Fester's Quest (NES) Playthrough

A playthrough of Sunsoft's 1989 license-based action game for the NES, Fester's Quest.
Uncle Fester is sitting out in the yard late one night, relaxing in his jammies and dunce cap as he quaffs an adult beverage, when a UFO suddenly appears over the city and begins abducting people. The Addams family is spared, but Fester inexplicably decides that this is his moment to carpe diem or whatever and trundles off after the alien invaders. Good luck, Fester!
This was the first of three NES games to be based on The Addams Family, and it was the only one made by Sunsoft. In fact, Fester's Quest was the game that kicked off their famous line-up of 8-bit media tie-ins! Batman showed up a scant three months later, and Journey to Silius and Gremlins 2 both released the following year. I believe it was also the first Sunsoft NES game to make heavy use of non-drum sample-based instruments. Naoki Kodaka sure loved his fat DPCM basslines, and those bitcrushed orchestra hits sound awesome.
Fester's Quest hasn't seen much love over the years - AVGN was quite successful at turning it into punching bag - but I don't think it deserves the hate it gets. It doesn't play in the same league as Sunsoft's biggest NES classics, but it's a solid effort, and it's easily the best of the Addams' trio of NES adventures.
Sunsoft made an honest effort to create something unique and interesting here. Fester's Quest is a top-down shooter at heart, but it borrows several ideas from adventure games. The expansive overworld acts as a hub that funnels you toward the combat-focused sewer dungeons and the Golgo 13-like 3D building interiors, family members will provide you with all sorts of useful items and weapons, and your health and weapons can be leveled up. It's nothing as complex as you'd find in an RPG - I'd peg it somewhere between Konami's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Sega's Sword of Vermilion - but these extra touches make it feel much more substantial than you might expect from an NES action game based on a black-and-white TV show.
Fester's Quest is infamous for its level of difficulty, but most of the challenge stems from figuring out how to play it. If you try to play it like Contra or Heavy Barrel, it'll flatten you, but if you focus your efforts on how to best use the tools you're given, things become much easier.
Sure, it's annoying when the walls block your gunfire, but there's an easy fix - stop trying to use your gun in tight quarters! The whip can hit enemies through walls, and when fully upgraded, it hits much harder than the maxxed out gun does. And if the whip isn't cutting it, why not light some dynamite, fire off a few missiles, or chug an invisibility potion? Your stock of special items is automagically refilled after each boss battle, so there's no need to worry about using them up. Hoarding them will make the game way, way harder than it needs to be.
Your choice of controller is important, too. The manual recommends a turbo-fire pad, and that's great advice. The game is so much more fun when your thumb doesn't feel like it's about to fall off, and it's not cheating when the game tells you to play it that way, right?
So there's my case for Fester's Quest. It has its quirks and it throws up a tough facade, but once everything clicks, there's a lot of fun lurking just beneath the surface.
What do you guys think? Anyone out there considering giving it a(nother) try?
_______
No cheats were used during the recording of this video.
NintendoComplete (www.nintendocom...) punches you in the face with in-depth reviews, screenshot archives, and music from classic 8-bit NES games!

[@NintendoComplete]

I've always felt that Fester's Quest was an unfairly maligned game. It's fun, it's unique, and that soundtrack kicks.

[@Dr-Weird]

Another NES dark souls. Either the enemies kill you with cheese. Or you get the game breaking glitches. 10 out of 10 Would recommend if you wish to frustrate yourself. (I loved it as a kid and still enjoy the title opening)

[@biggsweaty]

Hey, another great upload and fitting for the time of year. Always love the descriptions you do as well; as a matter of fact, no matter what you upload I always at least read them. Thanks!

[@SamtheBravesFan]

It's a tough game but I beat it with the NES Advantage and some guide help. Never minded the grinding to get the LV 8 gun ever since I was a kid.

[@bigduke5902]

It's a deeply flawed, but unique experience evident of a time when the rules of whst a video game is wasn't even close to the clinical, precise science severely limiting their creativity today. Just because James Rolfe made fun of it in a comedy series 78 years ago doesn't mean it's without merit. And just because it's not as bad as people who have never actually played it say it is doesn't mean it's a criminally underrated shining hidden gem of brilliance.

[@christopherthibeault7502]

I could sympathize with the Nerd, but I actually grew up with this game. I can remember watching my older brother try in vain multiple times to beat it but always choking on a boss. We were the types who respected Contra far more when we started playing that, but had no sense of space (i.e. didn't know how long we'd have to tread and who'd be on our tail) and thus little incentive to use up limited TNT sticks. We used rapid fire controllers all the time once we found them. I'm with you on this one, though: it's a more tactical shooter where it's not at all savvy to stand in one spot and mow them down when you can wiggle around or avoid provoking the thing (Giant Scorpion). Have you heard of the PAL version? James should review it because it remedies everything that made the first version's nuts-and-bolts gunplay such a chore. First, they don't clip on the walls, plus they got rid of the subtle timer that requires you to strike the target and then again while the target is flashing or wounded to actually deliver damage. It's worth a look if you're not completely booked for Halloween.

[@Miketopus.]

"Morticia gives you a whip." Get out of my dreams Sunsoft!

[@RampantFury925]

Ayo what?

[@xmofo83x]

That "echoing explosion" sound in this and other NES games triggers instant nostalgia.

[@xmofo83x]

Like at 23:22

[@metamorphicblood]

This soundtrack is way cooler than I remembered.

[@Kojain]

I played this years ago. Got to the UFO but never beat it. Thank you for this video.

[@moxxiepeppino]

The sound track still slaps

[@dorpth]

Sunsoft presents: Blaster Master assets with an Adams Family theme slapped on! (then the last level almost turns into Gremlins 2 prototype?)

[@rcblazer]

The gameplay actually reminds me of the indoor top-down areas you go to in Blaster Master. Makes sense, as Sunsoft also made that game.

[@coomtothebroom778]

Played this to death growing up and couldn’t believe the enormous hate for it in the internet age. Very cool game with lots of challenge and awesome locales. Great job on this!

[@NintendoComplete]

Thanks! I did too. I loved it as a kid.

[@Dr-Weird]

I agree. I don't understand the hate either, I played this every time I went to my friends house. We both enjoyed it. But could never beat it

[@onswiftwingsofficial]

I could never get past the first boss. The music kept making me come back to it even though the game play was a struggle for me.

[@user-do2ev2hr7h]

You know the game is hardcore when even the manual says "yeah, just use turbo".

[@bnelson383]

This game seems like it was supposed to be something else

[@Odorox84]

Fester's Quest is one of my all-time favorite NES game ! Everyone gave this game shait back in the day, but i loved it ❤ And the Sunsoft music KICK A** 🤘🤘

[@iblitz95]

This game is a comedic masterpiece and I will not accept any refutation of such. Also, the music is a total jam.

[@Max_Payne_dude]

Chesters face when he sees the space ship it's just PERFECT

[@BoluzB2]

The boss enemies were dope designs as well! Proper monstrous

[@twitchsopamanxx]

Of course he would wear sunglasses in the middle of the night.

[@VahanNisanian]

Sunsoft clearly took pages from "Blaster Master" when they made this.

[@NintendoComplete]

Oh yeah, definitely. Gremlins 2, too.

[@Dorian_Scott]

Ironically, it's not nearly as fun as Blaster Master.

[@NintendoComplete]

​@Dorian_Scott I like Fester's Quest much more than Blaster Master.

[@frankbauerful]

To me it looks more like Metal Gear: Fester.

[@G.L.999]

'Fester's Quest' does run off of 'Blaster Master's' overhead engine! So it makes sense why the similarities are uncanny in that sense of the word.

[@Cartoonguy133]

The music is pretty good. Including the remix of the Addams Family theme.

[@jasonsantiago6308]

This game was impossible Props to you

[@jonnyturtleneck7153]

Alien abductions and the Addam’s Family on the NES sounds cool

[@black2785]

Wow I have always seen this game on shelves and heard about its difficultly but this looks and sounds amazing

[@bgzed]

Hard game but always went back to finish it again. Loved calling in Lurch in the tough times

[@pixelgoat7317]

Omg, Fester's reaction at the beginning to the spaceship is hilarious 😆 🤣...Honestly reminds me of the infamous Quan Chi face on the MK4 arcade cabinet! O_O

[@9b8ll]

This game is okay, hard as nails, but where the game really shines is the soundtrack!! It really slaps like crazy! 😂

[@unchi1999]

This was the game that my uncle rage quit on when he was a kid back in the early 90's and he broke the door off a NES due to this game by punching the top of it because he kept dying over and over again.

[@UltimaKeyMaster]

Congratulations. I'm never blowing bubbles ever again-

[@NintendoComplete]

I'm sure MJ would be relieved to hear that.

[@angrytheclown801]

​@@NintendoCompleteI bet he will be. It sure was killing him.

[@Monhamd1000]

And Fester saves the day!

[@Baximus]

I remember playing this a lot when I was younger, even if I got nowhere. Visited it again much later as an adult and finished the game. The only thing that really chafed me, honestly, was the fact the life pick ups are hidden in the mazes. Otherwise, I think the hate for it is silly.

[@MidwestAINewsroom]

I played it alot growing up too- but lit never knew there were blue (weapon upgrades) and red (weapon downgrades)... when I got to the green slimes in the sewers was excruciatingly hard

[@user-gs1mr1hw4h]

Hey man this is Josh just watching your play through the Fester's quest on the NES

[@NintendoComplete]

Cool, thanks for watching, Josh!

[@bigduke5902]

When anyone could just make a video game based on somethjng that didn't have another piece of media to promote.

[@Turbo_Waitress]

Thanks for posting this play-through. I always thought this must have been made to promote the movie, but no, it came out two years before.

[@spoonshiro]

Rented this one as a kid, never managed to get far even with Game Genie. Still had a lot of fun though!

[@01MrBLA]

I’m gonna probably sound weird and/or come off the wrong way, but…… 1. Fester’s Quest has the best boss theme from any Sunsoft game (and that’s saying a lot since blaster master and the first Batman game has an awesome soundtrack). 2. After seeing how the blaster master zero series turned out, I wouldn’t mind a touch up of fester’s quest like that. Keep the story, add some cutscenes, maybe a remaster/remix of the soundtrack.

[@NintendoComplete]

I agree with this game's boss music. It's awesome.

[@jonespianist3189]

I'd be more okay with the boss theme if it didn't play the bass an entire octave higher than it should.

[@nessadvantage9447]

The boss music is good but, personally i thought sunsoft did a better job with the boss music in gremlins 2 the new batch. Listen to that boss music, it's 🔥

[@metroidomega80]

I'd like to see sunsoft remaster this game. It was always one of my favorites.

[@thecowboy2]

The power up system is similar to another Sunsoft classic Blaster Master. Speaking of which, I see one of the first level enemies is modeled after Fred the frog.

[@WEHRWULF8814]

I always saw this game for sale as a kid, but was never interested in playing it. I'm a little shocked how good this looks and sounds. I missed out on that one!

[@2steaksandwiches665]

You didn’t. It was pure crap.

[@randall2034]

This was a dope game! Difficult but that NES max came in handy! They should remake this! The soundtrack is 🔥🔥

[@RobertLewis85]

I remember not liking this game as a very young kid. I don't think I ever got past the first 30 seconds.

[@susanfit47]

The Addams Family was still rerun constantly in the late 80's to early 90's during airtime on TBS and on local stations. Same reason for the Gilligan's Island game.

[@TheSlashTraxNetwork]

I remember the day i rented this the first time i remember what store i even remember the girl scouts selling cookies outside the store so it resonated with mme for sure!!! The girl scout cookies may have been made out of real girl scout's before you ask lol and of course "morticia gives you a whip" in the game lol that flew over my head as a child.

[@reubenguttenberg7405]

Christopher Lloyd as uncle fester

[@spoonshiro]

Fun fact: This game was originally intended to have a password system, and it was there in beta builds for testing, but the dev team took it out of the final because the designer didn't include it in the design document.

[@ramrodbldm9876]

Not a fun fact kid

[@JDjade1]

I always loved the overworld music in this game

[@Jamesamong007]

Always thought this game should have gotten a reskin rermake when the 1993 movie came out, have be like a non canon sequel of sorts. It would be Christopher Lloyd instead of Jackie Coogan and so on.

[@venomhemi3914]

I had this in 1991 - never beat the game

[@marenelinea]

I've never played this game before, however I cannot help but noticing several of the same sound effects, were also used in a different NES classic: Journey to Silius. The soundtrack is also sharing some of the same vibes imo. Oh nvm, I googled and figured they were both made by Sunsoft, makes sense. 😅

[@G.L.999]

I've beaten this game without a turbo controller many times! It's a fun, hard, and tricky game all at once. Once I equip the whip, the gun is basically useless to me at that point!

[@citizenofcorona8783]

An Irate Gamer review of this would be hilarious. I can imagine the overworld theme play while him shouting WHAT A BUNCH OF RAT-FLINGING BULLSHIT!

[@unchi1999]

This was the game that my uncle rage quit on when he was a kid back in the early 90's and he broke the door off a NES due to this game by punching the top of it because he kept dying over and over again. My dad also remembers my uncle punching a Gameboy whenever Terminator 2 pissed him off.

[@carnagefpv8256]

I spent YEARS of my childhood trying to beat this game, never made it past the first school🙄.. so glad i finally got to see the end

[@Seiko180]

Fester looks like Darth Vader unmasked

[@SolCresta3405]

Were you expecting, maybe, uh, the Ninja Turtles?

[@shawnathanm1152]

Man that NES Max was my best friend. Loved that damn rapid fire button 😅

[@bountyhunterFett76]

Is it bad that the Addam's family are so odd that not even the aliens would kidnap them lol

[@tectonicshrapnel3314]

Thank you for posting

[@senseicorey9979]

Hope fester got him some after saving all those people like that.....

[@macdoj4]

Don't think I ever made it passed the 2nd boss. These guys had the back rooms before they were a thing.

[@stuffydoll2344]

something i never knew is you could buy hotdogs to get health back

[@Pedro_Kantor]

Turbo controller is mandatory.

[@marquethwilson7813]

Hey I play this game when I was a kid

[@pureflix8086]

I LOVED this game as a kid. Still do. Scared the sh.. out of me though...😱 Edit: f..k AVGN if he hated it. Hes not - and never was - the ultimate judge of games.

[@mr.g4990]

Sunsoft really loved their weird, annoying shooting patterns. See also Blaster Master and Return of the Joker .

[@michaelpetersson8732]

This game has some similarities with masterblaster game, like the guns and music.

[@Davtwan]

Sunsoft was still trying to get their footing at the time. That probably why there’s so many minor annoyances layered on top of what is otherwise a solid foundation. I feel how much these inconveniences matter to the player and (whether they can forgive them) will decide if they like the game or not.

[@mortithedog8088]

One of the first games I ever played. I was 3 when it came out.

[@odemata87]

Had this game. Highly recommend a rapid fire controller. Only way i was able to turn this game over.

[@chengfu7063]

Good times

[@ytown523]

I loved this game growing up. Sunsoft released some masterpieces even though I think this game gets a bad wrap.

[@MarvelFan1995]

"This game better not suck ass. Or else I'm gonna give it the finger. The middle finger." -AVGN

[@isaacman4157]

Are you planning on re-recording the European version too?

[@NintendoComplete]

I'm sure I will at some point, but probably not for a while. I've got a lot on my plate atm.

[@isaacman4157]

@@NintendoComplete Okay, that’s fair.

[@Dorelaxen]

Screw the haters, I love this one. Always have. Yeah, it's fiddly and has some really bad design choices (the gun power down being my most hated), but there aren't any other games where you get to play as Fester. So, yeah, I love it.

[@Dorian_Scott]

I *_really_* want to like this game. But the culmination of Fester's slow speed, the wall shooting bug (that's fixed in the European version, thankfully) and downgrading your gun turns what could be a fun action game into one that is a chore to play. At least the graphics and sound are on par with Sunsoft's other classics.

[@NintendoComplete]

Are the gun downgrades really a big deal, though? I mean, they're annoying, but they're not hard to avoid if you force yourself to slow down a bit and pay attention. I much prefer this system over the way Blaster Master would downgrade your gun every time you got hit.

[@Dorelaxen]

@@NintendoComplete Ain't wrong about that. Just getting hit is a massive penalty in Blaster Master.

[@NintendoComplete]

​@Dorelaxen That one thing was imo what made BM so painfully difficult. I mean, why even bother giving you a lifebar when you're pretty much guaranteed to die when it's at the halfway mark? Hahaha. This game has always been called hard, but it's pretty reasonable, especially for a Sunsoft game. This isn't nearly as difficult as Blaster Master, Batman, or Journey to Silius.

[@user82938]

I never got very far in this game. Interesting to see where it goes later on. Feels not at all connected to Addams Family.

[@Lordimmanuel]

I loved this game ❤

[@allister-malister9179]

This was definitely a different game, with the addam’s family hamfisted in.

[@tommynelson8674]

You have my respect, sir 😂

[@NintendoComplete]

Well ty! 😊

[@reubenguttenberg7405]

In honor of Raul Julia

[@bigduke5902]

Gomez is barely even in this game.

[@chucksucks8640]

This game reminds me of blaster master. In fact, the same company made it.

[@aprev039]

I remember seeing this on a PlayChoice arcade. Imagine the amount of coins one must play.

[@VonArmagedda]

Funny thing about Fester's Quest is that the PAL version is just so much easier. Enemies takes 4 times less damage and you can shoot through walls.

[@smv4usa]

How are you not using up Invisibility Potions? Are you getting restocked?

[@NintendoComplete]

They get refilled after every boss.

[@Dorian_Scott]

So... here's my stance on this game; About a couple years ago, I played both versions back-to-back. Despite my appreciation for the colorful, detailed graphics and Naoki Kodaka's excellent soundtrack, I did not have a good time with the North American version. Fester's *_incredibly_* slow walking speed makes avoiding enemies much more frustrating than it needs to be (especially the spitting frogs), a lot of the weapon upgrades are useless despite their increased power since they often miss your target (the red zig-zag gun being a prime example of that), the fact that you can accidentally cycle back to your weakest weapon is also annoying, your weapon's inability to shoot through walls make the sewers a nightmare to trek and the difficulty is absurd; You have *_VERY_* little life. Sure, you can upgrade it in the 3D mazes (which you can easily miss and you barely notice the increase upon picking them up), but it won't make a world of difference. Plus, you have to start at the very beginning *every time* you die. Given how crippled Fester's control and weapons are, you die a *LOT.* Then, I played the PAL version. Gone was the annoying wall shooting bug, but the same tedious gameplay is still there. I felt like an idiot after wasting so much time on this game. I wish I could enjoy this game as much as you do, but those major issues just ruin it for me.

[@chrissaldana4519]

I couldn’t even find or get to the first boss!

[@rickardcr8770]

Great nes memories 🕹🎮 😀 🆒️

[@dukejason]

nice!

[@madhailc.1132]

Is turbo button essencial in this game? It looks quite easier than AVGN played.

[@NintendoComplete]

Turbofire makes it a much better game. The manual recommends it.

[@rodolfoyoharygonzalez3872]

Clon of blaster Master

[@nightstar11801]

I rather liked this game as well

[@UBRambo56]

My only frustration with this game is that unless you start the game it’s not titled as an Addams family game.

[@Ravno888]

Uncle Fester Contra Team

[@colintitcomb2544]

This game definitely was deeply flawed (I LOATHE the building mazes and whoever decided to add the power downs has a fiery and incredibly hot place in hell in their future), but i had a TON of fun with it, and that soundtrack is STELLAR (boss theme is a major standout)! ...what the hell were the vice grips supposed to do, though?

[@ryanschrafel9576]

When you get hit by projectiles that slow Fester's walking speed, use the vice grips to restore his normal speed.

[@colintitcomb2544]

@@ryanschrafel9576 That was it... thank you!

[@reubenguttenberg7405]

joan cusack as Debbie

[@anothertrackmom]

The Addams Family

[@anothertrackmom]

The Addams Family

[@saintsheepy6682]

Game looks alright (love that soundtrack too), but it shoulda given you a longer life bar, at least three lives, and if you were going to do unlimited continues, continue after the last boss you beat! It gets easier if you grind all the way up to level 8 with the gun though (Aqualung Game Reviews showed that how you can spawn those purple blobs [probably alien cocoons] over and over and pick up everything except gun downgrades, so you can get plenty of other items as well).

[@NintendoComplete]

His life bar is short, but you get a fresh stock of five life potions and five invincibility potions every time you beat a boss. Between those and the hot dog stands, I thought it was pretty generous with health.

[@Chrizinator]

You were expecting maybe The Ninja Turtles?

[@xxHUNGRY4THETRUTHxx]

I really really want to like Uncle Foster's Quest. But its challenges were just too frustrating for myself. The wepon cancelation through those tight corridors whith enemies respawning Ninja Gaiden style. Ugh! The whip helps remedy these situations but it catches all items including wepon downgrades. Still, this is the only Addams based game I'd recommend for the NES.

[@WispyBlueBricksGPX]

will you play Yūyūki for the NES/FC?

[@SmoggyLambGG]

Did you find all the health upgrades?

[@NintendoComplete]

Yup

[@ProBreakers]

I had this as a kid, i hated the weapons....

[@elwoodjacobs4353]

As an Addams Family junkie, I _SO_ want to love this game, but it suffers from three sins: It's too slow, too hard, & too monotonous. You can make it _marginally_ better with a Turbo controller & Game Genie cheats, but Fester is still as slow as molasses & it takes you an eternity to get anywhere, & the bosses are ridiculously & unfairly hard. Plus, the fact that you get banished back to the beginning if you die & have to hoof it _ALL_ the way back to your destination is just too cruel & unusual, even for the Addamses. Along with those, one of my biggest problems with this game is the "level design." Whoever thought it was a good idea to make the game just one giant, never-ending map with absolutely no stage breaks or checkpoints needs to play Ikari Warriors to see what a horrible idea that is. A game needs some breaks. Some respite. Some moments where you can pause & catch your proverbial breath. This game feels like hiking up a mountain. There's nothing punchy or jaunty about it. It's just a slog. Even when you pause the game, all you can think about is how much more crawling you have left to do. A good game should make you feel accomplished in what you've already achieved & excited for what lies around the bend. This game just leaves you thinking, "How much _longer???_ My thumbs can't take anymore." I know Sunsoft sold & marketed it on the fact that it's brutal, but a game being tough in & of itself does not equal fun. It has to be a kind of tough that you want to get better at & is satisfying to play through and complete. Outside of the graphics & music, there is nothing fun or satisfying about this game, for my money. If you're brave enough to try it for yourself, I recommend entering Game Genie codes to start with the best gun & to make it so that the downgrade boxes don't affect the gun. You still aren't going to have much fun, though. As for me, I'll just stick to Pugsley's Scavenger Hunt for NES. Edit: I forgot to note this, but that ending animation of the entire city pumping their fists & cheering the Addamses on is just _wrong._ The whole point of the Addamses is that they freak out 99% of everyone they come across, so to have them be congratulated like that goes against the ethos of them.