RETRO REBOOT | Mendel Palace (NES)

At the time of this writing, Beast of Reincarnation is in development. While I do like Pokemon (granted, more a fan of the anime and manga than the game series. Not for any dislike, it's just a lot of game to keep up with), I'm really excited to see a new title from Game Freak. They're a very creative staff, and I look forward to seeing them flex their ingenuity with what seems to be a very innovative IP. Between that, and the recent additions to the NES library on the Nintendo Switch Online, I felt compelled to revisit Game Freak's first work, Mendel Palace.

I remember the first time I played Mendel Palace. It's the very early 90's, my younger brother and I spent the night at our cousin's house. His parents got him practically everything he asked for, so he had an NES (like any privileged child during that time). Our NES collection was very modest, but we rented games often for the weekends. This one had not crossed my eyes, so I was fascinated.

Not too often I stay up late just to beat a game, but that happened with Mendel Palace. For something I had never heard of, it was quite a charming puzzle adventure game with a very addictive gameplay design. Topped off with some very catchy music, we crushed it around 1am. For the time, the longest "past your bedtime" gaming I recall doing.

The plot is simple and cute; Carton, the protagonist sees his girlfriend Jenny get kidnapped by Carton's jealous younger sister Quinty. Battle through various worlds and defeat a unique set of enemies with varying parameters and rescue Jenny. If you defeat the game with two players, the second player (who may be a clone of Carton or something) will console Quinty, and they hook up. I genuinely think that's adorable.

Some traits from Mendel Palace served as base inspiration for Satoshi Tajiri's design for Pokemon. Ideas like enemy variables, counterattacks, strengths and weaknesses play a great deal in the combat in Mendel Palace. In each stage, you clear the map of baddies by pushing them against the level walls by flipping floor tiles. The variety of opponents begin to get quite tricky; heavier enemies can push back far more aggressively, some can't be attacked head on, and some will create chalk drawings that manifest into enemies to obstruct your progress. It's quite a smart game that places an incentive in not overpowering your opponents, relying instead on brains to circumvent hazards. The physics feel quite solid and the controls are stimulating, even though it's very simplistic. It makes the best without having to over-gimmick itself.

The North American Box art is ridiculous, but Mendel Palace's visuals are pretty good. Some maps can have a bit of a trippy effect, though each world has its own identity. The eight worlds Carton travels to put me in the mind of a primordial incarnation of gym leaders; each domain has its own gimmick with enemies that will give you an idea of the boss battles you will encounter.

A lot of ingenuity is implemented on worlds that are only 7x5 grids. The effects that each world has on your ability to flip tiles and adequately defeat foes gives Mendel Palace a great sense of spatial awareness. Information is clear, and in single player there's hardly any screen tearing, flickering, and lagging, even though a good deal of action can be going on at once. Playing co-op, it can under-perform, but there's still a good deal of clarity.

I also find Mendel Palace to be one of the coziest video games on the NES. There is a respectable challenge, but nothing that overwhelms you the way Battletoads would, or how Ninja Gaiden constantly keeps you in high gear with seldom a breather. The bosses can be fairly daunting, but there's a great satisfaction in besting their special skill. Perhaps one of the downsides, it doesn't have a save feature. And with 100 levels, you're in it for the long haul. There's a reason it took us all night to complete it.

I can't recommend trying Mendel Palace out. Yeah, it's a slog to sit through it in its entirety. But I find it to be one of the more addictive and underrated games in the NES library. The controls are responsive, it has a fun difficulty that won't wear your psyche down or reflexes down, and it's a treat to play with two people. It also serves as a great piece of history that showcases Game Freak's knack for game design and attention to detail.