Total Recall (video game)

{{Infobox VG

| title = Total Recall

| image = Total Recall (video game) (Cover).jpg

| alt =

| developer = Ocean Software (CPC, C64, ZXS)
Active Minds (Amiga, Atari ST)
Interplay (NES)

| publisher = Ocean Software
Acclaim (NES)

| designer =

| programmer = Alan Pavlish (NES)
Michael Quarles (NES)

| composer = George Sanger (NES)
David Warhol (NES)
David Whittaker (Amiga, Atari ST)
Jonathan Dunn (C64, CPC, ZXS)

| engine =

| released = 1990, 1991

| genre = Platform

| modes = Single-player

| platforms = Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, NES, Amiga, Atari ST

}}

Total Recall is a 1990 platform game developed and published by Ocean Software that was released for the Commodore 64, Amiga, Amstrad CPC, ZX Spectrum, Atari ST, and Nintendo Entertainment System. Total Recall is based on the 1990 film of the same name.

Development and release

Total Recall was released in 1990, and 1991 by Ocean Software for the ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, and Amstrad CPC. The game was originally developed by Active Minds for the Amstrad CPC, ZX Spectrum and Commodore 64 until the project was rebooted by Ocean Software.{{cite web |last1=Gasking |first1=Frank |title=Total Recall V1 |url=https://www.gamesthatwerent.com/gtw64/total-recall-v1/ |website=Games That Weren't 64 |date=29 May 2023}} The versions for Amiga and Atari ST was also developed in its original form without rebooting the project by Active Minds, of which Bobby Earl completed when he joined Ocean Software.{{Cite web |date=1990 |title=An interview with Bobby Earl |url=https://codetapper.com/amiga/interviews/bobby-earl/ |access-date=2025-04-04 |website=Codetapper's Amiga Site |language=en}}

There was also a NES version which was notably different from the others, being developed by a different team (Interplay), who were subcontracted by Acclaim Entertainment. Interplay defended the changes, however, claiming that their alteration stuck closer to the spirit of the original short story, which they said "read more like a platformer."{{citation needed|date=September 2018}} In a tie-in with the NES game, the August 1990 version of Nintendo Power promoted the game for their well-known monthly mail-in contests, with the Rekall slogan of "Making the Impossible Possible" whereby first prize would be one of the Martian police uniforms along with a videotaped trip to Hollywood with a chance to meet Schwarzenegger. Years later, the magazine admitted that it was their worst promotion, as "our winner did not get to meet Arnold until late 1991, and even then only for a quick handshake."{{Citation needed|reason=Was cited as the Nintendo Power May 1995 issue, but the issue had nothing related to this from looking through it manually, and searching for the terms 'Total Recall', 'Arnold', or 'handshake' in the text through Archive.org's text searching function found nothing|date=May 2020}}

Gameplay

The game includes platform segments and top-down racing scenes, with the player controlling Douglas Quaid.

Reception

{{rewritten|it has tone/wording/formatting issues, and many reviews are a single quote and don't go over what the publication liked/disliked about the game|date=May 2020}}

{{Video game reviews

| AmAction = 78% (AMI)
78% (AMI)

| AmFormat = 77% (AMI)
70% (AMI)

| AmPower = 41% (AMI)

| Crash = 94% (ZX Spectrum)

| CVG = 62% (AMI)

| EGM = 3/10 (NES)

| Z64 = 76% (C64)
70% (AMI)

| rev1 = Amiga Mania

| rev1Score = 81% (Amiga)

| rev2 = CU Amiga

| rev2Score = 77% (AMI)
63% (AMI, budget)

| rev3 = The One

| rev3Score = 70% (AMI)

| rev4 = Power Play

| rev4Score = 39% (NES)
33% (Amiga)
34%(C64)

| award1Pub = Crash

| award1 = Crash SmashCrash issue #86 - 1991/Mar page 56

| award2Pub = Sinclair User

| award2 = SU ClassicSinclair User issue #109 - 1991/Mar page 26

| award3Pub = Amstrad Action

| award3 = Mastergame{{cite magazine |title=Total Recall|magazine=Amstrad Action|issue=68|publisher=Future Publishing|date=May 1991|page=45-46|url=https://archive.org/details/amstrad-action-068/page/n45/mode/2up|access-date=23 April 2024}}

}}

Crash reviewer Mark rated the game 94%. Richard rated the game 93% and believed players would love the game, saying "don't bother getting Rekall to remember it for you: go out and experience Total Recall for real!"{{cite magazine|title =Reviews: Total Recall|date =March 1991|url =https://archive.org/details/crash-magazine-86/page/n55/mode/2up |magazine =Crash |publisher =Newsfield Publications Ltd |author1=Mark|author2=Richard|issue =86|pages =56–57}} Zzap! #71 (Mar 1991) rated the game C64 version of the game at 76%.{{cite magazine|title=Zzap! Test! Total Recall|last1=Wynne|first1=Stuart |last2=Hogg |first2=Robin|date=March 1991|url =https://archive.org/details/zzap64-magazine-071/page/n75/mode/2up |magazine =Zzap! |publisher =Newsfield Publications Ltd |issue =71 |page = 76}} Another Power Play reviewer rated the Amiga version at 33% and the C 64 version at 34%, criticizing both editions for having endless opponents and sloppy controls.{{cite magazine|title =Die Totale Verwirrung: Total Recall|trans-title=The Total Confusion: Total Recall|date =April 1991|url =https://www.kultboy.com/index.php?site=t&id=603 |magazine =Power Play |publisher =Markt&Technik|last =Hengst |first =Michael|language=German}}

Several reviewers rated the Amiga version of the game. CU Amiga rated the game 77% and said "It's by no means a bad game, just a little stale. It follows a very successful formula but fails to rise above it."{{cite magazine|title = Screen Scene: Total Recall|date =November 1990 |url =https://archive.org/details/cuamiga-magazine-009/page/n23/mode/2up |magazine =CU Amiga|publisher =EMAP |last =James |first =Steve |issue =9 |pages =24–25 }} Computer and Video Games #111 (Feb 1991) rated the game 62% and said "a very polished game, but one I can only recommend to very patient players who haven't become bored of Ocean's film license format, which is beginning to look pretty tired nowadays."{{cite magazine|title =Review: Total Recall by Ocean|date =February 1991|url =https://archive.org/details/ComputerAndVideoGamesIssue111Feb91/page/n73/mode/2up |magazine =Computer and Video Games |publisher =EMAP|last =Paul |first =Glancey |issue =111 |page = 75|issn=0261-3697}}

Amiga Action rated the Amiga version of the game 78% and said "Total Recall wasn't on the top of my list for games I was looking forward to I must confess. However, it is in fact quite good."{{cite magazine|title =Total Recall |date =March 1991 |url =https://archive.org/details/amigaaction18/page/n89/mode/2up |magazine =Amiga Action |publisher =Europress|issue =18 |page =88 }} Amiga Format rated the game 77% and said "A solid, polished package, only its late arrival, due to slipping in the schedules, deprived it of a full review."{{cite magazine|title =SP Outro: Total Recall |date =March 1991 |url =https://archive.org/details/amigaformatmagazine-020/page/n87/mode/2up |magazine =Amiga Format |publisher =Future Publishing|issue = 20 |page =89 }} Zzap! #72 (Apr 1991) rated the game 70%.{{cite magazine|title =Zzap! Test! Total Recall|date =April 1991|url =https://archive.org/details/zzap64-magazine-072/page/n69/mode/2up|magazine =Zzap! |publisher =Newsfield Publications Ltd|last1=Wynne|first1=Stuart |last2=Hogg |first2=Robin|issue =72|page = 70}}

The NES version was much more negatively received. A reviewer from German magazine Power Play rated the NES version 39% and questioned Quaid's intelligence, "trying to get rid of every bad guy on the right path and lure them into dark alleys only to offer a boring fight". He commented that these sequences "should not have been programmed at all, and that a lot of parts seem like a graphically strong, stripped-down Double Dragon".{{cite magazine|title =Muskelmurks: Total Recall|trans-title=Mustle-Mess: Total Recall |date =January 1991 |url =https://www.kultboy.com/index.php?site=t&id=8475 |magazine =Power Play|publisher =Markt&Technik |last =Forster |first =Winfried |language=German}} Three of the four reviewers for Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM) gave it a 3 out of 10, with the remaining reviewer, Sushi-X, giving it a 2 out of 10. Steve Harris called it "a new low" for NES games due to its poor graphics and weak action, and Ed Semrad regarded it as a shocking disappointment given publisher Acclaim Entertainment's strong track record at the time.{{cite magazine |title=Review Crew: Total Recall |magazine=Electronic Gaming Monthly|issue=14 |publisher=Sendai Publishing |date=September 1997|page=12|author1=Steve Harris|author2=Ed Semrad|author3=Martin Alessi|author4=Sushi-X|url=https://archive.org/details/Electronic_Gaming_Monthly_14/page/n11/mode/2up}} According to EGM, Acclaim pulled their ads from the magazine in response to the negative review.{{cite magazine |title=This Month in EGM History: July '90 |magazine=Electronic Gaming Monthly|issue=100 |publisher=Ziff Davis |date=November 1997|page=238}}

Amiga Mania rated the Hit Squad re-release of the game at 81% and said "It's all full of style and all the things you wouldn't expect to find in a normal budget game, from the way Quaid crouches and fires to the fact that there's even a car chase!"{{cite magazine|title =Budget: Total Recall|date =October 1992 |url =http://amr.abime.net/review_4427 |magazine =Amiga Mania|publisher =MC Publications Ltd |last =Davy|first =Jeff|page =58 }} Amiga Format #40 (Nov 1992) rated the game at 79% and said "The overall impression is one of a competent game which doesn't push the Amiga to within a tenth of its abilities."{{cite magazine|title =Budget Games: Total Recall |date = November 1992 |url =https://archive.org/details/amigaformatmagazine-040/page/n109/mode/2up |magazine =Amiga Format |publisher =Future Publishing|issue =40 |page =111 }} Amiga Action #37 (Oct 1992) rated the game 78% and said "If you like your games to give you a challenge at an affordable price then this is worth checking out, but there are far better products out there."{{cite magazine|title =Total Recall |date =October 1992 |url =http://amr.abime.net/review_20983 |magazine =Amiga Action|publisher =Europress |last =Sharp|first =Brian |issue =37 |page =77}} CU Amiga rated the game 63%.{{cite magazine|title =VFM Budget Reviews: Total Recall |date =August 1992 |url =https://archive.org/details/cuamiga-magazine-030/page/n83/mode/2up |magazine =CU Amiga |publisher =EMAP |last =Merrett|first =Steve |issue =30 |page =85 }} Amiga Power rated the game 41% and said "Nice graphics, not-very-nice gameplay. Total Recall? (Totally predictably) Total Rubbish, more like."{{cite magazine|title =Game Reviews: Total Recall |date =October 1992 |url =https://archive.org/details/Amiga_Power_Issue_18_1992-10_Future_Publishing_GB/page/n83/mode/2up|magazine =Amiga Power |publisher =Future Publishing |last =Pelley |first =Rich |issue =18 |page =84}}

The One gave the Amiga version of Total Recall an overall score of 70%, noting it as having 'limited lastability' due to its gameplay 'feeling the same throughout', but expressed that it's "inconsistent difficulty" provided variety. The One criticized Total Recall's graphics and sound, expressing that they are of 'inconsistent quality', calling the game's music "bland" and graphics "unspectacular" at times, but otherwise 'okay'. The One criticized the frequent disk swapping required, and further called Total Recall 'unoriginal', expressing that the game ought to have incorporated more elements from the film, and further stating that there are "so many better platform and race games [than Total Recall]".{{cite magazine|title = Total Recall|date = February 1991|url =https://archive.org/details/theone-magazine-29/page/n65/mode/2up|magazine= The One|publisher = emap Images|issue = 29|pages = 67–68|first=Gordon|last=Houghton}}

The game reached number 2 in the UK ZX Spectrum sales charts, behind Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.{{cite magazine |url=https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/page.php?issue_id=286&page=18|title=The Charts|magazine=Your Sinclair|issue=65|date=May 1991|publisher=Future Publishing|access-date=6 September 2023}} In 1997 EGM ranked the NES version number 5 on their "Top 10 Worst Games of All Time".{{cite magazine |title=The Top 10 Worst Games of All Time |magazine=Electronic Gaming Monthly|issue=100 |publisher=Ziff Davis |date=November 1997|page=107}} Note: Contrary to the title, the intro to the article explicitly states that the list covers console video games only, meaning PC games and arcade games were not eligible. EGM{{'}}s Seanbaby placed the NES version as number 15 in his "20 worst games of all time" feature.{{cite web |url=http://www.seanbaby.com:80/nes/egm15.htm|title=Seanbaby's EGM's Crapstravaganza - #15: Total Recall (NES)|website=Seanbaby.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060707231811/http://www.seanbaby.com:80/nes/egm15.htm |archive-date=July 7, 2006|url-status=live}}