Hook (video game)
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Core Design (Sega CD, Genesis)
Spidersoft (Game Gear)
| Hook | |
|---|---|
 Super NES cover art | |
| Developers | Ukiyotei (SNES) Core Design (Sega CD, Genesis) Spidersoft (Game Gear) |
| Publisher | Sony Imagesoft |
| Director | Jeremy Smith (Game Gear)[1] |
| Producers | Allan Becker Steve Marsden (Game Gear)[1] |
| Composers | Tetsuya Furumoto Katsunori Ujiie (SNES, Genesis, Sega CD) Takafumi Fujisawa (SNES)[2] Matt Furniss (Game Gear)[1] |
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| Release | |
| Genre | Platform |
| Hook | |
|---|---|
| Developer | Irem |
| Publisher | Irem |
| Platform | Arcade |
| Release |
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| Genre | Beat 'em up |
| Hook | |
|---|---|
| Developers | Painting by Numbers (NES, Game Boy) |
| Publisher | |
| Composers | Jonathan Dunn (C64, Game Boy) Matthew Cannon (NES) |
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| Hook | |
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There have been several video games based on the 1991 film Hook. A side-scrolling platform game for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and Game Boy was released in the United States in April 1992. Subsequent side-scrolling platform games were released for the Commodore 64 and the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), and an arcade beat ‘em up by Irem later in 1992, followed by versions for the Sega CD, Sega Genesis, and Sega's handheld Game Gear console in 1993.
A graphic adventure point-and-click game, developed and published by Ocean Software,[6][7][8][9] was released for Amiga,[10] Atari ST,[11] and DOS[6] in 1992.
Arcade version
In each version of the game, the player plays as Peter Pan, who must go through Neverland to rescue his children after they are kidnapped by Captain Hook.[12][13][14][15] Each version of the game is set in Neverland,[12][15] and concludes with a sword fight between Peter Pan and Captain Hook.[16][17][18]
The arcade version is a side-scrolling beat 'em up that supports up to four players. The player chooses to play as either Peter Pan or one of the Lost Boys: Ace, Pockets, Rufio, or Thudbutt.[19][20] The game is played across six stages. It was handled by Irem, who is known for their other arcade games, like Kung Fu Master (known as Spartan-X in Japan) and the R-Type series.
PC version
The version for PC is a graphic adventure point-and-click game. As Peter Pan, the player must solve puzzles and problems to progress through the game.[10] Each large problem cannot be solved without first solving several smaller problems first.[11] Puzzles are solved by talking to characters and finding useful objects.[10] Five icons are featured at the bottom of the screen, each one representing a different action that the player can take: "look at", "talk to", "pick up", "use", and "give". An inventory window, showing all the items the player has accumulated, is also located at the bottom of the screen.[10][11] Also located at the bottom of the screen are two separate images, one depicting Captain Hook while the other shows Peter Pan. The characters' facial expressions change depending on the player's progress.[8][7] Tinker Bell accompanies Peter Pan to provide hints and clues.[10][21] The game has three main sections: Pirate Town, an encounter that Peter Pan has with the Lost Boys, and the confrontation with Hook.[8]
Sega and Super NES versions
These versions are side-scrolling platform games.[12][15] The Sega CD version utilizes the identical gameplay of the Genesis and Super NES versions.[22][16] The Game Gear version has eight levels,[23] while the Genesis, Sega CD, and Super NES versions all have 11 levels.[15][12][16] Each version features various locations that include caves, forests, lagoons, and snowy mountains.[12][15][18] Throughout the game, the player must defend against Hook's pirate henchmen, as well as spiders, snakes, and skeletons.[12] Peter Pan's primary weapon is a dagger. After completing the first level, the player receives the golden sword as a weapon, capable of shooting balls of energy. If the player is attacked, Peter Pan drops the sword and must use the dagger, while the golden sword can sometimes be retrieved in the following level.[22][18]
The player's health meter is measured as leaves. The player begins with two leaves, and loses one each time an enemy attacks. The player can collect additional leaves throughout the game to increase the health meter, for a maximum total of four leaves.[16] Fruits that are scattered throughout each level can be collected to refill the player's health meter.[12][16][15] After collecting pixie dust, Peter Pan has the ability to fly for short periods of time, until the Fly Meter becomes empty. Tinker Bell appears throughout the game to refill the Fly Meter.[12][15][18] The game does not include a password feature.[24]
The film's musical score was adapted for use in the Sega CD version, which also includes digitized graphical sequences from the film, and voice acting.[22][16] Additionally, the Sega CD version includes a computer-generated scan of Captain Hook's ship,[16] which is featured during the game's introduction.[25]
Commodore 64/NES/Game Boy version
This version is a side-scrolling platform action game,[13][26][27] in which Peter Pan can fly and swim.[28][26][27] Enemies include Hook's henchmen,[17] as well as ghosts, zombies, and monkeys that throw bananas at the player.[13][26] A map of each level is provided to the player.[28] The player must collect items in order to proceed to the next level.[26] Instructions are provided to the player before each level, and Tinker Bell appears so she can provide the player with hints. Tinker Bell also has the ability to revive the player if all health is lost.[17][26][27] The game includes a two-player option.[17][29] The NES and Game Boy versions are nearly identical to each other.[30][29] The NES version has 16 levels,[31] while the Game Boy version has 27 levels.[32]
Development and release
The Super Nintendo version was in early development in January 1992.[33] Ocean Software began working on the graphic adventure version in January 1992. For the graphic adventure game, the creative team read the film's script and were required to have the gameplay closely follow the film's story.[7] It was Ocean Software's first graphic adventure game.[34] The NES and Game Boy versions, developed by Painting by Numbers, were the first versions to be released; they were published by Sony Imagesoft,[12] and were released in April 1992.[35][36] The Amiga version had been published in Europe by July 1992.[8][37][38][9]
The Super NES version, developed by Ukiyotei and published by Sony Imagesoft,[12] had been released in the United States by September 1992.[39] Ocean Software developed and published the Commodore 64 version, also released in 1992.[40] By March 1993, Irem had released its arcade version of the game in the United States.[19] The Sega CD and Genesis versions were developed by Core Design, while the Game Gear version was developed by Spidersoft; each version was published by Sony Imagesoft.[12] The Sega CD version includes voice acting, but not from the film's actors, as licensing their voices was deemed too costly.[22][16] In the United States, the Sega CD version was released in March or April 1993,[25][41] while the Genesis and Game Gear versions were released in late 1993. In Europe, the Mega Drive version was released in November 1993.[22] By December 1993, the Amiga version had been re-released in Europe by publisher Hit Squad.[42][43][44][45]
