History VideoGame / IceClimber

''Ice Climber'' is a vertical scrolling PlatformGame originally released by Creator/{{Nintendo}} in 1985 for the [[UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem Famicom]] in Japan, and was later converted into an arcade title in the "Vs." series (as with many early Famicom/NES titles). It was released in North America a year later as a launch title for the NES.

* AirBorneMook: Pink birds that dive bomb the players.

* DropTheHammer: Nana and Popo's weapons of choice are hammers, which they can use to either bop birds or seals/yetis over the head or smash the ice floor above them to jump up to it.

* InconvenientlyPlacedConveyorBelt: Takes a form of surfaces of diagonal lines.

* StalactiteSpite: To the point clouds are raining them on you. You do get points for breaking them at least.

* SuspiciouslySimilarSong: The main theme is almost similar to that one episode in WesternAnimation/BenandHolly'sLittleKingdom "The Very Important Person" where the elves and fairies tried to perform a band from the VIPs.

* AnIceSuit: The player characters wear sensible arctic clothing, the polar bears wear swim trunks.

Enemies include sun-glasses wearing Polar Bears, Topis ([[ValuesDissonance depicted as seals in Japan and yetis anywhere where seal clubbing isn't considered politically correct]]), the bird-like Nitpickers, falling icicles, and the condor at the top of each mountain.

* {{Bowdlerize}}: In the American and European versions, the Topi enemies are changed from seals to yetis. This change was made to ''Vs. Ice Climber'' in all regions, and eventually to the Famicom Disk System release (which is based on ''Vs. Ice climber'').

* Bowdlerize: In the American and European versions, the Topi enemies are changed from seals to yetis. This change was made to ''Vs. Ice Climber'' in all regions, and eventually to the Famicom Disk System release (based on ''Vs. Ice climber'').

* WrapAround: Horizontally. Don't try to do this in the ''Smash Bros.'' stages!

Other media to reference Ice Climber include the ''VideoGame/{{WarioWare}}'' series (where it is the basis of several micro-games) and later iterations of the ''Franchise/{{Kirby}}'' series (where Kirby's ice power-up gives him a parka exactly the same as Popo's). They also tend to appear in fan-works related to ''Smash'' such as ''WebVideo/ThereWillBeBrawl''.

* DifficultySpike: When you put aside having to get the hang of the stiff jumping mechanics, the first few mountains aren't so bad. However, around mountain 8 or so, they get increasingly puzzle-like with walls blocking off certain areas, and the clouds, conveyor belts and Nitpickers pick up speed.

* CrossCulturalKerfuffle: Presumably why the seals were changed to yetis outside of Japan.

* HitboxDissonance: When players are jumping. In most platformers, you have to be right on top of a platform when you're trying to land on it. In this game, to get to higher levels, you typically have to slightly overlap a higher platform as you're jumping up in order to land on it.

''Ice Climber'' is a vertical scrolling PlatformGame originally released by Creator/{{Nintendo}} in 1984 for the [[UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem Famicom]] in Japan, and was later converted into an arcade title in the "Vs." series (as with many early Famicom/NES titles). It was released in North America a year later as a launch title for the NES.

* BigBad: The Condor that keeps stealing their vegetables.

* EndlessGame: Played with, as the stage layouts don't actually repeat until mountain 32 is cleared.

* NintendoHard: The game has a terrible jumping mechanic which makes missing platforms and falling down fairly easy.

* WrapAround: Horizontally. Don't try to do this in the Smash Bros stages!

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ice_climber_3890.jpg]]

The game would likely be largely forgotten without the [[ColbertBump huge boost of publicity]] generated when Nana and Popo were {{unexpected| character}} inclusions in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' series, starting with the [[VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosMelee second game]]. Uniquely, while the two characters act as a team, generally the player is only able to control one at a time while the AI copies his movements. One can be defeated, but not the other, but a single Ice Climber is at a severe handicap.

The game would likely be largely forgotten without the [[ColbertBump huge boost of publicity]] generated when Nana and Popo were {{unexpected| character}} inclusions in the ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' series, starting with the second game. Uniquely, while the two characters act as a team, generally the player is only able to control one at a time while the AI copies his movements. One can be defeated, but not the other, but a single Ice Climber is at a severe handicap.

* DifficultySpike: When you put aside having to get the hang of the stiff jumping mechanics, the first few mountains aren't so bad. However, around mountain 10 or so, they get increasingly puzzle-like with walls blocking off certain areas, and the Nitpickers pick up speed.

* ShrugOfGod: Are they siblings? Friends? Lovers? WordOfGod is that it's up to the player's mind.

The game would likely be largely forgotten without the huge boost of publicity generated when Nana and Popo were {{unexpected| character}} inclusions in the ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' series, starting with the second game. Uniquely, while the two characters act as a team, generally the player is only able to control one at a time while the AI copies his movements. One can be defeated, but not the other, but a single Ice Climber is at a severe handicap.

Other media to reference Ice Climber include the ''VideoGame/{{WarioWare}}'' series (where it is the basis of several micro-games) and later iterations of the ''Franchise/{{Kirby}}'' series (where Kirby's ice power-up gives him a parka exactly the same as Popo's). They also tend to appear in fan-works related to ''Smash'' such as ''ThereWillBeBrawl''.

Players control characters dressed in stereotypical eskimo gear: player one is the blue-clad Popo, while player two is the pink-clad Nana. The general goal of each level is to [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin climb up several layers of ice to reach the top of a mountain]]. Each player carries a wooden mallet which they use to hit enemies, club openings in the levels, and collect power-ups. [[FundamentallyFunnyFruit Like eggplants]]... Just roll with it.

* FundamentallyFunnyFruit: Eggplants are the first kind of vegetable you can find in the bonus round, and they represent the franchise as its universe's logo in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros''