Jaws

The Good
For the time, the graphics were recognizable. You knew exactly what manner of sea creatures you were fighting against, and when your boat was destroyed, you definitely felt vulnerable trying to stay alive. That feeling of helplessness was probably one of the most interesting aspects of the sea battles.

The bonus levels were also entertaining, playing out like a reverse Galaga. They were kind of fun and challenging.

The main Jaws theme was recognizable, and it had various tasks and perspectives to play through. The overworld map screen to purchase upgrades and power-ups, the ocean level which scrolled "deep" into the dark waters, and the first person final shark attack. The best and most interesting upgrade was the mini-sub, which actually improved gameplay a lot.

The Bad
The fourth Jaws was an illogical movie. This also holds the same for the game. Why this shark is so bent on coming after you personally is never explained, and I don't think ever rationally could be. Other aspects of why the hero would take a sea plane out just to bomb cheerfully dancing jellyfish in the bonus levels.... Well, it's best to just not question a man who does something like that.

While it does have the Jaws theme, the rest of the music is bland. Not horrible or grating, but it's not something you're going to want to find a copy of the soundtrack for.

Control as the diver was spotty, but almost forgivable, as the player was underwater. And fighting Jaws was a chore. It took hundreds of hits to actually engage him in the final battle, and is only made tolerable by the "Turbo" setting on a NES Advantage or Max. The last battle is also very boring, and any sense of accomplishment is wiped away by an almost non-existent ending.

I also felt disappointed that this was a bloodless game. There were some NES games that had just a hint of blood. Fighting a killer shark and remembering the first movie, I wanted a blood stain, a missing arm.... something. Sadistic? Perhaps. But that's why you went to see these movies at the time. The original Jaws just happened to be backed by a great story among the gore.

The Bottom Line
During the time, LJN released a grip of movie-themed games to the NES, several of them focusing on popular horror films of the time.

The game said "Jaws", not "Jaws: The Revenge". I was young and naive, and thought I'd be filled with hunting down the shark like Quint and Brody did, weary from the epic battle that could come from this. Only my fingers were weary after pumping countless mini-spears into the shark, and wondering why we were even having this unpleasant confrontation in the first place.

It's an average game. It's not horrible, but it's one that can be played, beaten, and set aside in an hour or so. If the battles had been more varied, and the final confrontation had been more interesting, perhaps it would have been a more satisfying experience. As it stands, I'm looking forward to the next incarnation on the Playstation 2. That looks to be a more satisfying experience, John Williams theme and all.