Demolition Man (video game)
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Paul O'Connor
Jeffrey Brown
Edward Chu
Colin Lewis
Michael Poole
Sega versions
Todd Johnson
Earl Stratton
Eric Yiskis
| Demolition Man | |
|---|---|
 North American SNES cover artwork featuring Sylvester Stallone as Sergeant John Spartan and Wesley Snipes as Simon Phoenix | |
| Developer | Alexandria |
| Publisher | Acclaim Entertainment |
| Designers | Doug Modie Paul O'Connor Jeffrey Brown |
| Programmers | SNES version Edward Chu Colin Lewis Michael Poole Sega versions Todd Johnson Earl Stratton Eric Yiskis |
| Composer | Nathan Grigg |
| Platforms | Genesis, SNES, Sega CD |
| Release | Genesis SNES Sega CD
|
| Genres | Action Platform |
| Mode | Single-player |
Demolition Man is a pair of action video games based on the film of the same name. Acclaim Entertainment published the 16-bit version, which features run and gun gameplay, for the Super NES, Sega Genesis, and Sega CD. Virgin Interactive released a completely different game for the 3DO that combined several distinct gameplay styles. In both games, the player controls John Spartan, the main character from the film, as he attempts to find and defeat his nemesis, Simon Phoenix.
Reception
The 16-bit game is primarily a platform game, with two overhead top-down shooter segments; in either gameplay type the player character can fire in eight directions. Stages are filled with many enemies, mostly gunmen. Enemy characters and the player character can take a number of hits before dying. Power ups can be found around the stages that increase the character's health or ammunition. The game gives the player limited continues and very few lives. The first stage is set in 1996 and all stages after in 2032, following a simplified plot of the movie. In the two overhead view stages the player must find and rescue hostages in order to unlock doors elsewhere in the level.
Weapons include the basic police-issue handgun, a more powerful magnum, a shotgun which fires in a wide spread, and various types of hand grenades. Even though he is the final boss of the game, the player has to fight Simon Phoenix in short-lived "teaser" battles before defeating him for good at the cryo-prison.
The SNES version included cheat codes that are accessed by pausing the game with the start button, and then followed by a sequence of button presses to acquire a particular power up, or skip to the next level.
The Sega CD version was the last release for the console in North America.
Reviewing the Genesis version, Scary Larry of GamePro found some problems with the game, in particular the generally "dreary, dark" graphics, but found it overall effective in every respect. He described it as "the kind of game that brings a smile to the faces of 16-bit vets who appreciate a good solid platform/action game."[2] Captain Squideo reviewed the Super NES version for GamePro, and commented that it "parallels the recent Genesis game: it's fast, fun, and explosive." He remarked that though veteran gamers may find the game too simplistic, it is intense and fun overall, and that unlike the Genesis version the graphics are colorful and effectively convey the postapocalyptic settings.[3]
Entertainment Weekly gave the game an A.[4]
Next Generation reviewed the Genesis version of the game, awarding it three stars out of five, and stated that "Ultimately Demolition Man is another Acclaim movie game, and if you own one, there's no need for any of the others."[5]