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Cliffhanger is a game that mixes the beat 'em up and platform genres. It was released in 1993, and it's based on the the movie with the same name.

A gamer friend loved the movie and bought the game during the early 90s. He let me borrowed it for awhile and said he was mightily disappointed. Was he right all along about this game?

The game was based on the 1993 American action thriller film starring Sylvester Stallone. (Image source)

The Story

Based on the action-packed movie starring Sylvester Stallone, Cliffhanger video game puts you in challenging situations like battling against dangerous criminals, navigating treacherous mountains, and exploring caves. You'll go through seven exciting levels that demand your strength and skills to stay alive. You'll experience new types of gameplay like climbing mountains and exploring caves, and you'll fight enemies using both your fists and weapons. The goal is to find stolen money, defeat the criminals, and rescue your friends to complete the adventure.

Box, manual and cartridge of the game. (Image source)

The Graphics and Sound

The graphics in this game are not very impressive. The character designs look quite similar, with different heads on the same body. Many of the sprites, which are the images of the characters and objects, are used again and again. Sometimes, what seems like a "new" enemy is just an old enemy with different colors. The bosses are a bit more unique-looking, but even they start showing up in different colors like regular enemies as you progress.

The sound in the game doesn't leave a lasting impression. There's background music and the regular fighting sounds like punching, kicking, and grunting for the enemies, but overall, this game won't be remembered for its groundbreaking music in the world of video games.

https://youtu.be/LsK8Iq0F2Bs Gameplay video sample of Cliffhanger. Watch in 360p for near TV resolution of that time.

The Gameplay

Cliffhanger game follows the typical beat 'em up style. You move from one side of the level to the other, facing groups of armed enemies every few screens. As you progress, you'll need to make accurate jumps and sometimes even escape from dangers like avalanches or bats.

While playing, you might notice that many of these sequences feel like they've been used in other games before, and they can become repetitive. However, this repetition could be partly because the game is quite challenging, which means you'll be replaying these sections often.

Interestingly, there's a two-player versus mode that you can access with a special code, and it can be enjoyable for a couple of rounds. However, surprisingly, the regular game doesn't offer a two-player mode at all. This lack of multiplayer not only limits the game's replay value but also makes it less compelling to finish.

My Verdict

If you enjoy really tough games or beat 'em up style games, you might find Cliffhanger interesting to try. But if that's not your type, it's better to choose a different game to play.

Play it on the beloved Super Nintendo/Super Famicom or play it on a simple emulator.

The Story

The Graphics and Sound

The Gameplay

My Verdict

Let's keep on gaming in the free world!

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