NES RATING #19 - Defenders of Dynatron City

...Defenders of Dynatron City...

Developed by:  LucasFilm Games
Distributed by: JVC Musical Industries
Released: July 1992  

Defenders of Dynatron City was developed by the usual spot-on LucasFilm Games (now LucasArts), but don't get too excited.  The game, intended to spawn a new TMNT-esque franchise, is a major disappointment.  Sadly, a number of glaring errors weighs down what could have been a hot property from the media giant who brought you the Star Wars franchise.

The game is mostly side-scrolling, and play as characters from a new, original superhero team.  Your goal is to guide them through 4 stages in order to save the town.  It's a simple enough storyline here. Unfortunately, "simple" describes the graphics and play control, as well.

As you walk around the streets attempting to clear each screen of evil robots, you'll immediately notice a ridiculously poor hit detection system.  I must have had the radioactive dog (one of the heroes) bite the robot 10 times before it explodes.  The next robot?  2 bites.  The characters move awkwardly and the game is quite repetitive.  A game being boring is one thing, but when it's not even designed well, that's a recipe for disaster.  At least there's a time limit, so the game will actually end while you're dozing off.

A major bust from a company that consistently delivered so much more.
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Rating:  D-
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