Bad Dudes - Nintendo Entertainment System

Review comments

American presidents traditionally have a rotten time. Lincoln and Kennedy were assassinated, Reagan was shot, and Bush has got Dan Quayle. But for the first time ever, the president has been kidnapped. Not by ordinary, run-of-the-mill terrorists, but by a group of ninjas - that's right, a group of fourteenth-century Japanese hired killers have somehow grabbed the leader of the most powerful country in the world!

For some reason, the Bad Dudes of the title are the heroes - Blade and Striker, two musclebound lads in tee shirts for too small for them. Presumably the ninjas are the good dudes. Anyway, the workout freaks travel through the city, battling past various ninja foes, and defeating huge end of level baddies. Luckily there are a number of tokens scattered around the streets - these give extra time, life energy, and even invincibility (for a short period).

The enemy comes in a variety of forms and shapes. The ubiquitous ninjas attack without mercy, and the shuriken throwers appear with alarming regularity. Thugs wielding flails and knives attempt to ruin Blade and Striker's day, and rather fat, bald gentlemen make an appearance as well. When in two-player mode, each character appears at a time, never on screen together. The president's life is in your hands: are you willing to take the challenge?

Staff comments

Beat 'em ups are a tried and tested formula, and are often the best games to be found. Bad Dudes, though, is a great disappointment; the lack of moves, the poor animation, and the repetitiveness of the challenge makes this a yawn and a half. Double Dragon II is much, much better than this - BD's graphics are flat and two-dimensional in comparison, and the gameplay non-existence. Perhaps Nintendo think that the popularity of beat 'em ups means that they can release any mediocre game and it will still sell like the proverbial warm scones. Let's hope that the games-buying public prove them wrong and demand a higher quality of product in the future. In the meantime buy Double Dragon II or wait for Ninja Gaiden.

This Nintendo version of the Bad Dudes coin-op certainly features the Dudes. And it's also bad. Very bad. The graphics are the most flickery I've ever seen on a Nintendo game and make this incredibly frustrating to play, since half the time you can't see what's going on - the enemy shuriken are particularly difficult to see. Not only are the graphics flickery, they're also rubbish. The bland backdrops lack depth and the sprites are crude, poorly animated and jerk and cripple their way around the screen - the whole thing just looks like a ghastly shambles. The gameplay is awful too, with a distinct lack of variety and combat moves. Even if you're the biggest beat 'em up fan in the world, give this a miss.

Have your say about Bad Dudes

Chris - 28 Feb 2008, 14:54 GMT

This had to be one of the worst beat-em-ups on the NES which was a great disappointment as it was one of my favourite arcade games - perhaps due to the fact that it was a 10p a go rather than 20p? The graphics were really bad and bland, sound was terrible and there was just no sense of enjoyment at all! Definately one to be avoided at all costs!

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