Dr. Chaos

An NES game so average, and yet so abstract, that you can't help but try it out for curiosity sake.

Dr. Chaos is an action platformer with a horror theme playing around a mad scientist who went too far with creating quantum based warp zones, and unleashing horrific monsters for his brother to the rescue Michael Chaos to battle.

The game is split up into three segments; first are the hallways, which are the shortest ones experienced. They serve as hubs and checkpoints towards the other two segments, and feature nuisance enemies and a main theme that desperately tries to kick in, before you enter one of the many doors.

Now is where the most interesting segment plays out. A pseudo 3D interface appears where you are able to click on anything sticking out using the four commands of "OPEN", "GET", "GO" and "HIT". The first three have obvious results, while "HIT" implies interacting with walls and other areas in order to hit secret achievements.

Serving both as item collection phases, but most of all as mazes, the rooms segment are the most memorable in otherwise an average adventure, as they can also have unexpected visitors popping up, where you will have to kill them in order to proceed.

The last segment are the warp zones themselves, or long corridors as I would like to call them. These are more traditional based levels filled with enemies and a boss at the end. Upon defeating them, you obtain laser pieces which will ultimately be used against the final boss awaiting.

Unfortunately, backtracking is prominent, and when that's combined with the confusing aspect of the rooms segment as to "where the fuck do I go" kind of feelings come and go, you too will understand why the game simply isn't fondly remembered unlike the classics.

Dr. Chaos is a horrible night to have a curse. It has redundant songs playing, an unbalanced part of game design with the overpowered jump boots, and it will frustrate the shit out of you. And yet it's a perfect night to play it right now, with Halloween approaching.

Rating: 6.3