8 Eyes

8 Eye's (エイト・アイズ), referred to as 8 Eyes on the North American packaging, is an action platformer developed by Thinking Rabbit for the NES. It features a large, diverse soundtrack, composed by Kenzou Kumei, often quoting from the operatic repertoire, consisting of three pieces for each of the eight levels, each set in a different part of the world.

The game consists of eight levels, each set in the castle of one of the dukes. Upon completing each level, Orin receives a new sword. The player can choose to play each of the first seven castles in any order, though the boss at the end of each is vulnerable to only one sword. It is therefore easier to play levels in a particular order. There are hints about the correct order hidden throughout the game. Only after each has been completed can the House of Ruth be played. After the House of Ruth has been cleared and the 8 Eyes recovered, the player must return the jewels to the Altar of Peace. At this point the jewels must be placed in a particular order, or the game is lost. Hints about the order of the jewels are also hidden throughout the game.

This game is frequently compared to Castlevania, due to similarities in the graphics (blocks, platforms, and staircases), as well as a few gameplay elements (special weapons, items hidden in blocks). Additional comparisons are made to Mega Man's ability to play the initial stages in any order, and the fact that each boss is weak to one other boss' weapon. However, there are several features in this game to allow it to stand on its own, such as Cutrus, your bird partner. 8 Eye's features a cooperative mode in which one player controls Orin and the other player controls Cutrus. In the single-player mode, the player has limited control of both characters simultaneously, making the game significantly more difficult.

Story
After hundreds of years of chaos, mankind has finally emerged from the ruins of nuclear war. This world of the distant future has once again flourished under the guidance of the Great King, who harnessed the power of the 8 Eyes to rebuild the planet.

These strange jewels of power were formed at the eyes, or centers, of the eight nuclear explosions which nearly destroyed the Earth. In the wrong hands, the 8 Eyes could cause untold destruction... and now, they have been seized by the Great King's eight Dukes, in a desperate bid to gain control of the world for themselves. They have banished the King to the nuclear wastelands, and already their squabbling threatens to plunge the world into war once again!

The task of retrieving the 8 Eyes falls to you, Orin the Falconer, the bravest and mightiest of the King's Guardsmen. With your fighting falcon, Cutrus, you must penetrate each of the eight Dukes' castles. There you will face the Dukes' soldiers, and battle strange nuclear mutants such as living skeletons, giant wasps, and mud men. You must defeat the monstrous Boss of each castle to retrieve the Jewel of Power he guards.

Then, to complete your quest, return the 8 Eyes to the Altar of Peace to await the return of the Great King, so that he may finish the rebuilding of Earth. Your reward will be the eternal gratitude of all mankind!