone over the N64 version.

This is one of those games that I found myself wanting to like. I’ve never played the arcade version of that game, so, like many other arcade games, my first experiences with it were on the NES. It was one of many games that I can remember playing and enjoying when I was a kid.

Atari released this game in the arcades in 1985. After it became a success, it was ported to everything. There are a lot of versions of this game for home computers, and it was on just about every console at the time. This is one of the Atari games that had a lot of potential, but they never really capitalized on it.

The NES game is based on that original arcade game. It is one of the games that I consider to be a classic. This was one of the weekend rentals I remember playing with my friends, and it was one of the few games I played with my cousins. When I went back to play it, I liked it, but not as much as I used to.

TLDR: This is a fun game for a brief time. If there was more to it, then I would enjoy it more.

Narrative

There is a very simple story in this game. You’re a new paperboy, and you have to deliver papers. If the house is a subscriber, then you have to get the paper in their mailbox or on their porch. If they aren’t a subscriber, then you break their F***ing windows! Once you do that, they’ll subscribe to the paper.

At the end of each day, you get to ride through an obstacle course. I’m not sure why, but since this game came out in the 1980s, I’m going to say it’s to save a community center. I’m just channeling some coming of age movies from this time.

Gameplay

The gameplay is what you should expect from an arcade game. It is easy to “die” and takes some time to get used to everything. It was designed to get as many quarters as possible, which works in an arcade game, but can be a little frustrating for a console game.

The controls are fine. When you get hit by something, it is usually your fault. It is a little hard to line up your throws when you get started, but if you stick with it, then it will get easier.

There are an absurd number of enemies and hazards in this game. To make matters worse, the playfield is fairly small. Much of the screen is a giant dead zone. This, along with the game’s isometric view, makes the gameplay a little rough at times.

You don’t beat this game. Because it is an arcade game, you’re just playing for a high score. The way you get points is by delivering papers, breaking windows, or by causing general mischief in the neighborhood. You can hit just about everything with a newspaper, and most things will give you points.

The gameplay in Paperboy is fine. It can be fun for some time, but there isn’t a lot to this game. The obstacle course does add something different to the game, but overall, there isn’t much to this. I still like the game for what it is, but there are other arcade games I would rather play.

Visuals

The visuals are pretty good for an NES game. They aren’t amazing, but you can tell what things are supposed to be, and you can see what you were supposed to do when you get hit. It does have a number of things to complain about, but nothing is terrible.

The game relies heavily on reaction time and level memorization. The enemies all follow patterns, and you need to learn the layout of each level and obstacle course. In many ways, this is similar to some shoot’em ups.

I do like the enemies in this game. They range from the normal hazards you would see in a suburban or small town. While things get absurd, most of them are things that should appear in a game like this. I have no idea why the Grim Reaper is chasing you down, but it’s a video game, and you’re not supposed to think about that.

The game does try to give you some visual clues as to which houses are subscribers. It is also pretty easy to see where the newspapers are. The biggest issue with the game is the camera angle.

The isometric look of the game does more harm than good. It takes some time to learn how to deal with it, and it makes lining up shots a pain. Getting close to the mailboxes and doorsteps seems to work best, but it also makes it easier to hit something. It also doesn’t help that much of the screen is taken up by the houses.

Overall, the graphics look good. However, they also have a negative impact on the gameplay. I’m sure that this is a little different on the arcade version of the game. On the SNES and Genesis versions, things look better and the graphics are less of a detriment.

7/10. As far as NES games are concerned, this is an average one. It is one of those games that I remember fondly, but this isn’t the version I would like to play. The controls are fine, the graphics are okay, but there isn’t much to this game. I kind of like the N64 version more than this.

Pros

• Decent controls
• Solid graphics
• Easy to learn but hard to master

Cons

• Very repetitive
• Not much to the game
• Lack of game modes

Conclusion

Paperboy is one of those games that I remember fondly. There is something about it that keeps me playing, even if I find the game very frustrating at times. It is very simple and doesn’t have much to it, but that is something I don’t ever remember being a bad thing.

This is one of the many games that felt like a missed opportunity for Atari, as well as the companies that would eventually buy Atari. There is something here that could’ve been turned into a fun adventure game. Midway came close to this when they made Paperboy 64.

With all the arcade games from the 1980s, this is one that I wish had been turned into something more. Other arcade games have more remakes and reimaginings. We kind of got this, but it was very obscure and is now abandoned. In 2009, Paperboy: Wheels on Fire was released. This was a mobile game, and that is all I really know about it.

Maybe someone will bring this game back someday. I’m not going to hold my breath. Whoever owns the IP at this point either doesn’t realize it or has no plans for it.

If you liked this post, please check out my others on NES games. Such as Rampage or Stinger.