Action 52 & Cheetahmen 2 - Death Animations and Game Over Screens
2Action 52 is an unlicensed multicart video game compilation developed by Active Enterprises for the Nintendo Entertainment System and by FarSight Technologies for the Sega Genesis. The NES version was released in 1991, followed by the Genesis version in 1993. The multicart consists of 52 games in a variety of genres, mostly scrolling shooters and platformers. The "featured" game is The Cheetahmen, which was part of Active's failed attempt to create a franchise similar to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
The NES version of Action 52 sold poorly and became infamous among gamers for the poor quality and functionality of its games; it is often considered to be one of the worst video games of all time. The Genesis version is widely considered superior, though still of subpar quality. Many video game collectors value Action 52 for its notoriety and rarity. It initially retailed for the comparatively high price of US$199 (equivalent to $459 in 2024).
The NES version of Action 52 includes games that cover a variety of genres, the most common types being vertical shooters set in outer space, and platformers. The games have major programming flaws, and some of them freeze or crash, while others include incomplete or endless levels, confusing design, and unresponsive controls. The featured game of this version is The Cheetahmen, being the 52nd and last game, where characters from the previous 51 games appear as enemies.
Each game is given a brief description in the manual for Action 52. Some of the descriptions cover games from the early development of Action 52 that were very different from the games of corresponding titles; for example, Jigsaw is described as a game involving a jigsaw puzzle, but the game titled as such on the final product is a platformer involving a construction worker avoiding construction tools.
Active Enterprises advertised a contest involving Ooze, the fifth game of this version. Players who could complete Level 6 of the game could enter a draw for $104,000 ($52,000 cash and a scholarship with the same value). Ooze was reported to consistently crash on Level 2; therefore, it was impossible to qualify for the contest without using an emulator. After the contest had been cancelled, a Revision B of Action 52 was released which fixed this crashing problem, among some others.
The opening sequence of the NES version uses a Yeah! Woo! drum break sampled from Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock's song "It Takes Two."
NES/FC/FDS Playlist:
• NES/FC/FDS
00:00 - 01.Fire Breathers
00:08 - 02.Star Evil
00:14 - 03.Illuminator
00:23 - 04.G-Force Fighters
00:31 - 05.Ooze
00:39 - 06.Silver Sword
00:46 - 07.Critical Bypass
00:54 - 08.Jupiter Scope
00:59 - 09.Alfredo and the Fetucini's
01:05 - 10.Operation Full Moon
01:13 - 11.Dam Busters
01:20 - 12.Thrusters
01:28 - 13.Haunted Halls of Wentworth
01:38 - 14.Chill Out
01:44 - 15.Sharks
01:53 - 16.Megalonia
02:03 - 17.French Baker
02:11 - 18.Atmos Quake
02:18 - 19.Meong
02:25 - 20.Space Dreams
02:32 - 21.Streemerz
02:39 - 22.Spread Fire
02:46 - 23.Bubble Gum Rosie
02:52 - 24.Micro Mike
02:59 - 25.Underground
03:08 - 26.Rocket Jockey
03:13 - 27.Non Human
03:19 - 28.Cry Baby
03:28 - 29.Slashers
03:40 - 30.Crazy Shuffle
03:46 - 31.Fuzz Power
03:54 - 32.Shooting Gallery
04:01 - 33.Lollipops
04:07 - 34.Evil Empire
04:13 - 35.Sombreros
04:19 - 36.Storm Over the Desert
04:25 - 37.Mash Man
04:32 - 38.They Came...
04:38 - 39.Lazer League
04:45 - 40.Billy Bob
04:53 - 41.City of Doom
05:00 - 42.Bits and Pieces
05:09 - 43.Beeps and Blips
05:18 - 44.Manchester Beat
05:24 - 45.Boss
05:30 - 46.Dedant
05:43 - 47.Hambo's Adventures
05:54 - 48.Time Warp Tickers
06:01 - 49.Jigsaw
06:07 - 50.Ninja Assault
06:15 - 51.Robbie and the Robots
06:23 - 52.Cheetahmen
06:36 - 53.Cheetahmen 2