Introduction
To the disbelief of many younger gamers, there was a time when licensed games were not synonymous with crappy cash grabs. This is due to the fact that these games were developed by 3rd party powerhouses like Capcom and Konami, and were made with quality gameplay in mind.
A shining example of a stellar licensed game from the 16-bit era was SNES’ Goof Troop, a game based off of the Disney cartoon series of the same name. Growing up, I was not a huge fan of Disney’s television-based animated series, but Goof Troop was one of the major exceptions. I watched the show religiously, which is likely what lead to my parents purchasing the video game adaptation for me. Little did they know, they had purchased one of the greatest multiplayer experiences on the SNES, and a game I still play more than 20 years later.
Review
Visuals 8/10:
Solid sprite work
The graphics in Goof Troop are very well done and take into consideration the source material. The sprites are fairly detailed and colorful; Goofy looks like goofy, Max looks like Max, and the on-screen enemies are a colorful band of brigands, with two main builds diversified by palette swaps and alternate attack patterns. These colorful enemies are supplemented with well-designed wildlife, ghosts and suits of armor that really add a little variety to enemy types that may otherwise become visually monotonous. This is further enhanced by larger, and fairly impressive, boss sprites that can be seen at the end of each level.
Colorful environments really keep the game interesting.
The levels are similarly vibrant, with locales varied enough to keep the player’s interest. Areas vary from the sandy dunes of a beach, to a volcanic island, to the haunted innards of a castle, to subterranean caverns, to the climax in the ultimate encounter in the pirate ship. Each level is unique and a different enough between screens to avoid intra-level monotony and overall provides and exceptional setting for this style of game.
A nice touch, but could be better
Nestled between each level is a bit of story dialogue accompanied by a slide show of more detailed animations. I have seen better quality animations on the SNES for sure, but it is nice to get further visual detail between levels.
Overall, the visuals are certainly not the best on the SNES, but the colorful characters and vibrant environments provide an impressive backdrop for the gameplay.
Sound 6.5/10
The music in Goof Troop is actually upbeat and fun, incorporating some of the sounds of the TV show, however some of the tracks loop early and can become irritating if one spends too much time in a particular level. Even these tracks are themselves solid tunes, so the music can still be considered above average.
The sound effects in the game are incredibly cartoon-y and appropriate for a Disney adaptation. The “death” sounds are comical and accompanied by a melodramatic animation that sends the player flying off the screen, pots and stones give a satisfying crack when impacting enemies, and the grappling hook’s “boing” noise makes stunning baddies entertaining.
Overall the game’s sound is above average, but will not blow anyone away.
Gameplay 8/10 (Single Player), 9/10 (Co-op)
When I was growing up my dad was very selective with regards to which games he would play with me; he had no interest in games outside of the 70s and 80s arcade scene, with the exception of a few gems. These included Street Fighter II, the Super Mario Bros. Series, and Goof Troop. Being mentioned with the likes of those games gives an indication of the universal appeal that this game has, if it is given a chance.
This universal appeal is further exemplified by my wife’s adoration of the game. She is not an avid gamer, and is very particular with her gaming choices. Despite this, she has incredibly good taste in, and high standards for, video games, being a huge fan of series like Streets of Rage and Super Mario Bros.
Tell me this ISN’T a Legend of Zelda Dungeon. Complete with a cracked wall and all.
What is it then that makes this game so universally appealing? Well to start the game is designed to essentially be like The Legend of Zelda without the weapons; this is a completely different approach from the successful platformers Capcom generally released as licensed Disney adaptations at the time, making the experience feel unique and stand out from the crowd.
Pots, barrels and bombs are the main weapons in the game. Simply pick up and throw.
This unique playstyle and the absence of a main weapon brings the top-down puzzle solving to center stage, yielding an interesting variation on the Zelda clone. Oh yeah, and the game is freaking Co-op. To get a feeling for what this game is like, it is appropriate to imagine solving Zelda-esque puzzles with 2-players, while using pots as the primary means of attack.
The puzzles range from incredibly simple to mildly difficult, which is acceptable considering it is a game aimed primarily at children. Most puzzles consist of kicking blocks into specified indentations in the ground. There are also different types of blocks, including ones that explode after a set period of time, which adds a time constraint to some of the puzzles. As an adult most of the puzzles in the game can be figured out rather quickly, but there are a few that remain challenging, especially some of the ones in the final level.
To take the game beyond simple puzzle solving, there are also item pick ups that add another layer of depth and strategy to the gameplay. Items include keys, planks of wood used to create bridges, bells to attract and distract enemies, shovels to dig up treasure, and a grappling hook, which not only can be used to create bridges, but can retrieve distant items and stun enemies. These items open battle strategies, especially in co-op, in which one player can attract the enemies with the bell or stun them with the grappling hook, while the other player hastily solves a puzzle or picks off the enemies one by one.
Stalfos boss battle. They throw their heads too. Legend of Goof Troop.
Each level culminates in a boss battle which usually involve catching thrown objects and firing them back at the bosses. They are fun and mildly challenging relative to dealing with other enemies in the game and a great change of pace from the more methodical puzzle solving.
Character select screen. Can also be accessed after password entry so can carry on a co-op game solo and vice versa.
The game’s characters, Goofy and Max, also have distinct play styles adding even further strategy and diversity of gameplay. Goofy is much stronger and can kill almost all enemies with one hit. His power is balanced by a slow movement speed, making getting around and avoiding enemies a bit more difficult. Max, as expected, is way faster than Goofy and can easily outrun nearly all enemies. The downside is he has to hit enemies at least twice to kill them, with the exception of the weakest enemies in the game. My personal preference is Max, considering I am incredibly impatient and prefer out-maneuvering the on-screen enemies anyway, but Goofy is an equally valid choice.
Despite how incredible this game is, it suffers in single player mode; it just isn’t as fun without another player. It is fully playable alone, but the game was clearly designed with 2 players in mind. Goof Troop is also only 5 levels, which is a shame because it is otherwise a truly high quality experience. I would pay money for even just 3 more levels in this game, and maybe just a bit higher difficulty.
Overall, this is a can’t miss co-op game for the SNES and is a must have for everyone who owns the legendary console. The price is also generally reasonable, so it won’t be necessary to re-mortgage the house to play this one, unless a new or CIB copy is desired.
[Don’t be afraid to follow the Amazon link, it for some reason generally shows the price of a 300ish dollar new copy. As of February 2018, a loose copy seems to be around $15 US]
Resources
Passwords
- Level 2:
Banana, Red Diamond, Cherry, Banana, Cherry
- Level 3:
Cherry, Red Diamond, Blue Diamond, Cherry, Banana
- Level 4:
Red Diamond, Cherry, Blue Diamond, Blue Diamond, Red Diamond
- Level 5:
Banana, Cherry, Blue Diamond, Red Diamond, Banana
Tips
All the games items in one room. Makes a reviewers life easy.
- Use the bell to distract enemies with one player while the other solves puzzles or kills them with pots. It is also possible to corral the enemies into one spot, even if wall separates the player from them. This opens up the possibility to kill them all with one kicked block.
- Use the grappling hook to stun enemies and push them off edges into the abyss for easy kills. Especially useful with Max
- Blue Diamonds give extra continues so DO NOT MISS THEM
- Red Diamonds give extra lives
- Cherries give one heart, Bananas give two hearts. Any amount of hearts gives the player an extra hit before dying, eliminating the otherwise one hit KOs.
- Collecting 7 hearts gives an extra life.
- Pots can also be thrown at mirrors and cracked walls to open secret passages.
- Press “B” to raise hands above head. Walking around like this and positioning the character correctly allows them to catch thrown objects. Be careful, spiked objects can’t be caught.
Goof Troop: Extreme Edition
A ROM hack that increases the difficulty of the game by way of alternate enemy and item placement. Special thanks to reddit user u/ATG77 for bringing this to my attention.
https://www.romhacking.net/hacks/3492/
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Below is an article I wrote that includes the Top Ten Japanese-Only SEGA Genesis/Mega Drive Games. Number 6 on the list is Pepenga Pengo, a game similar to Goof Troop in style with an added Bomberman flair. It is truly an exceptional game and is definitely worth checking out. Follow the link below for more information on that and other incredible games.