Developer: Imagineering Publisher: THQ Release: 12/92 Genre: Platformer
Looking back it is odd how Swamp Thing had a spike in popularity. Many writers did astounding work on the Vertigo series but I cannot imagine it was a mainstream hit. Yet Swamp Thing became a movie, a TV show (which I did watch oddly enough) and a cartoon (that I ignored). And as with all cartoons there were licensed video games based around it. And as you have probably guessed, they were all terrible. This late NES game is obscure for a reason, it is awful.
Swamp Thing is based on the short lived cartoon from 1991. When I say short I mean it; there were only five episodes in total. The cartoon starred the titular character in his crusade to stop Anton Arcane and his Un-Men from learning the secret of immortality. Someone thought this would be huge as there was a full toy line to accompany the show. But alas, it did not come to pass. THQ at least pumped out two games, one for the NES and the other on the Gameboy. The handheld title is the better of the two but that is not saying much.
Right away it is apparent that Swamp Thing is using the same engine as Bart vs. the Space Mutants. It uses the same awful control setup, sound effects, and physics. Once again both run and jump use the same button. It is idiotic but with some practice you can at least adjust but it never feels “right”. To the game’s credit the physics are at least better than the Simpsons game so the platforming is tolerable. This is a good thing as that makes up the majority of the game. Swamp Thing is a lumbering beast so he is not the most nimble character and it shows in the stiff controls. These are the least of the game’s problems.
As a character Swamp Thing has limits. You can punch enemies and throw……I don’t know sludge balls. The problem is most enemies in the game are small and out of your reach. You cannot crouch and attack; your attacks fly straight forward. Even if you could they would still not reach. You then either run or jump to avoid most tiny creatures and with the sluggish movement it is a chore. Most titles with constraints like this such as Castlevania design the game around them. You study enemy patterns to time your attacks and jumps to get around them. Therein lies the fun. Here it is immediately obvious that was an afterthought for the designers which is why enemy placement is so sloppy.
Swamp Thing suffers from inconsistent level design. When it is a straight path it is focused and tight. The enemy placement is measured, the pacing is better and you can kind of see what could have been a good game somewhere underneath the flaws. Combat is still annoying and there plenty of cheap hits but it is tolerable. Anytime it tries to open up it becomes a disaster. The larger stages that let you chart your own path suffer from lack of guidance and confusing layout. Half the time it is near impossible to know if you are heading to the exit or not. There are secrets to encourage exploration but the awful jumping controls curb that. There is a heavy emphasis on precision platforming in these segments and sadly the game does not rise to the occasion. I respect the attempt but they fail.
I would not call Swamp Thing difficult so much as it is cheap. The slow controls mean you will suffer damage left and right trying to leap over a simple armadillo. Enemy attack patterns are so erratic you will take damage in the exchange most of the time. They try to cover for this with frequent health items but it only makes a slight difference. Although there are only four levels they are all excruciatingly long. Once you reach the end level bosses they are so easy it feels anticlimactic. I suppose the game’s brevity is a blessing as it means it is over quickly.
In Closing
Swamp Thing like most licensed games from THQ and Acclaim is bad. The game is obscure as it was released late and no one was checking for it anyway. The only redeeming quality is its graphics. But you have to play the game to see them and it is not worth it, especially at the prices Swamp Thing goes for. This review is a warning, not a recommendation.
