“R-Rated in 8-Bits – Terminator 2: Judgment Day”

“What’s wrong with your eyes?”

-Terminator 2: Judgment Day

Darkness has a way of springing up where you least expect it. Even a console as innocent as the NES can play host to all manner of creepy creations. To avoid allusion to the video game crash of the ’80s, Nintendo advertised its flagship as more of a toy than a home computer, but this didn’t stop the system from collecting a variety of mature franchises. And I’m not talking about the random dash of wanton violence, a la’ Hitler’s exploding head at the conclusion of Bionic Commando. No, I’m talking about franchises that were R-rated from their very inception. No matter the degree of bloodletting or horrific monster on display, many a mature title found itself sanitized down to NES-friendly standards. The ’80s and ’90s saw this bizarre quirk sink its claws into multiple franchises. After all, Aliens were doing battle with Predator in action-figure form years before they’d after receive a cinematic showdown. So today, we’ll explore the R-rated oddities that grace what’s an otherwise PG console. How did these designers portray such mature franchises in family-friendly fashion? What dark elements made it into the final product versus those shaved down for general audiences? It’s time to find out. Join me, fellow retro warriors, and rev up that pixelated chainsaw, ’cause we’re about to dive into “R-Rated in 8-Bits”!

A celebrated science-fiction classic, Terminator 2: Judgment Day earned its legendary status via a combination of intense action, ground-breaking special effects, and deep themes of fate vs. personal choice. That doesn’t mean it shies away from R-rated content. Metal fingertips puncture skulls, bullets tear through flesh (not all of which contain an endoskeleton underneath), and let’s not forget how the series is founded on the near-extinction of the human race. Seeing Linda Hamilton skeletonized in that fiery dream sequence utterly traumatized my young brain! The high body count and violent subject matter are fitting. These are terminators we are talking about– machines made exclusively for the purpose of executing human beings. With all this gunfire and body horror on display, how in the world could the film translate into a remotely-family friend NES adaptation?

Though the film is nigh-legendary, the NES adaptation of Terminator 2 is more likely to elicit a sneer than a smile. Most retro gamers place it alongside other LJN-licensed cash-grabs like Uncanny X-Men and Back to the Future Parts 2 & 3 *shudder*. I’ll argue that T2 for NES fares far better than its fellow cinema adaptations. The game accurately follows the movie’s storyline, and even more impressively, introduces play mechanics that mirror the overall themes of the film. True, a sliver of nostalgia drives my cause, as this was one of my first Nintendo games, but there’s more going on under the surface of T2 than is readily apparent.

A Mixed Bag

Let’s get the cons out of the way first. Terminator 2 starts off on a punch-laden grind. The bikers you’ll do battle with are accurate to the film, albeit numbering in the dozens rather than a single bar’s patronage.  It’s a slow-going slugfest. Level 2 sees you find a firearm, but you’ll use it more to remove obstacles and open gates. The combo of speed and awkward angles took me forever to beat, as not only must you dodge incoming debris, but also switch from firing forward and backward. Take too much time firing at the T-1000’s big rig, and you’ll slam into a gate. Focus too much on that incoming gate, and the T-800 will kiss the grill of a semi. While Level 1 was tedious and plodding, Level 2 is a gauntlet of twitch-reflex peril.

Survive these initial trials, however, and your persistence pays off. Level 3 sees you rescue Sara Conner from the mental hospital. You’ll finally be able to turn that shotgun against enemies, but with a unique catch. Just as in the film, John Connor makes the T-800 swear an oath: He cannot take a human life. The security guards that swarm the hallways of Level 3 won’t hesitate to fire at you, but you’ve got to take the extra second to duck before shooting back. Yes, you can kill your enemies, but you’re actually rewarded for your mercy. This mechanic not only introduces a strategic element to what could otherwise have been a mindless shooter stage but also mirrors a key theme of the film. Arnold isn’t just sparing lives because John Connor told him to. Well, okay, he is at first, but as the film progresses, you realize he’s actually learning to value human life.

Being asked to duck and fire, nullifying enemies rather than simply dispatching them, really stuck out in my head. In one simple move, your sprite now follows the character arc of the T-800, itself! The film concludes with Sara Connor stating “If a Terminator, a machine, can learn the value of human life, maybe we can too.” And all it took to represent was a single mechanic. Ducking and shooting have been used in countless games before and after, but this is the only example I can recall where doing so allows you to spare enemy lives.

Granted, your reward for said pacifism is the biggest, strongest gun in Level 4. That’s irony so thick you could slice it with a liquimetal-handsword, but even on this level, John’s order applies. Swat teams may pepper you with bullets, but you’re still tasked with bringing each down in non-lethal fashion. Because just like in the film, these aren’t bad guys. They’re law officers who believe they’re stopping a terrorist. You’re the one actually taking the high ground and sparing their lives.

That’s pretty dang impressive for an 8-bit port to pull off. Just goes to show there’s a lot more to NES’s Terminator 2: Judgment Day than is readily apparent. The theme of personal choice plays right into the entire point of the Terminator franchise:

“There is no fate but what we make for ourselves”.

Thanks for reading, and may you always be in charge of your own destiny.

Matt Lotti has explored the realms of paper and pixel in equal measure. An avid collector of both Magic the Gathering and classic NES & Gameboy, he feels imagination is the kindling that keeps the fires of gaming alive. This holds true to both classic titles and new adventures. What matters most is the creative energy involved. Each experience is a new story, and all stories deserve their time around the campfire. So grab an ale and settle in. After all, it’s dangerous to go alone. Matt Lotti can be found on Twitter @Intrepid_tautog.