Retro Arcade: Fester's Quest (SunSoft, 1989)

On our Sedona trip, I hooked up that new retro game box and poked at it for about an hour.  Since we have been binge-watching the original Addams Family series, I showed Anne the crude old Fester's Quest game.  It starts with him chilling on a roof or patio somewhere, and a UFO lands and starts messing up the place.  Fun.

After my last comment about how none of the creatures or details have any info or backstory, I found the original game manual on archive.org.

Even then, the creatures are barely mentioned.  There are globules that sit there and skeeters who spin off mosquitos that bite you.  There is an inventory screen with more items than I was expecting, including light bulbs and a noose that will summon Lurch to wipe out all on-screen enemies.

It's a shame that the main game play is so terribly slow, and the Continue option takes you back to the start.  You get to keep your items, but there is no way to run or sprint.  Just walk walk walk.  You can spend money at the hot dog stands to boost your health, and there are potions to do the same.  I thought I had 3 or 4 light bulbs but the sewer levels were still totally dark when I went down those stairs.  I did get to the house where Pugsley gave me some TNT.

I can't see putting in the time to finish the whole thing.  With only 2 hp, the mosquitos can take you out, so facing those alien bosses seems like a slog.  But the slow slow walking is what ultimately ruined it for me.

Still, it's a fun look at a game from the era.







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