Pap the
Disney Gamer's Highlights:
Goofy's Hysterical History Tour
Developed by: Absolute
Entertainment
System:
Sega Genesis
In the nearly
two years that Gamer Tuesday has
existed, it has covered
everything from Mickey Mouse
titles to games starring the
Disney Princesses. Some games
are based on the Disney movies
while others are based on the
Disney theme parks. Yeah, it has
been a rather eclectic selection
of games. Yet, there has been
one kind of game that hasn't
been covered, until today that
is: Goofy based games. Goofy
first appeared on film as the
silly audience member with the
unforgettable laugh in 1932's
Mickey's Revue. Soon, Goofy
would evolve from a random
audience character to being a
very popular member of Mickey
Mouse's troupe. In his career,
Goofy has been everything: from
a rising movie star to the every
day man, to a single father of
the 90s to being a silly waiter
at the House of Mouse. Goofy has
done it all... except star in
his own video game. That has
been resolved, though, thanks to
Goofy's Hysterical History Tour,
developed by Absolute
Entertainment for the Sega
Genesis.
Don't feel too
bad, though, if you don't
remember this game. The game's
developer, Absolute
Entertainment, wasn't as
renowned as other Disney
developers like Capcom and Sega,
but have had an extensive role
in gaming history. The company
has developed games for some of
the major systems, such as the
Sega CD, Game Boy, the NES, and
PC. Goofy Hysterical History
Tour was released in 1993. Just
two years after its release,
Absolute Entertainment closed
its doors for good.
In Goofy's
Hysterical History Tour, Goofy
is a janitor in a very famous
museum owned by none other than
Professor Ludgwig Von Drake. At
closing time, he is told by the
professor that the museum must
be spotless and that he must not
make anymore mistakes. If he
doesn't screw up, he will
receive a promotion. Pete, the
museum's other janitor,
overhears this conversation, and
plans to ruin Goofy's chances by
messing up various exhibits.
Now, Goofy must travel through
time in order to recover the
missing pieces of the museum if
he ever hopes to go far in his
job.
As it stands,
the game is yet another
platformer starring a famous
Disney character. Despite that,
Absolute Entertainment tried to
change the formula by
implementing Goofy's own
invention: the Extend-O-Hand.
While it was created to aid him
in his job at the museum, it
soon becomes an essential tool
in Goofy's quest. Using the hand
allows him to access hard to
reach places and swing across
gaps and chasms. And use it he
will as he will travel through
various time periods, from the
prehistoric age to medieval
times.
In terms of
technical prowess, Goofy's
Hysterical History Tour fits
well with the Disney theme. The
characters are very large and
expressive, the worlds detailed
and the music and sound are
appropriate. Goofy even has his
trademark yell and laugh intact.
And... that's it, really.
Goofy's Hysterical History Tour
was released at the height of
high profile Disney games like
Mickey Mania. Many games shined
thanks through their
presentation and exceptional
polish. Goofy's Hysterical
History Tour just does things
well enough. It is polished
enough that fans will enjoy
playing through it, but it isn't
memorable enough to go back to
it again and again.
Still, as one of
the few Goofy based games out
there, Goofy's Hysterical
History Tour is still worth
highlighting and checking out.
If you missed out on the game
when it was originally released,
it is worth checking out now. It
may not be groundbreaking in its
design, but it is certainly as
lively as the Goofster himself!