The Punisher (1990 NES video game)

Last updated

The Punisher
Cover to 1990 Punisher NES game.jpg
NES cover art
Developer(s) Beam Software
Publisher(s) LJN
Director(s) Chuck Dixon
John Romita Sr.
Designer(s) Gregg Barnett
Paul Kidd
Programmer(s) Jamie Rivett
Artist(s) Tony G. Pentland
Composer(s) Gavan Anderson
Tania Smith
Platform(s) NES
Release1990
Genre(s) Rail shooter
Mode(s) Single-player

The Punisher is a 1990 video game developed by Beam Software and released by LJN, which stars the Marvel Comics anti-hero, the Punisher. It is one of the few NES rail shooters. [1]

Contents

Also in 1990, an unrelated The Punisher for Amiga and MS-DOS was released by MicroProse. [2]

Premise

The Punisher's origin has been slightly altered to a former detective, from the original comic books as a US Marine who served in the Vietnam War. [3]

Gameplay

The player controls the Punisher from an over-the-shoulder third-person perspective through various New York City locations, shooting thugs and battling supervillains Hitman, Jigsaw, Colonel Kliegg, Sijo Kanaka, and Assassin as bosses. The final boss is the Kingpin. Power-ups can be obtained by shooting them and include extra ammunition, a med kit, Kevlar, a bazooka, a machine gun, and grenades.

Reception

In 2013, Fred Rojas of Gaminghistory101 said he was quite impressed with the graphical prowess and praised the interesting addition to the traditional light gun format and the brawler element, which is key to completing two of the boss battles, that requires the player to have more than crack shot skills. Conversely he criticized the lack of music: "All of the levels seem eerily quiet and the saxophone player that shows up in the most odd of times and location provides the only break from the action, but his song is neither interesting enough nor is there any incentive to keep him alive." He criticized the boss battle with the Kingpin for being frustratingly difficult but still considered the game to be as it was when it first came out and that it is a gem among Nintendo's initial console. [4]

Videogamechoochoo.com's reviewer Ryan expressed disappointment at the developers' decision to lock the Punisher into the bottom of the screen and let the player slide him around, ending up as "one of the few" rail shooters for NES. He said, "It's easy to see why- attempting to both dodge bullets and position the crosshairs with just the D-pad is an obtuse, miserable experience." [5] He criticized the lack of soundtrack: "There's a title theme, and a menu theme that gets re-used for boss fights, and that's about it. The only sounds that accompany you through the levels are those of gunfire and explosions. Occasionally a bluesy jazz man will spawn and play you a morose 8-bit saxophone tune, but like everything else in the game, you can just blow him to shreds, silencing him for good." He praised the accurate portrayal of the Punisher, the violence he commits, his antagonists, and the graphics. He was surprised at how much simultaneous action was onscreen. [5]

Blair Farrell of Comic Gamers Assemble stated that the game would have benefited from the NES Zapper but that the game's design added depth to the simple shooting mechanics.

Controls are easy enough in The Punisher: Move the d-pad around the screen until it lines up with a target, press "A" to shoot and "B" to lob grenades and other explosives. When not holding down the shoot button, the Punisher character will move left and right across the screen, allowing the player to dodge some incoming enemy fire and projectiles, thus increasing your overall chance of survival. Had Beam just made this a simple light gun game, this mechanic would either be nonexistent, or awkwardly controlled with both the gun AND a controller. By adding in simple movement, it adds depth to what could have been a pretty shallow experience. [6]

Game Boy version

In 1991 the game was converted to the Game Boy, titled The Punisher: The Ultimate Payback, [7] [8] with several differences, including an appearance from Spider-Man. [9] [4]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Duck Hunt</i> 1984 video game

Duck Hunt is a 1984 light gun shooter video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) video game console and the Nintendo Vs. System arcade hardware. The game was first released in April 1984, in Japan for the Family Computer (Famicom) console and in North America as an arcade game. It became a launch game for the NES in North America in October 1985, and was re-released in Europe two years later.

<i>Cabal</i> (video game) 1988 arcade video game

Cabal is a 1988 arcade shooter video game originally developed by TAD Corporation and published in Japan by Taito, in North America by Fabtek and in Europe by Capcom. In the game, the player controls a commando, viewed from behind, trying to destroy various enemy military bases. The game was innovative for the era, but only a mild success in the arcades, and became better known for its various home conversions.

<i>Operation Wolf</i> Arcade video game

Operation Wolf is a light gun shooter arcade game developed by Taito and released in 1987. It was ported to many home systems.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dick Tracy (video game)</span> Video game

Dick Tracy appeared in the following video game tie-ins for the motion picture:

<i>Jackal</i> (video game) 1986 video game

Jackal, also distributed under the title of Top Gunner, is an overhead run and gun video game by Konami released for arcades in 1986. The player must maneuver an armed jeep in order to rescue prisoners of war (POWs) trapped in enemy territory.

<i>Batman: Return of the Joker</i> 1991 video game

Batman: Return of the Joker is a 1991 platform video game, the follow-up to Sunsoft's first Batman game on the Nintendo Entertainment System. Unlike that game, which was based on the 1989 Batman film directed by Tim Burton, Return of the Joker is entirely self-contained and based more on the modern comic book iteration of Batman, but the Batmobile and the Batwing are featured from the 1989 film. A remake of Return of the Joker, titled Batman: Revenge of the Joker, was released on the Sega Genesis by Ringler Studios in 1992. A Super NES version of Revenge of the Joker was completed but never officially released; a ROM image surfaced online in later years.

<i>The Punisher</i> (1993 video game) 1993 arcade game

The Punisher is a 1993 beat 'em up arcade game developed and released by Capcom. It stars the Marvel Comics' antihero the Punisher and co-stars S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Nick Fury as the second player's character as they embark on a mission to kill the crime lord the Kingpin and bring down his organization. While following the same general formula as Capcom's previous beat 'em ups, the game has a range of usable weapons and a comics-style presentation.

<i>Predator</i> (video game) 1987 video game

Predator is a 1987 side-scrolling action game based on the 1987 film Predator, and the first game based on the franchise.

<i>Home Alone</i> (video game) 1991 video game

Home Alone is the title of several tie-in video games based on the film of the same name written by John Hughes. Versions were released for the Nintendo Entertainment System, Game Boy, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Master System, Sega Genesis, Game Gear, Amiga, and MS-DOS platforms.

<i>Jurassic Park 2: The Chaos Continues</i> 1994 video game

Jurassic Park 2: The Chaos Continues is a 1994 video game and a non-canonical continuation of the Jurassic Park series, developed and published by Ocean Software for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). It is a sequel to the SNES game Jurassic Park.

<i>Wild Guns</i> 1994 video game

Wild Guns is a 1994 space Western shooting gallery video game developed by Natsume for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Set in the Wild West with steampunk and sci-fi influences, the story follows Annie and her bounty hunter Clint, seeking revenge for the death of her family. The player controls either Annie or Clint sidestepping and jumping in the foreground while shooting down enemy robots in the background and dodging enemy bullets. These gameplay mechanics combine elements from third-person shooters and light gun games.

<i>Burai Fighter</i> 1990 video game

Burai Fighter is a shoot 'em up video game developed by KID for the Nintendo Entertainment System. The game was released in North America by Taxan in March 1990, Europe by Nintendo and Australia by Mattel in 1990, and Japan by Taito on July 20, 1990. The game was also ported to the Game Boy and retitled as Burai Fighter Deluxe, and was released in Japan on June 27, 1990, in North America in January 1991 and in Europe in 1991; this port eventually wound up on the Game Boy Color as Space Marauder, originally released in Japan as Burai Fighter Color, as the original Game Boy version is not compatible with the later models.

<i>Brave Shot</i> 2003 video game

Brave Shot is a scrolling shooter mobile phone game developed and published by Square Enix on December 10, 2003. It was released on the Verizon Wireless network in North America. In the game, the player shoots down waves of enemy aircraft, intermixed with giant screen-filling boss fights, while dodging enemy fire. The title was Square Enix's first foray into the North American mobile gaming market, and it was followed by a run and gun sequel, Brave Shot 2, in September 2005. Reviewers praised the game's graphics and exciting gameplay, but criticized the simplicity and uneven difficulty. Reviewers took the game as a positive sign of Square Enix's plans in the mobile gaming market.

<i>Fortified Zone</i> 1991 Game Boy Video Game

Fortified Zone, known in Japan as Ikari no Yōsai is a 1991 video game developed and published by Jaleco for the Game Boy. It was first released in Japan on February 26, 1991 and later released in North America in September 1991. It was later added to the Nintendo 3DS's Virtual Console on July 7, 2011, but the Australia region had it added on July 28, 2011.

<i>Contra III: The Alien Wars</i> 1992 video game

Contra III: The Alien Wars is a 1992 run and gun video game developed and published by Konami for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). It is the third home console entry in the Contra series after Contra (1988) and Super C (1990) for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). In PAL regions, it was retitled Super Probotector: Alien Rebels and the player characters were replaced with robots. The player is tasked with fighting off an alien invasion of Earth across six stages. Four stages feature side-scrolling action traditional to the series while two are presented from an overhead perspective. It is the first Contra title to have been directed by Nobuya Nakazato who later directed other games in the series. He designed Contra III to feature more comical elements, a more cinematic soundtrack, and tighter stage design than its predecessors.

<i>Chikyū Kaihō Gun ZAS</i> 1992 video game

Chikyū Kaihō Gun ZAS is a vertical scrolling shooter video game developed and published by T&E Soft for the Nintendo Game Boy exclusively in Japan on December 18, 1992.

<i>Blaster Master</i> (video game) Video game for Nintendo Entertainment System

Blaster Master is a platform and run and gun video game released by Sunsoft for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It is a localized version of a Japanese Famicom game titled Chō Wakusei Senki Metafight, which was released on June 17, 1988. The game was released in North America in November 1988 and in Europe on April 25, 1991. The game is the first in the Blaster Master series, and it spawned two spin-off games as well as two sequels.

<i>The Punisher</i> (1990 computer game) 1990 video game

The Punisher is a 1990 video game developed by Paragon Software and released by MicroProse, which stars the Marvel Comics antihero, the Punisher. An unrelated game for Amiga and Atari ST was released by The Edge also in 1990.

<i>The Punisher: The Ultimate Payback!</i> 1991 video game

The Punisher: The Ultimate Payback!, released in 1991 by Acclaim Entertainment, is the Game Boy version of the 1990 NES game The Punisher. It follows the Marvel Comics vigilante Frank Castle, also known as the Punisher. Updates after the NES version include cameo appearances of Spider-Man and the final boss was switched from Kingpin to Jigsaw.

References

  1. ↑ "The Punisher (NES)". MobyGames . Retrieved July 23, 2015.
  2. ↑ "The Punisher". MobyGames . Retrieved July 23, 2015.
  3. ↑ "The Punisher". GameFAQs . Retrieved August 22, 2016.
  4. 1 2 Rojas, Fred (April 14, 2013). "Review: The Punisher (NES)". Gaming History 101. Retrieved August 21, 2016.
  5. 1 2 Ryan (January 31, 2016). "Land of the Licensed: The Punisher (NES)". videogamechoochoo.com. Retrieved August 21, 2016.
  6. ↑ Farrell, Blair (July 11, 2014). "REVIEW: THE PUNISHER (NES)". comicgamersassemble.com. Retrieved August 21, 2016.
  7. ↑ "The Punisher [1991]". IGN . Retrieved July 23, 2015.
  8. ↑ "The Punisher: The Ultimate Payback! (Game Boy)". MobyGames . Retrieved July 23, 2015.
  9. ↑ "The Punisher: The Ultimate Payback! (Game Boy) review". MobyGames . Retrieved July 23, 2015.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.