Composer(s) James Hannigan Initial release date 1995 Genre Platform game | Release date(s) 1995 Developer Software Creations Mode Single-player video game | |
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Platforms Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Sega Genesis, Game Boy, Game Gear Publishers Acclaim Entertainment, LJN Similar Acclaim Entertainment games, Platform games | ||
Cutthroat Island is a 1995 action-adventure platform game that was developed by Software Creations and published by Acclaim Entertainment for various consoles. It is based on the film Cutthroat Island. When the game was first released, it featured a promotion by which players could find hidden treasure chests in the game and enter a contest to win real world prizes.
Contents
Gameplay
Based on the feature film of the same title, the game casts players in the role of renegade treasure hunters. The player is able to choose between two characters: Morgan Adams, a female character who wields a rapier; or William Shaw, a buccaneer who is armed with a sword. The game features single-player and two-player action modes and features two different gameplay styles to choose from: Swordplay and Brawling.
The player's character must battle through 10 levels, encountering various foes such as pirates, redcoats and harbour masters. In addition to all the swordplay, level two requires players to flee from prison guards in a quarry cart, and level five puts player atop a runaway horse-drawn carriage. As the player progresses through the game several items such as knives, bombs, bottles, torches, hammers, pistols, and other weapons are collectable.
Plot
In 1619, a pirate cutter, the Sea Devil, captured a Spanish cargo ship called Santa Susanna. Before reaching its destination the Sea Devil was caught in a storm and wrecked on the uncharted Cutthroat Island. Only one member of the crew managed to get off of the island alive, Fingers Adams. Before dying he made a map and tore it into three pieces which he gave to his legitimate heirs.
In year 1688, as the pirate Morgan Adams who currently has one piece of the map, you have begun a quest for the other pieces of the map in hopes of eventually finding the treasure. Already a wanted woman, Morgan will need to fight the law as well as those who hold the pieces of the map.
Reception
Reviewing the Genesis version, a Next Generation critic opined, "Cutthroat Island doesn't suffer from any one blatant shortcoming, instead it suffers from a lack of anything that sets it apart from an action game three years ago. There's the Final Fight gameplay, the 8-bit NES quality graphics, and finally the obligatory mine-cart level that all together make Cutthroat Island one of the more generic title available." He gave it one out of five stars.