RoboCop (NES) Playthrough

A playthrough of Data East's 1989 license-based action game for the NES, RoboCop.
To nobody's surprise, Paul Veerhoven's brilliant, blood-drenched 1987 sci-fi blockbuster spawned a wide range of successful video game adaptations. Data East's popular 1988 arcade game ( • RoboCop (Arcade) Playt... ) led the charge, and it was followed by a glut Ocean-developed releases for 8 and 16-bit computer platforms before finally landing on Nintendo's console in late 1989.
RoboCop for the NES isn't a port of one of Ocean's games, though. Created by Sakata SAS, the company behind most of Data East's 8-bit console games, this is an original game loosely based on the arcade original.
You play as Alex Murphy, a Detroit cop turned crime-fighting cyborg after being gunned down in the line of duty, and you're out for revenge. Over the course of six side-scrolling action stages, it's RoboCop's job to root out the corruption plaguing the city while upholding his prime directives:
1. Serve the public trust
2. Protect the innocent
3. Uphold the law
And he does this by brutally murdering everything that crosses his path. Each area is filled with thugs to punch and shoot your way through, and you'll eventually come face-to-face with the likes of drug czar and ghetto lord Clarence Boddicker, as well as OCP's ED209.
The gameplay is simple and fairly straightforward, but it does several things to differentiate itself from the typical NES platformer. RoboCop can't jump, so dodging attacks is rarely a viable option - brute force is the best way to go in most cases - but he does have a block that momentarily nullifies all damage. He can't rely on this too often, however, since it'll put a drain on his power source which acts as an in-game timer, and if his battery goes dead mid-mission, it's instant game over.
At first, RoboCop comes across as an extraordinarily difficult and unforgiving game. You get just one life for each of your three continues, your life gauge isn't refilled between stages, and special weapon drops are rare.
But the deck isn't stacked entirely against you. With practice, you'll figure out strategies that can reliably get you past each roadblock while minimizing damage. Inching forward to avoid being trapped by enemies from both sides, stocking up on and rationing ammo for crucial moments, and perhaps most importantly, learning how to balance blocking with power draw are all things that will make the mission go more smoothly. If you have the patience to stick with it, in time, RoboCop actually becomes quite an easy game to conquer. As a kid I thoroughly enjoyed figuring it all out, and I think it's still quite a bit of fun to work through now.
The game does a nice job of mimicking the look of the arcade game (remember, this is a mid-gen NES game!), and the music is good even though it repeats way too often. The controls are solid, too, though trying to figure out how to walk down a staircase can be super aggravating. The trick is to position RoboCop's back foot over the top step before hitting the down button.
It's not quite on the level of Konami and Capcom's NES movie tie-ins, but if you're looking to test your chops, RoboCop is a satisfying old-school romp.
_____________
No cheats were used during the recording of this video.
NintendoComplete (www.nintendocomplete.com/) punches you in the face with in-depth reviews, screenshot archives, and music from classic 8-bit NES games!

[@JoshPowell81]

Man, as a kid NOTHING in life was ever as difficult as walking up or down stairs in Robocop. Ahh the memories!

[@JamesJones-on1qf]

Fr

[@imperfectxennial3008]

I see your Robocop and raise you the original Mega Man and trying Ice Man’s foot holder area

[@carlosalonsoperezsosa8162]

Jajajaja true

[@darylbramlett4311]

I mastered the stairs to the point I can moonwalk up stairs!

[@MrJPort10]

I would do anything to go back!

[@derekv4552]

I remember getting this game from my grandmother. She was a secretary at a local school and it was part of the unclaimed lost and found, so she gave it to me and my brother

[@KazuyaKane]

I love stories like this. Similar thing happened with my grandmother. Same situation, she was a secretary at a local catholic school and she gave us NFL Quarterback Club 98 for N64 that was unclaimed in the lost and found. Only problem was that we didn't have an N64 at the time, but a SNES and PS1, lol. She was the best and I miss her dearly.

[@SomeOrangeCat]

Mad props to Grandma!

[@yusakug]

For those who used to watch Sailor Moon, there’s a hidden Robocop reference. The first time Sailor Mercury uses her goggles to analyze an enemy monster, we see things through the eyes of her visor like goggles, and there’s a lot of computer gibberish all over the screen. But in the bottom corner of the screen, you can see Robocop’s four prime directives. Obviously there was a fan on the animation staff.

[@Dorian_Scott]

Ohhh I remember that episode! That was the second episode with Ami, right? They were in this trippy world with clocks everywhere - kinda like the 1st Super Famicom game.

[@edwardgaines6561]

Wow, how out of left field to drop a Sailor Mercury reference on a RoboCop LP. What's next? Cleo from _Cattilac Cats?_

[@Xx1SailorScoutxX]

Makes sense. Both Alex Murphy and Ami/Amy/Sailor Mercury have above average intelligence and are skilled with electronics & machinery.

[@JinsKookieJams]

@@edwardgaines6561 *yusakug is so cool for noticing it 🥰❤️❤️❤️❤️!*

[@lijing6660]

Robocop has only three detectives

[@NintendoComplete]

"Dead or alive, you're coming with me."

[@LITTLE1994]

Classic line, right there. But there's another I forgot.

[@rjcupid]

My friends and I played this and the Gameboy version a ton. Clarence Boddicker played by Kurtwood Smith is one of the greatest movie villains of all time in my opinion.

[@NintendoComplete]

@@LITTLE1994 Your move, creep? I'd buy that for a dollar? Don't touch me, man? There are so many!

[@black2785]

“Drop it!”

[@Retro_Game_Craze23]

“Bitches Leave”

[@micgreenson7308]

The music alone is a nostalgia trip wow lol

[@SupremeDarkKnight]

I remember people saying "the theme song is so repetitive" but as I kid I LOVED playing this game with the song playing in the background! ☺

[@kathryn0200]

Me too!

[@marchkofeeling]

@@kathryn0200 same for me too ^^

[@KHaskins23]

Loved playing this game as a kid!!!

[@Omnighoul31]

It’s nice when big, hulking enemies walk right into your fist.

[@topdamagewizard]

Beat this game as a kid on my grandfathers Black and White TV. With the RF converter that you had to unscrew. God I'm old.

[@jubirelle]

5:51 Damn he said Thank you and you punched him in the mouth? Savage lol

[@digitalworms]

I got this for Christmas in 1989 i believe it was played the hell out of it!

[@martinholden9686]

I see Simon Belmont isn't the only one who can moonwalk up stairs so can nes RoboCop! 😁💪

[@anthonypeter4786]

I love this game since my childhood. So nostalgic Actually the cartage of this game was gifted me on Christmas by my father.❤❤😊😊 Miss u dad😢😢😢

[@torrvic1156]

I understand you. Missing my dad too…

[@alexander2685]

Same 🥺🥹

[@thecurmudgeon7350]

This is the first video game I ever played at 5 years old. I will always associate the NES with RoboCop for that reason. Back then this was some advanced technology to me and was fascinating to my young mind. I never knew that this game was just a dumb downed arcade port until years later.

[@cinifiend]

Same here, I remember renting this when I was 5 years old and thinking it was the greatest game ever. I actually didn't know there was an arcade version, I checked and now I can see how dumbed down the NES version of the game is, lol.

[@nmartell1007]

I’m here after rogue city

[@digitalworms]

​@@nmartell1007how is rogue city? Been wanting to play it looks sweet!

[@secondchance6603]

@@digitalworms It is indeed sweet, scratches that Robocop itch big time.

[@cstevens82]

never beat it as a kid it was too hard to beat

[@JujYFru1T]

I mostly remember this as being the first game my twinbro ever ragequit (i was a backseat gamer until the N64 came out)

[@plbeckman]

Thanks for the memories. The music from this game still in my head all these years later. You play this awesome. It took me a few months to beat this. I didn't know about the trick to Greg extra guns.

[@larrylaffer3246]

He is a Robot, he is a Cop.

[@shinigamiphantom1391]

What a game. We play as a cybernetic cop who shoots everyone and everything on sight.

[@Andy-B187]

Man, that is the best walkthrough I've ever seen, I mean, this Robocop game. You were playing like real pro!

[@NintendoComplete]

Thanks!

[@gdogg1979]

I remember renting this and it being difficult as hell!

[@timothyjackson926]

You ain't never lied mannnn 10 yr old me was kicking the fucking wall 😂

[@danpae288]

Regresión instantánea a mi niñez, horas y horas juego, con familiares y amigos. Nostalgia pura.

[@afriendofbean]

When I first played this game, I didn't know how to defeat the boss at 5:28 because even if the boss didn't shoot his gun at me, I would lose energy if I shot my gun as Robocop since the mayor was saying "Oh No", constantly. It took me at least a year to know how to defeat that boss thinking I had to kill two guys but the one guy with the gun was actually holding the mayor hostage realizing I only had to defeat that guy but the mayor was a good guy.

[@jerminator0688]

Moonwalking up the stairs. Forgot about that one! Hahaha

[@Wair18]

One of the few games I didn't beat as a kid good playthrough.

[@howieg2019]

this game right here was super tough

[@poohebar83]

god the memories of watching my brothers play this game the sounds alone bring it all back

[@rjcupid]

Same here. The sound effects and music instantly bring back good memories. It’s a hard game but with practice it’s beatable.

[@aodhablackheart]

I love how casual the training stage music is compared to how dramatic it is in the arcade version :)

[@markinscotland]

lol true! The music in the arcade version gets your heart rate going, this one sounds like it's from Outrun ;)

[@saintsheepy6682]

17:49 This is funny considering how in the movie Robocop said to Boddicker "I'm not arresting you anymore!", but like what AVGN said, what happened in the movie, they probably couldn't put in an NES game meant for kids. 😅

[@hfric]

dat reflexes , you impress me !!!

[@NintendoComplete]

Thanks! But tbh I can't take too much credit there. Once you've memorized what pops up and where, it's pretty easy to stomp everyone.

[@alonelypotato2788]

going up and down the stairs are the hardest...

[@mcgibs]

Just played the Rogue City demo. Man, we've come a long, long way.

[@Slappaccino]

I had a love / hate relationship with this as a kid. It was a good bad game.

[@bsherman8236]

The theme song is so well done

[@justinm1882]

very nice job very good quality and great pro game play glad i subbed

[@NintendoComplete]

Thanks! 😀

[@DasNordlicht91]

the weird, upbeat version of the Robocop theme in the first level cracks me up for some reason.

[@MarcosComentarista-jn2yp]

Nostálgic game. I had player a Lot when kid. But arcade version is another game

[@willyung5819]

I remember borrowing this as a kid. Got stuck because I didnt realise you had to punch through the walls....🤦‍♂️, I hadnt watched the film by then

[@timothyjackson926]

Man us kids born in the early 80s had the best games and i think those hard as games prepped us for a bunch of shit we was going to have to deal with in todays time, i also think it passed on alot of anxiety to our kids 😂

[@kickas1469]

14:00 as a kid i never understood how to kill this boss 😢. But i can see i was not bad to go so far. The stair to climb and the music....such memories. Now i will finaly see how this game ends 😅❤❤❤❤❤

[@Unaliq]

I remember playing a bootleg Robocop game where you can go in multiple rooms and challenge ED-209 and RoboCain. It was super fun but also confusing as hell.

[@rcblazer]

This was how I was first introduced to Robocop as a kid. I hadn't seen the movie (my mom never took me to any R rated films) so I didn't know about the Jesus facsimile or the social commentary, I just saw a cool robot dude punching and shooting bad guys. It was fun!

[@davidsavage5630]

As crazy as it may seem, this game DOES capture something fundamental about the vibe of the movie. I don't even know how to describe it exactly. It's almost like some of the satire bled into the game..

[@xwf1000v3]

Played this game as a kid, watched the 3 movies, the series, & the Animation series too where Robocop faces off against D A R C & their leader MR. Brink. The game was Hard but beat it with Game Genie.

[@malhaomalhoa7486]

Great police work there, officer Murphy.

[@jeffmc9645]

I never realized how amazingly similar this game was to Castlevania!! Especially Castlevania 2! Movement, stairs, backgrounds, enemies, its practically the same game with better music and Robocop. But I loved it nonetheless!

[@mariusamber3237]

Oh wow, what a coincidence - another channel I'm subscribed to also just uploaded a Robocop-related video, hahah; talk about a popular game. The fact that this game was so insanely popular here in Europe always baffled me, it's not a very good game at all from what I remember (like, a D+, maybe C- experience), as most stuff Ocean put out. Still, the music is nice... or rather, the Robocop theme that is there.

[@ismaelcervera6432]

Classic going up doing moon walk

[@llody7777]

Haven't played this in years.

[@MRFIXITZ]

"Dead or alive you're coming with me"

[@iReaper69]

Man I used to love this game.

[@jesseenriquez4989]

Bro I hope they drop this at Nintendo on-line because I love this since I was a kid.

[@LightStreak567]

I LOVED all three Robocop movies. Yes, I said all three, including Robocop 3, sue me. Anyway, I didn't know there was a video game based on them.

[@xxxlifenomorepodcast.8528]

Memories man❤

[@maxstone9999]

250 lbs??? I might believe 250 kg. No way robocop is that light.

[@JoshPowell81]

For real! Watching that now as an adult and realizing that I weigh more than Robocop brings on an entirely new battle……depression

[@maxstone9999]

@@JoshPowell81 there is a scene I think in robocop 2 where robocop shocks himself and a whole bunch of men have to carry him. So I believe closer to 500 pounds

[@JoshPowell81]

@@maxstone9999 that sounds more like it! Now I feel a little better about myself!

[@simonmejia6896]

"Your move, creep"

[@kramalerav]

What the hell am I doing here? I don’t belong here.

[@fl21id]

See, I got a problem. Cops don't like me, and I don't like cops.

[@user-je5ge7dc1d]

Dick Jones, Clerence Bodicker, Emil, Joe Cox, Steven Min

[@user-je5ge7dc1d]

Leon Nash

[@rtmclean484]

Look at him just flapping his gums at me, "muh muh, mumumumu muh muh"

[@LITTLE1994]

Don't seem too bad, unlike the Terminator game.

[@benmilam3574]

14:57, Dick Jones looks menacing but Clarence Boddicker looks like Mr. Wilson from Dennis The Menace on Nickelodeon

[@TheNaturalPatHarris]

As a kid, my brother and I would call the Purple enemy “Jim The Anvil Neidhart” from the Hart Foundation

[@user-je5ge7dc1d]

Murphy, Lewis, Bob, Jonson, Kini

[@rjcupid]

I’d buy that for a dollar!

[@BB-te8tc]

Not at today's used game prices.

[@rjcupid]

@@BB-te8tc Tell me about it. More like: “I can’t buy anything for a dollar!”

[@superstaramyrosethehardcoreyt]

Glorious video.

[@black2785]

Best RoboCop game ever

[@Jay_G94]

1:40 This is the Robocop anthem song

[@GaryBeltz]

YOUR MOVE CREEP!

[@ISleepWithAFanOn]

I was two years old when this came out, and remember playing it a lot up to age five or six. I only remember two parts in the game: 1) The hostage fight at 5:29, but I thought I remember the hostage being female 2) The gray background at the last level (no idea why the grey background stuck with me)

[@andrewcoscarella309]

I was today-years-old (that’s what they say, right?) when i realized the opening track is MediaBreak.

[@67956787]

Game of childhood

[@janssenmccormick7824]

This and TMNT had me punching the air like Sisyphus as a kid

[@knighriderredux]

Sounds like Master Chief’s shields when he gets power ups

[@demianpark8081]

"청룡오락실" 패밀리로도 로보캅이 있었군요 ~

[@matro951]

Awesome music

[@britneyspearsvillarosa]

I love RoboCop on NES

[@kathryn0200]

I remember how i got stumped by the secret wall that you had to punch. So satisfying to beat this game. One of the few i did. Couldn't beat mad max, super mario 3, tmnt, super c. Could beat this ducktales, and chip and dale!

[@timothyjackson926]

Mad Max was hard as hell

[@gaiden4567]

Oh the nostalgia

[@shenallh]

My first video game

[@Matt_El_Comicologo84]

Maaaaaaan....this game was difficult as hell back when I was a kid. Didn't make after level 2 😂

[@ROMBomb001]

I always hate killing dogs in games and this is the game that made me realize it as a child :'(

[@bryanb0016]

THAT WAS SATISFYIG TO WATCH!!! GOODLUCKWITH THE CHANNEL KEEP IT UP!!!!

[@steveafanador6441]

If they could of put a little color on his face the character model would of looked so much better.

[@Krbyfan1]

He is a Robert He is a Cop He is the Robert Cop OH YEAH!

[@venkitan]

@ 5:07 Me & my friends figured out after a very long time to punch that wall. Bcos we never knew that we could use other power to do that.. lol..

[@Dorian_Scott]

I have the strangest experience with Robocop. I never saw any of the movies, but I played this game on the Arcade a ton as a kid. I really enjoyed Robocop VS. Terminator on Sega Genesis and... That's all. I hear that the remake of the original movie is terrible, but how are the original trilogy?

[@NintendoComplete]

The first movie was incredible (especially the unrated version. There's a lot censored out of the R version). The second one was campy but fun. The third one ... no. I actually liked the reboot. It didn't really feel like RoboCop, but taken on its own I thought it was entertaining.

[@supatiltgaming]

Since you've never seen the originals you would prolly enjoy the remake. They could of called it 'generic android police person' and way more people would of liked it. It's just not a 'robocop' movie. Of the originals I totally agree with NintendoComplete. First is good, second is good but campy (it's my favorite one) and the third was a pg-13 nightmare without any of the original main stars. There was also a garbage tv show... I wouldn't buy that for a dollar.

[@BB-te8tc]

The second movie is an unjustly-maligned schlock masterpiece and I will die on that hill. I like it almost as much as the first.

[@_Majoras]

the first is one of the best action movies ever

[@Zaxares]

The original is, without a doubt, the finest and best in the entire series. It would probably make my personal list of "Top Ten movies everybody must watch". The second is definitely campy, but worth a watch for the laughs. The third one is an obvious attempt to milk a cash cow that failed dismally. The reboot is nowhere near the quality of the original, both in terms of message and pathos, but I did like the redesigned ED-209's, so there's that. :P Spoilers below... The thing that I hated the most about the reboot was the difference in how Robocop overcame his programming locks to do the right thing in the end. In the first, it's through human ingenuity ("Dick, you're FIRED!") which shows that, no matter how restrictive artificial laws or programming might be, there are always loopholes that a creative human mind can exploit that go around the problem. In contrast, the rebooted Robocop just has him break through his programming through sheer force of will, which just came off as being trite and cliched.

[@jimmydaddo9357]

This is the very first game I ever played.

[@IntroVertuM_METAL]

the hesi moonwalk is devastating

[@danielsantana540]

Good game

[@donaldsmith8648]

How's a regular bad guy's punch or kick make your health bar diminish lol..

[@NintendoComplete]

Maybe P stands for pride and scuffmarks damage RoboCop's fragile self-esteem.

[@conta7619]

@@NintendoComplete isso chega a ser um pouco engraçado 😂😂

[@darkhelmutt3417]

The dogs whining when they get shot is a nice touch.

[@thecunninlynguist]

I've been R.O.B.ed

[@mr.nobody4504]

1.000.000.000 of runners and dogs killed in this game

[@woodrowwilson137]

Yes indeed 😊

[@torquetheprisoner]

he is a robot he is a cop he ia a robotcop

[@jlassh]

Now I get why the game is so hard, it's 20 minutes, I never got past level 1 as a kid though lol

[@randy7894]

Thank you for playing so we don't have to :)

[@stuartwalton-wr7mx]

Which robocop game is it where its like your sliding on ice and he doesn't stop right away when hes walkng. Is it this one by any chance. I knownots one-off them I just can't remember 🙂👍

[@NintendoComplete]

That would be Robocop 2.

[@stuartwalton-wr7mx]

@@NintendoComplete oh cool. Is robocop 1 the easiest one I'm guessing 🙂👍

[@NintendoComplete]

@@stuartwalton-wr7mx Yeah, it's not easy, but it feels like the most reasonable one.

[@MatthiaGryffine]

Now where is Proton Jon with his "Stream Over" card?

[@VahanNisanian]

Or his making fun of Data East from his Joe & Mac review/

[@huffyslayer]

Peter weller