10 Nes games that sorely lacked a map
Modern games spoil us in a number of ways. Easy accessibility with online downloads. In-game tutorials without the need for physical manuals. The ability to autosave without a second thought needed about losing progress. But one of these modern innovations isn’t all that modern, the inclusion of an in-game or physical map. Even retro games such as Super Metroid utilize a dynamic map and minimap as do some even earlier titles like Legend Of Zelda. Simple side-scrollers obviously don’t have a great need of directional assistance but what about the bigger open-world titles? Did the developers have confidence in the player to navigate these labyrinthian titles blind or did it all come down to saving time and cutting costs? Whatever the reason, many players were left to struggle with being lost and confused in these more complicated titles.
Games that predate the Nes such as Pitfall and Adventure get a pass due to the simplicity of that era and the relatively small map size in most cases. These games also had a general air of intrigue from the often obtuse puzzles presented in these early titles. These ten NES titles on the other hand sorely lacked some much needed visual guidance aside from a few rare partial maps featured in Nintendo Power or a hand drawn one created as the player progressed and possibly shared to a friend in need. Here are ten NES titles in which players were asking where the #%&$! Is the map??
10) Friday the 13th – okay so this one HAD and in-game map, but the gripe here is it usually didn’t make a lick of sense and rarely helped at all! Definitely could have been implemented better.
9) Legacy of the Wizard – This one i have to be honest as I have never gotten too far in it. I very quickly became lost and switched games never to return. With a map at my side I may have not gotten so easily discouraged…
And that will do it for this short list of navigationally deficient NES titles. There are no doubt more and perhaps a number of 16 bit titles that are offenders. What was left out? Let us know in the comments below!

GameTrog Review By
Eringobrad
Eringobrad is a perler artist and game enthusiast. If you enjoy retro games and art inspired by them find him on instagram and facebook.