Put some spin on it: Q*Bert & Gyruss | NES Works 110

A pair of vintage arcade conversions from Konami... err, sorry, I mean "Ultra Games." Haha, don't know how I could have made that mistake!! Q*Bert and Gyruss only have one thing in common: Both arcade machines used control schemes that don't really map well to the NES D-pad. Otherwise, they don't have a lot of overlap—and that includes here on NES. "Ultra" poured its heart into this port of Gyruss, turning a fairly simplistic arcade shooter into a game on par aesthetically with their big 1988 hits. As for Q*Bert... well, it plays fine. But it doesn't have the Konami spit ’n polish you'd expect (for some weird reason) from a game from Ultra. SPEAKING OF MISTAKES: I misremembered Gyruss as having spinner controls in the arcade, when in fact it had a non=centering 8-way joystick. Mandela Effected by my own petard. (The NES controls still don't quite work, though.) Production notes: Video Works is funded via Patreon (http://www.patreon.com/gamespite) — support the show and get access to every episode up to two weeks in advance of its YouTube debut! Plus, exclusive podcasts, eBooks, and more! Why watch when you can read? Check out the massive hardcover print editions of NES Works, Super NES Works, and Virtual Boy works, available now at Limited Run Games (https://limitedrungames.com/collections/books)! SG-1000 Works: Segaiden Vol. I is available NOW, and Metroidvania: The First Decade is due in 2024. NES footage captured from Analogue Nt Mini. Video upscaled to 720 with xRGB Mini Framemeister. Camera work courtesy of Diamond Feit!