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A playthrough of Sony Imagesoft's 1992 licensed-based platformer for the NES, Hook. I really liked the Hook movie when it came out. In hindsight, I suppose it wasn't that great, but as a kid, I watched it over and over again. I also loved the SNES game - a neighbor got it when it came out and I borrowed it more times than I can count. I remember being curious about the NES game, but I quickly dismissed it after seeing some rough reviews and unflattering screenshots in magazines. A lot of people did, so it would seem. However - let me don my “champion of the underdog“ hat here - Hook on the NES tends to be a misunderstood animal. The game roughly follows the plot of the movie - you, as adult Peter Pan (thankfully bearing no on-screen resemblance to Robin Williams), have to return to Neverland to save your kids from the evil Captain Hook. Donning your best Dollar Store “Green Fantasy Jerkin“ Halloween costume, you take to wilds of Neverland ... searching for cupcakes and peaches? Alright, so the game doesn't really match the movie very much at all. But then, most NES movie games didn't, so that's hardly an issue. It seems that the largest criticism leveraged against the game is that it's too difficult, and this complaint stems from the utter uselessness of Peter's knife. While the annoyance is a valid one, here's the secret to playing, and enjoying, Hook: forget that you have a weapon. I really doesn't do much of anything besides give you an animation cycle to play with. You never need to use it in the game, and you'll only make yourself miserable by insisting on stabbing everything with your toothpick-sized saber. Go ahead, play a level and tell me that not using the B button isn't *way* better. Each level is a small maze of sorts, and to gain access to the exit, Peter has to collect all of the special items that have been scattered about. Sometimes there's a switch to hit or a trail of fairy dust to bounce across, but for the most part, you're jumping over enemies and grabbing random items. I usually dislike the “collect items from the maze“ style games (*glares at Home Improvement on the SNES*), but this one is pretty okay. The maps are never so big that you get hopelessly lost on them and the items aren't difficult to find, so the level design rarely becomes a frustration. There are two other stage types to be found as you cruise around the Neverland map - flying stages, and boss stages. The flying stages have you soaring to a different area to the island from a third-person “chase cam“ perspective. In these areas, you merely have to collect the orbs and avoid the lightning to win. They're an easy and simple break from the standard fare, but what is going on with Peter's sprite on those levels? Do we really need such a clear view of Peter's backside? Given how tight those shorts are, is Peter even a dude? Why does he look like he's preparing to become the “receptive“ partner in the filming of an adult movie scene? Or is the Pan just modelling Miley Cyrus's renowned chicken butt look? The other stage type is seen only during the game's two boss fights. The first, against Rufio, involves trying to disrobe one another. To win the battle, you have to remove Rufio's shirt with your sword. Seriously. Pictures of Peter and Rufio's torsos are used to indicate how much life they each have remaining. It's weird, for sure, but it's hilarious. The last fight, against Captain Hook, isn't quite as suggestive. Well, except for the awkward animation of the pirates trying to shackle your ankles. That hand motion is a bit suspect. If nothing else, these instances would probably make J. M. Barrie quite proud of what has been done with his work. Eww. Moving along. Weird concepts aside, I really enjoyed Hook. It feels like one of the old Ocean movie-based Amiga games with it's big character sprites, colorful backgrounds, and grating yet catchy music, but the control is much tighter than in games like RoboCop 3 and Darkman. There are a few strange choices in the graphics - I never understood, for instance, why everyone's skin is paper white - but overall it looks pretty nice, and the sound is chirpy and bouncy in that, “I was made somewhere in western Europe,“ style that appears from time-to-time in NES games. Hook is by no means a classic, but it is solid game that generally manages to keep its head slightly above the mediocre mark. Sure, you could dismiss the game by merely agreeing with random internet rants. People do that all the time. But, if you can get past the popular opinion, you might just find a servicable, fun platformer here. _ No cheats were used during the recording of this video. NintendoComplete () punches you in the face with in-depth reviews, screenshot archives, and music from classic 8-bit NES games! Visit for the latest updates!
