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The Addams Family

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NES

The Addams Family is a side-scrolling platformer based on the movie of the same name. The player takes the role of Gomez who searches for his missing family members. To find them he has to explore six different parts of the mansion, e.g. the woods, which are basic platform levels: the player move...

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Developer
Ocean Software

Released on
1992

Size
1 Player

Version
NES

Requirements
Nintendo Entertainment System

Downloads
Platform

Publisher
Ocean of America

ESRB Rating
Not Rated

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Description

The Addams Family is a side-scrolling platformer based on the movie of the same name. The player takes the role of Gomez who searches for his missing family members. To find them he has to explore six different parts of the mansion, e.g. the woods, which are basic platform levels: the player moves from left to right while jumping a lot and avoiding enemies. Some of them can be dispatched of by a jump on their heads.

The main difference to the other versions of this game is a unique level design. There is also a life meter which allows to get hit more often before dying.

The Addams Family

Overview & History

Released by Ocean Software in 1992 for the Nintendo Entertainment System, The Addams Family capitalizes on the massive cultural resurgence sparked by the live-action blockbuster film. Unlike many movie tie-ins rushed to shelves as substandard cash-grabs, this platformer stands out for its atmospheric design, haunting chiptune renditions of Vic Mizzy's iconic theme song, and non-linear exploration. The narrative kicks off when the delightfully morbid Gomez Addams returns home to his decaying mansion only to discover that his beloved Morticia, Wednesday, Pugsley, Fester, and Granny have been kidnapped, and the family fortune has been embezzled by the ruthless lawyer Tully Alford and greedy stockbroker Abigail Craven. Tasked with rescuing his kin, Gomez must brave the sprawling, booby-trapped corridors of his ancestral estate across a series of interconnected, highly challenging stages.

Gameplay Features & Mechanics

Departing from traditional linear progression, The Addams Family employs an open-ended mansion layout that grants players immediate freedom to explore different wings—such as the kitchen, the vaults, the attic, and the swamp—in any order they choose. Gomez is initially armed only with his trusty rapier sword, but he can acquire various upgrades like a feathery golfer's cap that enables a high-flying propeller glide, and baseballs to hurl at enemies. Gomez's primary offensive maneuver is a leaping downward sword-pogo, reminiscent of Scrooge McDuck in DuckTales, which allows him to bounce off ghostly apparitions, snapping Venus flytraps, and animated furniture. Hidden items, extra lives, and passwords to track progress are scattered generously, though the platforming precision required to navigate crumbling ledges and sudden hazards makes this an infamously tough NES challenge.