The Addams Family

About This Game

Gameplay

The Addams Family is a side-scrolling action-adventure platform game. The story involves Abigail Craven scheming to obtain The Addams Family's secret wealth. To do this, she brainwashes Uncle Fester, who has just lost his memory, into being an ally. She is also aided by The Judge and the Addams' family attorney, Tully Alford, who takes control of the mansion. Morticia Addams, Pugsley Addams, Wednesday Addams, and Granny go to the house to meet with Tully about the property, only to be kidnapped by Abigail. When Gomez Addams arrives home, he discovers that the other family members are missing. To save his family, Gomez runs, jumps, and squats his way throughout the large mansion infested with ghosts, mutants, monsters, bats and rabbits, as well as stage hazards like stars, swinging clock pendulums, and fire lakes. Puzzle-solving is also involved in saving the Addams family members. For example, Wednesday is found in an ice-themed freezing area and it is up to the player to figure out how to free her. Granny is also trapped in a stove which is turned off by a switch that the player must find.

History

In the late 1980s, British developer Ocean Software gained a reputation for being the leader, and go-to producer, of game tie-ins for computers and consoles, such as RoboCop (1988), Batman (1989), Total Recall (1990), RoboCop 3 (1991), and Hudson Hawk (1991). In April 1991, they began development on a tie-in for an upcoming film based on The Addams Family. This was before the project switched studios from 20th Century Fox to Paramount Pictures. The game was first announced by ACE magazine in June 1991. Shortly before the film's release, film industry journalist David J. Fox reported a widespread trend of video game tie-ins for major film projects. He attributed this to studios looking for other sources of income and promotional methods to make up for a rising decline in theater attendance.