Super Nintendo Entertainment System Fun 'n Games (USA)
0Fun 'n Games
Sega Genesis front cover box art
Developer(s) Leland Interactive Media[1]
Publisher(s) Super NES
Tradewest[2]
Genesis/Mega Drive
NA Tradewest[3][4]
EU Sony Electronic Publishing[5][6]
Platform(s) Super NES[7]
Sega Mega Drive/Sega Genesis[3]
Release date(s) Super NES
NA August 1994[2]
EU May 25, 1994[1]
Genesis/Mega Drive
NA 1993[5]
EU October 1994[8]
Genre(s) Edutainment[8]
Maze
Shooter game
Mode(s) Single-player[7]
Fun 'n Games (Sometimes spelled Fun 'N' Games) is a compilation video game developed by Leland Interactive Media and released for the Super NES and Sega Genesis/Mega Drive platforms in 1993 and 1994.[1][5] A game with the same name was released in 1995 for the 3DO, but it differs slightly in gameplay and was developed by Williams Entertainment Inc.[9][10] The North American Super NES version of the game is considered to be one of the more rare games released for the console.[11][12]
GameplayFun 'n Games is a compilation of puzzles, arcade games, a music composer and a paint program in one video game.[7] The game is arranged into four different types of activities, or categories: Paint, Games, Music and Style.[8] There is virtually no difference in gameplay between the Super NES and Genesis/Mega Drive versions. However, the Genesis version (not the Mega Drive version) has an extra game in the Games section.[13]
Parts of the game is controlled in a computer mouse-like fashion.[8] Although the Super NES version is playable with the Super NES Controller, the game can be played with the SNES Mouse.[7] Similarly, the Sega Mouse can be used instead of the regular controller.[4]
PaintIn the Paint activity the player can draw on a canvas, but also in a coloring book if desired.[8] Different artistic tools, for example a pencil, pre-made backgrounds, paint bucket, patterns, stamps and different colors are supported.[7] Previously created figures from the activities Stylin' Stuff and Mix and Match can be imported to the drawing.[13]
GamesThe Games activity consists of three different minigames: Mouse Maze, Spaze Lazer and Whack a Clown.
Mouse Maze is a Pac-man style game where the player takes control of a mouse in a maze.[14] The mouse must collect all the cheese in the maze to be able to advance to the next level, which is another maze. Mouse traps that appear randomly in the maze makes the mouse freeze for a couple of seconds if the mouse collides with any of them. In the meantime, cats wander in the maze and try to eat the mouse. The player loses a life if the mouse is eaten by a cat, and if all three lives are lost, the game is over. To protect itself, the mouse can collect bones scattered in the maze to transform into a dog for a period of time, and the dog is able to eat the cats.[4]
In Spaze Lazer, a spaceship is controlled by the player in first persion view and needs to defend itself by aiming and firing the spaceship guns at enemy spaceships.[15] A radar on the screen helps the player locate the enemy spaceships. When all of the enemy spaceships are destroyed, the player faces a boss monster. When the boss is defeated, the player advances to the next level where the spaceship must be defended against even tougher enemies.[13] The player's spaceship starts with 99 in energy, and the energy decreases when the spaceship is hit by enemy fire. If the energy reaches 0, the game is over.
The Whack a Clown game is a variant of Whac-A-Mole, and is exclusive to the Sega Genesis version of the game.[13] There are nine holes from which both clowns and seals pop up randomly, only to disappear later. A hammer is controlled by the player which is used to hit the clowns in the head. Every time a clown is hit by the hammer, the player is awarded with one point. If a seal is hit with the hammer, the player loses a life. When the game timer runs out or all lives are lost, the game ends.
Originally, a fourth minigame was planned for at least the Sega Genesis version of the game. It was called Basketball Jones, and the goal was to practice free-throws in Basketball. Nevertheless, it was removed from the game during development.[4]
MusicThe Music activity allows the player to compose music by placing notes on an on-screen stave.[7] By pressing the play button, the tune composed by the player can be listened to. An in-game piano can as well be used to place notes on the stave. 15 different types of instruments and 15 different types of sound effects are supported in addition to different paces and half-notes. Moreover, pre-made songs can be opened, listened to and modified.[4][16]