Previous Next

Based on the very obscure but dead entertaining 1970's spy show, Mission: Impossible puts you in a rather tricky situation. Dr O, boss of your top secret government spy branch, has been kidnapped by the Sinister 7. Only you and your spy cronies can save the day and put a stop to the evil activities of the Seven once and for all.

Unfortunately for you, the name of the Sinister 7 is a mite misleading, as you soon find out. Walking out onto the streets, you are accosted by not seven baddies, but more like seven hundred. And they're all armed with knives, guns and petrol bombs. Clearly this isn't going to be as easy as wandering around an underground hideout wearing a wig like the heroes did in the TV show.

Mission: Impossible is an eight-way scrolling overhead-view combat game in which the player finds his way around the sprawling map, meets contacts, solves puzzles and kills bad guys. The object of the game, should you choose to purchase it, is to rescue Dr O and destroy the Sinister 7 base of operations, thereby removing a serious threat to world peace.

Three agents are commanded in Mission: Impossible, giving the player the equivalent of three lives. Not only this, but each of the three agents has his own special abilities, activated by swift presses of the A button for an attack, or B button for a special item.

The team leader Jim has a machine gun and land mines - great for large-scale destruction. His first team-mate attacks with deadly fists and stun grenades while the other hurls deadly boomerangs and has the power to make himself invulnerable to any attack for a few seconds. It might sound like the Sinister 7 have no chance against such well-endowed enemies, but beware - special items have only a limited number of charges before rendering themselves useless!

Fans of the Mission: Impossible TV programme will be overjoyed at the sight of the show's original intro sequences which have packed into the game. These include a Nintendo-ised version of the original theme tune, the legendary fuse, the immortal quote "Your mission, should you choose to accept it..." and to top it all, the self-destructing message!

Dispersed throughout the game are undercover contacts. Their role in life is to provide the player with information vital for success. For instance, one may explain which route to take to avoid danger, or how to progress to the next level. However, some of these contacts are in reality dastardly double agents who betray you to the soliders of the Sinister 7 should you approach them! Ooyah!

In order to rescue the Doc, the player first completes a number of sub-missions. On level one, six switches must be found and turned off to disable a defence mechanism. As each one is tripped, a clue is given hinting at the location of another important place or action. Write these down as you'll need them later on.

It must be said that Mission: Impossible isn't exactly the most inspiring licence in the world, so imagine my surprise when this NES game turned out to be really good fun.

The graphics aren't much to speak of, the sprites are simple and the backgrounds are just repeated character blocks with drab colours. The sound is okay though, with a faithful rendition of the TV score and some decent effects. What really stands out about Mission: Impossible is the involvement it produces.

The map is quite large, with a great deal happening all the time. There are lots of secret rooms to discover, contacts to find and puzzles to solve. Mission: Impossible is a thoroughly playable and addictive game which is well worth a look.

Mission: Impossible reminded me of Metal Gear, but while Metal Gear was a bit naff, this is top notch, even though it doesn't look like it from the rather drab graphics.

What you can't see is that there's tons going on. Once you start playing, you really get engrossed in the action as you try to solve the many puzzles scattered throughout the game. If you're after an original and challenging game with loads of variety and plenty of different things to see and do, check this out immediately.

Presentation 90%
Wonderfully atmospheric intro. Password option is smart.

Graphics 64%
Nothing to write home about here. Functional is the kindest word for these average graphics.

Sound 71%
Good tunes, with the title track being the high point. The effects aren't bad at all.

Playability 86%
Responsive controls coupled with multi-beweaponed agents and thrilling gameplay make this tops in the playability stakes.

Lastability 87%
The sheer number of sub-missions and the large play area provide plenty of lasting potential.

Overall 86%
A great blend of action and adventure which captures the spirit of the TV show well and provides a brill game into the bargain.