Re(?)Considered: Hook
Look, at least I didn't do Cutthroat Island.
Steven Spielberg has a chequered history in video games. Jurassic Park tie-ins have failed to do justice to the premise of "Chessington World of Adventures, but with dinosaurs". Before it was announced, the world knew that Minority Report's PS2 tie-in would be a crime against entertainment. Even E.T for Atari 2600 is somewhat lacking. So what chance does Hook have, being based on a universally-panned, financially disappointing movie? Well, hold onto your pirate hats, because Hook for Super Nintendo is the best game ever made.
Alright, it isn't. It's maybe top twenty. You take control of the main character, deceased comedian Robin Williams in his most beloved role, lawyer Peter Banning. Nanu nanu! Of course, his true identity is (hurriedly checks Wikipedia synopsis) Peter Pan, the beloved literary hero created by author J.M Barrie and famously adapted into an exceptionally racist Disney movie.
SNES Hook was the first game from developers Ukiyotei, and it's an auspicious start. It may be a licensed game but effort has clearly been undertaken. Graphically it's well above average, with a pleasing but not overbearing anime-ish look, with plenty of personality in the sprites. There are some great touches, like the first level representing time passing by cycling through different types of weather as it progresses. While it's not a visual stunner by any means, the warm colours and attractive character art gel very nicely and it's an extremely consistent-looking game. On top of this, the music is memorable. There aren't many songs, but they have an enjoyable sense of adventure to them.
Peter's journey to kick Captain Hook up the arse takes him through 12 stages, all reasonable in length and with escalating difficulty that never goes beyond "a little bit tricky". There's no password system, so the whole game has to be cleared in one sitting (very much doable). You attack with a knife, which can be upgraded to a powerful sword that launches an energy beam ala the Master Sword in Zelda.
It's all rather familiar platforming stuff, with one major exception - you can fly! You can fly! You can fly! Yes, by grabbing hold of Tinker Bell and wringing her out like an old dish rag, you can drink her fairy blood and gain the power to soar through the skies in search of hidden power-ups. It's super fun once you get the controls down, but control in general is a bit of an issue. The commands are responsive, the button mapping is fine, but Peter moves remarkably slowly, even when holding Y to run. Jumping into the air, it’s like he’s floating through molasses and it takes a little while to get used to. It’s a minor complaint, however, in what is a very fine example of a “game of the film”.
Hook has never been re-released, obviously, but I would be astonished if it were particularly expensive on the second-hand market. You won’t need a friendly genie to wish up a copy of this one! (Wrong movie –- Ed)
