Bucky O’Hare wasn’t a game that I was aware of growing up. I didn’t know about the NES or Arcade games, the comics, or the cartoon. It was one of many media properties that just slipped through the cracks for me.
There were so many cartoons and comics back in the 1980s and 1990s that received console and arcade games. It was nearly impossible for one kid to keep up with all of them, let alone know about everything attached to them. I seriously doubt that there was a kid who knew all about licensed properties and kept up with every bit of news concerning them.
Anyway, I don’t remember Bucky O’Hare, and I can’t remember any of my friends talking about it. My region of the United States probably didn’t get the toys, or they weren’t on the shelf for long here. I don’t even remember seeing the NES game in the rental store or in the used game shops.
I’m going to take a look at the NES game. It was made by Konami, who also made the arcade game. Those games are quite different, which I’m a little disappointed about. The NES game is a side scrolling action game.
TLDR: A solid platformer with good graphics and controls.
Narrative
The story is pretty simple. Games like this don’t have elaborate stories after all, and this one is somewhat based on the comics. It does get explained in the opening cutscenes.
Bucky O’Hare’s crew is kidnapped by the Toad Armada. They’ve been placed on four planets, and you have to go rescue them. It’s a basic plot that works for a game like this.
This story gets the job done. It tells you who the characters are and who you have to fight. If you didn’t have the manual, then the intro does a great job of explaining the basics. It is what you should expect from a game like this.
Gameplay
Bucky O’Hare had pretty good gameplay. It isn’t the type of game I normally enjoy, but it is good enough to keep me playing. While a few spots are frustrating, they aren’t so frustrating that it ruins the game. It is challenging enough to make me think I can do better if I keep playing.
The controls are good, but have a stiffness that appears in some of Konami’s other platformers. It isn’t game breaking, but it does make platforming a little rough in spots. It is easy to shoot and jump in most spots.
There is a power up jump that confused me at first. It is useful, but it just took me some time to find out where to use it. If it wasn’t in the game, I don’t think it would be missed all that much.
The developers gave the player a big life bar. It is actually used like a life bar, as there aren’t one hit deaths in this game. There are also some power ups and extra lives you pick up along the way.
The level design is pretty good. While the levels are linear, they’re pretty good. I like how everything is set up and gets more complex as you go through the game. You can also take on the stages in any order, which is nice.
Overall, I like the gameplay. While this isn’t a game that I remember or would prefer to play, I did enjoy my time with it. This is something I could return to if I really wanted to.
Visuals
For a game released in 1992, I was expecting something more from the visuals. They’re not bad by any means, but they don’t really shine when I look at them. Everything is good, and there are a few great things.
The character sprites are very good. Some are better than others, but overall they are very good. The enemies range from okay to good. There are a lot of toads and insects, as well as a few things that feel like holdovers from Contra.
The stages are pretty good. Each stage has a nice environment and looks a little different. This is something that I always like about Konami games. Their NES games have a good atmosphere.
There are a few cutscenes in the game. These are comic book cutscenes, and they look pretty good. They aren’t all that amazing, but they look much better than the average NES game.
The stage selection map is very good. It is a busy screen, but everything looks very good. I would’ve been happy with a Mega Man style screen, but what is in the game looks much better than what I was expecting, which was no selection screen.
Overall, the graphics are above average. They don’t look outstanding, but they are much better than an average NES game from 1992. I do feel like Konami could’ve done better, though.
Reviews at the Time
The reviews were all above average for the time. It is a Konami game, so it is well made. From the reviews that I can see, the scores were between 7 and 9/10. An average score for 1992 was usually 5/10, so these were above average to excellent scores.
GameZone gave the game a 93/100. The reviewer called it “wonderful in all departments.” They went on to say that this was “the best game I’ve ever played on the NES.”
Total gave the game an 86/100. The reviewer really liked the game and praised the graphics. They went on to call the game “a corker,” which I’m realizing how much slang was used in magazines in the 1990s. I wish I could understand the slang from other countries sometimes.
Video Games and Computer Entertainment gave the game a 7/10. Their biggest knock against the game was the sound. Aside from that, they liked the game.
The reviews were what I was expecting. Konami had a very good track record on the NES, so that helped this game out a bit. I don’t think they were too far off on this one. Even the lower scores weren’t too bad.
8.5/10. This is a well made platformer. While I would’ve liked to see better graphics from an NES game released in 1992, what is here is very good. The controls were solid, and I like the story. A part of me wishes that Bucky O’Hare had been a shoot’em up or an RPG.
Pros
- Good Controls
- Above Average graphics
- Fun Gameplay
Cons
- Enemies are a little uninspired
- Platforming could be tighter
Conclusion
Going back to play this game was fun. This is one of the games that I might’ve enjoyed playing back in the day. I’m a little surprised they didn’t make a beat’em up as they did with the TMNT games.
The arcade game was a beat’em up, and Konami made several great games in that genre. Even if it might not have been as good as the arcade version, I would’ve enjoyed it more than this. It is a fun platformer, but not the type of game I normally enjoy playing.
Bucky O’Hare is one of those properties that could make a comeback. There are enough characters that you could make a fun beat’em up. What I would love to see is this property getting the same treatment as TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge or Marvel Cosmic Invasion.
If you liked this post, check out some of my others on NES games. Such as MetalStorm or BurgerTime.