Terminator 2: Judgment Day

Released for the NES in 1992, Terminator 2: Judgment Day is an action game based on James Cameron’s famous sci-fi movie. Developed by Software Creations and published by LJN, the game puts you in control of the T-800, with the goal of protecting John Connor and stopping the T-1000. Rather than simply recreating one scene from the film, the NES version takes you through several different moments from the story.

The game is divided into five stages, and each one feels a little different. The opening stage takes place at the truck stop, where the T-800 fights groups of enemies and obtains the weapons and motorcycle needed for the next part of the mission. From there, the action switches to an unusual overhead motorcycle sequence. You must escape through the flood channel while avoiding obstacles and using your weapon to keep the T-1000's truck at a safe distance.

Later stages return to side-scrolling action. You must infiltrate the mental hospital to find Sarah Connor, travel through Cyberdyne Systems while planting explosives, and eventually reach the steel mill for the final confrontation with the T-1000. One interesting detail is that the hospital stage encourages you to disable staff members rather than kill them, fitting the T-800's mission to protect innocent people.

The game can be tough, but it does a respectable job of capturing the atmosphere of Terminator 2 on the NES. The different gameplay styles, recognizable locations, cinematic moments, and memorable soundtrack make it more interesting than a straightforward movie tie-in.

For fans of the film and late-era NES action games, Terminator 2: Judgment Day is a surprisingly varied experience and an interesting piece of Terminator history.