Hammer Time
The Ice Climbers. Loveable, mallet-swinging duo well known for their infuriating shenanigans in the Super Smash Bros. series. Masters of controversial tactic “Wobbling”, the cutesy pals have found themselves on the receiving end of a lot of salt. Which is ironic, considering they love slippery surfaces.
But before they were causing arguments at local Smash tournaments, Popo and Nana were smashing snow (not a euphemism) in their own video game, Ice Climber, which hit the NES in 1985. If you never had the opportunity to check it out, now you can, courtesy of retro-fans Hamster and a new Nintendo Switch port.
Vs. Ice Climber, an expanded arcade edition of the home console release, includes new enemies, stages, weather effects, bosses and features not found in the NES original. Gameplay remains mostly the same, as players attempt to ascend a series of colourful mountains, smashing blocks and enemies en route. It’s simplistic fun, but remains a charmingly humble beginning for two characters who would go on to much greater things, decades later.
Vs. Ice Climber is available now on Nintendo Switch, priced at around $8.
