Paperboy 1 (NES)

About Paperboy 1 (NES)

I’ve always loved the simple brilliance of Paperboy on the NES. You hop on your bike, paper bag in hand, and pedal down block after block of suburban streets. Your mission is straightforward: deliver to subscribers’ houses while avoiding the ever-amusing series of obstacles—think bouncing basketballs, creeping cars, and unruly dogs. Every successful throw into a mailbox earns points, but nailing a living room window will set your delivery count back a notch, so you quickly learn the art of aim and moderation.

Controls are surprisingly intuitive once you get the hang of them. Moving left or right on the D-pad steers your bike, while the A and B buttons let you lob or skim newspapers. There’s a delicate thrill in timing your throws just right; too early and the paper falls short, too late and it sails clean over the porch. Over the course of seven in-game days, you’ll notice the routes look familiar, yet each run feels fresh thanks to random obstacle placement and the ever-ticking clock pushing you toward the next deadline.

It isn’t exactly a forgiving game—mess up too often and you’ll repeat the same route, but that persistence is part of the charm. I still catch myself muttering under my breath when a rogue lawnmower pops up out of nowhere or when I narrowly miss a ring toss over a mailbox. Graphically, it’s a colorful, blocky slice of late ’80s magic, and the catchy jingle that loops through each level somehow keeps you hooked rather than annoyed.

Looking back, Paperboy’s mix of simple controls, escalating challenge, and that sweet spot between skill and luck makes it stand out, even decades later. Whether you’re a nostalgic gamer revisiting it or someone curious about retro titles, it’s a delightful little test of reflexes and patience. And hey, if you ever nail a perfect week of deliveries, there’s a pretty fantastic rush in that victory bell ringing at the end of Saturday’s route.