Retro Game of the Day! City Connection

Yeah!! Today on Retro Game of the day we are having a look at City Connection, released by Jaleco to arcades in 1985 and later ported, most notably, to the NES (1987?)


I remember seeing an ad for this innocuous-looking little game way back in the days of the Nintendo Fun Club Magazine (predecessor to Nintendo Power!) amidst the likes of Sky Kid and Squoon - the ad with the little Honda fleeing the cops was colorful and cute, never did pick it up though. Of course I finally had a look at it years later and was surprised to find a fun, simple little game which even now, drips of replayability.

It's pretty simple to sum up this game - your car drives forward, turns 180 degrees, and jumps or falls. You can also pick up and throw oil cans at oncoming traffic so they can't destroy you. Each level usually consists of three or four platforms which you must cover with "paint" (as you drive over the surfaces) - to clear the level, just competely contact each platform, sounds simple right? Not so much - it starts off easy enough but it gets hectic quite quickly.

Aside from the local Law Enforcement who are constantly on your tail, random cats will pop up (don't run them over!) and if you chill out on the "ground floor" too long, spike strips will grow out of the ground to crush you. So random! But it all adds up to a fun little experience that keeps begging you to play "just one more time" - this game still holds up very well today!

The graphics are simple and somewhat cutesy, but very colorful and happy. As you drive you see the light streaking off your windows which gives you a feeling of tension as your little thief struggles to avoid the cops. Pick up City Connection and give it a spin, you won't be sorry!