Developed by Rare and published by Nintendo in 1988, Anticipation stands as one of the earliest examples of a digital board game on a home console. The core loop involves players navigating a grid-based board—ranging from a simple square to a complex honeycomb—and competing to identify connect-the-dots puzzles as they are drawn in real-time. It is a precursor to the party game genre, emphasizing quick reflexes and pattern recognition over traditional platforming. Players choose from whimsical tokens like a pair of shoes or an ice cream cone, racing to collect "puzzle pieces" from four distinct categories to ascend to higher, more difficult board levels.
The gameplay is surprisingly tense for a puzzle title, primarily due to the rhythmic timer and the competitive buzzing-in mechanic that rewards those who can visualize the finished image first. Supporting up to four players, it was one of the few titles to utilize the NES Four Score accessory, making it a standout social experience for the 8-bit era. However, the difficulty spikes significantly in the later levels, where the drawings become abstract and the computer AI becomes ruthlessly efficient at guessing images before they even resemble their subjects. The inclusion of diverse categories like "Tools" and "Clothing" keeps the trivia element focused, though the limited d-pad text entry system can lead to frustration during high-pressure moments.
While it lacks the visual flair of Rare’s later masterpieces, Anticipation remains a charming relic of the company’s formative years as a primary Nintendo developer. David Wise’s soundtrack provides a bouncy accompaniment that keeps the energy high, even when the "whistling" sound effects of the drawing tool begin to grate on the nerves. It is ultimately an innovative attempt to translate a tabletop Pictionary-style experience to the screen, yet it is hampered by the technical constraints of its era. For collectors and fans of early Rare history, it serves as a fascinating curiosity that paved the way for more refined board game adaptations in the 1990s.
