The following guest post is from Ana at Myemulator.online which focuses on retro games and emulation. If you didn’t know about Christian based video games, then you will enjoy reading about each of these past games. Let me know in the comments which ones you’ve played, or would like to play! Also, which Christian games do you recommend that weren’t on the list. God bless!
Once upon a time, Nintendo consoles and handhelds were home to a thriving scene of video games based in Christianity and the Bible. Plenty of these games offered educational entertainment experiences that were fun to play and great to learn from. The important biblical backdrop to games like Super 3D Noah’s Ark or Exodus differentiates this set of games from many other highly regarded Nintendo classics. Exploring crucial biblical stories with all sorts of different kinds of gameplay, Christian and Bible-inspired Nintendo games are home to some of the most unique and rewarding experiences on early game systems.
5. Super 3D Noah’s Ark
Super 3D Noah’s Ark utilizes the Wolfenstein 3D engine, but with a biblical spin that involves Noah navigating his ark with a slingshot and a whole lot of tranquilizing food that sends unruly animals to sleep. The Ark is fully realized within the game thanks to an impressive concoction of secret rooms, shortcuts, and more for Noah to unearth.
Clearly intended to be enjoyed by young children, Super 3D Noah’s Ark is a very creative interpretation of the first-person shooter genre, entirely reimagined in a way that is both kid-friendly and plenty of fun to play. Super 3D Noah’s Ark does not carry the same educational value as the rest of the games on this list, but it’s still a genuinely fun title to explore and replay.
Watch the full playthrough of the game here.
4. King of Kings: The Early Years
King of Kings: The Early Years is similar to another game on this list, Bible Adventures, in that it offers three separate platforming games covering different Bible stories. With each adventure covering separate stories from the earliest days of Jesus, King of Kings: The Early Years does a strong job of pulling players in. Each game is fun to play and interesting to learn from, earning this title a spot on the list.
In The Wise Men, the player escorts each of the three Biblical Magi to collect their gift for baby Jesus. Levels involve riding a camel who can spit to dispatch enemies. The second game in the collection, Flight to Egypt, players control a donkey escorting Joseph, Mary, and baby Jesus to Egypt in their quest for safety from King Herod.
Finally, Jesus and the Temple places players in the role of Joseph, who is traveling to Jerusalem to find Him. Jesus and the Temple is a nice change of pace from the other two games in King of Kings: The Early Years since it is more of a traditional platformer – no animal riding this time. Ultimately, each of the three games accomplish the important task of communicating the early days of Jesus, and they do so while staying fun the whole way through.
Watch the full playthrough of the game here.
3. Exodus
Exodus is one of the most challenging games on the NES. The game places players in the shoes of Moses as he leads the Israelites to the promised land, but that is no easy task. Moses must clear one hundred levels’ worth of puzzling obstacles and ruthless soldier and magician enemies. Each level is harder than the last, and the final twenty must be completed in one continue, earning Exodus its reputation as one of the most challenging NES games.
Its challenge is welcomed by many gamers who consider themselves up to the task of clearing all one hundred levels. Exodus earns its spot on this list with intriguing gameplay, but also with its immensely challenging levels that will interest plenty of hardcore gamers.
Watch the full playthrough of the game here.
2. Bible Adventures
Bible Adventures is an NES title featuring three Old Testament stories in one cartridge: Noah’s Ark, Baby Moses, and David and Goliath. The game garnered a lot of negativity in its day, but I think it is worth a second look.
Heavily inspired by Super Mario Bros. 2, each game in Bible Adventures involves side-scrolling action. Baby Moses puts you in the shoes of Miriam, sister of Moses, as she seeks to protect her brother from the Pharaoh’s decree that all male Hebrew children be put to death. Miriam saves Moses by carrying him from one level to the next, working hard to avoid Egyptian soldiers and keep her brother safe.
David and Goliath does a wonderful job retelling the classic Bible story as players control David on a quest to find a sling, avoid guards and predators, and take down the looming Goliath with a single strike.
Noah’s Ark, my personal favorite, tasks players with seeking out animals, scooping them up, and carrying them all the way back to the storied Ark. Exploring the colorful levels in search of animals and stacking them as high as you can upon Noah’s head is honestly a very fun time.
Ultimately, Bible Adventures has more to it than critics first acknowledged. It is one of the earliest attempts at a collection of smaller games within a game. It uses this set-up to its advantage to communicate a trio of classic Bible stories to players in an exciting manner modeled after some of the greatest NES platformers.
Watch the full playthrough of the game here.
1. Joshua & the Battle of Jericho
Available on NES and Game Boy, Joshua & the Battle of Jericho boasts a unique blend of Bible quizzes and tile puzzle levels that create an engrossing retro experience. With one hundred levels and one hundred quizzes, Joshua & the Battle of Jericho has an exciting amount of content, especially for a NES-era title, that portrays an important early Bible story in an educational and entertaining light.
With careful blasts from his trumpet, Joshua is able to slowly dispatch enemies and destroy the oppressive Wall of Jericho piece by piece. Various tiles in the game’s many levels represent different obstacles faced by Joshua, but all can be taken care of with well-aimed trumpet blasts. Joshua advances from level to level by collecting as much precious metal as possible within the time limit, while players get to test their knowledge with a short Bible quiz at the end of each level.
It represents everything that is great about early Christian Nintendo games. Often budget-focused redesigns of other games, these games display an undeniable ingenuity and passion that enabled thousands of children across the world to learn about and experience some of the most critical stories of the Bible. Joshua & the Battle of Jericho is the perfect example of such a game. Its creative, puzzling gameplay mixed with a wealth of content and Bible information makes it the perfect title for young Christians to explore.
Watch the full playthrough of the game here.
You can pick up three of these games in the Wisdom Tree Collection on Steam!
It all started at my friend Sophie´s house playing Super Mario Bros. NES was basically my first love. I’m a fan of retro games, especially RPGs and Platforms. This passion got me to create Myemulator.online where I write reviews for all the games I use to play with.
Ana Sz.
