Little Nemo: The Dream Master (known as "Pajama Hero Nemo" in Japan) is a Capcom produced 2D platform game, released on the NES in 1990. It's is based on the Japanese anime, Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland, which is based on the comic strip Little Nemo in Slumberland by Winsor McCay. The game's music was composed by Junko Tamiya, credited in the game as "Gonzou".
The game has you controlling a sleeping child named Nemo who is tasked with travelling to nightmare land to rescue Morpheous, the King of slumberland, from the Nightmare King. The game was innovative in that you not only traveled side to side but up and down, complimenting the whimsical level art and music. In your travels with Nemo you meet animals that allow him to use their powers if fed candy.
These powers are necessary for progression because while the game is whimsical the challenge level is not. Little Nemo: The Dream Master exists in the Battletoad family of games of that era that did not care if little kids did not beat it. The game was painted funny, but it wasn't laughing. I had to beat the game because I had no choice. I had purchased it in the dry spell between holidays and knew it was the only game I would be seeing for a long time. But I would not trade anything for the sense of accomplishment I felt at seeing final screen say "The End," and then thank me for playing.
Giant Bomb just debut a new Indie title called PID that so far looks to be a distant relative to Nemo's adventures. Its good to see that some are still carrying the torch for both 2D platformers and adventure titles.
