Beavis & Butt-Head (Sega Genesis)
Could this be a hidden gem for the Sega Genesis?
Beavis & Butthead on the Sega Megadrive (Genesis) was a real nice surprise; a thinking mans game. Probably alienated their fanbase, but one of my favourite Beavis & Butthead games was Do U (1998) on the PC, a point and click adventure. In a lot of ways, this game feels a precursor to all that. The original Beavis & Butthead adventure game was laid out in a familiar ‘beat ’em up’ style game, but really made you think outside the box.
This wasn’t a kind game either, it was totally possible to screw up or get beaten down by thugs. I know I went weapon crazy and bought a few things in game that meant I didn’t have enough money to finish the game. The password system is bad too (it seemed to only save a few items and my ticket pieces) and finally… The couch fishing was painful. I consider myself a pretty quick button-basher but even I had to go under some serious training to pull off this bit. if you have limp fingers, you really don’t stand a chance.
All these things working against you, but with enough trial and error you’ll find there’s plenty here to enjoy. Beavis & Butthead Do U on the PC was set on a college campus, what had me really excited about this Mega Drive game was the fact you had the whole town to explore. heaps of characters, locations and even what felt like boss fights. Beavis & Butthead is an awesome mix of adventure with a dash of action, and it feels safe and familiar enough with the action elements, but pushes the boundaries with it’s puzzle solving.
One of the reasons I had to pick this game up was for the multiplayer options. One player can take on Beavis while the other plays as Butthead. It’s not as ‘pick up and play’ as games like Streets of Rage but it does offer a very unique experience on the Mega Drive and for anyone after something a little different to play with a buddy, it’s still a great option.
So the big questions… If the Mega Drive version is so unique and different, what did the Super Nintendo fans get? A bland side scroller. I guess it was a lot safer than Beavis & Butthead on the Sega but it’s not often I can celebrate a game being better on the Mega Drive… Looks like we can chalk this up as a win (next to getting blood in Mortal Kombat 3).