《敲冰塊》(Ice Climber)是由任天堂開發並於1985年在Famicom和NES平台上推出的動作平台遊戲，也是當年任天堂在家用主機上早期的重要作品之一。以其簡單直接卻具有挑戰性的玩法，加上獨特的冰山主題與雙主角設計，在當年與後續的遊戲歷史中都佔有一席之地。

故事設定相當簡單帶點童趣。主角是兩位可愛的愛斯基摩人─男孩Popo和女孩Nana，他們分別穿著藍色和粉紅色的毛皮衣。某天，邪惡的大禿鷹「Condor」偷走他們辛苦收集的蔬菜，並將它們藏匿在高高的冰山頂上。為取回失竊的食物，Popo和Nana決定攀登32座冰山，每座冰山頂端都有一隻大禿鷹等待他們挑戰。

操作方面，玩法十分單純，卻也不失技巧性。需要操控Popo（單人模式）或與朋友一同操作Popo與Nana（雙人模式），目標是一路向上，打破頭頂的冰磚，躲避敵人，最終抵達冰山頂部並試圖抓住飛行中的Condor。角色能左右移動與跳躍，並持著木槌（mallet）攻擊敵人或敲碎頭上的冰磚來打通上方的道路。跳躍是最具挑戰性的部分，角色的跳躍控制略顯生硬，無法在空中調整方向，這種設計在當時屬於較高難度的手感，要求玩家精準判斷起跳時機與位置。

關卡設計方面，包含32個冰山關卡，每一座冰山由多層冰磚平台組成。這些冰磚有些會固定不動，有些則為雲朵狀移動平台，還有些是脆弱的碎冰，只能站立一次便會破裂。敵人種類雖然不多，主要有企鵝狀的Topi、跳躍的Polar Bear與阻擋玩家的封路者Nitpicker等，但各有不同移動與攻擊方式，為關卡增加變化。若遲遲不上移，會有Polar Bear出現，強制將畫面往上推，逼迫玩家快步前進。每座冰山頂端則有Bonus Stage，需快速跳上移動雲朵平台，盡可能收集掉落的蔬菜並抓住Condor，獲得額外分數。由於角色跳躍手感較為僵硬，必須不斷嘗試、練習節奏，才能順利掌握關卡節奏。

當年在市場上的表現，整體評價屬於正面，尤其在日本與北美市場都取得不錯銷量，並成為Famicom與NES初期廣受歡迎的合作型平台遊戲之一。許多玩家讚賞其雙人合作模式，即便合作時兩人也容易因跳躍與平台錯開而互相影響，常常鬧出趣味十足的場面。遊戲的音效與簡單明快的配樂也十分具有記憶點，特別是敲冰與Bonus Stage音樂，成為許多玩家心中的經典旋律。

不過，隨著後續平台遊戲發展，操作手感和關卡節奏逐漸被認為偏向「過時」，尤其角色跳躍手感不夠靈活，容易造成挫折感，成為後世評論中較為一致的批評點。即便如此，這款遊戲因其歷史地位與任天堂經典角色的身份，仍多次被重製或收錄在歷代任天堂復刻合集之中。Popo與Nana也因此成為任天堂家族一員，後來更以「冰山攀登者（Ice Climbers）」身份參戰於《任天堂明星大亂鬥》系列，讓這對冰原小英雄再次活躍於新世代玩家的眼前。

總體而言，這是操作簡單但需要技巧與耐心的橫向+縱向平台遊戲。具備童趣風格、雙人合作與32座主題冰山的關卡變化，即使今天來看，仍有其歷史價值與獨特魅力。對喜歡體驗早期經典FC/NES遊戲歷史的玩家來說，無疑是值得一試的復古代表。

Ice Climber is an action-platformer game developed by Nintendo and released in 1985 for the Famicom and NES platforms. It was one of Nintendo’s early and important titles on home consoles. With its simple yet challenging gameplay, unique icy mountain setting, and dual-character design, the game earned a notable place both at the time of its release and in the history of gaming.

The story is quite straightforward with a lighthearted, whimsical tone. The protagonists are two adorable Eskimo characters — a boy named Popo and a girl named Nana, dressed in blue and pink fur-lined parkas respectively. One day, an evil giant condor named Condor steals the vegetables they had worked so hard to collect and hides them at the tops of towering icy mountains. To retrieve their stolen food, Popo and Nana set out to climb 32 different icy mountains, each guarded by a Condor waiting at the summit.

In terms of gameplay, Ice Climber is simple yet still demands precision and skill. Players control Popo in single-player mode or both Popo and Nana in two-player mode, aiming to climb upwards, break the ice blocks above their heads, dodge enemies, and ultimately reach the mountaintop to grab the flying Condor. The characters can move left and right, jump, and wield a wooden mallet to attack enemies or smash the ice blocks overhead to clear a path upwards. The most challenging aspect is the jumping mechanic — the character’s jumps feel stiff, and players cannot adjust direction mid-air. This design was considered quite demanding for its time, requiring players to carefully time and position their jumps with precision.

The game features 32 mountain stages, each made up of multiple layers of ice platforms. Some of these ice blocks remain still, while others take the form of cloud-like moving platforms, and some are fragile ice that break after being stepped on once. While the variety of enemies is limited, each behaves differently — from the penguin-like Topi, to the leaping Polar Bear, to the swooping Nitpicker birds that block the players’ paths. If players take too long to climb, a Polar Bear appears, forcing the screen to scroll upward and pushing the players to move faster. At the peak of each mountain is a bonus stage, where players must quickly jump onto moving cloud platforms, collect as many dropped vegetables as possible, and attempt to grab the Condor for extra points. Due to the stiff jump controls, players often need to practice repeatedly to get the rhythm right and master each stage’s pace.

At the time of its release, Ice Climber received generally positive reviews, particularly in Japan and North America, achieving good sales and becoming one of the most popular cooperative platformers in the early Famicom and NES era. Many players appreciated its two-player cooperative mode, even though playing together often led to humorous chaos, as the characters could easily interfere with each other’s jumps and platforming. The game’s sound effects and bright, simple music tracks were also highly memorable — especially the ice-breaking and bonus stage music, which became nostalgic tunes for many fans.

However, as platformers evolved, the game’s controls and stage pacing gradually came to be seen as somewhat outdated. In particular, the stiff jumping mechanics and lack of mid-air control could easily lead to frustration, a criticism that remains consistent in retrospective reviews. Despite this, Ice Climber has maintained its value as a historical title and classic Nintendo property. The game has been remade and re-released in various Nintendo collections over the years. Popo and Nana have also become part of the extended Nintendo family, later reappearing as the Ice Climbers in the Super Smash Bros. series, reintroducing these icy little heroes to a new generation of players.

In summary, Ice Climber is a horizontally and vertically scrolling platformer that, while simple in controls, requires skill and patience. Its playful visual style, cooperative two-player mode, and 32 themed icy mountain stages still give it historical value and distinctive charm, even today. For players interested in experiencing the early history of classic Famicom/NES games, Ice Climber is undeniably a retro title worth trying.