No Escape (video game)

{{for2|the 2000 PC game|No Escape (2000 video game)|the 1983 Atari 2600 video game|No Escape!}}

{{Infobox video game

| title = No Escape

| image = No_Escape_game.jpg

| caption = SNES box art

| developer = Bits Corporation

| publisher = Psygnosis (Genesis)
Sony Imagesoft (SNES)

| platforms = Genesis, Super NES

| released = Genesis
{{vgrelease|NA|September 1, 1994}}SNES
{{vgrelease|NA|November 1994}}

| genre = Action, platform

| modes = Single-player

}}

No Escape is a video game developed by Bits Studios and published by Psygnosis for the Sega Genesis and by Sony Imagesoft for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, based on the film of the same name.

Gameplay

No Escape is a game in which the player is the inmate Robbins trying to escape the Absolom penal colony island.

Development and release

No Escape was developed by the British Bits Studios. Versions were made for the SNES and Sega Genesis. The game was programmed by Steve Howard, who also worked for the company on its SNES film tie-in games Terminator 2 and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. The three games share Howard's source code.{{cite web | author=dreamkatcha | date=August 1, 2020 | title=Games coder Steve Howard discusses the console platformers, Terminator 2 and No Escape | url=https://archive.org/details/steve-howard-interview-terminator-no-escape-dreamkatcha/page/n13/mode/2up | website=Archive.org | accessdate=December 31, 2024}} Frankenstein and the SNES edition of No Escape, which were produced simultaneously, were released by Sony Imagesoft.{{cite magazine | author=Szczepaniak, John | date=May 2011 | title=The Making Of... Resident Evil Gaiden | url=https://archive.org/details/retro-gamer-raspberry-pi-buenos-aires/Retro%20Gamer%20089/page/78/mode/1up | magazine=Retro Gamer | publisher=Imagine Media | issue=89 | page=78 | issn=1742-3155}}{{cite magazine | author=Gillen, Marilyn A. | date=July 30, 1994 | title=The Enter*Active File: Mickey Mouse Leads All-Star Cast For Sony Imagesoft | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aQgEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA104 | magazine=Billboard | publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc. | volume=100 | issue=31 | page=104 | issn=0006-2510}} No Escape for the Genesis was published by Psygnosis.{{cite magazine | author=Hardin, John W. | date=June 1995 | title=Console: No Escape | url=https://archive.org/details/electronic-games-1995-06/page/86/mode/1up | magazine=Electronic Games | publisher=Decker Publishing | volume=3 | issue=6 | page=86 | issn=0730-6687}}

A Sega CD port was announced and advertised for release by Sony Imagesoft{{cite magazine | author=Mean Machines staff | date=September 1994 | title=CES Directory: Your Guide to the Show | url=https://archive.org/details/mean-machines-sega-magazine-23/page/n12/mode/1up | magazine=Mean Machines Sega | publisher=EMAP | issue=23 | page=13 | issn=0967-9014}}{{cite magazine | author=EGM staff | date=December 1994 | title=Next Wave: New Soft News | url=https://archive.org/details/Electronic_Gaming_Monthly_65/page/n173/mode/1up | magazine=Electronic Gaming Monthly | publisher=Sendai Publishing | issue=65 | page=150 | issn=1058-918X}}{{cite magazine | author=Sony Imagesoft | date=January 1995 | title=Buy 2 Get 1 Free | url=https://archive.org/details/electronic-games-1995-01/page/33/mode/1up | magazine=Electronic Games | publisher=Decker Publications | volume=2 | issue=11 | page=33 | issn=0730-6687}} but was cancelled.{{cite magazine | author=Mega Power | date=October 1994 | title=Stop Press! Sony Kick Out CD Titles | url=https://archive.org/details/mega-power-uk-16/page/n6/mode/1up | magazine=Mega Power | publisher=Paragon Publishing | issn=0969-8434 | issue=16 | page=7}} Former producer Mike Arkin stated that it did not ship due to the Sony's realization the console was a failure. He claimed to have been gifted quite possibly the only physical copy of the Sega CD version of the game, but that he had misplaced it.{{cite web | author=Horowitz, Ken | date=December 22, 2023 | title=Interview: Mike Arkin (Game Producer) | url=https://www.sega-16.com/2023/12/interview-mike-arkin-game-producer/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241124214735/https://www.sega-16.com/2023/12/interview-mike-arkin-game-producer/ | archive-date=November 24, 2024 | website=Sega-16.com | accessdate=December 31, 2024}}

Reception

{{VG Reviews

| Allgame = {{rating|2.5|5}} (SNES/GEN){{cite web | author=Weiss, Brett Alan | title=No Escape | url=https://www.allgame.com/game.phpid=22293 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141115211810/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=22293 | archive-date=November 15, 2014 | website=AllGame | accessdate=December 31, 2024 | url-status=dead}}{{cite web | author=Weiss, Brett Alan | title=No Escape | url=http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=20234 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141116142259/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=20234 | archive-date=November 16, 2014 | website=AllGame | accessdate=December 31, 2024 | url-status=dead}}

| GamePro = {{Rating|3.125|5}} (GEN){{cite magazine | author=Neves, Lawrence | date=May 1995 | title=ProReview: No Escape | url=https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_070_May_1995/page/n51/mode/1up | magazine=GamePro | publisher=IDG | issue=70 | page= | issn=1042-8658}}

| NGen = {{rating|1|5}} (GEN){{cite magazine|title=Finals|magazine=Next Generation|issue=5|publisher=Imagine Media|date=May 1995|page=99|url=https://archive.org/details/next-generation-24-dec-1996/NEXT%20Generation%2005%20May%201995/page/n80/mode/1up|issn=1078-9693|author=Next Generation staff}}

| rev1 = Electronic Games

| rev1Score = C (GEN)

|rev2 = VideoGames

|rev2Score = 5/10 (GEN){{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/video-games-june-1995/page/84/mode/1up|title=Capsule Reviews - No Escape|magazine=VideoGames - The Ultimate Gaming Magazine|issue=77|publisher=Larry Flynt Publications|date=June 1995|page=84|author=VideoGames staff|issn=1059-2938}}

}}

Next Generation reviewed the Genesis version of the game, rating it one star out of five, and stated that "the only way to escape the annoying gameplay, repetitive soundtrack, and frustrating control is to not get caught buying this game!"