Previous Next

Los Angeles may once have been a vast, sprawling built-up area humming with activity. But after August 29 1997, it's an unforgiving desert littered with the burnt-out debris caused by the nuclear war called Judgment Day. From the ashes of the atomic blast rose the Hunter Killer and Terminator machines, manufactured by the megalomaniacal computer Skynet. Their purpose was simple: to eliminate Skynet's only remaining enemies, the survivors of the holocaust.

Unfortunately, Skynet's plans were foiled by one man, John Connor. He banded the survivors together and launched a devastating counter-attack against Skynet, destroying its main control complex. Almost crippled, Skynet attempted one last desperate gambit. It sent two Terminator machines back in time to destroy John Connor's very existence and thus change the future. In both cases, Connor was able to send a lone warrior back through time to counter the menace.

The first Terminator was sent back to 1984, with John's mother, Sarah, targeted for termination. It failed. The second, deadlier T-1000 machine (that can mimic the appearance of just about anything it touches) was sent back to strike at John Connor himself when he was still a child. In a bid to protect his past from this horrific machine, Connor captures and reprograms a Cyberdyne Systems model 101 Terminator, similar to the one sent to pursue Sarah Connor in 1984. Its mission: to protect the would-be world Saviour...

The Terminator arrives at a seedy highway truck stop, where he is immediately set upon by a gang of thugs. A bit of fisticuff action follows and once the threat has passed, the Terminator's targeting system is invoked. First of all, a motorcycle is required. A nearby tavern provides the goods, after yet more fist-related tomfoolery. The next priority is to find John Connor.

The Terminator has located John Connor speeding along the Los Angeles flood channel on his souped-up motorcycle. The T-1000's in hot pursuit though - at the wheel of a massive truck! Using his Harley Davidson motorcycle skills, the Terminator must negotiate the many hazards of the flood channel and rescue John before the T-1000 runs over the defenceless lad.

Rescuing Sarah Connor from the clutches of the state mental hospital is John's first wish, and the Terminator is ordered into attempting the rescue bid.

Unfortunately, the T-1000's tactical computer anticipates this move. This level is a race against time to find Sarah Connor before the Terminator is overpowered by the hospital authorities and the poly-mimetic alloy T-1000!

Only by destroying the research Cyberdyne Systems has carried out a revolutionary microprocessor can the future be saved from the horror of Judgment Day.

This entails the Terminator running around the Cyberdyne building in a similar manner to the hospital level, shooting guards (in the legs, of course) in a bid to steal the remains of the machine that terrorised Sarah Connor in 1984!

Cyberdyne is history - but the T-1000's mission parameters are still active and John Conner remains in dire peril! Our heroic gang hole up in an abandoned steel mill - and the T-1000's close behind.

Therefore, it's the Terminator's job to duff up the liquid metal killing machine. Only when the danger has passed can he self-terminate and banish all probability of Skynet ever causing the holocaust.

It's a complete mystery to me why the programmers of this didn't copy the game design of the Gameboy version. Its varied, multi-level gameplay follows the plot of the film perfectly and makes for a gripping, atmospheric game.

This Nintendo version undoubtedly looks and sounds very slick, but features different gameplay which has less levels and variety than the Gameboy version!

It's fairly fun to play, but when it comes down to it, Nintendo T2 is a very standard platform game and its five levels offer only a moderate challenge and feature little in the way of thrills and spills - a real shame when you consider the immense potential given by the film's unbelievable out-and-out action! There are plenty of better platform games available on the NES, so unless you're absolutely desperate for a T2 game, shop around before you buy.

After the pretty excellent Gameboy version of Terminator 2, I was expecting a more in-depth, colour version of the same game for the trusty ol' Nintendo.

I ended up being rather disappointed. Although there are five levels, there are only three different styles of play - with none of them being that interesting.

The most common is a simple search through a platform environment, shooting people who get in the way. At the beginning and end of the game you're treated to dull platform action, where the Terminator indulges in limited fist-related beat-'em-up action. Perhaps the most impressive level is the isometric 3D flood channel stage - but this does not take too long to complete at all.

As a film tie-in, T2 is extremely disappointing, with too few stages that just aren't varied or exciting enough to make the game worthwhile.

Presentation 93%
Completely brilliant. Great Terminator red-out eye-view screens and well-drawn cameo graphics of the main characters.

Graphics 88%
The backdrops are recognisable from the movie, and the sprites are all well-defined with decent animation.

Sound 83%
Although the excellent film score is missing, T2's tunes are very atmospheric indeed.

Playability 77%
Easy to get into, but the simplistic gameplay of each sub-level could put you off pretty quickly.

Lastability 69%
The stages aren't varied or thrilling enough to keep you glued to the console for very long.

Overall 72%
Possibly the greatest film licence ever is wasted on a fun, but ultimately shallow, game.