If you can break though 8 levels of treacherous arctic ice, you'll reach the top of the mountain! But watch out. The Nitpickers, Condors and Polar Bears don't want you up there. And they've got a bag of tricks that will test every ounce of your strength and courage. Are you going to let them stop you? No way! There are 32 mountains to choose from and endless thrills as you fight these arctic creatures alone or with a friend, and ascend to the top of the mountain in Ice Climber!
The goal in Ice Climber is to reach the top of the mountain, which is divided into different levels. Your hammer can be used to break the ice between each layer, allowing you to get to the level above. This sounds easy but there's has a few surprises in store for you.
Most floors can be broken, but some others will be made of indestructible (and slippery) ice blocks. There are also floors that move like conveyor belts and even floating clouds that you will need to use to reach the level above.
Toppies will emerge from the cave entrances on the sides to patrol the area. If he finds a hole in the floor, he will retreat and bring out a block of ice to repair it.
After enough time passes, the Polar Bear will emerge from his lair to push the entire screen down one level. For any players caught at the bottom of the screen, you will lose a life.
You don't have to play the stages in order. On the title menu, you can directly choose which of the 32 mountains you want to climb with the up and down buttons. This is a great way to try and beat your own high scores, or for learning to conquer a specific mountain you've been having trouble with.
You can play with one player as Popo or have a 2nd player join as Nana. It's up to you whether you want to work cooperatively up the mountain or if you are going to play tricks on each other.
At the beginning of every stage, the Condor flies up the mountain with a vegetable in tow. Collect the veggie and latch onto the Condor at the summit for maximum bonus points.
Once you break past the 8th level, you will reach the Bonus Stage area. In this stormy region, you have a limited amount of time to reach the summit and catch the Condor. There are no second chances here — if you fall down, it's off to the next mountain.
Nitpickers will glide through the skies between levels and will swoop down once you get near. Use your hammer or jump attack to send these buzzards packing.
The Topi's ice block isn't the only natural hazard to be found on the mountain. Icicles will begin to form on ceiling blocks or moving clouds and will drop shortly after.
Exiting one side of the screen will return you to the opposite side. This can help give you options for alternate routes on the more difficult high level stages.
ATKSALAZ
Invincibility
Game Genie
OKEIPGVS
Unlimited Lives
Game Genie
AEXKTGLA
Start With 1 Life
Game Genie
IEXKTGLA
Start With 6 Lives
Game Genie
AEXKTGLE
Start With 9 Lives
Game Genie
GPUKOAZX
Super Jump
Game Genie
AAVKEVZZ
Controllable Jump
Game Genie
VNSKXUNN
ZESKULPA
Players Move 2x Faster
Game Genie
SNSKXUNN
LESKULPA
Players Move 3x Faster
Game Genie
ELKITLEY
Monsters Bump Instead of Killing
Game Genie
EXENOASZ
No Nitpickers
Game Genie
EXENOASZ
No Polar Bears
Game Genie
AEXYTENY
No Topi
Game Genie
ALOYLPVZ
No Icicles
Game Genie
AEXGKUZA
Tons of Enemies
Game Genie
Ice Climber
At a glance, Ice Climber has a lot of great features. The enemies might not seem varied, but all three work together perfectly to make your climb up the mountain a real challenge. The Topis will diligently repair the holes you are trying to create in the platform above while the Nitpickers will disrupt the timing of your jumps on clouds or conveyor belts. The Polar Bear of course will keep slamming the stage downward, ensuring you don't dawdle too long. Every mountain stage is structured the same way, but they are each built around different platforming challenges. Add in the cooperative multiplayer and you have a recipe for a really great game.
However, the biggest shortfall with Ice Climber is the jumping mechanics. The awkward trajectories your character may take after leaving the ground, coupled with the questionable collision detection on the platforms above, can lead to a frustrating experience. As a result, much of the game's difficulty doesn't stem from solid level design and enemy placement, but rather just lackluster game controls. You will eventually adapt to Ice Climber's quirks, but it's still disappointing compared to the flawless jumping seen in Super Mario Bros. If you are an experienced player dying for some rare co-op gameplay, give this a shot; otherwise, you may want to pass Ice Climber up.
The goal in Ice Climber is to reach the top of the mountain, which is divided into different levels. Your hammer can be used to break the ice between each layer, allowing you to get to the level above. This sounds easy but there's has a few surprises in store for you.
Toppies will emerge from the cave entrances on the sides to patrol the area. If he finds a hole in the floor, he will retreat and bring out a block of ice to repair it.
After enough time passes, the Polar Bear will emerge from his lair to push the entire screen down one level. For any players caught at the bottom of the screen, you will lose a life.
You can play with one player as Popo or have a 2nd player join as Nana. It's up to you whether you want to work cooperatively up the mountain or if you are going to play tricks on each other.
At the beginning of every stage, the Condor flies up the mountain with a vegetable in tow. Collect the veggie and latch onto the Condor at the summit for maximum bonus points.
Nitpickers will glide through the skies between levels and will swoop down once you get near. Use your hammer or jump attack to send these buzzards packing.
The Topi's ice block isn't the only natural hazard to be found on the mountain. Icicles will begin to form on ceiling blocks or moving clouds and will drop shortly after.
Exiting one side of the screen will return you to the opposite side. This can help give you options for alternate routes on the more difficult high level stages.
