I recently took a look at the Genesis version of Home Alone, and I wanted to look back at the NES version. This is a game that I have a vague memory of playing. From what I remember, I played it at an end-of-season party for either little league football or basketball. I played both as a kid, so it could’ve been either.
I do know a little about the game, and it has a few similarities with the Genesis version. There is only one location in this game, which is similar to what happens in the last half of the movie. This is one of the games that I feel like I should like, but it isn’t executed well.
I’m not too sure what else the developers could do with this game. They tried to recreate the ending part of the movie, which I think they did well. After playing it, I don’t think this is a very good game because it isn’t that much fun to play.
TLDR: A great idea that isn’t done as well as it could’ve been. I like the Genesis version more than this one.
Narrative
The game’s story is largely based on the final act of the movie. You have to avoid the Wet Bandits until help arrives. Many of the traps from the movie are in the game, but they are rather lackluster. There really isn’t much else to say about the game’s story because it is paper-thin.
Gameplay
The gameplay feels like it should be more fun than it is. I like the idea of this game, but it really falls flat after a few minutes. It doesn’t help that the controls are pretty bad.
There is just one game mode. It involves you playing as Kevin and trying to avoid the Wet Bandits. You have to avoid them for twenty minutes. To do this, you plant traps around the house. These temporarily stun them.
The house is pretty big. There are several ways to get out of it, which helps a lot. There are a few things from the movie in the game, which is nice. What really sinks this game are the controls.
You can’t jump, it is a pain in the butt to use the stairs, and once the bandits get you, the game is over. There are plenty of traps in the house, but they don’t do anything special. You can pick up an item, hold it, and set it quite easily. They only serve as a distraction for the Wet Bandits.
I’m not a fan of the way this game is set up. With only this one game mode, and how repetitive it is, I ended up being disappointed. Much of what I liked about the Genesis game is missing here. It has a lot of things that could be fun, but aren’t done well here. Some of this has to do with the limitations of the NES.
Visuals
Graphically, the game looks okay. The inside of the house looks good enough, but trying to get on the stairs can be annoying. There are spots where I have no idea how to get up and down them consistently.
The traps are one of the more disappointing parts of the game. I was expecting something funny, but nothing of note really happens. One of the Wet Bandits walks on it and then falls. If anything funny takes place, it isn’t on the screen long enough.
The three characters look good enough. They look better than some of the other NES games. A lot of this probably has to do with there only being three character sprites.
The house looks very good. It is quite big, you can easily see where the exits are, and the rooms look nice. It is easy to see what the traps are, and there are plenty of them in the house for you to use.
Overall, the game looks a little above average. It isn’t spectacular, but it looks competently done. There are a few hiccups where it is a little hard to get on the stairs, but that is the only thing I don’t like. Outside the house also looks good, and you don’t spend much time out there anyway.
Reviews at the Time
This is a weird one. Nintendo Power opted not to review this game, according to what I saw in the archived magazines. The reviews from the 2000s and 2010s weren’t good. There are a few outliers, but most reviews are between 2 and 3/5. I looked at the reviews on MobyGames for this.
5/10. I wanted to enjoy this game because I like the idea of it. There are quite a few games where you can only defend yourself with traps. That is what you do in this game, but it gets old quickly and isn’t as satisfying as it could’ve been.
Pros
- Easy to learn
- Has some good ideas
Cons
- The Stairs suck
- Bad controls
- Lack of Graphics for the traps
Conclusion
Home Alone on the NES is one of those games that I want to enjoy. It has much of what I like from the Genesis game, but it isn’t as much fun. There is something to this game that I think could be fun.
I really like the idea of planting traps and luring bad guys into them. This game just isn’t all that much fun. It felt like the enemies moved too fast at times, and it was too hard to avoid them. You have enough traps, but the amount of time that they stun the enemies feels very inconsistent.
When I finally gave up on this game, I felt rather disappointed by it. Going back to play this game made me want to revisit the Genesis version. Both have a twenty-minute time limit on the gameplay, but the NES version isn’t as much fun.
If you liked this post, please check out my other posts on Retro Games. Here are some suggestions: Home Alone on the Genesis and The Punisher on the NES.
Horrendous game summed up exactly as it is! I recently learned there’s a fun glitch that will completely immobilize both Harry and Marc. The video was title “get a world record speedrun on home alone every time” or something like that. Amusing because the game will always have the same completed time.
Could Home Alone have been a good game?? Maybe it needed to take us some more iconic scenes from the movie? I don’t know 🤷🏼
As I was playing it, I kept thinking that a vs mode would be a welcome addition. Yeah, it doesn’t have anything to do with the movie, but how fun would it be to set traps for your friends in the house? A little like Spy vs Spy.
Now there’s a fun idea!!