Back to the Future Part II & III
A 1990 NES game based on the second and third films.
Back to the Future Part II & III is a 1990 NES game that adapts the second and third movies of the trilogy. Beam Software developed it, and Acclaim Entertainment released it under the LJN brand.
In the Part II segment, Doc takes Marty to 2015 to stop his future son from breaking the law. Old Biff steals the Gray's Sports Almanac, goes back to 1955, and gives it to his younger self. Over the next thirty years, young Biff uses the almanac to win every sports bet, becoming the richest and most powerful person in the world by 1985. To keep the almanac safe, Biff time-travels, collects various items, and locks them behind doors in three different time periods. This wrecks the space-time continuum, leaving Hill Valley in ruins. Marty must travel to those three periods, find the items, and return them to their original places so he can retrieve and destroy the almanac.
In Part III, after Marty returns all items and burns the almanac, he gets a letter from Doc, written in 1885. The letter says Doc is stuck in the past and needs rescue, or the future is in danger. Marty goes back in time using the repaired DeLorean. To rescue Doc and return to 1985, Marty must complete tasks like finding DeLorean parts and avoiding Buford Tannen.
The player controls Marty on the street level, jumping on enemies or throwing projectiles at them. Collecting fuel for the time machine and junk food for extra lives is necessary to progress. Object Rooms are hidden throughout each timeline, containing items that must later be returned elsewhere. Alleyways connect streets within a timeline; some appear in all three timelines, others in only one or two. The DeLorean helps cross large chasms in certain timelines.
To enter Object Rooms, the player must kill specific enemies to get keys. These rooms appear as locked doors in Part II and as caves or buildings in Part III. Inside, a minigame requires collecting a set number of stopwatches in 60 seconds while dodging cacti, quicksand, and falling pellets.
Puzzle Rooms are hidden in drainage pipes and manholes. Each contains a scrambled word for an object that belongs there. The player must unscramble the word and pick the correct item from their inventory. Choosing correctly reveals part of a picture puzzle. Choosing wrong removes the item from the inventory, forcing the player to redo the minigame in the Object Room to get it back. In Part II
- Platform
- Nintendo Entertainment System
- Release Year
- 1990
- Developer
- Beam Software
- Publisher
- Acclaim Entertainment (LJN label)
- Genre
- Action-platformer
- Based On
- Back to the Future Part II and Part III films
Lore & Background
The game's plot for Part II involves Doc bringing Marty to 2015 to prevent his future son from committing a crime. Old Biff steals the Gray's Sports Almanac and travels to 1955, giving it to his younger self, who uses it to become wealthy and powerful. Biff then scatters items across three time periods, causing the space-time continuum to fall apart. Marty must retrieve and return these items to destroy the almanac. In Part III, after burning the almanac, Marty receives a letter from Doc written in 1885 indicating Doc is stranded in the past. Marty must travel back in time, complete tasks like finding DeLorean parts and avoiding Buford Tannen, and rescue Doc using the repaired DeLorean.
Gameplay involves controlling Marty through street levels, defeating enemies by jumping on or throwing projectiles, collecting fuel and j
Reader's Guide
Back to the Future Part II & III is notable as a licensed NES game that combines elements from two films into a single cartridge. Its gameplay, compared by critics to Super Mario Bros. and The Goonies II, features platforming, item retrieval, and time-travel mechanics. Skyler Miller of AllGame called it 'a decent Super Mario Bros. rip-off' with reasonably tight controls and passable graphics, though he noted it had little to do with the source material. GamePro praised its arcade-style minigames as challenging and fun. Stan Stepanic of Gamefreaks365.com gave a largely negative review due to the lack of a password or save feature and its notorious length, stating it took him roughly six hours just to map it and he turned it off out of boredom. A code exists to skip to the second half of the game. The game's reception highlights the challenges of adapting film properties into video games during the NES era, and it remains a curiosity for retro gaming enthusiasts.
Did You Know?
- The game was produced by Beam Software and published by Acclaim Entertainment under their LJN label.
- In Part II, old Biff uses the Gray's Sports Almanac to become the richest and most powerful man in the world by 1985.
- Each time the player time travels, a clone of Marty is created in that year which causes instant death upon contact.
- A code exists to skip to the second half of the game, as noted in a review by Stan Stepanic of Gamefreaks365.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Back to the Future Part II & III?
It is a 1990 action-platformer for the Nintendo Entertainment System that adapts both the second and third films of the Back to the Future trilogy into a single cartridge.
Who developed and published Back to the Future Part II & III?
Beam Software handled the development work, while Acclaim Entertainment released the title under its LJN brand label.
What story does Back to the Future Part II & III cover?
Players follow the 2015 and 1955 almanac heist from Part II as well as the Wild West rescue of Doc Brown from Part III, experiencing both film plots in one playthrough.
What genre and platform is Back to the Future Part II & III?
It is an action-platformer released exclusively for the NES in 1990.
Why is Back to the Future Part II & III worth noting among licensed games?
It stands out as a rare licensed title that bundles two full movie adaptations into a single NES cartridge, covering both the time-travel almanac plot and the Old West storyline.
More in Alternate history video games 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record