In the early decades of video game, film hits would usually be the subject of game adaptations and The Goonies (1985) is no exception. In a rather peculiar way, the title was not localised on the NES in the United States, which seemed to be the core target of the adaptation. Indeed, the game also follows the formula of Spelunker (1983), but in a more flexible way, so that the gameplay experience is greatly improved.
The player controls Mikey and follows a storyline that differs somewhat from the eponymous film. The goal is to free the various Goonies, captured by the Fratelli, while progressing through the various cavernous bowels in order to reach Willy's boat. Not unlike Spelunker, the objective is once again to find a finite number of keys – hidden behind doors the player must bomb – to move on to the next level, while avoiding or eliminating the various enemies. The game can be quite difficult, at first glance, as the player is assailed by various projectiles. The levels are filled with stalactites, deadly water drops or other burning vapours, which will cause substantial damage. It is however possible to be completely immune to them, by picking up items that are revealed by a unique input in each level (a button on the D-Pad, the B button or a more complex combination): these items greatly reduce the difficulty of the game and it is highly recommended to search for them, especially since the first inputs are easy enough to discover without even thinking about it, provided the player explores the various environments. Coincidentally, this approach is quite similar to Mighty Bomb Jack (1986) which seems to point to diachronic continuities in the platformer's history.
Unlike Tecmo's title, however, The Goonies remains rather simplistic, lacking in courage in its game design, despite a pleasant and not overly rigid gameplay. The repetition of assets on large horizontal levels even fails to emulate the sense of exploration that Spelunker somewhat provided and the title is quite short compared to Mighty Bomb Jack. Yet, the foundations of the game were solid enough to offer something more interesting: this explains the new approach of its sequel, The Goonies II (1987), which opts for a less linear approach. Nonetheless, The Goonies is far from being a bad experience, but it is hardly remarkable.
The player controls Mikey and follows a storyline that differs somewhat from the eponymous film. The goal is to free the various Goonies, captured by the Fratelli, while progressing through the various cavernous bowels in order to reach Willy's boat. Not unlike Spelunker, the objective is once again to find a finite number of keys – hidden behind doors the player must bomb – to move on to the next level, while avoiding or eliminating the various enemies. The game can be quite difficult, at first glance, as the player is assailed by various projectiles. The levels are filled with stalactites, deadly water drops or other burning vapours, which will cause substantial damage. It is however possible to be completely immune to them, by picking up items that are revealed by a unique input in each level (a button on the D-Pad, the B button or a more complex combination): these items greatly reduce the difficulty of the game and it is highly recommended to search for them, especially since the first inputs are easy enough to discover without even thinking about it, provided the player explores the various environments. Coincidentally, this approach is quite similar to Mighty Bomb Jack (1986) which seems to point to diachronic continuities in the platformer's history.
Unlike Tecmo's title, however, The Goonies remains rather simplistic, lacking in courage in its game design, despite a pleasant and not overly rigid gameplay. The repetition of assets on large horizontal levels even fails to emulate the sense of exploration that Spelunker somewhat provided and the title is quite short compared to Mighty Bomb Jack. Yet, the foundations of the game were solid enough to offer something more interesting: this explains the new approach of its sequel, The Goonies II (1987), which opts for a less linear approach. Nonetheless, The Goonies is far from being a bad experience, but it is hardly remarkable.