Inspector Gadget (video game)
Gadget must rescue his niece Penny from Dr. Claw.
In this 1993 side-scrolling action game for the Super Nintendo, Inspector Gadget is surprisingly capable as he sets out to rescue his niece Penny from Dr. Claw’s M.A.D. organization. Unlike the cartoon, Dr. Claw’s face is actually shown. Hudson Soft published the game, with a team that also worked on their SWAT Kats and An American Tail: Fievel Goes West adaptations.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- AIM
- Publisher
- Hudson Soft USA
- Designer
- Noriyuki Shishikura
- Composer
- Saori Kobayashi
- Programmer
- Tōru Nakagawa; Kennosuke Suemura (Sound programming)
- Released
- December 1993 (NA)
- Genre
- 2D action platformer
- Modes
- Single-player
Facts from the source article.
Gameplay
The player takes on the role of Inspector Gadget, who must journey across the globe to free his niece Penny from the clutches of the terrorist group M.A.D. and its leader, Dr. Claw. Before each level begins, a brief scene plays out at Gadget’s home, recreating the show’s running joke where a self-destructing message from Chief Quimby causes an explosion. If an enemy strikes Gadget, his outer clothes vanish, leaving him in only boxer shorts. A second hit costs him a life. Extra coats are hidden inside breakable bricks and can be collected to restore that second hit point. Gadget’s main attacks come from his extendable arms and legs, which he uses to punch and kick foes. A power-up increases the maximum length of these limbs. Players can also find and use various gadgets, such as a helicopter rotor, plungers, and arrows. These gadgets can be upgraded, with effects like arrows dealing more damage. Most gadgets run on hats, and each one needs a certain number of hats to function. More hats are found by smashing specific bricks in the levels. The common enemies are M.A.D. agents, and every level has a strict time limit. Running out of time costs Gadget a life. When only seventeen seconds remain, a fast-paced tune plays to warn the player to hurry. The levels are based on real places from the TV show: Count Dracula’s castle in England, the Cuckoo Clock Maker’s clock tower in Switzerland, Jungle Bob’s jungle hideout in South America, King Tutonpoot’s tomb in Egypt, and Dr. Claw’s Winterland Castle. Dr. Claw himself is the boss of each level, fighting Gadget in different ways. After the final level, Claw escapes in an airship, and Gadget must battle him inside a Mech. Following the fight, Claw flees, and Gadget catches Penny as she falls from the ship. Then Gadget gets a note from Chief Quimby saying that Dr. Claw has now captured Quimby, which frustrates Gadget.
Reception
The game received a 2.5 out of 5 from Allgame. Electronic Gaming Monthly highlighted its varied item usage and graphics that recalled the cartoon, scoring it 6.6 out of 10. Nintendo Power featured it in their February 1994 issue. Power Unlimited rated it 89%, calling it a refreshing platformer that matched or surpassed the cartoon's fun, and praising it as laughable, original, and varied.
More in Hudson Soft Games of the 1990s
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