Nerdicus Genesis Review #57: Clue

Title : Clue

Publisher : Parker Brothers

Developer : Sculptured Software

Genre : Board Game

Players : 2 - 6 Players

Release Date : 1992

Estimated Value (as of today's date) : $15 - $20

The Professor, in the Billiard Room, with a pipe. Am I right? AM I?! No, of course not, it was TIM CURRY! HE DID IT! Has anyone here ever seen the movie CLUE? Tell em that movie isn't freaking hilarious. Tim Curry, of course, makes the movie just like every other movie he is in. Come on, LEGEND? ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW? HOME ALONE 2!? I digress, this isn't about the movie (although it is available on Netflix right now!), this is about the board game. Or should I say, the video board game.

I was never really a fan of board game / video games. To me board games should stick to what their good at. Being on a board on your dining room table while you're surrounded by family. Then again, there are a few games where it works. Monopoly never seemed to have an issue when I played it on the NES, and I do actually remember playing CLUE on the Super Nintendo. I actually think I rented it?

Yeah, I had the board game already, yet I remember renting the video game. I don't know what was going through my head. I also recall that I was horrible at this game, much like I was with other board games when I was a kid. Yes, I was one of those people that quit midway through the game because I wasn't winning. The only game I was good at was Mouse Trap and Fireball Island. Now why didn't they make a game out of that!?

Oh well, here's CLUE for the Sega Genesis.

The concept is the same as the board game. Figure out WHO killed Mr. Boddy, WHERE they did it, and WITH WHAT item they did it with. You start out by choosing the difficulty of the game which starts from amateur to detective rank, although each one is pretty damn hard in it's own right. Then you'll go ahead and pick your own character, whoever else is playing with you, and let me recommend this right here play with other people because playing with the computer is just plain sad. Trust me, always more fun to goof off with your friends when playing clue. Especially when you start claiming that you're the murderer. WHAT FUN!

You've got your characters, and now you get your cards which you'll use to determine the CLUES in each of the rooms. At the start of each turn, you roll your dice, and move your character toward any room you wish. Once you enter said room, you'll apply your cards that you want to use as "evidence", and then the game will tell you a CLUE about what was given. For example - You choose MS. SCARLET, in the LOUNGE, with the LEAD PIPE. If the lead pipe wasn't in the lounge, the game might tell you "THE LEAD PIPE WASN'T IN THE LOUNGE" so obviously, the lead pipe wasn't the weapon used in the lounge....der?

This is one of those games, that just confuses the hell out of you if you don't start taking notes as to what's going on lol.

You'll also have the opportunity to interrogate people based on the evidence you've collected. Let's say you're certain that someone was in a room with an object, you question them and see if what you are thinking is right. However, if someone has a card that counteracts what you're interrogating them about, they have to reveal that the evidence proves otherwise.

Wow, writing this damn review up, I've realized it's impossible to explain the rules of CLUE. Eventually, you get to make an accusation, and if you accuse the right person of using the right weapon in the right location, YOU WIN! Now back to the game mechanics.

As a video game, CLUE surprisingly works. The character designs, and little animations are actually quite entertaining and done very well. It's like watching a mini movie. Oh, and I must say that the music is hilarious for some reason. Makes me feel like I'm involved in one of those "murder mystery night" shows you can take part in. 

Not much else can be said about this game. It's the board game in video game format, with catchy music, quirky graphics, and is just a tad bit easier than the board game. Still, I'm all for family night at the dining room table, but this game works while others don't.

Now, if you don't mind I am going to re-watch CLUE. TIM CURRY, WHERE ARE YOU!?

Final Score (out of 5)



Until Next Time, Keep On Gaming!