Video games usually try to make you feel like a hero. Or at least, they try to make the act of playing them feel like it serves some kind of logical purpose. Then there’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde on NES. Released in North America in 1989 by Bandai, this game doesn't care about your feelings. It doesn't care if you're having fun. It’s a masterpiece of frustration that has somehow gained a permanent seat in the hall of fame for "worst games ever," mostly thanks to the early days of the Angry Video Game Nerd. But if we’re being honest, there’s a weird, dark logic to it that most people completely miss because they’re too busy being blown up by a guy in a top hat.
The Most Misunderstood Stress Simulator on the NES
The game is loosely—and I mean loosely—based on Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1886 novella. You play as Dr. Jekyll. He’s on his way to the church to get married to Miss Millicent. That sounds nice, right? Wrong. Every single person in London is out to get you. It’s basically a walking simulator where the world hates you.
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Here’s the thing about Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde NES: the mechanics are actually a literal interpretation of the source material's internal conflict. You have two meters. Life and Sanity. If your Sanity meter drops because you keep getting poked by birds, tripped by cats, or blown up by "the bomber," you transform into Mr. Hyde.
Once you’re Hyde, the game flips. The world turns into a hellscape. The sky is dark. There are monsters everywhere. You aren't walking to a wedding anymore; you're just trying to survive. You have to kill monsters to push your way back toward the "Jekyll" side of the meter. If Hyde reaches the same physical point in the level where Jekyll was, a bolt of lightning strikes you and the game ends. It’s a literal race against your own shadow. It's punishing. It's often unfair. It's kinda brilliant in a masochistic way.
Why the Controls Feel Like Garbage (On Purpose?)
Let's talk about the cane. Jekyll has a cane. It’s useless. If you try to hit a bee with it, you’ll probably miss and get stung anyway. Most players quit within three minutes because Jekyll moves like he’s walking through waist-deep molasses while everyone else on screen is sprinting.
The frustration is the point.
Think about Jekyll’s character. He’s a repressed Victorian gentleman trying to maintain his composure while the world irritates him to death. When you play Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde NES, you aren't playing a platformer. You're playing a game about not losing your temper. Every time a small child shoots a slingshot at your head and your sanity meter ticks down, you feel that same irritation. It’s immersive through annoyance. Is that good game design? Probably not. But it is unique.
The Legend of the Bomber and Other Horrors
If you've played this for more than five seconds, you know the Bomber. He’s this guy in a top hat who just walks up and drops a bomb at your feet. You can't really jump over it easily because Jekyll’s jump arc is pathetic. You just have to take it.
The game is filled with these "unavoidable" hazards:
- The Bird: It poops on you. Frequently.
- The Dogs: They run low and are hard to hit with that stubby cane.
- The Singer: McCullen. She sings notes that physically hurt you.
- The Graveyard: When you’re Hyde, this place is a nightmare of skulls and demons.
Most NES games of that era followed the Mario or Mega Man blueprint. Precise jumps. Clear patterns. This game throws that out the window for a chaotic, RNG-heavy mess. Honestly, the Japanese version (published by Toho) was actually even harder if you can believe that. It had more enemies and even weirder hit detection. By the time it hit the States, some of the "horror" elements were toned down, but the core misery remained intact.
The Secret to Actually Beating Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde NES
Believe it or not, you can beat this game. Most people never see the ending because they get stuck in an endless loop of transforming into Hyde and dying. The trick is managing the transformation.
You actually want to avoid killing enemies as Hyde until you’ve moved forward a bit, but that's impossible because the screen scrolls automatically to the left. As Jekyll, you scroll right. As Hyde, you scroll left. The game is trying to force these two versions of the character to meet. If they meet, you're dead.
To win, Jekyll has to reach the church before Hyde catches up to his "location" in the demonic world. If you reach the church as Jekyll, you get a screen showing him and Millicent getting married. It’s a very pixelated, very 1989 version of a happy ending. If you somehow manage to finish the Hyde levels first (which is nearly impossible for most mortals), you get a different, much darker ending where Jekyll transforms into Hyde at the altar and kills everyone.
Why collectors still want this cartridge
Despite its reputation as one of the worst games ever, it’s a staple for NES collectors. It’s not particularly rare—you can usually find a loose cart for $20 to $30—but it has "character." It represents a time when developers were still experimenting with how to tell a story through mechanics, even if they failed miserably at making it fun.
There's also a certain prestige in saying you've beaten it. It’s a badge of honor in the retro gaming community. It’s the "Dark Souls" of bad licensed games. You don't beat it with skill; you beat it with patience and a high tolerance for birds pooping on your head.
Final Advice for Brave Players
If you’re going to plug this into your original NES or fire up an emulator, go in with the right mindset. Don't expect a fun action game. Treat it like a psychological experiment.
- Don't fight everyone. As Jekyll, just keep moving. Trying to hit enemies with your cane usually leads to taking more damage than it's worth.
- Learn the Hyde patterns. When you transform, your Psycho Wave (Hyde's projectile) moves in a weird sine wave. Learn the rhythm of it. It’s your only hope for clearing the screen and getting back to Jekyll.
- Watch the meter. Your Sanity (Life) and Hyde (Transformation) meters are everything. If you see your sanity getting low, find a "safe" spot to transform so you don't get stuck in a boss fight or a heavy hazard zone.
The game is a mess, but it’s our mess. It’s a piece of gaming history that proves that even a "bad" game can be memorable if it’s weird enough. Just watch out for the guy in the top hat. He’s always waiting.
Next Steps for Your Retro Journey:
Check your local retro game shop's bargain bin; this title often hides there because of its reputation. If you're playing on original hardware, ensure your pins are cleaned with 90% isopropyl alcohol, as the game's glitchy nature is only made worse by a bad connection. For those interested in the deep lore, track down the original Japanese manual scans online to see the enemy names that were lost in translation.