Beetlejuice (NES) Playthrough - NintendoComplete

A complete playthrough of LJN's 1991 NES game, Beetlejuice.
This was developed by Rare. Seriously. For how many games they dumped out in such a short period of time, most of them were pretty good. This was one of the other ones.
It's certainly not unplayably awful or broken, it's just so unpolished and middling that there's no real good reason to play it. The graphics are really ugly, the controls are pretty awful, and it just leaves you feeling meh afterward. They probably made this one especially for LJN - at least, I'd like to believe that of Rare.
Also, please do yourself the favor and watch it in the 60fps mode. The graphics flickered CONSTANTLY during the game, and watching it at 30fps will make a lot of stuff completely disappear from the video.
_____
No cheats were used during the recording of this video.
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[@princessmarlena1359]

“I’ve played this game 167 times, and it keeps gettin’ funnier, every time I play it!”

[@Angie2343]

I just read that in Michael's Beetlejuice voice.

[@alenaduplantier4505]

Kinda looks like Johnny Depp

[@Arcader-cs9bs]

"Not to mention the fact that you're talkin' to a dead guy! *_NOW WHAT DO YOU THINK?!_* You think I'm qualified?"

[@Scott86]

@@Angie2343 Same.

[@Angie2343]

@@Scott86 And he's gonna reprise the role soon! Excited?

[@mopbrothers]

This is the kind of game you'd own for 10 years and never wind up beating making you wonder what the ending was.

[@JARedwolf100]

Clearly, the persons who made this game never really seen the movie and just made it up as they went.

[@TomTom2997]

Until this day, I've never seen the other levels in this game. I was only ever stuck on the first level as a kid, because I hadn't a clue what to do. I'll give LJN credit on keeping with at least *some* elements of the film (i.e. the Maitlands' death, the Deetzes' renovation of the Maitland house, the depiction of the Afterlife, etc.). While I can understand how difficult it was to come up with a final boss, since Betelgeuse is the villain of his own film, the developers could've at least allowed the sandworm to be his final boss.

[@TheUltimateRare]

LJN is just a publisher though. They obviously made some stuff but they are mostly just a toy company. also i think they disappeared in like 1994

[@LorenHelgeson]

Say what you will about LJN's general quality, NES-era Rare games had that kind of music I always found charming.

[@joelbizzell1386]

Oh yeah. The "cabin music" from Friday the 13th might be my favorite NES music.

[@laatangel4085]

Ya agree with you but to make there replayability Impossible because it was so cryptic I'd rather of had a fun time then a frustrating one that ended no where

[@laatangel4085]

@nemo pouncey ya I know

[@laatangel4085]

@nemo pouncey oops

[@JohnSkellington]

Yep, thank David Wise for that!

[@davidmurray7617]

4:32-4:47 “This is the most flawed, unfair, unpredictable first stage boss fight I have ever seen. We’ll call this a Rat Trap Crapshoot.” -Angry Video Game Nerd

[@rkrzyzanski1]

Straight up.

[@inspirationalgamer5443]

Literally the most anti-climactic ending of any NES game since Ghostbusters... WTF Beetlejuice you are better than that! lol!

[@cheapenstein]

Wow you weren't kidding hahahahah

[@TheUltimateRare]

were you expecting anything less than a game published by LJN? Anything they publish except toys turns to poop.

[@pampersluvshuggies5938]

The House theme is easily the best track in this game.

[@YokozunaNumber1]

David Wise always makes great music.

[@Seiko180]

no matter if the game is a complete shit he always makes great music

[@rkrzyzanski1]

These tunes are burned into my memory.

[@ignaciosb8779]

Wait...David Wise was behind this? I love this game themes and David Wise music, It would make sense.

[@ignaciosb8779]

I can't find any credits confirming this but I believe it.. The Sewer Theme(my favorite) sounds a lot like something David Wise would create from the beginning till the end.. yeah.. Mindblow 😵

[@manueltapia1859]

​@@ignaciosb8779 like the songs of Donkey Kong in SNES Master pieces

[@marakarthegreat]

"NICE FUCKIN VIDEOGAME!" (honk)

[@noahstewart5054]

That may be a good idea that Beetlejuice can talk to Adam, Barbara, Lydia, Charles, Delia, and Otho in the Maitland's House.

[@jamescwill30]

The music bring back so much memories. I loved this game when I was a kid!!

[@manueltapia1859]

Yes thanks to David Wise, he did the same with Donkey Kong in SNES specially in the second one

[@MrStress]

no end boss? wow

[@TomTom2997]

He was pretty much the main antagonist of the film, so it was probably hard for them to come up with one of his own in the game.

[@Archmetal06]

Great movie! I like the soundtrack of this game around 14:40 minutes into the video.

[@doomguy8324]

I used to rent this game as a kid. Watching this video, I see now that you really have to stomp those little bugs- and I think to myself, I cannot believe they actually intended that to be an integral part of the game. Who thought this up? lol...

[@wsupharmguy]

DooM Guy 83 I rented this a few times but could never get past the first beehive. Oh to have had this video long ago :)

[@BrandiPaigeMLPCollector]

I know right? I spend most of my time in this game stomping on bugs

[@user-ww2lc1yo9c]

probably some idiot

[@LorenHelgeson]

Well, he does do it in the movie. See, game dvelopers of games based on licensed properties will sometimes try to find something - anything - that they can to tie the movie or show to the game. "See? It's just like in the show." And sometimes, they got real desparate.

[@doomguy8324]

@@wsupharmguy man same here! I managed to beat the 1st boss and that was it! As AVGN would say "what a waste of a weekend!"

[@TheBluemindedGod]

After all these years, I finally got to see the end....of the second level. Never could get past football guy. This game is so weird. What do the letters mean when you get hit? I thought maybe they were passwords, but they seem random, just letters that are in Beetlejuice. Thanks for this playthrough!

[@abeltonia]

I was expecting a climatic fight with a giant snake. What a let down.

[@thefonzkiss]

abel sanchez He was the snake. You must mean sandworm.

[@jondoe141]

I love the music

[@LTDANMAN44]

the kind of game i don't want to play, but will watch someone else play it

[@ScreamingSkull13]

They should try making a better Beetlejuice game these days

[@TomTom2997]

Depending on how you view the game itself, there's a Beetlejuice world in LEGO Dimensions (which I personally thought was a cool game).

[@1984Brandon]

I thought that face with a Zero next to it flashing was going to give me a seizure I had to adjust my screen.

[@NintendoComplete]

Brandon Kilgore It's really great how it's right in the middle and not in the corner, isn't it? So thoughtful of them.

[@Super.Seanic1]

“You get one demon possession with every copy bought. Now you can’t beat that now can ya?”

[@Ballerz24]

I love the music in this game

[@tardistime6857]

The ghost with the most deserves a better game than this.

[@NintendoComplete]

The Game Boy game was much better, have you seen it?

[@TomTom2997]

He got his own world in LEGO Dimensions.

[@user-ww2lc1yo9c]

The ending is an insult to anyone that spent any amount of time playing this game

[@subzero8679]

Many NES games were like that. Friday the 13th NES has the best game over screen though. Haha!!

[@Halpin2006]

You're supposed to use the two-headed man to scare the sandworms, because that works best! And at 33:10, it's no wonder the last ghost takes so many scares. BeetleJuice is trying to scare Sith Lord Emperor Palpatine!!

[@greybushgames1]

BOTW ending was just as bad

[@BrandiPaigeMLPCollector]

I'm having such awful issues beating that sandworm . . . when I'm in that level the sandwort literally comes at me so hard that I can never get a chance to scare it, but here the sandworm isn't lunging at you and it seems quite easy to scare it . . any tips on what your doing to make this happen? This level wipes me out overtime

[@duhlike]

You can't run around. You have to jump on that middle platform and wait for it to come to you in order to get a clear shot. Jump up and down and he will change positions and always give you a chance to hit him. But always try your hardest not to go into that sand world because it does nothing at all but kill you.

[@kuma1388]

They finally made a game starring Laurie Lightfoot.

[@matthewturcotte5079]

I guess I can consider myself fortunate that I made it to the Dietz/Maitland house before giving up...not that I had any idea what the heck I was doing!

[@Seiferboi]

I've never seen the ending to the game. The Deet'z house has always been difficult for me as a kid and I couldn't ever find the ring for Lydia. That's where I always ended up getting stuck.

[@duhlike]

The ring for Lydia is seriously in the next room. Literally the only other place to go when she blocks you.

[@corey-bird3489]

Cute stuff even though it doesn’t sound anything like Danny Elfman music and I didn’t even know it existed back when I had an NES even though I had Beetlejuice toys.

[@Plotspider]

I think LJN's biggest flaw in all their games is their misconception that people want to go grinding for things.

[@kevischnei]

A fair point. But imo, LJNs biggest flaw was that it even existed

[@johntumahab323]

That is, without a doubt, the saddest depiction of Catherine O'Hara I've ever witnessed.

[@chaotic_mood]

I never even knew this existed

[@andrewheaton6782]

Imagine getting this for Christmas and being stuck playing it until ya had some birthday money and not buy a movie tie in published by LJN kids with gamepass these days don’t realise how lucky they are!!!!!

[@christisrisen6774]

Even with Game Genie I couldn't get too far. Oh well I'll just watch you play

[@DEADtoasterOVEN]

I loved this game but was never able to beat the reaper. you just had to push him out of the screen ?!

[@husky_biscuits9924]

This game is so trippy. ... wtf. I had this game for NES. Never went passed thenfirst level. I did not know what to do.

[@rosariomorales6107]

Este juego Lo tengo en family game. Se tranca cuando entro a la casa.una lástima y una rareza para family game

[@jamesl.anderson1384]

Beetlejuice: It’s Showtime

[@toddlindsay8846]

Nope. Peach: It’s showtime.

[@KirkLee1983]

I need to buy this game!

[@frankiemoss7790]

I thought he was gonna stomp the bugs forever

[@reubenguttenberg7405]

It's Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

[@luckysiren]

Now I know that this was made by LJN, I know now that the same sprite was used for their Nightmare on Elm St NES abomination. I'll admit, the game scared me tho as a kid in the 90 lmao

[@Angie2343]

So sweet that he calls Lydia his true love. :)

[@37BIGJIM]

Agreed. In the movie, Lydia was the only one he really cared about, even reacting with shock and outrage when she considered suicide.

[@elwoodjacobs4353]

​@37BIGJIM You're confusing the movie's _Betelgeuse_ with the cartoon's _Beetlejuice,_ my guy. In the movie, the only reason he "cared" about her was because he thought he could manipulate her into letting him out of the model & back to the living world, & *_he DID NOT RESPOND WITH "shock & outrage" when she told him she wanted to get into the Netherworld._* He asks her if she can get him out of there, she replies, "I wanna get _in,"_ & he responds, _"...Why???" not out of concern for her wellbeing,_ but out of genuine confusion. He legit doesn't get why anyone would ever want to go to the Netherworld with how bureaucratic, callous, & apathetic its system is & he can't imagine what her desire to go there would be at all.

[@Angie2343]

@@elwoodjacobs4353 The cartoon's version of the character WOULD show care.

[@elwoodjacobs4353]

@@Angie2343 That's what I'm getting at. He's talking about the movie version, but what he says about the movie version is not at all what that version would act like. The cartoon version, yes, but *NOT* the movie version.

[@Angie2343]

@@elwoodjacobs4353 Yes. The movie version USED Lydia for his own ends.

[@eldanomurua]

This actually looks like a good game.

[@stevefitz2522]

Its not

[@dominickjustave3558]

No

[@kurigaru]

Every time he’d die the music would creep me out lmao

[@TheZmusicGroup]

In a recent podcast, Kevin Bayliss, artist at Rare and creator of the Battletoads characters said that he hated working on licenced products. I don't know if that was the same for the rest of the teams that worked on such games at Rare, but if it was the case it could explain the rubbishness of these games

[@TheUltimateRare]

LJN published it... welp we in for quite a ride. Everything they touch turns to ***

[@Sholities]

I loved this game, but I never made it past the 1st level lol

[@TheJasonsvideos]

"What do you think of this?" AGHHHHHHH "You like it?"

[@worsethanhitlerpt.2539]

Game has a certain quality that puts it above most other NES games

[@RustyLeguito]

The music?

[@williamfoster4072]

Wow glad I never tried to finish this as a kid..what a crap ending

[@carlosrodriguezborges2990]

nice shot BJ

[@DaosSinistral]

Laughin' Jokin' NumbNuts strikes again!

[@JulianJohnston919]

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Beetlejuice!

[@lordlorian81]

Loved it ,when i was young Very good concept Platformer/ secrets, transformation Funy situations But he does not enter bug holes .. why ?

[@halloweenjunkie666]

This game totally reminds me of a nightmare on elm street

[@deucespades9416]

Except way worse, at least you fought freddy at the end, with a decent ending, and 4 players dope

[@Peppermon22]

Tried to play this at a friend house.... the key at the start is not there at all

[@vanessaguevarajimenez5233]

Recuerdo jugar y pasar este juego sin saber ni papa de ingles

[@andreupelachs115]

A very peculiar "grinding" game...

[@thefifthdoctor6780]

Got it 😎

[@wayneowens410]

Ughhh if I had to play this today I would be sick to death after one kinute

[@robinhood263]

He looks like Londo Mollari from B5

[@jaketaylor3543]

I have this game

[@garthdavis2502]

The game was good, but it didn't have the theme music.

[@Raw-guitar]

Beetlejuice mixed with vodka is yummy..

[@luisjavierjesusaronemarque9299]

Good game nes

[@hardcoreboyish2]

Crap game but love the music in the first level so catchy I’ve noticed it sorta glitches out with the sound effects that 3D part is horrible actually forces you to walk around before letting ya past and other things stupid door chasing you and the first level is like a mario rip off look

[@jimm7098]

I loved Beetlejuice and had a NES. I can't believe I never even rented this game (I think... it was a long time ago....)

[@subzero8679]

Be glad you didn't. I rented it as a kid and i was pissed. I was stuck with it for a whole weekend. I don't think it's that bad today, because now i know how to play it. As a kid forget about it, I had no clue you had to do all that to beat the game. I never got past the first stage.

[@plawson8577]

@@subzero8679I too rented this P.O.S. In November 1990. And Rage Quit after a day.

[@MrOrthopedia]

Another one by Laughing Joking Numnuts.

[@paulonatanaeldossantossana3909]

Os fantasmas se divertem 0:07

[@Avrelivs_Gold]

is this Chicago?

[@mikedabeast360]

The music is so funny hearing it now in my mid 30's 😂😂😂. LJN basically copied the Mario Bros. platform idea.

[@NorzTv.Official]

The goonies?

[@markgirotti188]

ljn, noooo

[@israelgarza3083]

Y didn't you just go into the holes it's much faster

[@StrangeCoincidence]

i can't believe this shit had grinding smh

[@user-gs3ru1yc4v]

Great work Nintendo Complete. 👍 Overall bettlejuice on nes its a fine game but Bettlejuice on Nintendo Gameboy it's even better both games done by rare the gameboy published by Acclaim it Uses the same name but gameboy one it's different. ( Sorry for my bad English) 😁

[@NintendoComplete]

Thanks! Yeah, I agree. The Game Boy game is much better.

[@user-gs3ru1yc4v]

@@NintendoComplete Nintendo Complete I know it's weird to ask this in her but can you do a walkthrough of pink panther video game on PSX I Saw your Crazy Ivan on PSX which not many people had played that game so it was nice to see this kind of forgotten underrated games be more shown and I just thought about pink panther on PSX I can't Say it's a Underrated game but sure it's forgotten in now days. 👍

[@algol291]

don't all NES games run at 60 fps?

[@NintendoComplete]

+algol291 No, but all standard NTSC broadcasts refresh the picture at that rate. The games themselves can vary pretty wildly. For a perfect example look at Ikari Warriors. I don't think it ever gets above 20fps, regardless of action.

[@algol291]

NintendoComplete I meant on good NES games... not that Ikari Warriors was that bad.

[@MrNorbert1994]

You should try Ultima - Warriors Of Destiny. Without doubt it is the slowest (7FPS) and worst game on the console.

[@williamhowe1]

Nice f-ing model! (Honk!)

[@Unaliq]

Ending was anti-climactic, gameplay was mediocre, watching you play this game? Was enjoyable. I honestly prefer watching nes/snes/master system/megadrive longplays over current gen games.

[@NintendoComplete]

Glad you enjoyed it :)

[@Unaliq]

@@NintendoComplete You're welcome!

[@cratedivizion]

game reminds me alot of nightmare on Elm Street

[@jenniferlynn3579]

Both 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' and 'Beetlejuice' were NES platformers made by Rare and published by LJN, so their similarities aren't just a coincidence. Good catch.

[@azkha4806]

Bon film. Jeu nullisime.

[@Echo-qd4wn]

Laughing Joking Numbnuts

[@doritofan80]

Not a good game, but compared to other games published by LJN like the X-Men game on the NES it isn't that bad.

[@angeldeb82]

This game is so buggy, IMO, and it's got typos in punctuation, make no doubt about that. Otherwise, it's pretty okay.

[@altrightknight7661]

Game could have been SO much better if they had just fixed a couple problems.

[@_PuppetMaster86]

Alt Right Knight If LJN didn’t touch it.

[@uteschein977]

Bruce Wayne

[@shellyblanchard5788]

The version I played was different than this.

[@dariolopez2778]

Re hardcore

[@HanNguyen-rk6hh]

The nerd plays this game with Roll n' Rocker pad and it doesn't work at all.

[@user-ww2lc1yo9c]

I wonder what the angry video game nerd has to say about that eh ...?

[@thefonzkiss]

優さん He did an ep on this.

[@mimemouse997]

This Music so does not fit.

[@elwoodjacobs4353]

The music from level 2, the sandworm door, & level 4 fits pretty well. The rest is very unfitting, but at least it's catchy.

[@mimemouse997]

@@elwoodjacobs4353 😑

[@DhavidSetiawanKilluaDhavid]

NO NO NO NO!!! WHY? WHY? WHY???????

[@lenamaria4able]

Of course it was made by ljn

[@alenaduplantier4505]

The main character kinda looks like Johnny Depp🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@jjwp-ql5rv]

Every game of this era is a Mario rewrite.

[@tedpilledtonysoprano5512]

Can we assume that there is one game throughout all the consoles that defines their lives? Perhaps that's why the next one needed the FF7 recipe, why Just Cause and Saints Row graduated from "GTA clones," why studios stopped making their own content and copied Gears of War, why current year is rife with BotW plagiarism...

[@robintst]

This game was too obtuse and weird for it's own good, confused the hell out of me back then.

[@LiviuDragon]

this is an LJN game

[@avalond1193]

No this Is a rare game

[@marhansgamingchannel4732]

Both LJN and Rare game. Change my freaking mind. 😎😎😎

[@kevischnei]

@@marhansgamingchannel4732 I won't change your mind, because what you said is true. It IS both an LJN and Rare game. Sadly, a rare misfire from Rare no pun intended

[@kevischnei]

LJN suuuuuuuuucks! Rare does not, but this is a rare misstep for them, no pun intended. Play another game from Rare. Anything but this. This isn't terrible. But it isn't good either

[@donskiver]

How did rare end up making such a turd? Most of their nes games were pretty good I thought.

[@kevischnei]

Well, yeah, most of Rare's games are pretty damn good. They developed a Lot more games for NES than I realized. While most were decent, some of them sucked pretty hard imo. This one isn't very good, but it isn't there terrible. Again, my opinion. But I can see why you'd call it a turd. This isn't a good game

[@Neckbeef82]

Thumbs down on the game,