data/claims/ice-climber-history.yamlIce Climber (history and reception)
Game: Ice Climber.
A retrospective catalog of Famicom games dates Ice Climber's Japanese release 30 January 1985, the 30th cartridge in its list. ice-climber-history/release-japan
PDF p. 123, ファミコンソフト完全目録, 1985, row 030 — read on the page image; the text layer drops this row030 1985/01/30 『アイスクライマー』任天堂Our translation030, 1985/01/30, Ice Climber, NintendoChecked by a second AI model, 2026-11-06.The catalog is an unsigned retrospective mook that names no source for its dates; no period or Nintendo source giving the Japanese date has been found. The Famicom booklet prints only "© Nintendo 1984".
Cited by: Ice Climber
Ice Climber came out for the NES in North America in October 1985. ice-climber-history/release-na
PDF p. 6 — the row gives title, licensee, and month, not a dayIce Climber Nintendo October 1985Checked by a second AI model, 2026-11-06.Cited by: Ice Climber
In February 1986 Computer Entertainer counted Ice Climber among the 15 games available for the NES in the markets the system had reached, an Action Series game at $30. ice-climber-history/na-launch-games
Nintendo Updateis accompanied by 15 games in the markets where it is availableComputer Entertainer, Vol. 4, No. 11 (February 1986) · Nintendo UpdateCLU CLU LAND, ICE CLIMBER, KUNG FU, SUPER MARIO BROS., and PINBALL (Action Series at $30)Revised after a check by a second AI model, 2026-11-06: "Available for the NES in the markets the system had reached" for "sold with the NES".Cited by: Ice Climber
In July 1985 Computer Entertainer reported Ice Climber among the action games at Nintendo's Consumer Electronics Show booth. ice-climber-history/ces-1985
p. 10, Games Are Big at Nintendo — the page image (Internet Archive item computer-entertainer-4-4, page image n9) reads "Nintendo showed off its Video Entertainment System in a C.E.S. booth", cut at the left edgeshowed off its Video Entertainment System in aComputer Entertainer, Vol. 4, No. 4 (July 1985) · p. 10, Games Are Big at Nintendowere action contest of various kinds: PINBALL, BALLOONComputer Entertainer, Vol. 4, No. 4 (July 1985) · p. 10, Games Are Big at Nintendo — the page image reads "The balance of the games were action contest of various kinds: PINBALL, BALLOON FLIGHT, ICE CLIMBER, WRECKING CREW, KUNG FU, CLU CLU"ICE CLIMBER, WRECKING CREW, KUNG FU, CLU CLURevised after a check by a second AI model, 2026-11-06: Quotes "showed off its Video Entertainment System in a"; the note gives the page image's "C.E.S. booth".Cited by: Ice Climber
The Vs. System arcade version came out in Japan in February 1985, by Akagi Masumi's list of arcade games. ice-climber-history/arcade-japan
p. 57, 国内編 (Japan), Nintendo — the list gives year and month only. The pinned OCR text has no page breaks: the row is at line 12176, and printed p. 57 (PDF p. 59 of Internet Archive item ArcadeGameList1971-2005) is the scout's reading of the scan85/02アイスクライマー （VS)Our translation85/02 Ice Climber (VS)アーケードTVゲームリスト 国内・海外編 (1971-2005) · introduction, 国内編と海外編、リストの限界日本と海外の市場において出荷された TV ゲームを、国内編と海外編に区分して収録するOur translation(it) records the TV games shipped in the Japanese and overseas markets, divided into a Japan part and an overseas partRevised after a check by a second AI model, 2026-11-06: The note says the pinned OCR has no page breaks and gives the row's line; printed p. 57 is the scout's reading of the scan.Cited by: Ice Climber
In July 1985 the Canadian arcade trade magazine Canadian Coin Box listed Vs. Ice Climber in Nintendo's Vs. Pak library, playable on both the Vs. Dualsystem and the Unisystem, and an ad in the same issue named Ice Climber among the Unisystem's top earners. ice-climber-history/arcade-na
Nintendo Vs. System feature, scan p. 10 — the pinned OCR text has no page breaks (this line is at lines 870-871, the table at 958, the ad at 6583); scan pp. 10 and 65 of Internet Archive item canadian-coin-box-magazine-july-1985 are the scout's readinglibrary to include VS. Ladies Golf, VS. Excitebike, VS. Ice Climber, and the new VS. Hogan’s AlleyCanadian Coin Box Magazine, July 1985 · Nintendo Vs. System feature, table — the table's columns are GAMES, DUALSYSTEM, UNISYSTEM, COMMENTSVS. Ice Climber Yes YesCanadian Coin Box Magazine, July 1985 · scan p. 65, advertisement — the line goes on "Climber, Hogan’s Alley & Duck Hunt."Unisystem top earners: Golf, Excitebike, IceRevised after a check by a second AI model, 2026-11-06: The note gives the Coin Box OCR lines; scan pp. 10 and 65 are the scout's reading.Cited by: Ice Climber
Ice Climber is a climbing game: armed only with a hammer, the player breaks up through 8 floors of ice to the top of a mountain, and there are 32 mountains, played alone or with a friend. ice-climber-history/object
p. 2, Object of the GameIt’s only you and an ice hammer as you make your way to the top of theIce Climber instruction booklet (NES, US) · p. 2, Object of the GameIf you can break through 8 levels of treacherous arctic ice, you'llIce Climber instruction booklet (NES, US) · p. 2, Object of the GameThere are 32 challenging peaks to scale — face them alone or with a friend.アイスクライマー 取扱説明書 (HVC-IC) · PDF p. 6 (p. 4)ポポ と ナナ が 、32 種 類 の 山 を つぎ つき と 征服 していOur translation(a game in which) Popo and Nana conquer 32 kinds of mountain one after anotherアイスクライマー 取扱説明書 (HVC-IC) · PDF p. 6 (p. 4)ハン マー だ け で アタ ッ ク し 、 道 を 切り 開い て 頂上 にOur translationattack with only a hammer, cut open a path, and (climb) to the summitRevised after a check by a second AI model, 2026-11-06: The quote runs through "face them alone or with a friend."Cited by: Ice Climber
One player climbs as Popo, in blue, on controller 1; a second plays Nana, in pink, on controller 2. Two players can cooperate or play against each other, and a player who climbs so far ahead that the other drops off the bottom of the screen costs the other a man. ice-climber-history/players
p. 4, How to PlayThis game can either be played by 1 person with Popo or by 2 people with Popo and Nana.Ice Climber instruction booklet (NES, US) · p. 4, How to Play — under the pictures of Popo and Nana(Controller 1, blue) (Controller 2, pink)Ice Climber instruction booklet (NES, US) · rules, after Tipsthe two players can either cooperate with each other and play together, or they can play against each other — bothering and tricking each other.Ice Climber instruction booklet (NES, US) · rules, after Tipsif the leading player gets so far up that the other player disappears off the bottom of the screen, the lower player is lost.Checked by a second AI model, 2026-11-06.Cited by: Ice Climber
A breaks a hole in the ice of the floor above with the hammer and jumps up through it; B strikes with the hammer in the direction the climber faces, to drive off Topis and Nitpickers. On each floor a climber who walks off one side of the screen comes back on the other. ice-climber-history/controls
p. 3, A Button — the line goes on "the hammer, and climb up onto it by jumping."Used to break a hole through the row of ice blocks on the floor above withIce Climber instruction booklet (NES, US) · p. 3, B Button — the line goes on "tion your character faces and get rid of the toppies and nitpickers"Strike with the hammer in the direc-Ice Climber instruction booklet (NES, US) · Rules and Suggestions, 3On each floor, Popo and Nana can walk off the right edge of the screen onto the left edge and vice-versa.Checked by a second AI model, 2026-11-06.Cited by: Ice Climber
Topis carry ice to fill the holes in the floors, and Nitpickers, birds, fly around the climbers; touching either, or a Topi's ice, costs a man. After a while a Polar Bear comes out and pushes the screen down, and a climber pushed off the bottom is lost. The Japanese booklet calls the bear the White Bear. ice-climber-history/enemies
p. 5, TopiThey bring ice to fill in holes in theIce Climber instruction booklet (NES, US) · p. 5, NitpickerAlways flying around Popo and Nana.Ice Climber instruction booklet (NES, US) · p. 5, NitpickerIf you collide with this bird you lose a man.Ice Climber instruction booklet (NES, US) · rules, You lose a man byColliding with the ice that a Topi brings.Ice Climber instruction booklet (NES, US) · rules, You lose a man byColliding with a Topi.Ice Climber instruction booklet (NES, US) · Rules and Suggestions, 6After a certain period of time, the Polar Bear comes out, jumps up and downIce Climber instruction booklet (NES, US) · Rules and Suggestions, 6pushes the screen down. At this time, any player pushed off the bottom of the screen is lost.アイスクライマー 取扱説明書 (HVC-IC) · PDF p. 7 (p. 5)ホワ イト ベアOur translationWhite Bearアイスクライマー 取扱説明書 (HVC-IC) · PDF p. 4 (p. 2)トッ ピー や ニッ トピ ッ カ ー を 追い 払っ て くだ さい 。Our translationdrive off the Topis and NitpickersRevised after a check by a second AI model, 2026-11-06: Quoted "Always flying around Popo and Nana." and the Polar Bear line through "bottom of the screen is lost."Cited by: Ice Climber
The mountains are numbered 1 to 32, and the player may start on any, the higher numbers being harder. Some floors break and others don't, some move like conveyor belts, and climbers ride moving clouds to reach the floors above. Reaching the 8th floor clears the screen and starts the bonus round. ice-climber-history/mountains
Rules and Suggestions, 1The mountains are numbered from 1 ~ 32. You can attempt toclimb anyIce Climber instruction booklet (NES, US) · Rules and Suggestions, 1mountain,but the larger the number the more difficult the mountain is to climb.Ice Climber instruction booklet (NES, US) · Rules and Suggestions, 3Time carefully and mount the moving clouds to reach the floors above.Ice Climber instruction booklet (NES, US) · Rules and Suggestions, 3 — after "Some floors will break, but others won t:"while others move like a conveyor belt.Ice Climber instruction booklet (NES, US) · Rules and Suggestions, 8The screen is cleared after you arrive at the 8th floor, and you go into the bonus round.Revised after a check by a second AI model, 2026-11-06: The quote runs through "8th floor, and you go into the bonus round."Cited by: Ice Climber
In the bonus round the player collects the vegetable the condor hid at the start, one of 10 kinds, always eggplants in the first bonus round; jumping up to grab the condor at the end scores bonus points, and picking up even one ear of corn adds a man. ice-climber-history/bonus-round
Rules and Suggestions, 8The condor hid a vegetable at the beginning of theIce Climber instruction booklet (NES, US) · Rules and Suggestions, 8There are 10 types of vegetables. The first bonusIce Climber instruction booklet (NES, US) · Rules and Suggestions, 8round always uses eggplants.Ice Climber instruction booklet (NES, US) · Rules and Suggestions, 8 — after "If the player jumps up and grabs onto the condor"at the end, he or she receives bonus points.Ice Climber instruction booklet (NES, US) · rules, after Tips — the line goes on "in the bonus round adds one man; however, note that the screen only shows up to 3 men."Getting even one ear of cornThe mountains are numbered 1 to 32, and the player may start on any, the higher numbers being harder. Some floors break and others don't, some move like conveyor belts, and climbers ride moving clouds to reach the floors above. Reaching the 8th floor clears the screen and starts the bonus round. Manual — the bonus round follows the 8th floorアイスクライマー 取扱説明書 (HVC-IC) · PDF p. 9 (p. 7)野菜 は 10種 類 あり、 最 初 の ボー ナス ステ ー ジ で はOur translationthere are 10 kinds of vegetable, and in the first bonus stageRevised after a check by a second AI model, 2026-11-06: Cites mountains for the bonus round after the 8th floor.Cited by: Ice Climber
Computer Entertainer's April 1986 review called Ice Climber a climbing game that becomes addictive for fans of the genre, with colors and graphics it called "typically very good" and play that varies from mountain to mountain; it rated the graphics and the game play each 3½ out of 4, and Recommended. ice-climber-history/review-computer-entertainer
Value
{
"review": "Computer Entertainer",
"of": 4,
"scores": {
"graphics": 3.5,
"game play": 3.5
}
}p. 11, review of Ice Climber — the ratings, garbled in the OCR, read "(♦♦♦½/♦♦♦½)" on the page image of Internet Archive item computer-entertainer-5-1, page image n10 (https://archive.org/download/computer-entertainer-5-1/page/n10.jpg)This is one of those climbing games that becomes addictive for fans of the genre.Computer Entertainer, Vol. 5, No. 1 (April 1986) · p. 2, The Rating System — the key; the first set of diamonds rates graphics and the second game play4 SYMBOLS = excettenTComputer Entertainer, Vol. 5, No. 1 (April 1986) · p. 11, review of Ice ClimberThe colors and graphics are typically very good and the gameplay is quite varied from mountain to mountain, allowing for hours of challenging play.Computer Entertainer, Vol. 5, No. 1 (April 1986) · p. 11, review of Ice Climber(one player; two-player alternating) RecommendedRevised after a check by a second AI model, 2026-11-06: The ratings note names the page image it was read from (computer-entertainer-5-1, n10).The review is unsigned. Its play note reads "two-player alternating", but the manual has two players climb together, cooperating or competing (ice-climber-history/players), and IGN calls two players at once the game's biggest claim to fame (ice-climber-history/ign-rank).
Cited by: Ice Climber
IGN's Top 100 NES Games list ranks Ice Climber 79th; it calls two players climbing at the same time the game's biggest claim to fame in its day, and says players today know Popo and Nana best from Super Smash Bros. ice-climber-history/ign-rank
79, Ice ClimberIce Climber's biggest claim to fame for its time, however, was the ability for two players to play the game simultaneously.Top 100 NES Games: 19, Castlevania · 79, Ice ClimberMany gamers of today's generation know Popo and Nana best for their recurring role in the Super Smash Bros.Checked by a second AI model, 2026-11-06.The list is undated in the pinned copy, which was captured in October 2017.
Cited by: Ice Climber
Jeremy Dunham of IGN recalled taking Ice Climber for a repackaged Mario Bros. until he played it and found the games different enough, and Ice Climber much better. ice-climber-history/ign-mario-bros
79, Ice Climber, Our Fondest Memories (Jeremy Dunham)I always thought Ice Climber was just another way to repackage Mario Bros.Top 100 NES Games: 19, Castlevania · 79, Ice Climber, Our Fondest Memories (Jeremy Dunham)But in reality, the games were different enough, and Ice Climber so much better to me when I finally played itChecked by a second AI model, 2026-11-06.Cited by: Ice Climber