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1UP Ratings Table



This is where we put the grades into www.Retro-Grades.com. Below , you can view and compare all of our game reviews in one handy table (By clicking on any of the game titles, you can view the complete and original review for that particular game.).

Our contributing staff of reviewers can be seen below in the color-coded boxes below:

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(For more clarification on our grades, look below the table to see the breakdown of how we, at www.Retro-Grades.com, developed our grading system.)








Final Score
Presentation
Originality
Creativity
Programming/Debugging 
Challenge/Fairness
Replayability
Controls
Graphics
Music/Sound FX
Ending
Game Title
 
198X (Switch) 75 6 8 10 7 10 2 10 10 10 2
Castlevania 86 8 7 10 9 10 9 8 7 8 10
Castlevania II:
         Simon's Quest
73 9 8 10 3 2 7 8 9 10 7
Ghosts N' Goblins 47 6 7 7 4 2 1 3 6 5 6
The Legend Of Zelda 83 9 10 10 9 10 10 6 6 7 6
Mega Man 65 3 6 10 6 5 6 8 7 7 7
Mega Man 51 2 9 8 6 5 1 5 5 5 5
Metal Gear 64 7 10 8 9 7 2 4 4 7 6
Ninja Gaiden (NES) 80 8 7 10 7 4 6 8 10 10 10
Shovel Knight
         (Wii U)
96 10 7 10 10 10 10 9 10 10 10
A must-have title and certified High Scorer and Favorite of www.Retro-Grades.com!
Super Mario Bros. 2 86 6 7 10 7 10 10 10 9 8 9
Wrath Of The
         Black Manta
47 8 2 3 2 6 3 7 7 4 5
 

A must-have title and certified High Scorer and Favorite of www.Retro-Grades.com! (NOTE: Our highest-rated games appear highlighted in WHITE and will have an animated 1UP near their name. These exceptional titles will be ultimately immortalized on www.Retro-Grades.com's certified High Score Board!) A must-have title and certified High Scorer and Favorite of www.Retro-Grades.com!


Our grading system for all of our game reviews is based on a sliding scale of

1UP's

— ranging from 1UP as lowest or worst to 10UP as being the highest or best. (SPECIAL NOTE: The scale for Challenge/Difficulty is based from most difficult/most unfair as a lowly 1UP to 10UP being rewarded for the most fair challenge, even if gameplay is still difficult.)

1UP's are rewarded across a list of various Categories and Criteria for Game Ratings. There are ten of these specific headings that are rated by our reviewers: Overall/Final Score, Presentation, Originality, Creativity, Programming/Debugging, Challenge/Fairness, Replayability, Controls, Graphics, Music/Sound FX and Ending.

These Categories and Criteria for Game Ratings are painstakingly-detailed below , and they help ensure that our reviewers give a fair and thorough judgment based on a sound set of guidelines, not just raw emotion.

(SPECIAL NOTE: Not every rating can be judged or measured in a scientific-like manner — some headings are inherently more subjective and are graded largely on the individual's tastes ... for instance, the categories of Graphics (to an extent), Music/Sound FX (maybe more heavily reliant on), Ending (more on personal opinion), Presentation and Challenge.

Additionally, it is important to note that for the sake of fairer critique, our reviewers make comparisons of games on a generational level, when it depends upon technological advances — for example, graphics and music/sound effects of 8-Bit games are weighed against other 8-Bit games of that same era, because it wouldn't be fair to compare those categories against the far-superior technology and realism of today's next-gen systems.)

... When deciding upon which classes to use in the www.Retro-Grades.com 1UP Ratings, a number of questions were asked for each category. These questions helped to set up fairer parameters when judging, instead of just making broad-sweeping generalizations and biases.

Finally, when all of the ten headings have been tallied, a grand score of 100UP is possible. The higher the score, the better the game.



The Categories and Criteria for Game Ratings

OVERALL/FINAL SCORE:

  • Does the game, its components (material, manuals, etc.) and gameplay make for a satisfying, memorable experience in a positive way?
  • Did the developers achieve a solid, complete game?

RETURN TO TABLE

Presentation:

  • How is the game packaged and presented through its decoration and design of cover art, manual, cartridge, additional inserts, logo(s), title screen, font, etc.?
  • Does the game art and design translate across to the gamer in a clear and/or well-organized manner?
  • Does the game come with a thorough description and/or assistance of game with satisfactory and complete instructions?

RETURN TO TABLE

Originality:

  • Is the game and/or gameplay inherently new or fresh with never-before seen, or rarely-seen or -used ideas?
  • Does the game introduce a new experience, new style of play or push the boundaries of gameplay into a fresh, new direction that isn't or hasn't been seen often or ever?
  • Does the game push the conventions of gameplay by stretching the technology or experimenting with bold, new ideas in how a game is to be played or how it looks?

RETURN TO TABLE

Creativity:

  • Is the game and/or gameplay inherently new or fresh with never-before seen or rarely-seen or used ideas/puzzles?
  • Have the game creators introduced a clever or fresh expansion to gameplay by using unusual, unique or innovative features, powers, power-ups, characters, weapons, items, character design, enemy design, level design, gameplay, storyline, plot devices, etc.?
  • Have the developers/designers expanded beyond the current or expected norms of a game in a certain genre?
  • If the game is a sequel, has it added enough new features/details/changes to build on its legacy, at least creatively (may be hard in judging)

(Very subjective in creativity ways, more objective in originality)

RETURN TO TABLE

Programming/Debugging:

  • How satisfying is the overall gameplay, as it relates to the programming and design in the game's mechanics as they pertain to how the character interacts with the foes, obstacles and/or environment or levels?
  • As for hit-detection, does it feel fair and consistent in gameplay?
  • Is there a degree of frustration between the controls and action onscreen?
  • To what degree, has the more-or-less predictable, preventable or controllable deaths, defeats or damage been eliminated?
  • Has the game been debugged to sift out certain glitches and mistakes, and to fill in certain key or logical omissions?
  • Are there poorly-planned or executed lapses in the design of a level or any other aspect of a game, that detract from the gameplay significantly?
  • Depending on the game type, does the game provide enough adequate internal help, power-ups or logical clues to help the gamer to progress through?
  • What is the degree of AI (artificial intelligence) of enemies and/or CPU in game?
  • Are the controls well-designed to aid in the satisfactory play of the game?
  • Is there an internal clock/timer that seems fair or realistic in gameplay?
  • Is there a continue feature, where it may be ideal to have one available?
  • Is there a limit to the number of times a player can continue?
  • Is there a stage select function, where it may be ideal to have one available?
  • Is there a password system, where it may be ideal to have one available?
  • Is there a built-in battery pak to save the progress of the game — where it may be ideal to have one available?
  • Are there well-spaced checkpoints to save progress or restart after a defeat?
  • Is there a fair amount of power-ups to assist the gamer?

RETURN TO TABLE

Challenge/Difficulty:

  • Does the programming and design in the game's mechanics seem to play fairly, as it pertains to how the character interacts with the foes, obstacles and environment of levels?
  • Is the hit-detection/collision response fair and consistent throughout gameplay?
  • Is there a high or low degree of frustration between controls and action on screen?
  • What degree of more-or-less predictable, preventable or controllable deaths can be found in the game?
  • Has the game been debugged to sift out undesirable lapses in programming, mistakes and glitches that make gameplay more tedious or frustrating?
  • Depending on the game type, does the game provide enough/adequate, internal help/power-ups/logical clues for completion?
  • How is the degree of AI (artificial intelligence) of enemies and/or CPU in the game?
  • Are the controls well-designed to aid in the play of the game?
  • Is there an internal clock/timer that seems fair or realistic in gameplay?
  • Is there an ability to continue?
  • Is there a limit to the number of times a player can continue?
  • Is there a stage select function?
  • Is there a password system?
  • Is there a built-in battery pak to save the progress of game(s)?
  • Are there well-spaced checkpoints to save progress or restart after a defeat?
  • Is there a difficulty setting in the game?

RETURN TO TABLE

Replayability:

  • Is there anything that draws you back time and time again to play the game (presumably after it is defeated)?
  • Is it a fun experience?
  • Are there any side quests or mini-games to be found or completed?
  • Are there any hidden items that can be unlocked?
  • Are there different endings that can be achieved?
  • Are there different characters that can be used to defeat the game?
  • Can a certain percentage of the game's exploration be incentive for replaying?
  • Are there different difficulty settings?
  • Does the degree of difficulty of the game prevent it from being a fun, repeat play?

RETURN TO TABLE

Controls:

  • How is the game's overall internal physics of characters and game environments?
  • How is the game's receptiveness/responsiveness of movements of playable character(s) (for example, does the character slide after run or jump)?
  • Does the game suffer from a rigidity of control, limit of full motion and/or range of controls?
  • Does the game have an ease of execution of moves; do the movements have fluidity?
  • How is the game's hit detection and/or collision response?
  • Is there a discernable lag time/slow response of character on screen, in regards to controller movements?
  • Does the controller's button scheme seem to correspond well/logically/with ease with the player's in-game movements and/or commands?
  • Has the game's control scheme been debugged well?

RETURN TO TABLE

Graphics:

  • Does the game have detailed artwork and design of characters, levels and backgrounds?
  • Does the game make good usage of its color palette (i.e., does the color of certain levels match the emotional mood of those levels)?
  • Are the game's sprites detailed and crisp?
  • What degree of skill is shown in rendering the game's images (are they realistic or lacking)?
  • Does the game use animation in a visually-exciting manner (i.e. cut-scenes or parallax)?
  • If a game uses three-dimensional, or pseudo-three-dimensional graphics, do they work well with the game's mechanics, or are they distracting or detract from the gameplay?
  • Are the game's artists able to avoid "blockiness," jaggedness or pixelated imagery; does the game effectively give the illusion of slanted angles and roundedness (especially in 8-Bit designs)?
  • Is it easy to see certain things in the foreground over the background? (Contrast levels)

RETURN TO TABLE

Music/Sound FX:

  • Does the game's sound effects seem to match or adequately-imply action or sequence on screen and during play?
  • Is there a good usage of music, perhaps through variety and/or providing appropriate mood or atmospherics?
  • Are the game's songs or soundtrack well-composed (subjective)?
  • Are the game's songs or soundtrack memorable, and do they stick in the player's head (subjective)?
  • Does the game have original themes or compositions, not heavily-derivative of, or outright copying other games' music (especially games that are not part of the game's family or sequels)?
  • Is there a good use of timbre and/or different instruments or sounds in songs (when applicable, especially in later generation games with more sound capability)?

(Overall, a very subjective category, hard to judge)

RETURN TO TABLE

Ending:

  • Is there an actual ending or does the game endlessly loop?
  • Have the developers devoted a solid effort to the ending of the game? (Are there any glaring mistakes, omissions, unresolved issues, etc. that detract from the ending?)
  • Does the ending help pull the game and overall story and experience together in a satisfying manner?
  • Is there a sense of accomplishment, fulfillment, relief and/or reward that is gained after viewing the ending?

RETURN TO TABLE



Sample Ratings Table
Presentation:
Originality:
Creativity:
Programming/Debugging:
Challenge/Difficulty:
Replayability:
Controls:
Graphics:
Music/Sound/Audio:
Ending:
FINAL SCORE:100 www.Retro-Grades.com 
's 1UP Ratings Table awards between 1UP and 10UP across 10 categories to create a score of up to a possible 100UP for a video game!'s out of a possible 100

 

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