Vimm's Lair: NES Reviews - Maniac Mansion

Nintendo
Maniac Mansion

Graphics:
Sound:
Gameplay:
Overall:
6.26
6.48
6.86
6.86
Votes: 66
Reviews: 3


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Reviewer: Hazieview Date: Oct 1, 2004
I love this game, it is one of my favs for nes. You play a boy who's sister was kidnapped by aliens and you have to pick two friends to help you on your quest. Basically you have to go into the alien's house where your sister is being held and use various objects, tools, etc. to figure out how to get your sister out of there. However if one of the aliens catches you then in the dungeon you go (you can get out with a key but you have to find the key first). This game is all about using objects you find in the house to your advantage so that you can eventually beat the game by busting your sister out of the house.

Graphics: 9
I thought the graphics were pretty good and quite funny. You can do things as far as put radiactive water in a microwave and when you open it back up the radioactive steam kills you. No point to it but it's funny. You can also NUKE a hamster in the microwave and he explodes, then you can give him back to his owner and the owner will be so mad that he either kills you or throws you in the dungeon. That's just a few things you can do.

Sound: 10
I love the tunes also. Each individual kid has their own CD player in which they have their own individual music. So you get a different kind of music when you switch characters so that it's not so boring, I think a little change is always good.

Gameplay: 9
The way this game works is you have a list of things that you can do at the bottom of the screen while you play such as: You have open, turn on, use, give, read, etc. You click on one of those options and then click what you want to open, turn on, read, etc. So it's basically a point and click game that is easy to understand but the game is quite challenging in my opinion but very fun.

Overall: 9
I think anyone who likes a little Sherlock Holmes type of detective game that is fun and challenging at the same time then this is the game for you. Once again this is one of my favorite games for nes, I have beatin it over and over and you can use different characters to beat the game different ways. Very fun! Try it!

(if you have trouble or get stumped in the game it might be a good idea to look up walkthroughs for the game.)

TWO THUMBS UP!!!

 

Reviewer: Scotty Date: Nov 17, 2003
A good game, although it misses the foul and suggestive language, the playboy posters, the star wars posters, and some of the arcade games.

Graphics: 7
For NES it isnt that bad, but as said in the intro, no playboy posters, star Wars posters, which Nintendo forced them to remove.

Sound: 10
It blows you away

Gameplay: 8
Faster moving than the IBM and commodore versions. The quoting is missing the dirty language that Nintendo forced them to remove

Overall: 9
Ron Gilbert is a genius. I think this brought on many of the new generation games, that are point and click, and it definately deserves to be appreciated by everyone. SCUMM rules the early 1990's.

Lucasarts beginning of a very underrated group of games, I think better than many Star Wars games released by Lucasarts

 

Reviewer: Jaime Griffin Date: Jul 12, 2001
This would probably have to one of my favorite games of all time. I can remember having this game on my dad's ADAM system (I think), and staying up late with my little brother just exploring the rooms and trying to solve the puzzles. I remember almost getting into a fistfight with him when he was giving all our food to the green tentacle (turns out he was right). There was even more trouble when he kept using the nerd and saying he was useful (right again, Nate). Anyways, with the game I have on the emulator, I have gotten really really far, but cant figure out what the hell to do. I have all the keys (I think), got access to all the rooms, blown up the car, and have taken everything that I can plainly see. If anybody wants to help me figure out what to do next, email me and i will send you a state of where i am at (normally I hate using states, but the save option doesnt work with loopynes and just try beating it without states). I have spent like 40 hours on this game, and will likely spend 40 more before I beat it. Addictive music and addictive & longlasting gameplay mean this game deserves the highest rating. And as for the post above, I know of three ways.

-Jaime Griffin
(sabres_suck@buffalo.com)