Cliffhanger (video game)

For the video game released by Stern Electronics in 1983, see Cliff Hanger (video game).

Cliffhanger
Developer(s)	Malibu Interactive
Publisher(s)	Sony Imagesoft, Psygnosis
Platform(s)	Amiga, Mega Drive/Genesis, Mega-CD, SNES, NES, Game Boy, Game Gear
Release date(s)	November 1993 (NA), 1994
Genre(s)	Action
Mode(s)	Single player

Cliffhanger is a video game that was released in 1993 and 1994, and is based on the film of the same name. The game supports one player.

Plot

A plane filled with terrorists attempting to steal money from a treasury plane while airborne is shot down by an FBI plane. The terrorists survive and send out a distress signal, which the main character, Gabe, responds to. However, Gabe does not know that the mayday signal is coming from a group of terrorists, and after reaching them, the terrorists capture Gabe's partner, Hal, and hold him hostage. Gabe must then set out and retrieve the money in order to save Hal.

Gameplay

The game begins with Gabe responding to the call, before Hal being captured. In order to progress through the game, the player must watch out for enemies and either avoid them by jumping or defeat them by attacking with various weapons, such as a knife or a gun. There are also bosses after every few levels, the final boss being Qualen, the leader of the terrorist group.

Reception

Cliffhanger was awarded Worst Movie-to-Game of 1994 by Electronic Gaming Monthly.^[1]

Versions

There are major gameplay differences between the 16-bit and 8-bit versions of the game. The Mega Drive/Genesis, SNES and Mega-CD/Sega CD versions are almost identical and feature gameplay similar to street brawlers like Double Dragon and Final Fight. The Mega-CD/Sega CD version contains a 3D snowboarding sequence where the player has to escape from an avalanche. Otherwise the gameplay on the 16-Bit systems is the same across the board. The NES, Game Boy and Game Gear versions however contain lower resolution graphics and a simpler side scrolling gameplay.

Music

Mark Cooksey (famous for his NES music) wrote this game's music.

External links

• Cliffhanger at MobyGames
• Movie Game Database - Cliffhanger

References

1. ^ Electronic Gaming Monthly's Buyer's Guide. 1995.