Terminator 2

Development and release

LJN acquired the rights to a Terminator 2 video game after reading the film's script, citing the license's array of gameplay possibilities and lasting popularity. Software Creations developed the NES version, which LJN published. LJN also published a Game Boy version, and chose to make the NES version a completely different game to offer variety, believing that NES owners were the same people who would own a Game Boy. The NES version was released in February 1992 in North America and the United Kingdom. Flying Edge published the Sega versions, with the Master System version released in the UK in November 1993 and the Game Gear version in the US a month later.

Reception

Steve Jarratt of Total! thought the gameplay lacked originality. Paul Rand of Computer and Video Games called it reasonably fun, even though it brought nothing new or inventive. Mean Machines reviewers judged it weaker than the Game Boy version of Terminator 2, saying that a major film license was squandered on a game that was entertaining but lacked depth. Rob Pegley of Sega Power said most of the gameplay was boring enough to put you to sleep.

Sega Master Force thought the game came out too long after the movie. The Sega versions also drew criticism for their graphics and sound. Sega Pro observed that characters flickered in both versions. GamePro, reviewing the Game Gear version, said the graphics were small and poorly defined, making the Cyberdyne labs hard to tell apart from the hospital.

VideoGames, also reviewing the Game Gear version, noted that characters were small and the game lacked visual variety, while the music became annoying quickly. Sega Pro complained about scratchy music and described the sound as white noise whenever you struck an enemy. In a later AllGame review, Christopher Michael Baker praised the NES version for its graphics and music, but found the difficulty frustrating.