VIDEO GAME REVIEW: The Great Gatsby (1990?)

I'm sure many of you are thinking, "What the heck? There's a video game on The Great Gatsby?!" And yes indeed there is, and while it's not the most original thing in my opinion, it certainly is something to be realized. I first encountered this game through a friend on Facebook via the feed. Apparently, as the story goes, this was a game for the NES found at a yard sale by some people who decided to upload the ROM onto a flash file. Dated around 1990, it would appear to be, from the description, a cancelled platformer by some anonymous company. Now, mind you, some of this information I take with a grain of salt, the people could have just made this game completely on their own, but their lips are dubiously sealed. No matter, though. Because this is some interesting stuff...

For those of you unfamilliar with the story (shame on you, if you're not). Great Gatsby is an amazing book by F. Scott Fitzgerald about a young drifter in New York who gets a taste of 1920s high society after being taken under the wing by a wealthy man named Gatsby. What follows in the game is a very loose adaptation of sorts as you battle your way through parties, train rides, etc. in what is an odd but engaging mix between Mega Man and Super Mario Bros.. You pick up coins for points, get a hat for a powerup to your boomerang-like weapon, and duke your way through flappers, waiters, bootleggers, and other 1920s archetypes. It's incredibly campy, but there's a certain charm that kept me playing, and although I haven't beaten it yet, I will, eventually.

For those of you who are particularly interested - Click Here to play.

7/10

Peace,
- Jon