Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (video game)
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| Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde | |
|---|---|
 Daytime in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. |
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| Developer(s) | Bandai |
| Publisher(s) | Nintendo |
| Release date(s) | JPN April 8, 1988 NA April, 1989 |
| Genre(s) | Platformer |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Platform(s) | Famicom/NES |
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, released in Japan in April 1988 and in North America in April 1989, is a side-scrolling action game for the Nintendo Entertainment System that is loosely based on the original novel by Robert Louis Stevenson. Gameplay alternates between the characters of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde based on the player's ability to either avoid or cause damage.
[edit] Story
Dr. Jekyll is on his way to his wedding with the lovely Miss Millicent. As he walks to the church with his cane in hand, several townspeople, animals, and other obstacles acost him, causing him to become angry. If his anger reaches a certain level, he transforms into Mr. Hyde and is taken to a nightmarish world of monsters. As Mr. Hyde kills these monsters, his anger abates and eventually he transforms back into Dr. Jekyll.
There are two endings to the game. The normal ending occurs when Dr. Jekyll reaches the church at the end of the sixth level. Dr. Jekyll weds Miss Millicent and 'THE END' is displayed with the wedding march playing in the background. The alternative ending occurs when Mr. Hyde reaches the church. In this case, a boss named Letule appears. After defeating the boss, Mr. Hyde transforms back into Dr. Jekyll. A more detailed scene of the wedding is shown with Dr. Jekyll kissing Miss Millicent. The screen fades and lightning strikes Dr. Jekyll, killing him. The final scene of the ending shows Dr. Jekyll with a cross behind him and 'THE DNE' is displayed.
[edit] Gameplay
The game features six levels, but the levels differ between the Japanese and North American versions. The Japenese version follows this order: City, Park, Alley, Town, Cemetry, Street. However, the North American version replaces a few levels and follows this order: Town, Cemetry, Town, Park, Cemetry, Street.
The player starts out controlling Dr. Jekyll on his way to the church, walking to the right. As he takes damage from the various enemies and obstacles, his Life Meter decreases and his Anger Meter increases. If his Life Meter is fully depleted, Dr. Jekyll dies and the game is over. If his Anger Meter completely fills, however, he transforms into Mr. Hyde. Day turns to night and monsters appear. At this point, the level is mirrored horizontally and Mr. Hyde walks from right to left with the screen autoscrolling. Mr. Hyde must kill as many mosters as he can as fast as he can in order to turn back into Dr. Jekyll.
If at any point Mr. Hyde reaches Dr. Jekyll's location, a bolt of lightning strikes him, killing him instantly. Therefore, the objective of the game is to advance as far as possible as Dr. Jekyll and to transform back as soon as possible as Mr. Hyde.
[edit] Response
The game is thought of by many fans as extremely difficult to beat without using a Game Genie. It's considered to be one of the worst games ever released for the system due to the fact if Hyde travels further than Jekyll he will be struck by lightning, seemingly at when he is in the cross paths with Dr.Jekyll(go at the same place he transforms)and die. It has gained a cult notoriety due to its reputation. The game was also the first ever article on Something Awful, and can still be found here[1], gaining a score of -37.
The Angry Nintendo Nerd, a foul-mouthed video game reviewer who makes movies of his experiences with poor-quality video games, reviewed Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. He consistently makes references to it as the worst game he has ever played.
