Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde

The Internet has been one of the greatest inventions in history. Not only has it brought people together and made idea exchange the easiest it has ever been, but it has also brought to light many obscure things from the past. Games that were largely ignored when they released became infamous years later after online videos and reviews became commonplace. Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde gained infamy that way, and, after playing it myself, it definitely deserved it.

The goal of the game is to get Dr. Jekyll to his wedding while keeping his evil alter-ego Mr. Hyde at bay. That turns out to be a lot harder than it sounds as just about everyone in England is out to either kill him or send him into a frenzy as Hyde. All Dr. Jekyll can do... repeat, ALL that Dr. Jekyll can do is jump and TRY to dodge the relentless attacks. That's nearly impossible as enemies don't have clear patterns, and some attacks have outright unfair ranges. The guy that drops bombs can nail you even when the bomb is nowhere close. Staying as Jekyll becomes unbelievably frustrating.

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Playing as Hyde is a very different experience but almost as frustrating. I can forgive the fact that Hyde isn't starting bar fights or raping prostitutes like he did in the novel but is instead just killing various demons with punches and his "Psycho Wave" projectile. What I can't forgive is that flying mines can kill Hyde in only two hits and, if Hyde takes too long to turn back to Jekyll, he dies instantly. When he turns back into Jekyll, he does get health back, but the amount decreases each time he changes, making the longer stages nearly impossible.

It's a shame the game design is so broken because it does have its good points. The visuals are actually quite impressive for the Nintendo Entertainment System with extremely detailed backgrounds and objects. There are even some nice touches like the cherub fountain that got me chuckling a little. The music and sound effects are okay; they do blare a bit like the bomb blast, but I have heard much worse on the NES. The controls are functional; I never found myself fighting the mechanics while getting my ass kicked.

Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde is a tragedy. It did have impressive aesthetics, functional controls, and a neat premise. However, the level design is so frustrating and terrible that there was no redeeming it. I wish I could say it didn't deserve the late bashing that the Internet's given it. Instead, I think it just needs to run itself through on Utterson's sword.