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Bucky O'Hare

Critic Reviews 83% add missing review

Top Secret ( ) (100%)

Bucky O’hare jest wybitną przedstawicielką gier platformowo -zręcznoƛciowych. Tu nie ma miejsca na schematy i drętwotę. Cięgle zmieniające się plansze i niemal komiksowa grafika, to podstawowe atuty tej gry. Muzyka wprost zapiera dech (jak na NES) - posƂuchajcie muzyczki z perkusją na Czerwonej Planecie...

Apr 1994 · NES

GamePro (US) (5 out of 5) (100%)

Bucky's good finger-flexing fun. Even if you don't like the comic book, the cartoon, and the action figures, you'll like the game. Expect to see young Bucky fans multiplying like...like kids in math class.

Jan 1992 · NES

Retro Spirit, The (5.5 out of 6) (92%)

Dette er plattform med sympati for spilleren. Selv om Bucky O'Hare er langt fra enkelt, blir det sjelden Mega Man-frustrerende. Du har som regel alltid nok helse og passordsystemet lar deg fortsette der du slapp. Action og plattforming gjort korrekt, rett og slett! Godt jobba Konami! Dette fortjener dere vÄr "Golden DOS Spirit"-medalje for.

Aug 26th, 2012 · NES · read review

Questicle.net (A-) (91%)

I don’t know what it is about the misadventures of Bucky O’ Hare for my Nintendo Entertainment System, but I couldn’t put it down, even though I kept dying. Each of the levels within the respective planets had enough challenges and variety in the layouts to keep me going. The references to other classic NES games are awesome, as well: the aforementioned Mega Man, of course, but also Konami’s own line of classics, like certain weapons from Contra and an homage to the level in Turtles 2 when you’re on the boogie boards. Also, the toad enemies look like squattier versions of the Battletoads. Radical! If it’s sadistic platforming action you crave, but you’ve Megaed all the Men and Ninjaed every Gaiden you can think of, give Bucky O Hare a whirl. It will toast your eyeballs.

Apr 2011 · NES · read review

RetroGame Man (9 out of 10) (90%)

Overall this game is awesome with good graphics and nice sound. It’s really hard but with frequent respawn areas in stages, it makes it really satisfying when you actually make it through a tough spot.

Jan 11th, 2016 · NES · read review

Retroage (9 out of 10) (90%)

CaƂoƛć rozgrywki, projekt poziomĂłw jak i ogĂłlny pomysƂ, mocno przypominają drugą częƛć Mega Mana. Mimo, ĆŒe ten jakĆŒe kultowy Mega Man nie do koƄca mi podszedƂ to Bucky O'Hare na NES ląduje w mojej liƛcie ulubionych gier dosyć wysoko. Gra daƂa mi sporo frajdy i nie wymagaƂa rozpracowywania przez kilka tygodni. Myƛlę, ĆŒe jest to wymarzony tytuƂ dla ludzi, ktĂłrzy jak ja nie mają zbyt duĆŒo czasu na grę, a lubią przechodzić wartoƛciowe tytuƂy minionej epoki od deski do deski. Gorąco polecam.

May 25th, 2013 · NES · read review

Classic-games.net (9 out of 10) (90%)

Despite its quality Bucky O’ Hare still flies under the radar. Konami went through a heavy licensed game phase toward the end of their NES output. This is easily one of the greatest NES games of all time in my opinion and the best of that bunch.

Jul 16th, 2018 · NES · read review

Ultimate Nintendo: Guide to the NES Library ( ) (90%)

Thanks to varied gameplay, expert attention to detail, and top-notch production values, this is a must-own cartridge for platformer fans.

2016 · NES

Retro Game Age (9 out of 10) (90%)

While the game is a bit challenging the password feature makes it more than bearable. Perhaps its late release doomed it to obscurity or just the lack of brand awareness; either way Bucky O’Hare is an excellent NES platformer that I recommend to any fan of the genre.

Sep 5th, 2012 · NES · read review

Video Games (89 out of 100) (89%)

Schaut man nicht genau hin, glaubt man es mit einem 16-Bit-Titel zu tun zu haben. Sowohl Grafik als auch Sound sind fantastisch, technische Gags wie superschnelles Scrolling und Parallaxebenen werden haufenweise auf den Spieler abgefeuert. Das NES-typische Flackern wurde eliminiert. (...) Solltet Ihr vom HĂŒpf- und Springgenre immer noch nicht die Nase voll haben, legt Euch unbedingt Bucky O'Hare zu. Perfekter kann man ein solches Spiel auf dem NES wohl nicht prĂ€sentieren.

Aug 1992 · NES · read review

GameCola.net (8.3 out of 10) (83%)

Holy mother! Just writing this freakin' review has put me in such a mood to play. I hafta hurry this recap up so I can jump down my house and scramble to my lair and play. Bucky O'Hare has seemingly NO major flaws whatsoever, and basically guarantees a great time, unless you are one of those overly negative people who hate EVERYTHING, even good stuff, in which case I guarantee nothing. It is fun as hell, the music is freakin' awesome, the control is as creamy as melted butter, the graphics are prime, especially for its time, and the replay value is killer. Buy. Steal. Whatever. Just get. Now.

Jun 2003 · NES · read review

Hardcore Gaming 101 (8 out of 10) (80%)

There's a ton of variety in this game too. You will encounter so many traps that you'll be going crazy. (especially in the Magma Tanker) The game also has a nice password feature (you only have to enter a five figure code) and weapon format. You must build up the power of your special ability and must do this for each character individually. For example, Bucky 'O Hare can jump high if you use his special ability. If you get enough powerup symbols, he will jump REALLY high. I highly recommend this game. It's a lot of fun!

2000 · NES · read review

Megablast (80 out of 100) (80%)

Na schön, nach wirklich neuen Ideen fahndet man vergebens, doch der abwechslungsreiche Levelaufbau und die vielen spritzigen Grafik-Gags machen Bucky O'Hare dennoch zum gern gesehenen Dauergast im Modulschacht. Schließlich haben die Programmierer die technische Seite keineswegs vernachlĂ€ssigt, eher im Gegenteil — ein derart prĂ€chtiges Optik-Feuerwerk brennt das NES nun wirklich nicht alle Tage an! Was da an flĂŒssigem Parallaxscrolling, riesigen Sprites und bunten Hintergrundmotiven aufgeboten wird, lĂ€ĂŸt selbst klassische PrĂ€sentations-Highlights wie „Probotector“ vor Ehrfurcht erblassen. Hinzu kommen eine hörenswerte Musikbegleitung plus standesgemĂ€ĂŸe Sound-FX. Tja, und da auch die Steuerung keinerlei Probleme macht können und wollen wir dem Action-Bunny unsere besten Empfehlungen nicht verweigern — zeig‘s ihnen. Bucky!

1993 · NES

Total! (Germany) (2 out of 6) (80%)

Die Grafik dieses Games ist wirklich außergewöhnlich. Konami hat hier etliche Zusatzchips auf dem Modul angebracht um Drei-Ebenen-Parallax-Scrolling und tausende von Riesensprites ohne das geringste Ruckeln oder Flackern zu ermöglichen. Im Vergleich mit der „Super Metrod“-Grafik kommt dieses Spiel echt besser weg. Auch der Sound ist fĂŒr NES-VerhĂ€ltnisse sehr gut gerate. Insgesamt macht Bucky O'Hare einen sehr guten Eindruck und sollte eigentlich in keiner NES-Sammlung fehlen. Greift zu, solange es noch geht.

May 1994 · NES

Quebec Gamers (7.8 out of 10) (78%)

En gros, Bucky O'Hare est un bon petit jeu mais qui aurait pu ĂȘtre mieux avec quelques ajustements ici et lĂ . On a vu ce que Konami peut faire et ils peuvent certainement faire plus que ça. Mais c'est quand mĂȘme un jeu avec ces moments forts qui va plaire Ă  certains types de joueurs. Dans mon cas, je ne peux pas dire que j'ai dĂ©testĂ© loin de lĂ . J'ai passĂ© un bon moment et je me suis retrouver Ă  passer le jeu d'un coup la premiĂšre fois que j'y aie jouĂ©. Donnez-lui une chance et vous verrez que plus on progresse plus il devient intĂ©ressants et vous remarquerez aussi que c'est un jeu de qualitĂ© plus qu'il ne le laisse paraĂźtre Ă  premiĂšre vue.

Feb 1st, 2005 · NES · read review

Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM) (31 out of 40) (78%)

Although the difficulty is a little on the tame side, the overwhelming assortment of power-ups, enemies and settings this game provides more than makes up for its shortcomings.

Apr 1992 · NES

ASM (Aktueller Software Markt) (9 out of 12) (75%)

Bucky O‘Hare ist ein rasantes Spiel. Die HĂŒpf- und Lauf-Animation ist unglaublich schnell, der Schwierigkeitsgrad hoch. Bucky trifft nĂ€mlich nicht nur auf die ĂŒblichen Alien-Monster sondern muß vor allem mit den TĂŒcken der Natur kĂ€mpfen. Sprungeinlagen auf staffettenartig vorbeirasenden Raumschiffen oder Meteoriten sind völlig normal; ĂŒberraschende Lavaeruptionen knabbern an der Enrgieleiste. Und wer es sogar schafft, den Höhlenabstieg trotz den von links und rechts hereinbrechenden WasserfĂ€llen auf Anhieb zu ĂŒberleben, darf sich als Spielecrack krönen lassen. Grafik und Sound passen sich in dieses sonderbare Geschehen ein. Wenn das Spiel zudem eine Spur weniger hektisch wĂ€re, hĂ€tten auch AnfĂ€nger ihre Freude daran!

Sep 1992 · NES

Computer and Video Games (CVG) (75 out of 100) (75%)

Although there's nothing really new contained within Bucky O'Hare, it's certainly polished and contains more than enough playability to keep you returning for yet another stab. It's all familiar stuff, but it's been rather well done nevertheless.

May 1993 · NES

NES Archives (B) (75%)

If you are a huge Bucky O’Hare fan then this game is a no-brainer. Any fans of Mega Man style platformers will probably enjoy it as well. The rest of you will be able to find plenty of other NES games that are better than this one.

May 13th, 2009 · NES · read review

Nintendo Magazine System UK (72 out of 100) (72%)

A decent enough platformer which suffers from being over predictable and a wee bit easy.

Jan 1993 · NES

Play Time (68 out of 100) (68%)

Die Grafik kann ruhigen Gewissens als gut bezeichnet werden, wobei vor allem das hervorragende Scrolling auffĂ€llt. Die verschiedenen Hintergrundgrafiken sind sauber ausgearbeitet worden und die Animation des Helden ist ebenfalls zufriedenstellend. Musikalisch hat “Bucky O' Hare“ nicht ganz so viel zu bieten, lediglich die Soundeffekte lassen etwas WeltraumatmosphĂ€re aufkommen.

Jul 1992 · NES

HonestGamers (Staff reviews only) (5 out of 10) (50%)

With its gorgeous sprite graphics and level design, Bucky O’Hare appears to be a blue ribbon bunny. Look closer, though, and you’ll find an ornery rabbit that would much rather stick some dynamite where the sun don’t shine and laugh at the resulting explosion. This is a game that seems to delight in making players scream in frustration, and I have better things to do with my time than engage in such a masochistic pursuit. Odds are good that you do too.

May 25th, 2013 · NES · read review

Player Reviews

Let’s croak toads! (Retch)

The Good
I guess I kind of missed out on Bucky O’Hare when I was a kid, not surprising when you consider I was only four when the cartoon started airing. In fact, I had never even heard of Bucky until I played this game, which is a shame. I’m sure I would have loved the hell out of the show when I was a kid, but it simply makes me retch now. The cartoon was based off of a comic book that was published in to mid-eighties. In the late-eighties to early-nineties, studios were pumping out shows starring animal characters, each attempting to tap into the success the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were having. Did Bucky O’Hare succeed? He didn’t make it past one season. On the bright side though, we did get this game.

I really don’t want to explain the premise of the show, but here’s the quick version: In an alternate universe called the aniverse (ugh) the Toad Empire is taking shit over. Bucky and his crew don’t like the idea of being enslaved by toads so they pretty much single handedly go around defending the aniverse’s citizens. At least, that’s what I gathered from the first one and half episodes, which Is all I could handle. The game’s plot has Bucky trying to save his crew who got captured, or marooned, or something. The plot isn’t very well handled, actually. The pictures shown in cutscenes never really seem to match their captions quite right. Whatever, though, this is the NES, we don’t need a story to enjoy the game.

On the surface, Bucky O’Hare looks like a clone of the Mega Man formula, but underneath it’s a clone of the Mega Man formula. I love Mega Man though, so I’m not going to fault the game for ripping off one of the best NES formulas ever. To its credit, it does bring its own things to the table. There’s a rad vehicle section, five playable characters with the ability to switch between them at any time, and uh, er, you can shoot upwards. Okay, so it’s pretty much Mega Man, right down to the disappearing blocks. Had it not been made by Konami, I probably would have believed that it was made by the same team that made the Mega Man series.

Despite ripping off another game, there’s a lot of talent and creativity on display. The levels are all very unique and varied, with few challenges repeating themselves. It keeps the game interesting straight through to the end. Some of the obstacles are incredibly creative and fun. Even the bosses are all very different and interesting. Best yet, it’s a pretty lengthy game, yet it never really seems tedious. I’m especially in love with the backgrounds, though for some reason they disappear for sections of a level, instead replaced by a plain black backdrop.

The technology on display is pretty immense. The graphics are excellent, but what’s really impressive are some of the effects they managed to pull off. There’s an area where you ride a little cart at a tremendous velocity. I had no idea the NES could even draw the background so quickly, it’s staggering. Other areas include some attractive simulated parallax scrolling. Amusingly enough, the parallax areas usually only last for one area, with the next area featuring the same background but with no scrolling due to system constraints. However, I feel I must keep my enthusiasm in check since this game came out in 1992, the year after the Super Nintendo was released. While this is a great example of what can be done on the NES with a little bit of programmer ingenuity, it was still obsolete by the time it was released.

The Bad
Although there are a lot of great ideas shown in Bucky O’Hare, they seem to be held together with spit and chewing gum. It’s solid enough in parts, but when you look at the overall product, something is amiss. For one, Bucky O’Hare features an absolutely mammoth life bar. Well, it’s not that big when you start, but all you need to do is power it up twice and none of the standard enemies in the game have a hope in hell of whittling it down. Plus, most enemies die in a single hit, making them even less of a threat.

This leads me to the game’s second problem. You’d think that having a health bar the length of three football fields would make the game easy, right? Well, unfortunately, the game has an instant kill fetish. I’m serious, Bucky and his friends die with the slightest pin-prick. It seems everything sharper than a Q-tip will kill you dead. To complicate things, a lot of the level hazards happen out of nowhere. Even worse, bosses often have at least one method of killing you instantly. The first boss I encountered killed me instantly with his first attack, even though I had no way of knowing how to dodge it the first time. In one particular area, if you don’t move for about three seconds, you’ll be killed by a hazard entering the screen. So, unless you’re clairvoyant, you’re going to die, a lot, and it’s going to get frustrating.

There are some strange design decisions going on in Bucky O’Hare. For example, you’re given two bars, one for you special power, and another for your health. Both can be upgraded by obtaining health and power tokens (or maybe they’re coins or medallions). What’s bizarre is that the health bar is shared among each of the characters, but if you die and have to continue, it’s reset to its default length. Inversely, each character’s power bar must be upgraded separately, but you don’t lose your progress if you have to continue. That’s screwed up, wouldn’t one way or another work just fine? There are other strange problems. If you hold down and jump, you can drop through certain platforms, which isn’t too strange. This becomes a problem when there’s an enemy below you, because the only way to shoot downwards is to jump and hold down. So, if you press down before you press jump, you’ll fall through the platform, possibly to your undeserved death. This isn’t a major problem, but it does make downward snapshots difficult and also illustrates a bizarre lack of polish in an otherwise solid game.

The localization could have been a whole lot better. The cutscenes and dialogue are riddled with typos and poor formatting. Some of the results are pretty hilarious, like how someone missed the word “kidnaped,” but for the most part, things are just confusing. At one point, the text says that a transport carrying Bucky’s crew to his ship was attacked, but above it, the scene shows Bucky’s ship, “The Righteous Indignation” being attacked. Speaking of which, the dialogue only seems to refer to his ship as “The Righteous” in plain block text which can be a bit confusing for someone unfamiliar with the show, considering that could mean something unrelated. Like I said before, 8-bit era plots are mostly unimportant, but Bucky O’Hare’s cutscenes are just sloppy.

I can’t help but wonder what went wrong in the development process that led to these oversights. Judging by what’s on display, Bucky O’Hare was crafted by a very talented team of developers, so most of these problems shouldn’t exist. They must have run in to some difficulty, whether they just couldn’t agree on some things, or maybe they ran out of time, or perhaps it was outsourced to another team to finish what they had in progress. It’s hard to believe that something can be so well done from a technical standpoint, but gets dragged down by a bunch of small nuisances. Perhaps a little while longer in QA would have been beneficial.

The Bottom Line
The state that Bucky O’Hare was released in is kind of sad. It’s not a bad game, nor would I say it’s unpolished, but someone screwed a few things up down the line. There are a lot of bruises that just shouldn’t be there and bring the whole package down. With that said, it’s the frustrating gameplay that brings it down the most. It’s not the most challenging game in the world, but there are sections that really try my patience. If you can get past that, then you’ll see a lovingly crafted game that displays a great deal of talent. Hell, I’d recommend it strictly because of the technical achievements. They aren’t anything that haven’t been done in an NES game before, but it’s always fun to see what can be done on the platform. Overall though, Bucky O’Hare is an OKAY game. If you’re a fan of the Bucky O’Hare cartoon or comics, you’ll probably enjoy the game a lot more than I did.

by Adzuken (836) on Feb 9th, 2010 · NES

Plus 26 player ratings without reviews

Contributors to this Entry

Critic reviews added by JudgeDeadd, SlyDante, Alsy, RhYnoECfnW, VGManiac101, A H, Big John WV, Patrick Bregger, Alaka, Tim Janssen, Mr Almond.