Home
Creators
Search Recent Random
Posts
Search DMs Popular Hash Lookup Tags Random
Importer
Import FAQ
Register Favorites Keys Review DMs Logout
Community
Telegram ThePornDude
Home Creators Posts Import Register Favorites Logout

Episode 754: The Greatest* 8-Bit Licensed Games (Patreon)

Published:
2026-03-06 12:00:15
Imported:
2026-08
Tags:

Downloads

Content

Jeremy: I've had old licensed games on my mind a lot lately. I've just completed a run of NES Works episodes about the many, many licensed games that hit the console in time for the 1989 holiday shopping season; I've edited and published the massive book that guest Kurt Kalata and his crew put together (Now Playing); and I reworked the NES version of Jaws into a lengthier and more concrete shooter-RPG for the Limited Run release of Jaws Retro Edition. For a few months there, licensed 8-bit games were consuming my every waking moment.

So, for this episode, I decided to exorcise those demons and move on to a new chapter of life once and for all by putting these thoughts behind me. I've summon Kurt and Stuart to help me celebrate the best licensed games of the 8-bit era, since so many were wretched. Naturally, this went in weird directions I never expected—we somehow focused almost entirely on Master System releases. And of course Stuart's idea of "greatest" games somehow leads to a list in which he prefaces every entry by saying, "This game is terrible."

In other words, it's exactly what you've come to expect from a journey into the goofier corners of video game history. Enjoy the ride.

Edits by Greg Leahy, art by Greg Melo.

07:54 - Jaws (NES): Enemy Wave Battle

16:29 - Rambo: First Blood Part II (SMS): Stage BGM | Tom and Jerry: The Movie (SMS): Title

23:44 - Zillion: Inside Planet

34:24 - Zillion: Let it Rock!: Inside Planet

40:15 - Batman (NES): Stage 1/5 | Bill & Ted's Excellent Game Boy Adventure: Title

49:01 - Bucky O'Hare (NES): Green Planet

59:48 - G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero (NES): Cobra Base

1:10:17 - The Simpsons: Bart vs. the Space Mutants (SMS): Stage 1 | Ghostbusters (SMS): Theme

1:20:17 - The Smurfs (GG): Stage 4

1:32:05 - Bram Stoker's Dracula (SMS): Stage 2

Closing - Zillion: Let it Rock!: Pure Stone

Files

Comments

Joe Hodgson

Bucky O'Hare was my jam in the 90s so it's fun hearing from others who loved the property too. I often say it was the first commercial property to break my heart as after that last episode aired it just never came back. I didn't know that could happen. I was used to TMNT, The Real Ghostbusters, Smurfs - all shows that went on seemingly forever, but poor Bucky only got 13 episodes. Had all the toys and vehicles, loved the NES game. I rebought it in the early 2000s with the box and manual before the used NES market went nuts. I actually beat it for the first time as an adult since I never could as a kid. It's hard, but the continue system is so forgiving that persistence really does pay off. A toy company local to me in Massachusetts, Boss Fight Studio, tried reviving Bucky with a modern action figure line in 2017. They were able to release Bucky, Jenny, Dead-Eye, Bruiser, Mimi LaFloo, and some Storm Toad Troopers before the line was unfortunately cancelled. It would be nice to see someone try with Bucky again, but I think Neal Adams was a big driver for that sort of thing and he sadly is no longer with us.

Rasheen Jordan

Rollergames and Zen Intergalactic Ninja

Wood Duck [Legacy Edition]

Best not be any Beam Software slander in this episode or I'll tap the extremely specific that-one-time-at-PAX-Aus-when-a-Beam-programmer-laid-it-all-bare sign.

Kormakur Gardarsson

My friend and I loved passing the controller back and forth on his copy of Bucky O’Hare. Living in Iceland we had no idea this was a licensed game, all we cared about was these evocative worlds and characters and that amazing soundtrack. A great example of how back in those days licensed games often were made by genuine A-teams.

Peter Thompson

I love how Stuart is always able to find the good in something, especially when that something is generally considered terrible.

Craig

New Jersey and the Nabisco Factory mentioned.

Robbie

From what I recall from old WWII comics, British soldiers were called 'Tommy' and the Germans were either 'Fritz' or 'Jerry' (because their helmets looked like chamber pot?).

ElGamerVeterano

No love to Disney properties, DUCKTALES for the NES is still a great plataformer, good music and playful mechanics that are still alive (SHOVEL KNIGHT, looking at you). Even though Batman is great game for the NES, I love its sequel, BATMAN JOKER RETURNS, stepping back from plataforms and giving you a more brief, actioney experience. GREMLINS 2 is also a good game even though it has its difficulty spikes all over the place. For god sakes, POPEYE for the NES even though it is not as enjoyable as its version in Atari 2600 it is still a good game in general. My fifth option is Town & Country Surf Designs: Wood & Water Rage, even if it is a rough skate and surf game, it is very colorful and has that 80´s attitude to its fullest.

Nuno Amaral

Nice to hear all of the Bucky O'Hare love.

Johime Lee

Great episode! On the British equivalent of a GI Joe - Tommy Atkins (often just Tommy) is slang for a common soldier in the British Army. It was well established during the nineteenth century, but is particularly associated with the First World War. It can be used as a term of reference, or as a form of address. German soldiers would allegedly call out to "Tommy" across no man's land if they wished to speak to a British soldier. French and Commonwealth troops would also call British soldiers "Tommies".