View source for Ice Climber

{{short description|1985 video game}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2024}}{{About|the video game|the activity in general|Ice climbing}}
{{Infobox video game
| title = Ice Climber
| image = IceClimberboxartnes.jpg
| caption = North American NES box art
| developer = [[Nintendo Research & Development 1|Nintendo R&D1]]
| publisher = [[Nintendo]] <br> [[Hudson Soft]] (PC-8801)
| director = Kenji Miki
| producer = [[Masayuki Uemura]] <br> [[Shigeru Miyamoto]]
| composer = [[Akito Nakatsuka]]<ref>{{cite AV media notes |url=http://vgmdb.net/album/404 |title=Famicom 20th Anniversary Original Sound Tracks Vol. 1 |year=2004 |publisher=Scitron Digital Contents Inc. |access-date=April 18, 2011}}</ref>
| programmer = Kazuaki Morita <br> Toshihiko Nakago<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUsmC2nP85o |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/RUsmC2nP85o |archive-date=December 21, 2021 |url-status=live|title=Ice Climber retrospective: A slippery slope for platforming|publisher=Jeremy Parish|website=[[YouTube]]|date=May 24, 2016|accessdate=May 5, 2021}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
| artist = [[Tadashi Sugiyama]]
| platforms = [[Arcade video game|Arcade]], [[Nintendo Entertainment System]], [[PC-8801]], [[Sharp X1]], [[Famicom Disk System]]
| released = {{Collapsible list
| title = 1985
| '''NES''' {{vgrelease|JP|January 30, 1985<ref>{{cite magazine |title=アイスクライマー |trans-title=Ice Climber |url=https://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?m=pc&a=page_h_title&title_id=476&redirect=no |magazine=[[Famitsu]] |language=ja |access-date=June 19, 2021}}</ref>|NA|October 18, 1985<ref name="NES Copyright">{{cite web |title=Ice Climber: instruction booklet. (Registration Number TX0002515321) |url=https://cocatalog.loc.gov |website=[[United States Copyright Office]] |access-date= June 6, 2021}}</ref>|EU|September 1, 1986}}
| '''Arcade {{Small|(''VS. Ice Climber'')}}''' {{vgrelease|JP|February 4, 1985<ref name="FC Copyright">{{cite web |title=Ice climber. (Registration Number PA0000254907) |url=https://cocatalog.loc.gov |website=[[United States Copyright Office]] |access-date= June 6, 2021}}</ref>|NA|March 1985<ref name="vschallenge">{{cite web|url=https://www.flyerfever.com/vs-challenge-screenshots/|title=Flyer Fever - The Vs. Challenge (U.S.)|date=February 20, 2021}}</ref>}}
|'''PC-8801''' {{vgrelease|JP|October 1985}}
|'''Sharp X1''' {{vgrelease|JP|November 1985}}
|'''Famicom {{Small|(''VS. Ice Climber'')}}''' {{vgrelease|JP|November 18, 1988}}
}}
'''Game Boy Advance'''<br><u>Classic NES Series</u> {{vgrelease|JP|February 14, 2004|NA|June 2, 2004|EU|July 9, 2004}}
'''Nintendo Switch'''<br><u>Arcade Archives</u>{{vgrelease|WW|February 22, 2019<ref name="Arcade Archives">{{cite web |title=Arcade Archives ICE CLIMBER. |url=https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/arcade-archives-ice-climber-switch/ |website= [[Nintendo]] |access-date=June 13, 2024}}</ref>}}
| genre = [[Platform game|Platform]]
| modes = [[Single-player]], [[Multiplayer video game|multiplayer]]
| arcade system = [[Nintendo VS. System]]
}}
{{nihongo foot|'''''Ice Climber'''''|アイスクライマー|Aisu Kuraimā|lead=yes|group=lower-alpha}} is a [[platform game]] developed and published by [[Nintendo]]. It was released in 1985 for both the arcade [[Nintendo VS. System|VS. System]] and the Famicom / [[Nintendo Entertainment System]] console.{{efn|One book says the North American arcade release was October 1984, although contemporary flyers are all from 1985.<ref name="NA">{{cite book |last1=Akagi |first1=Masumi |title=アーケードTVゲームリスト国内•海外編(1971-2005) |trans-title=Arcade TV Game List: Domestic • Overseas Edition (1971-2005) |date=October 13, 2006 |publisher=Amusement News Agency |language=ja |location=Japan |isbn=978-4990251215 |page=128 |url=https://archive.org/details/ArcadeGameList1971-2005/page/n129}}</ref>}} The characters Popo and Nana, known as the Ice Climbers, scale 32 vertically scrolling, ice-covered mountains to recover stolen vegetables from a giant [[condor]]. In some European countries, ''Ice Climber'' was bundled with the Nintendo Entertainment System.
The arcade version, {{nihongo foot|'''''VS. Ice Climber''''',|VSアイスクライマー|VS Aisu Kuraimā|lead=yes|group=lower-alpha}} has an animated [[title screen (gaming)|title screen]], a stage select menu at the start of the game and between levels, 16 more mountains, occasional blizzard and wind effects, more enemy characters, and bonus multiplier [[item (gaming)|items]].
Nana and Popo are playable characters in the [[Super Smash Bros.|''Super Smash Bros.'' series]], starting with the 2001 game ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]'' for the [[GameCube]]. Nintendo released the NES version for the [[Game Boy Advance]] through the [[Nintendo e-Reader]] in 2002.
==Gameplay==
[[File:NES Ice Climber.png|left|thumb|Popo scales Mountain 1 surrounded by Topis<!-- "Topis" is the correct plural of "Topi". Reference: "http://www.nintendo.com/wii/virtualconsole/games/detail/P32v6Gw7R3ONW25Fy0Xv9zqlWFJwIZ0d" --> and a Nitpicker.]]
The first player controls Popo, a boy wearing a blue [[parka]], while the second player controls Nana, a girl wearing a pink one. The only tool they carry is a wooden [[mallet]] to carve openings in the ice above and to club enemies. Each mountain [[level (video games)|level]] consists of eight layers of colorful ice and a [[bonus stage]]. Standard, dull ice blocks pose no threat other than an easily disposed-of barrier and platform. Square ice blocks with higher detail are indestructible, forcing the player to take another path. [[Hatching|Hatched]] ice acts as a [[conveyor belt]] sliding Popo or Nana either left or right. Finally, many mountains include unbreakable moving platforms resembling clouds. The bonus stage takes place at the peak. Within a 40-second time limit and no enemies, the Ice Climbers often face trickier jumps and multiple moving platforms. The peak is also the only place to recover stolen vegetables, most notably eggplants. Collecting just one piece of corn from the fifth bonus stage is the only way to gain an [[Life (video games)#Extra lives|extra life]].<ref>{{Cite book|year=1985|title=Ice Climber|url=https://www.nintendo.co.jp/clv/manuals/en/pdf/CLV-P-NAAUE.pdf|publisher=Nintendo|type=Instruction manual}}</ref> At the top of the peak, the [[Condor]] flies overhead.
Enemies encountered on the way up the mountains include the Topi, Nitpicker, and [[Polar bear|White Bear]]. Topis come in two varieties: the blue [[Pinniped|seal]] featured in the Japanese Famicom ''Ice Climber'' release and the short [[Yeti]]-like creatures seen in Western versions and ''VS. Ice Climber''. Topis have the ability to fill in holes in the floor with ice. To do this, a Topi scouts out an opening in the floor, runs back to its cave, and reemerges pushing an icicle to fill in two blocks. This process repeats until no more openings on their layer of ice exist. The Nitpicker is a small, mountain-dwelling bird that swoops down from icy caves on the levels' edges. Unlike the Topi, which is confined to one floor of the mountain, Nitpickers can cross over multiple ice layers. Taking them into account along with moving platforms and sliding ice, timing jumps can be more difficult. The final enemy is the White Bear. This enemy, wearing sunglasses and pink speedo, appears on screen only when Popo and Nana take too long to advance. Pounding the ice, the Polar Bear forces the screen to move up. If Nana or Popo are forced off the screen, the player loses a life.
Other obstacles include deadly falling icicles. These can form on the bottom of any type of platform. After a few successful mountains climbed, all enemies' speeds increase.
The arcade game ''VS. Ice Climber'' has a few more gameplay differences. The player must pick from an initial set of 24 mountains to conquer. After eight are cleared, a Super Bonus stage occurs in which the player must reach a high platform. Afterwards, the player must choose from the second set of 24 mountains, in which the Condor is replaced by a giant butterfly. After the next eight stages are cleared and the Super Bonus is over, the player resumes the cycle from the original mountain set. The game keeps track of whether the mountain was claimed by an Ice Climber or if it remains Topi territory—once all the stages are completed, the counter resets. Approximately 30 of the 48 level designs are borrowed from the NES game. Stage setups are generally trickier in ''VS. Ice Climber'', with some new mechanics such as cloud platforms that move diagonally or strong gusts of wind. A purple bee with a spear flying in a horizontal pattern is included as a somewhat rare fourth enemy.
After the bonus stage, the players' [[Score (game)|scores]] are tallied. Points are rewarded for every brick of ice destroyed, every Topi-pushed icicle smashed, every Nitpicker killed and every vegetable collected. Finally, a bonus score is rewarded if a player manages to climb to the top of the bonus stage and jump up and grab the Condor. The game keeps track of the high score, although there is no way to save it on the NES version.
The game can be played in one- or two-player mode. The latter places Popo and Nana against each other in a race to the summit. Players may prefer to [[Cooperative video game|play cooperatively]] on the way up, but during the bonus round, they must compete for the top.
==Development==
{{Expand section|date=September 2008}}
''Ice Climber'' and ''[[NES Open Tournament Golf]]'' were directed by longtime Nintendo [[Video game producer|producer]] Kenji Miki.<ref name="IMDB Kenji">{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1308638/|title=Kenji Miki|publisher=IMDB|page=1|access-date=May 2, 2009}}</ref>{{Better source needed|date=June 2022}} ''Ice Climber'' is the first video game programmed by Kazuaki Morita. He considered this a "warm-up" before becoming a main [[Video game programmer|programmer]] on ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]''.<ref name="Inside Zelda 9">{{cite web|url=http://www.zelda.com/universe/game/twilightprincess/inside09.jsp|title=Inside Zelda Part 9|publisher=Zelda Universe|page=1|access-date=May 2, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090331053648/http://www.zelda.com/universe/game/twilightprincess/inside09.jsp|archive-date=March 31, 2009}}</ref> Morita was later credited with central programming roles in numerous games within the ''[[Super Mario]]'' series, ''[[The Legend of Zelda]]'' series, and in ''[[Star Fox 64]]''.<ref name="Kazuaki Morita IMDB">{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0605715/|title=Kazuaki Morita|publisher=IMDB|page=1|access-date=May 2, 2009}}</ref>{{Better source needed|date=June 2022}}
==Releases==
''Ice Climber'', a [[launch game]] for the NES in North America, has been re-released for several of Nintendo's consoles. The [[PC-8801]] version has a more limited color palette and a reworked [[HUD (video gaming)|HUD]].<ref name="Strange and Wonderful Images">{{cite web|url=http://andre.facadecomputer.com/saw/pc88.html#ice|title=NEC PC-8801 Games|publisher=Strange and Wonderful|page=1|access-date=May 2, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081224165924/http://andre.facadecomputer.com/saw/pc88.html#ice|archive-date=December 24, 2008}}</ref> ''VS. Ice Climber'' has been re-released for the [[Famicom Disk System]], removing the difficulty settings and changing a few graphics to be closer to ''Ice Climber'' (such as the bee and butterfly replaced by a Nitpicker and blue Condor, respectively). It has also been released in the ''[[Arcade Archives]]'' series on [[Nintendo Switch]], although the bee enemy has been removed.
Including the releases listed below, the NES game was part of a few versions of ''[[Animal Crossing (video game)|Animal Crossing]]''. It could be played in the original ''Doubutsu no Mori'' through its [[Nintendo Space World]] 2000 demo<ref>{{cite web|url=https://pc.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/article/20000825/nintendo.htm|title=NINTENDO SPACEWORLD 2000開幕|publisher=PC Watch|date=2000-08-25|accessdate=2024-07-16}}</ref> and through a Controller Pak from Nintendo Dream. The Pak could be won by anyone who sent a form to Nintendo Dream by June 21, 2001.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=アイスクライマー ビッグプレゼント|magazine=Nintendo Dream|volume=58|publisher=Ambit|date=2001-05-21|page=87}}</ref> It is also unlockable in the [[GameCube]] releases;<ref name="NES AnimalCrossing">{{cite web|url=http://insider.ign.com/teasers/305/305747.html|title=Inside Animal Forest Part VII (GameCube, N64)|last=Schneider|first=Peer|date=September 11, 2001|website=IGN|page=1|access-date=May 2, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071226101635/http://insider.ign.com/teasers/305/305747.html|archive-date=December 26, 2007}}</ref> it can only be officially unlocked via a North America-exclusive [[Nintendo e-Reader|e-Reader]] card, or as a gift to players requesting their save data be transferred from the Japanese-exclusive [[Nintendo 64]] version to the ''Doubutsu no Mori+'' edition.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name
! Date
! Platform
! Notes
|-
| ''Vs. Ice Climber''
| 1985
| [[Arcade game|Arcade]]
| [[Nintendo Vs. Series]]
|-
| ''Ice Climber''
| 1985
| [[Famicom/NES]]
| <ref name="Nintendo Database">{{cite web|title='Ice Climber'|url=http://www.nindb.net/game/ice-climber.html|access-date=May 2, 2009|work=NinDB|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100619064232/http://nindb.net/game/ice-climber.html|archive-date=June 19, 2010}}</ref>
|-
| ''Ice Climber''
| 1985
| [[NEC PC-8801]]
| Published by [[Hudson Soft]]
|-
| ''Ice Climber''
| 1988
| [[Famicom Disk System]]
| [[Video game porting|Port]] of ''Vs. Ice Climber''
|-
| ''Ice Climber-e''
| 2002
| [[Nintendo e-Reader|e-Reader]]
| Barcoded cards, readable with e-Reader and Game Boy Advance.
|-
| ''Classic NES Series: Ice Climber''
| 2004
| [[Game Boy Advance]]
| [[Classic NES Series]]
|-
| ''Ice Climber''
| 2007
| [[Wii]]
| [[Virtual Console]]
|-
| ''Ice Climber''
| 2011
| [[Nintendo 3DS|3DS]]
| [[Virtual Console]]
|-
| ''Ice Climber''
| 2013
| [[Wii U]]
| [[Virtual Console]]
|-
| ''Ice Climber''
| 2018
| [[Nintendo Switch]]
| [[Nintendo Switch Online]]
|-
| ''Arcade Archives Ice Climber''
| 2019
| [[Nintendo Switch]]
| [[Arcade Archives]]
|}
==Reception==
{{expand section|date=June 2023}}
In Japan, ''Game Machine'' listed ''VS. Ice Climbers'' in its April 1, 1985, issue as the eighth most-successful table arcade unit of the month.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - テーブル型TVゲーム機 (Table Videos)|magazine=[[:ja:ゲームマシン|Game Machine]]|issue=257|publisher=[[:ja:アミューズメント通信社|Amusement Press, Inc.]]|date=April 1, 1985|page=25|lang=ja}}{{Circular reference|date=September 2021}}</ref> Former President of Finland [[Mauno Koivisto]] was reportedly keen on Nintendo games and his son-in-law has reported that ''Ice Climber'' was his favorite game.<ref>"Uutuuskirja: Mauno Koivisto hullaantui 30 vuotta sitten videopeleihin ja kyykytti kavereitaan Nintendolla: 'Etkö sä oikein hallitse tätä?'", on September 26, 2019, Ilta-Sanomat, https://www.is.fi/tv-ja-elokuvat/art-2000006251088.html</ref>
Reviewing the American release, ''[[Computer Entertainer]]'' magazine called it "addictive" for fans of climbing games. The reviewer awarded 3.5 out of 4 stars, for both categories of graphics and gameplay, adding that it provide "hours of challenging play".<ref>{{cite magazine|title=The Video Game Update|magazine=[[Computer Entertainer]]|volume=5|issue=1|page=11|date=April 1986|url=https://retrocdn.net/images/5/5e/ComputerEntertainer_US_Vol.5_01.pdf#page=11}}</ref>
==Legacy==
[[File:Ice Climbers SSBU.png|alt=|thumb|The Ice Climbers in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'']]
Popo and Nana appear in the ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'' series of fighting game as a two-in-one playable fighter under the name Ice Climbers, voiced by [[Sanae Kobayashi]]. Appearing in 2001's ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee|Melee]]'', and 2008's ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl|Brawl]]'', their return was planned for [[Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U|''Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS'' and ''Wii U'']], but technical issues with the 3DS version required game director [[Masahiro Sakurai]] to scrap development on them to maintain parity between the two versions. He said that there was not a high priority to include them because the ''Ice Climber'' series was "unlikely to have another installment" at the time.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://nintendoeverything.com/sakurai-addresses-ice-climbers-absence-in-smash-bros-wii-u3ds-and-more-in-new-famitsu-column/|title=Sakurai addresses Ice Climbers' absence in Smash Bros. Wii U/3DS and more in new Famitsu column|publisher=Nintendo Everything|date=September 16, 2014|access-date=September 16, 2014|author=Brian}}.</ref> The Ice Climbers returned in 2018's ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate|Ultimate]]''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Back in the battle after a ten-year absence! There are two of them, so does that make them twice as strong as other fighters?|url=https://www.smashbros.com/en_US/blog/index.html?category=cat02_fighter_15|website=Super Smash Blog|access-date=January 14, 2019}}</ref>
Themes from ''Ice Climber'' regularly appear in the [[Wario (franchise)#WarioWare series|''WarioWare'' series']] classic Nintendo microgames. In ''[[Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land]]'' and ''[[Kirby Air Ride]]'', when [[Kirby (character)|Kirby]] gets the Freeze ability, he dons Popo's parka in the same manner it is worn in the ''Super Smash Bros.'' series.<ref name="Nintendo Database" /> In ''[[Tetris DS]]'', an ''Ice Climber'' backdrop appears among other classic Nintendo games.<ref name="Nintendo TDS">{{cite web|url=https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/SHMfI4-pd_DDhbjpYkb631-LunYD1UhC|title=Tetris DS|publisher=Nintendo|page=1|access-date=May 2, 2009|archive-date=April 22, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090422034903/http://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/SHMfI4-pd_DDhbjpYkb631-LunYD1UhC|url-status=dead}}</ref> ''[[Daigasso! Band Brothers]]'' includes the bonus stage music theme.<ref name="Daigasso">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/ds/puzzle/jamwiththeband/preview_6114895.html|title=Daigasso! Band Brothers Import Hands-On|last=Gerstmann|first=Jeff|date=December 10, 2004|website=GameSpot|page=1|access-date=May 2, 2009}}</ref> The Ice Climbers appear in ''[[Super Mario Maker]]'' as an unlockable Mystery Mushroom costume.<ref>{{cite web|last=Benson|first=Julian|url=http://www.kotaku.co.uk/2016/05/12/the-ice-climbers-are-coming-to-super-mario-maker/|title=The Ice Climbers are coming to Super Mario Maker|publisher=Kotaku.com.co.uk|access-date=May 12, 2016}}</ref>
==Notes==
{{notelist}}
{{clear}}
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20100403094656/http://www.nintendo.com/wii/virtualconsole/games/detail/P32v6Gw7R3ONW25Fy0Xv9zqlWFJwIZ0d Virtual Console: ''Ice Climber''] at [https://www.nintendo.com/ Nintendo.com]
* [http://www.arcade-museum.com/game_detail.php?game_id=8176 ''Ice Climber''] at [[Killer List of Videogames]]
* ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20100619064232/http://nindb.net/game/ice-climber.html Ice Climber]'' at [http://www.nindb.net/ NinDB]
* [https://www.nintendo.com/jp/famicom/software/hvc-ic/index.html ''Ice Climber''] on the [[Famicom]] 40th Anniversary page {{in lang|ja}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:1985 video games]]
[[Category:Arcade Archives games]]
[[Category:Arcade video games]]
[[Category:Cooperative video games]]
[[Category:Nintendo games]]
[[Category:Nintendo arcade games]]
[[Category:Nintendo e-Reader games]]
[[Category:Famicom Disk System games]]
[[Category:Game Boy Advance games]]
[[Category:Head-to-head arcade video games]]
[[Category:Multiplayer and single-player video games]]
[[Category:NEC PC-8801 games]]
[[Category:Nintendo Research & Development 1 games]]
[[Category:Nintendo Entertainment System games]]
[[Category:Nintendo VS. System games]]
[[Category:Platformers]]
[[Category:Sharp X1 games]]
[[Category:Video games developed in Japan]]
[[Category:Video games featuring female protagonists]]
[[Category:Video games scored by Akito Nakatsuka]]
[[Category:Video games about children]]
[[Category:Video games set in mountains]]
[[Category:Virtual Console games]]
[[Category:Virtual Console games for Wii U]]
[[Category:Nintendo Switch Online games]]
[[Category:Nintendo Switch games]]
[[Category:Virtual Console games for Nintendo 3DS]]
[[Category:Hamster Corporation games]]