Wall Street Kid (NES) - NintendoComplete

A playthrough of Sofel's 1990 simulation game for the NES, Wall Street Kid.
Following in the footsteps of Sofel’s previous NES effort, Casino Kid ( • Casino Kid (NES) Playt... ), Wall Street Kid melds elements of the simulation and adventure genres to create an appealingly off-beat hybrid.
(It's not a Final Fantasy VII spin-off.)
Things kick off with a meeting with the Benedict family lawyer. Larry explains that your disgustingly wealthy uncle has recently passed on, and you, "The Wall Street Kid," are the only surviving heir to a $600 billion fortune. Per the will, Kid has to prove himself worthy of the inheritance by establishing a home and a happy marriage as he amasses a fortune on the stock market.
Larry hands over $500,000 as seed money, and over the course of four months Kid must cultivate it enough to afford him the lifestyle expected of a Benedict.
The quest for riches commences April 3, 1990. Each day begins with a read through the latest “Wall Street Times,” Kid’s primary source of information on recent news and the latest stock trends. Using his computer (an Apple Macintosh SE), Kid can buy and sell stocks, check his portfolio, and research the companies being traded. He can also visit Ruth to take out a bank loan, hit up Connie for pun-laden investment tips, or ask Stanley for information on how the stock market works.
And since all work and no play makes The Wall Street Kid a dull man-boy, he has to make sure that he maintains balance in his life. He can achieve this by becoming a doormat to his self-entitled fiancée, maintaining his health through regular exercise, and buying absurdly extravagant things like yachts and castles.
But for all of the distractions the game likes to provide, it is the stock market simulation that lies at the heart of Wall Street Kid. There are four different types of stocks available - speculative, blue chip, cyclical, and growth - and each company has its own quirks and trends that you need to pay attention to.
All twenty available stocks are based on real-life companies. Boeing is represented as “Boing,” for example, and American Express as “American Depress.” These riffs add a lot to the humor in the game, sitting comfortably alongside the groan-inducing puns and word-plays that other characters (Connie, in particular) seem to favor. The colorful personalities and the goofy sense of humor are a huge part of the game's charm and appeal, and they prevent the game from devolving into an over-glorified Lotus-123 session.
For a sim/management game, Wall Street Kid does a nice enough job on the presentation front. The in-game graphics are made up of static drawings with text overlays, though they are cleanly drawn and full of color. The music is extremely repetitive, but it suits the gameplay well and somehow I never found myself getting tired of it.
The game delivers where it counts, though. Since the game lacks any reflex-testing action sequences, everything is controlled via an easy-to-use point-and-click system. The menus are laid out conveniently, the subscreens don't inundate you with tons of useless information, and the flow of the action is simple enough to not overwhelm once you've gotten a feel for how it all works.
I promise that the game is not nearly as daunting as it might first look. It's not a Kou Shibusawa production, after all. A quick skim of the manual and fifteen minutes to acquaint yourself with the menus and to play around should be all that you need to get started here.
Wall Street Kid is one of those games that you really can't take at face value. However unpalatable an 8-bit stock market sim might sound, this cart is worth taking a chance on. If you're anything like me, you'll find yourself hooked before too long.
What a classic!
(This is a brand new playthrough to replace my original SD-quality recording of the game.)
_____________
No cheats were used during the recording of this video.
NintendoComplete (www.nintendocomplete.com/) punches you in the face with in-depth reviews, screenshot archives, and music from classic 8-bit NES games!

[@xymarmaduke]

all the kids were clamoring for a stock game. glad someone made one for them

[@EpicTyphlosionTV]

Lawyer: "Your uncle has passed away" Kid: **Smiles**

[@rulerofall015]

Gotta love and hate that dark humor💀

[@NintendoComplete]

Kid looks like a letch with that smile.

[@NintendoComplete]

That stupid little hair flip also makes him look like he's 34 trying to pass as 20 and failing miserably at it.

[@rulerofall015]

@@NintendoCompleteplus he looks like an middle aged dude who cares about his youth too much. Like hes trying so hard to be young😂

[@Rutawind]

Ya'll stop clowning on the Kid lol

[@NintendoComplete]

Wall Street Kid doesn't make a great first impression, but give it a chance and it'll leave you completely hooked

[@Dorian_Scott]

(😠 Ugh.) *_"Wall Street Kid"_* on the NES. I've been waiting to sh#% on this one for a long time! So, a bit of a funny story. One day in my 11th Grade History class, we were covering the *_"Bear & Bull Market"_* . During that time, my teacher briefly mentioned the *_"Stock Market"_* . I was *super* curious as to what it was at the time, so I did the only logical thing that I could do... Go to my local game store and rent this game ('cause purchasing this game would be $50 you'd want back)! You're probably thinking now... (🤨 _"Did you understand the 'Stock Market?' Did you have fun playing the game? Do you regret wasting your time on it?"_ ) The answers? ( *_"Yes, No, & YOU BET YOUR A@@, I regret it! It's SO boring!"_* ) Believe it or not, this game is a reskin of a Famicom game called, "_*The Money Game II: Kabutochou no Kiseki"_* (ザ・マネーゲームII「兜町の奇跡」, "The Money Game 2: The Miracle of Kabutochou"). It was part of the _"Money Game"_ series of games on the Famicom. Did they suck? Yes, they did. Took *_me_* by surprise when I discovered it after watching the *_"Game Grumps"_* video on this game via a quick Google search. (🤨 *_"Everyday I discover something that I never heard about"_* ) POSITIV- ( *_"Oh, Wait. There ARE no 'POSITIVES!'"_* ) NEGATIVES • *Underwhelming Graphics* (The whole game is just generally unappealing to look at for me. At the time, we've gotten *amazing* looking NES titles. So, to look at *_THIS_* ... This isn't the worst thing that I ever seen, but it does not make it the prettiest game ever.) • *_"You Call THIS Music!?"_* (Grating doesn't even begin to describe the auditory slaughter-fest this game has. Just listen to this stuff!) • *BORING AS HELL GAMEPLAY* (Out of all of the educational games I've ever seen, this game has gotta be the absolute worst. Like in the actual "Stock Market" you essentially buy shares of the companies that are doing well enough for you to gain lots of money. Along the way, you'll meet other bland characters ( Except for *_"Connie"_* to lesser extent) and have to (And I'm Quoting, here) "PAMPER YOUR SWEETHEART"... And get a nice house. Sound boring? Yes. Especially since you're doing all this while listening to some of the worst NES music, ever composed!) Final Rating: 1/10 Do yourself a favor and never, *EVER* play this game. Don't even _look_ it out of curiosity like "Past Me" did. It's not worth your time. Now, If you'll excuse me. I've gotta finish *_"Puyo Puyo Tetris 2"_* (Switch version).

[@tomypower4898]

wall street kid!

[@NintendoComplete]

@@tomypower4898 Woo!

[@kingrepoman]

Sir could add the timeline of things in the description. Like at what time in the gameplay did you buy the mansion? The yacht. The castle. Etc. Thank you.

[@zalden2565]

I used to have a lot of fun playing this. The story is cheesy but the strategy is really engaging. It’s very fulfilling to watch your stocks go up overnight. The interface is terribly dated but the premise and execution is simple enough that it honestly isn’t as tedious as it may seem at first glance. The worst part of the game is using a password, unless you complete it in one sitting.

[@Peter_Morris]

$600 billion?!? I think they must’ve forgotten to convert from yen. In 1989 $600 billion was over 10% of the entire US GDP!

[@braceclement6647]

Ahhh! You underestimate the business savvy of his dear old uncle.

[@nickvanderpool4822]

Prisila has quite the life. Nothing but picnics and presents.

[@black2785]

God bless your soul for beating the whole game in 2020

[@logent80]

😂😂😂😂

[@haggenzlavzka2805]

Ridicula

[@bboycrosel]

😆😆😆

[@SLOWPOKERODRIGUEZ2]

That felt like the longest hour and 17min of my life, but I had to know if he got the castle 🏰

[@NintendoComplete]

Well then, I'm glad I could provide you the money shot you were hoping for! 🤣

[@IDidntWantAHandleYouTube]

My dad had this game and played it a lot when I was kid. I used to watch him with fascination. Guess I was a weird kid because I actually liked the game, though I never played it myself. I’ve always liked unusual video games.

[@infinitygenealpa]

I can relate.

[@ncgroth]

Uncle worth 600 Billion just couldn't figure out how to acquire a 2M castle because it wasn't for sale. Castle is very important, but somehow not as important as making sure nephew knows how to engage in insider trading and buy stock on margin. Still an awesome game as I am watching this 2022.

[@thecowboy2]

"Greed is good."

[@luis1884]

This should be called Jack Nickelson approves of Zach Morris

[@NintendoComplete]

I like it. Jack makes for a good Mr. Balding.

[@Lrr_Of_Omikron]

Wall street kid... yea that's just what kids wanna play.

[@Dorian_Scott]

Think that's odd? Look at *_"SimCity"_* . Despite that game being surprisingly pretty good, I would imagine that the concept of building your own civilization would turn everybody off.

[@NintendoComplete]

@@Dorian_Scott Really? When I was reading about Simcity I was so excited by the idea of a game that let you create whatever you wanted. It was probably the game I looked forward to the most coming up on Christmas of 91.

[@Dorian_Scott]

@@NintendoComplete I just think that most gamers would usually get excited for an upcoming action game. I'm sure *_SOME_* people would get hyped about PC games like *_"SimCity"_* , but that's not nearly as many gamers in comparison to action titles.

[@Lrr_Of_Omikron]

@@NintendoComplete I thought the idea of SimCity sounded cool but my kid brain was to dumb to understand how to play.

[@Dorian_Scott]

Were you bored of creating your own city in *_"SimCity"_* ?

[@hawaiidispenser]

As a teen in 1990, I had heard about how much money one could make in the stock market, so I went out and bought this game to "practice". Definitely helped shape my (very modest) investment life going forward. XD

[@RADIUMGLASS]

This is one of the music scores that I never forgot from a game. It is come to my mind probably every month and every year since 1990.

[@jonathanturbide2232]

Basically it's the Wolf of Wallstreet, minus the cerebral palsy scene. 😂

[@bryanhall2203]

so many memories. Memories of the painstaking process of entering those save game passwords, the atrocious music, and just the repetitive nature of the game. That said, I loved the game. Got it new from Toys R Us when I was about 11 years old. It was on a clearance rack. Guess it wasn't a big seller lol

[@zalden2565]

To be fair, I remember finding a buying Final Fantasy at Toys R Us for $10 in a bargain bin also

[@lightspeedmurphy7546]

I'm guessing this is what those people on Reddit used to learn how to take advantage on dying stocks.

[@EarlyGene]

Gotta love those Bob Kane-esque character designs.

[@sowsidestl2.070]

1990. I was 14…great times and great game!

[@Anthony-xe5db]

If this game was made in 2022 it woud be called "Crypotocurrency Kid" or "Bitcoin Kid". He would be reading CoinMarketCap instead of Wall Street Times.

[@horseplop9]

Thank you. I needed this

[@pepijn23]

30:25 that house is worth one million?! Well, considering the awful state off the housing market these days, I shouldn’t be suprised.

[@SuperJoePardo]

I had this game as a kid!

[@P1983sche]

You got the castle cheap and the BMW! The cheapest option I had for the castle was 3 Mil and the cheapest car was a Ferrari 328.

[@PrestissimoMasterStation]

WALL STREET KID 30TH ANNIVERSARY

[@b.s.c.l2959]

If i played this as a kid it would have changed my life

[@joeycarmona2317]

I did and beat it yet I'm still broke af!!!

[@DavidDDavidsonSA]

I remember reading the LP of this on the LP Archives it was great.

[@milito537]

Hi NintendoComplete!!! Thank you for the new video!!! Have a nice day!!!

[@NintendoComplete]

Thanks, you too!

[@rulerofall015]

Its Like AVGN said, who wanna play a game of the Freaking stock market?

[@borjitasstoi]

take my like sir i thought the same thing

[@lucky43113]

I loved this game

[@brianandries5655]

The Benedict family is a bunch of losers. Saddling this young Chad with the entire Benedict family heritage. The stress!

[@GreatMewtwo]

So when do we get "Wall Street Kid Volume 2: Crypto Kid"?

[@TheRealMrSnickers]

Ideas

[@user-yt9gy4wp7b]

Yay, my favorite game ever! Wouldn't work today though me screening calls, don't know the number I'm not answering 😅

[@victorwaters2394]

I loved this game. I Played it so many times and won I still have it with me but I haven't played it in YEARS....🤣🤣🤣

[@RolandTemplar]

I get my cel to emulate, any tips from a beginner?

[@farenhaid13421]

........man those times must have been boring.

[@RolandTemplar]

@@farenhaid13421 or people was more receptive

[@onceagain569]

Well, I certainly wasn't expecting an economics lesson but this wasn't bad at all :)

[@grumblekin]

STONKS

[@barnabuscollins5038]

Remember my aunt had this game and watching her beat it. I tried to play it but just couldn't get it at the age of 8 hahaha.

[@krystalfan]

this works better as a mini game in like yakuza not a full fleashed game

[@theodorehsu5023]

You got the castle at a steal for 2 million. An earlier play through this game set the castle price at Four Million. I was almost afraid the bidding would get to that level for you. Great game play and congratulations!

[@NintendoComplete]

I was so excited about that when it happened! I don't think I've ever gotten so cheap as I did in this playthrough. Tyvm! :)

[@makanamozo]

I was 10 yrs old playing this game and I was like "wut" .. but then I got the hang of it lol. Now I'm an actual trader!

[@matthewkreps3352]

@1:15:04 I am sorry, but you mean to tell me that the Benedict Castle is the Neuschwanstein Castle‽

[@RADIUMGLASS]

I got this game around March 1990 at Woolworths.

[@TheFoodieCutie]

I wish my parents got me this when I was little, probably would have learned something

[@horseplop9]

Me too

[@FlyingDuckMan360]

The Angry Video Game Nerd brought this game up at the beginning of his review of Tiger Electronic Handheld Games.

[@jasonstagg9238]

they should do a reboot of this game for 2022

[@thecunninlynguist]

Always wanted to try this...seemed like a novel idea.

[@Dorian_Scott]

I honestly think that it could've been a good game, but the terrible music and tiresome gameplay seriously ruin it.

[@NintendoComplete]

It is pretty unique. I liked it a lot.

[@juliancavz8983]

“Art the Artsy Artist”

[@butchrowerakamannyfraker955]

It's all about cryler and pan and and rattler toys

[@GeneralValtiel]

who else was brought here by DSKoopa and his Pink Gorilla Wall Street Kid Collection?

[@dijesoendal8736]

The game starts on April 1st Kid : OK, time to put on some pokerface and start to work 2 days later

[@chums101]

I just retired at 42 thanks to this being my only nes game other than super mario bros

[@SpecOpsComputers]

I played this as a kid and i can remember only getting enough money to buy the yacht.. ONCE lol i sucked at it

[@user1point0]

Is this a game where practical investing skills will work or is it one where RNG goes "fuck your stocks everything in the red boi"? I don't know much about this game other than memes.

[@NintendoComplete]

It's actually pretty fair like that. If you don't make stupid moves, it usually won't screw you too badly.

[@thefifthdoctor6780]

Got it

[@bboycrosel]

Legitness

[@robintst]

0:50 Uhhh... why does Julie have a receding hairline like a clown wig? o_O

[@NintendoComplete]

She must sweat the Carrot Top/Mr. Belding look.

[@fahriakalin5936]

Occupy Wall Street Kid

[@NintendoComplete]

That sounds... intrusive. Eww.

[@tomypower4898]

Yes more Tomy, you were warned! players!

[@TheFoodieCutie]

As a side note… this really is a sign of the times besides the land line phone and Macintosh classic computer. People are actually inside offices… I think the pandemic showed everyone that we don’t actually NEED to be in an office building. The old guard and the brass of most of these companies has to justify the egregious rent they’re spending on the offices amongst other operating costs and forces us millennials on down to drag ourselves through a busy commute (added stress) to sit in an office all day long. I thought about what would happen if we didn’t have to go and I realize a lot of restaurants, stores and other businesses like gyms salons etc would completely go out of business if these large office towers wound up empty. What a dilemma! I still think working remotely is just fine, though.

[@LyonhartZ2]

Was Priscilla a Gold Digger or what?

[@CarbyGuuGuu]

Uploaded a month before rich folks lost their shit over individuals influencing the economy. Good, they deserve it.

[@Religious_man]

The perfect game for the likes of Donald J. Trump (tycoon guy), lmao.

[@briantaylor9285]

FOUND: The most boring NES game ever.

[@jasons9812]

NES had a lot of weird and straight up junk games. All kids wanted to play stocks 🙄

[@haggenzlavzka2805]

Puta porqueria de juego

[@Dorian_Scott]

The *_"Game Grumps"_* brought me here.... also this game sucks horribly.

[@RamblinRoadies]

They modeled this on Trump. Let's go Brandon.

[@IAPD3000]

This game is so BORING!