Cliffhanger (NES) Playthrough
2Playthrough of Cliffhanger, Sony Imagesoft's 1993 side-scrolling platformer for the NES.
Cliffhanger for the NES, released in 1993 by Sony Imagesoft, is one of two very different adaptations of the Sylvester Stallone film. While the 16-bit versions on the Super Nintendo, Genesis, and Sega CD were designed as side-scrolling brawlers, the NES received a more traditional action-platformer. Developed by Spidersoft, a studio best known at the time for portable game conversions, the NES version also served as the basis for the Amiga, Game Boy, and Game Gear ports.
In the game, players take on the role of Ranger Gabe, Stallone’s character from the film, as he traverses snowy mountains and rocky cliffs in pursuit of stolen U.S. Treasury cash. The gameplay is straightforward: running, climbing, and fighting through a series of levels populated by hostile wildlife and armed henchmen. Briefcases of cash scattered throughout serve both as objectives and as a form of health resource, since stacks of money can be burned at campsites to restore energy. The design is simple, but it makes sense within the context of the film’s plot and the platforming framework.
What Cliffhanger lacks in visual polish, it makes up for in basic functionality. The graphics are minimal, resembling something closer to an enhanced Game Boy game than a late-generation NES release, and the music and sound effects are unremarkable. Despite this, the controls are surprisingly responsive, making jumps, climbs, and combat more reliable than one might expect from a licensed tie-in. The pacing is fairly smooth as well, with a balance between platforming segments and combat encounters. A few setpiece moments—such as scaling an icy waterfall or riding a corpse down a slope like a makeshift snowboard—add variety and prevent the game from feeling overly repetitive.
Cliffhanger is also short and relatively easy, with little challenge beyond the occasional tricky platforming section. Its brevity works in its favor, as the simple mechanics might have worn thin in a longer experience. Though the presentation does little to impress, the solid control and straightforward level design make it a playable, if unremarkable, title.
In the end, Cliffhanger on the NES falls into the category of competent but forgettable licensed games. It doesn’t embarrass itself with broken mechanics or severe design flaws, but it also fails to stand out in a crowded library of stronger action-platformers. For fans of the film or collectors of NES curiosities, it holds some novelty, especially given Spidersoft’s later absorption into Rockstar Games. For everyone else, it is a functional yet uninspired adaptation that plays better than its reputation suggests, but remains firmly in the shadow of more polished titles of its era.
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