The Tick (SNES) Playthrough - NintendoComplete
304A playthrough of Fox Interactive's 1994 license-based beat 'em up for the Super Nintendo, The Tick.
I really liked The Tick's cartoon and comic in the 90s. I was never super into it, but I did always find it funny for how strange it all was.
The video game adaptation of it at first surprised me with how faithful it was. The art style captures a lot of the shows spirit, and a lot of your moves involve the same sort of ridiculous slapstick humor that the superhero was known for. You can bash enemies into the ground to clear a crowd, or even summon Arthur if you find yourself hopelessly surrounded.
And if you intend to see The Tick through to its conclusion, you'll probably be well acquainted with feelings of hopelessness by the time you've finished all forty-four levels.
That's right. 44. And they all feature endless waves of the game's half-a-dozen or so enemies. Have you ever played Final Fight, and at the end thought to yourself - "this would be so much better if only it was four times longer and if I only had to press one button"? If you have, congratulations on finding a game made just for you. And only you.
For everyone else, it's difficult to imagine what the developers were trying to accomplish here. The gameplay is stretched to its limits by the time you've made it past the first few stages, and the mind-numbing repetition of it all makes it excruciating to play beyond about the halfway point. The graphics and music are good, but they can only carry the game so far on their own.
It's not even like there's any salvation to be found in a deep or varied combat system. Sure, there are several combos and special moves, but your kick is both faster and more damaging than any of the flashier moves, so unless you wish to make it last as long as possible, you'll be pressing the kick button a lot.
The Tick on the SNES is an irredeemable piece of trash. The ludicrous numbers of enemies that the game throws at you make it a chore to play for ten minutes, and any positive qualities it possesses will have long since worn out their welcome by the time you've spent several hours getting to the end.
I think I'd rather contract tetanus from using a jagged, rusty "SPOON!" than ever touch this again.
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No cheats were used during the recording of this video.
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