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»Hook
"Bring me Peter Pan!"
There are a few things that are considered constants in the video game universe. Things like “there will never be a Final Fantasy”,
for example. Then there are those things that are generally considered
a rule, but have rare exceptions. “Movie-based video games are
terrible” is one of those nigh-constants, but for every twenty or so
terrible movie games, there are one or two games that are actually
pretty good. Sure, this isn’t as true today as it was a decade ago, but
that’s the way things are. One of those good movie-based games was the
Super Nintendo version of Hook, followed by the Game Boy
version which was completely different (and of much lesser quality),
and followed by the Game Gear version which was a pretty decent port.
The
storyline should be obvious. I mean, this is a game based on a movie,
and one which many have seen. Well, for those of you who are in the
dark (maybe because you’re too young or you just never bothered seeing
it, but I digress): Hook stars Robin Williams as successful
(but aloof) lawyer Peter Banning. One night, his children, Jack and
Maggie, are kidnapped with the only clue left behind a dagger bearing a
note signed, “JAS Hook, Captain”, which informs Peter that his presence
is the only means to reclaim his children. Turns out Mr. Banning is
actually Peter Pan, or at least he used to be. So, guiding by his old
friend, the fairy Tinkerbell, Peter sets off for Neverland in order to
reclaim his children, as well as his forgotten memories. Of course,
Robin Williams isn’t in the game...and instead of being kidnapped
without Peter’s knowledge, the game’s opening cinematic depicts the
Jolly Roger (Hook’s ship) attacking Peter’s home as he puts his
children to bed. Ah well, details, details.
Hook
is pretty much a basic, run-of-the-mill platformer. Players control the
now adult Peter Pan, as he recalls his place as the leader of the Lost
Boys and fights through a massive army of pirates, piranhas, bats and
other enemies, all leading up to a climactic battle against Peter’s
arch-rival, Captain Hook. There are a few power-up items in the game
including leaves which add extra points to Peter’s health bar and
Peter’s Dagger, which allows him to fire off a blast of energy with
each slash (of course, this advantage is lost after taking one hit of
damage and can’t be regained, without finding a new dagger).
My main criticism is obvious: this game is too
generic. Sure it’s fun and all (which already puts it leaps-and-bounds
above the majority of movie-based games), but compared to other games
of the same genre, Hook just ends up coming up short.
The
graphics are pretty good, considering the era it was released in. The
colors are bright and radiant, the backgrounds well-designed, and a few
of the enemies look pretty neat actually. Unfortunately, the scale on
most of the character graphics is pretty skewed, especially in the case
of Peter, who looks like an odd mouthless freak.
The sound on the other hand was a letdown. I mean, I had this game back
in the early '90s and one of the major elements of the game that I
remembered was the soundtrack. I guess nostalgia blurs memory. The
soundtrack is okay, but it’s also limited, with only a few melodies.
I’ve
said it more times than I’d care to remember: bare-bones platformers
generally lack in the replay department, and Hook follows this rule by
the letter. Once the first playthrough’s done with, this game will
definitely be shelved, if not sold. Down the line though, there may be
a chance that you would want to revisit it - a very slim chance, but a
chance nonetheless.
Article by: Wolfdogg
Posted on: Jul. 14th, 2007 |
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Review Recap |
| Gameplay |
| Pretty good for a movie-based game. |
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Graphics |
| Not bad, although the scale is skewed. |
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Sound |
| The music is nice, but the track selection is limited. Sound effects are average. |
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Replay Value |
| Platformers aren’t renowned for their lasting strength, and Hook is no exception. |
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