Good Old-Fashioned Arcade Style Fun
Plot 7/10
There's not much plot to talk about. You play as a paperboy who has to survive a week on the job. Simple, but effective. Paperboy was released back when games didn't have to have a complicated story to be good; all they needed was a premise to facilitate the gameplay, and that's exactly what Paperboy does. I also have to give a few extra points for ingenuity, because the idea is so incredibly absurd, but, somehow, it works.
Gameplay 7/10
Again, simplicity is the key. You have to deliver papers to ten houses along two neighborhood blocks. The A and B buttons throw the papers, and you only have to worry about the left side of the street. Each type of house has a specific target area where you must throw the paper to get credit and points. If you have a perfect delivery, that is you hit all of your target houses, you get an extra house added to the roster. If you miss a house it is removed from your subscribers list. You can also rack up extra points by hitting any and everything in sight and can score huge bonuses by completing an obstacle course at the end of each day. The goal is to complete a full week on the job with at least one house still on your delivery list. However, the whole time you are dodging everything from dogs, skateboarders, and cars to tornadoes, angry old women, and the Grim Reaper himself. The game is fun and frantic, and its whimsical sense of humor adds to the entertainment value of the experience as a whole.
Graphics 7/10
The graphics of the NES version, just like everything else, are lifted directly from the classic arcade title. They are a bit over-simplified, especially considering that this version wasn’t released until 1991, relatively late in the NES's run, but they are vibrant and colorful. The graphics are fun and add to the humor of the game, and the simplicity gives it a nostalgic classic feel that has an appeal all its own.
Sound 6/10
Typical of most NES arcade titles, Paperboy features a wide variety of random blips and beeps. While it gets the job done, the sound effects are, even by the standards of the day, nothing to rave about. The background song (the only one in the game) is a classic and is somewhat catchy, but the sound is, overall, too cliche and random to be anything remarkable.
Multiplayer N/A
The two player mode is the standard turn based model followed by most NES era titles. The first player plays until he or she loses a life, then it's the second player's turn. The game precedes like this until both players either lose all of their lives or beat the game. Nothing special here.
Replay Value 8/10
This game has a considerably high replay value for two key reasons. First of all, it is short and very fun. By default this combination makes for good replayability. Second, it has a certain nostalgia that never seems to diminish. It does get redundant if you replay it often, but Paperboy is a game that I keep coming back to after having not played for a while, and still finding it to be a fun and highly entertaining experience. It is slightly different yet eminently the same every time around. So, this is a great title that will remain fun for years to come.
Overall Rating 7/10
Paperboy is a good old-school arcade title, that stands the test of time very well. While it feels very dated, it has a high fun factor, and a certain charm that never quite dies.
Buy/ Rent/ Ignore?
Buy. A good title and a cheap one too. How can you go wrong?
Bottom Line
Whether for a trip down memory lane or a glimpse into a time that you are too young to remember, Paperboy reminds us all of what made those old arcade games so great and exactly what it was that made many of us into gamers for life. Check it out and enjoy...