A new article explores the first Terminator 2 video game from 1991, highlighting its odd mix of gameplay styles and rushed development. The piece also connects it to the upcoming Terminator 2D: No Fate, set for release on December 12. This retro look underscores the challenges of early movie tie-in games.
Overview of Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991)
Released in August 1991 for the ZX Spectrum, the game Terminator 2: Judgement Day was the first video game adaptation of the film, which hit theaters the same month. Developed by UK studio Dementia and published by Ocean Software, it covered key movie scenes through a mishmash of genres. Platforms included Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, and DOS, with ports following the Spectrum version.
Gameplay and Development Challenges
The game featured one-on-one fighting sections in locations like the Shopping Mall, Hospital, and Steel Mill, where players aimed to 'Totally Destroy T1000' as the T-800. It included top-down driving chases in the LA Flood Channel and on the Freeway, plus block-sliding puzzles simulating the T-800's repairs. Amiga and PC versions added a side-scrolling shoot-em-up at Cyberdyne Systems.
Dementia had only six months to develop it, starting with a script received in January 1991. Due to production secrecy, they based levels on the script alone until the March trailer allowed visual adjustments and inclusion of digitized stills. This limited access, from a small Wolverhampton studio, led to the game's disjointed feel, despite decent visuals with chunky sprites and bold colors.
Connection to Terminator 2D: No Fate
The article draws parallels to Bitmap Bureau's Terminator 2D: No Fate, releasing December 12 after delays. It notes inspirations like Konami's Contra III: The Alien Wars (1992, aka Super Probotector), with similar boss designs tracing back to Hideo Kojima's Snatcher (1988), itself influenced by the original Terminator film. This creates a 'time loop' of influences, contrasting the 1991 game's flaws with No Fate's faithful pixel recreation.
While the 1991 title has aged poorly, the piece acknowledges the era's constraints made it a reasonable effort for a major license.