The Addams Family (video game)
A 1992 platformer based on the 1991 film.
In 1992, Ocean Software developed and published *The Addams Family*, an action-adventure platform game tied to the 1991 movie of the same name. It launched on systems including the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, the Amiga, and the Game Boy. Players control Gomez Addams as he sets out to free his kidnapped relatives from Abigail Craven, who is working with The Judge and the family lawyer, Tully Alford, to steal the Addams fortune.
The game is non-linear, letting players explore the mansion’s indoor and outdoor areas—some hidden—in any order. Enemies include bosses, each holding a family member hostage, so defeating them is required. Power-ups, extra lives, and money can be collected throughout.
Ocean, a major force in film-based video games during the late 1980s, started work on the tie-in in April 1991, before the film moved from 20th Century Fox to Paramount Pictures. Initially planned as a puzzle game for computers, Paramount requested a version for the SNES, leading all releases—including computer versions—to become platformers sharing the same story, setting, and goal. Critics praised the graphics, sound, and music, though many saw it as a typical platformer of its era.
In the story, Abigail Craven brainwashes the amnesiac Uncle Fester into helping her, while The Judge and Tully Alford take control of the mansion. Morticia, Pugsley, Wednesday, and Granny are kidnapped when they visit to discuss the property. Gomez arrives home to find them missing and must run, jump, and squat through a mansion filled with ghosts, mutants, monsters, bats, rabbits, and hazards like stars, swinging clock pendulums, and lakes of fire.
Puzzle-solving is key to freeing each family member. Wednesday is trapped in an icy area, and the player must figure out how to release her. Granny is locked in a stove that can be turned off with a hidden switch. In the Amstrad CPC version, many doors require keys found around the mansion. Most versions require activating underground chambers to save Morticia; Lurch plays a tune in the Music Room that triggers this, but only after Wednesday, Pugsley, Granny, and Uncle Fester are rescued and meet there. In the NES version, Gomez must collect $1,000,000 to free Morticia. The Judge is the final boss.
Quick Facts
- Title
- The Addams Family
- Developer
- Ocean SoftwareGame Gear and Master System versions developed by Arc Developments.
- Publisher
- Ocean Software / Genesis/Mega Drive / Acclaim EntertainmentReleased under the Flying Edge brand.
- Designer
- Warren Lancashire
- Programmer
- James Higgins
- Artist
- Warren Lancashire · Simon Butler
- Composer
- Jonathan Dunn
- Platforms
- NES, Game Boy, Super NES, ZX Spectrum, Amiga, Atari ST, Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, Genesis/Mega Drive, Game Gear, Master System
- Genre
- Action-adventure, platform
- Modes
- Single-player
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The game was developed by Ocean Software, a leader in video game film adaptations in the late 1980s. Development began in April 1991, before the film switched studios from 20th Century Fox to Paramount Pictures. Originally planned as a puzzle game for computers, Paramount requested a SNES version, leading Ocean to make all versions platformers with the same storyline, setting, and objective. The team included James Higgins as coder, Warren Lancashire for design and graphics, Simon Butler for additional graphics, and Jonathan Dunn for music. Ocean only had the film script to work with, basing the game on the last 20 minutes of the film. Enemies included flying teacups and tricycle-riding frogs, created from Butler's surreal sense.
Reader's Guide
The Addams Family is a side-scrolling action-adventure platform game with non-linear exploration of the mansion's indoor and outdoor areas. Gomez can run, jump, and squat, defeating enemies by stomping on them, similar to Mario games. Power-ups include a sword, golf club, fezi-copter hat, and speed shoes. Puzzle-solving is required to rescue family members, such as freeing Wednesday from an ice area or Granny from a stove. The game was critically well-received for its graphics, sound, and music, but widely considered a derivative platformer of its time. It was similar to open-ended titles like The Legend of Zelda and Metroid, allowing players to navigate areas in any order. The game's business plan was unusual, releasing a month after the film, a strategy shared only with Hook at the time.
Did You Know?
- The game was originally planned as a puzzle game for computers before Paramount requested a SNES version.
- Enemies include flying teacups and tricycle-riding frogs, created from Simon Butler's surreal sense.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Addams Family (video game)?
It is a 1992 action-adventure platformer created and released by Ocean Software, adapted from the 1991 live-action film.
Who do you play as in The Addams Family (video game)?
You control Gomez Addams as he works to rescue his kidnapped relatives from the scheming Abigail Craven.
What is the story of The Addams Family (video game)?
Abigail Craven conspires with The Judge and the family's lawyer, Tully Alford, to abduct the Addams family members and seize their fortune. Gomez must track down and free each kidnapped relative to stop the plot.
What platforms was The Addams Family (video game) released on?
The 1992 title appeared on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Amiga, Game Boy, Amstrad CPC, and the original NES.
What makes The Addams Family (video game) different from typical platformers?
Rather than forcing a fixed route, the game lets players roam the mansion's indoor and outdoor zones—including secret hidden areas—in whatever order they prefer.
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