“Super Mario Brothers 3” (Nintendo, 1988)
“Frostbite” (Activision, 1983)
“Ecco the Dolphin” (Sega, 1992)
It’s summertime! School? Out. Temperatures? Rising. Swimmin’ hole? Still pretty cold and buggy. And full of creepy weeds. Maybe jumping into deep, dark waters sounds refreshing, but these classic water-themed video games can give you all the fresh and saltwater fun you could ever need. But beware: The saltwater will be your tears. Water stages are not friendly to novice gamers.
Like going to the beach to see all the new fashions? Then “Super Mario Brothers 3” is your game. The landmark sequel is mostly remembered for the new power-up that transformed Mario into a raccoon (less essential but equally as revered is the Tanooki power-up, which has the added ability to transform into an elderly statue version of yourself — an ability that has just about zero practical applications). The rare but powerful Hammer Brothers Suit steals a page from “Mega Man” by letting Mario steal his opponents’ weapons. Getting less love is the Frog Suit, which also debuted in “Super Mario Brothers 3.” Most players would horde the special suit despite the fact that there are few water-based stages in the game. Suddenly, out of options in one of the lava-filled last stages, you grow desperate and try the Frog Suit. This is not smart. Now the lava just fries a frog version of you. Yes, it greatly increases directional control in the water sections while you avoid characters with names like Blooper Nanny and Jelectro, but newer Mario games seem to have pushed the Frog Suit aside for the flashier Penguin Suit. Still doesn’t help in lava, though.
Are you one of those thrill-seekers who likes to take your first cannonball as early in the season as possible? “Frostbite” is the perfect game for you. Less rage-inducing than “Frogger” but equally addictive, you’re tasked with the scientifically plausible scheme of helping Frostbite Bailey build an igloo by hopping from floating ice block to ice block while avoiding snow geese, king crabs, evil clams, and angry polar bears. Don’t let the primitive (though cutting-edge at the time) graphics of Aurora Borealis distract you from the fact that the temperature is dropping rapidly.
Let me guess: You like to just relax, crack open the newest Danielle Steel novel, and travel through time assaulting aliens with your nose while using echolocation to find ancient crystal glyphs. Your tastes are remarkably niche, but I think you’d find great joy in one of the most underrated and satisfyingly challenging games ever made. “Ecco the Dolphin,” an early title for Sega Genesis, has graphics and a plot that still hold up to the systems and titles of today. You can spend plenty of time just exploring the ocean and making Ecco do flips in and out of the water, but soon you’ll begin to attack the enemy with your bottle-nose. The open, exploratory feel of each level is de rigueur today, but was liberating in a day when guidebooks instructed your every step.
Enjoy the digital beach this summer, but please remember that feeding Snow Geese is a federal offense and treating a Jelectro sting with Mountain Dew is a myth.