Swamp Thing (video game)

The NES version of Swamp Thing borrows the game engine from The Simpsons: Bart vs. the Space Mutants. Its introduction features the origin story of Swamp Thing and as depicted in the 1991 animated series. The player takes the role of the title character battling foes throughout the Louisiana swamps and other locations in a side-scrolling format. Swamp Thing's attack methods include punching and firing "sludge balls" which are acquired throughout the game. The player must venture through various stages, which include a graveyard, chemical factory, toxic dump, and finally, Arcane's lab. Bosses include Arcane's Un-Men, Dr. Deemo, Weedkiller, Skinman, and finally, Arcane himself.[3]

In Game Boy's Swamp Thing, stages include the Arctic, the desert, and contaminated rainforests. Swamp Thing also uses tools like camouflage and thorn skin, and he must recycle scattered garbage in order to score points and gain additional powers.[4]

Swamp Thing garnered mixed-to-negative reviews from professional writers. James Beaven of Total! and George Sinfield of Nintendo Power panned the game's environmental messages,[8][9] Sinfield suggesting that "we could lighten up a little bit here and go after more interesting villains than greedy industrials."[8] Beaven was also was turned off by the game's "complicated" controls, bad gameplay, and the use of environmental themes in a video game.[9]