Bob played “Terminator 2D: No Fate”…

One of the rules for the enlightened gamer is: avoid licensed games like the plague. A development budget heavily slashed by the cost of the license, a rushed release to match the current events of said license, and constraints or obstacles imposed on creators by the marketing department often result in a game adapted from a well-known license being a complete disaster. Exceptions exist with passable games: “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers” back in the 128-bit era or “Hogwarts Legacy” currently. There is also the exceptional case of “The Witcher”: it was the game that made the license famous, not the other way around. And what about “Terminator”? Overall, it’s a disaster! For the first movie, there was a 3D (rudimentary) DOS adaptation that left no impression and, as far as I recall, a rather uninteresting 2D adaptation released on NES, among other platforms; for the sequel, I remember an arcade shooting game—adapted notably on Super Nintendo—and a 2D action game on pretty much every platform from that time. I especially recall it being horrible to play! The retro reviews I’ve checked confirm this memory, for both the arcade version_¹ and (especially) for the SNES²! The situation improved somewhat as the film franchise lost quality, but overall, the “Terminator” franchise has never really been significant in the gaming world!

So, why did old Bob become interested in the latest adaptation of Sarah Connor and Skynet’s universe? First, because the trailer was really enticing, with its pixel art graphics recreating memorable scenes from the movie. Also, because Bob lived through the N64 precedent known as “GoldenEye 007.” A note for the young ones: “GoldenEye 007” is the adaptation of the eponymous film, developed by Rare for the Nintendo 64, which revolutionized the first-person shooter (FPS, then still called Doom-like) genre upon its release. Among all licensed games, “GoldenEye 007” is probably the best, and one reason that explains its quality is that the developers were passionate and faced neither budgetary constraints nor time restrictions—the game was released two years after the movie, a marketing heresy! So, thinking it was made by passionate developers without marketing pressure—after all, “Terminator 2″ was released 35 years ago, and the marketing teams are probably at the local retirement home, with the license’s news being rather quiet—”Terminator 2D: No Fate” could turn out to be something not bad. Or even good!

And I wasn’t wrong. The developers (Bitmap Bureau³) are passionate individuals aiming to create modern 16-bit games (for the young ones: 16-bit games are from the time of the Super Nintendo/Mega Drive, around the mid-90s—the exact time of “Terminator 2”). Surprisingly, I had never paid attention to this studio before, but their other productions seem interesting enough that I plan to take a closer look soon. The publisher, Reef Entertainment⁴ (English, nobody’s perfect), doesn’t have any major achievements but seems to have recently specialized in Terminator games! And the target audience? Veteran gamers from the 80s and 90s who stubbornly refuse to play on their smartphones (except in waiting rooms on cholesterol test days or prostate exams…). Luring in those in their forties with an iconic film from their youth and big pixels that bring back memories of adolescent Wednesday afternoons to make money might be sneaky, but it worked on Bob. And it seems to work in general, as the game, released just under four months ago, has already sold 32,000 copies on Steam (Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft figures aren’t public, but according to the annual report by research firm Sensor Tower⁵, Steam represents about 42% of the market for downloads, excluding Nintendo—so, the game has probably sold more than 70,000 copies to date). Does that seem like a small number? Yet it’s a good figure for the studio, which primarily targets a niche market. The available figures on gamalytic.com show 32k for Terminator, 7k for Xeno Crisis, and 3.5k for Battle Axe. Only “Final Vendetta” has sold better (627k), but it’s been available for 4 years. That said, is it a good figure for a licensed game? I couldn’t say for sure!

Obviously, the temptation was high to try and offload a bunch of plastic junk to nostalgic gamers, and the official site⁶ showcases killer collector’s editions at outrageous prices. But by sticking to the digital version, the experience is limited to €30 (digital is the bane©, but there doesn’t seem to be a “normal” physical version, just “limited” editions, which are even worse!). We’ll forgive this attempt to empty the pockets of gamers who, given their age, likely have a family to feed, because developers are just like everyone else: they have taxes to pay!

But enough digression: how is “Terminator 2D: No Fate”? Honestly, it’s the best game on the Super Nintendo! At least, that’s how I felt while playing through it. While it doesn’t invent anything new, it hits that nostalgic chord with multiple references to classic games: “Contra III” (known as “Super Probotector” in Europe), “Battletoads,” and the aforementioned “Terminator 2” games… Bob enjoyed making some YouTube “shorts”⁷ showcasing some of these nods, which T2DN delivers as if reciting its scales. All of this is wrapped in truly beautiful pixel art and set to music with great skill. The game also offers variety: though it’s primarily a run and gun, it includes chase scenes, stealth, and even a beat ’em up level. These sequences have varying levels of interest, but they align with what seems to have guided the developers: recreating the movie in pixel art. The transition scenes are little gems in this regard, and the attention to detail in the levels is almost obsessive!

Sure, one could argue that “Terminator 2D: No Fate” is a bit short, that the T-800 only appears in three levels—one of which is optional—or that it lacks challenge. These are the most common negative critiques, even though the game has generally received a good reception. Regarding length, I prefer a short, well-crafted experience over a game that drags on without rhythm. And for the challenge? Honestly, today’s gamers don’t want to replay the same section twenty times before getting through it, unless that’s the very concept of the game. I think there’s a bit of insincerity in this critique; I even read on a forum where a player complained the game was too easy until the final boss, which suddenly became too difficult. Make up your mind!
Unlike the so-called gamers who whine about a game being too short and too easy, Bob actually played those classics when they were first released. The truth is, difficulty was often used to artificially extend short games, mainly due to technical limitations. Take “Contra III,” a legend among legends: a good player can finish it in under 30 minutes, as with the first “Metal Slug”… You’ll need just ten more minutes for “T2DNF,” and its replayability is at least as good as “Contra III’s.” Admittedly, three decades separate the two, which explains why “Terminator 2D: No Fate” remains a treat for nostalgic gamers while “Contra III” is a timeless classic. But to criticize a retro game for being too short when it’s actually longer than the classics it references is somewhat flimsy. And if you miss that absurd difficulty from the past, you can always play with clothespins attached to sensitive areas; that’ll certainly fulfill your inner masochistic desires!

In short, “Terminator 2D: No Fate” appealed to me for what it is: a gateway to my adolescence, an homage to a cinema classic, and a retro experience with modern comfort. It accompanied me for two weekends and will remain in my memory as one of my best childhood memories on the Super Nintendo. And creating this memory on a quadragenarian’s Switch 2 is the feat achieved by Bitmap Bureau, and I thank them for it!

Bob Dupneu