Barney's Hide & Seek Game

[Melf]

We here at Sega-16 believe in equal opportunity for all. For that reason, we even review games like Barney's Hide & Seek. Not for our typical audience, but worth reviewing nonetheless. Maybe you have a child or young cousin who'd be interested. If so, have 'em pull up a chair and share our full review with them. If not, read it anyway and get in touch with your inner child.

[tim333]

Wow... Barney's Hide and Seek is truly one of a kind. Every button blows a kiss... the game will play itself if you leave it alone... wow. Maybe calling this a "game" is pushing it.

On another note, Barney looks mildly scary in that sprite.

[Melf]

Tell me about it. I had to sleep with a night light after laying out those pics yesterday. :P

[loxthefox]

BEEZLEBUB!

[Genesis Knight]

Isn't that supposed to be beelzebub? Just wondering...

At any rate, kudos to VinnyT for not giving into the urge to just bash it.

[VinnyT]

Believe it or not, I actually had to have some of my original review cut! Here is the review before Melf had to edit it.

Barney's Hide and Seek Adventure: Directors Cut!:

You knew it was coming. One day, you were going to come to the website, see the new review, and maybe slightly cringe. You hoped it would never happen. Maybe no one would remember it.

Well, it’s hard to forget games this bad.

Back in the year 1993, similar feelings were felt by many parents of young children of America.

“Oh god oh god oh god oh god! I wish my kid would stop watching Barney! Maybe if I buy him a new Sega game, he’ll stop watching it.”

“Mommy(or daddy) I want this one!”

“Ok, let me make sure there’s no blood, like that nasty NHL ’94.”

“Mommy(or daddy) Mommy! It’s a Barney game! I WANT IT!”

“Barney?........ AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH”

This game was as sure as death and taxes, and about as much fun. So, you pay for the game so your kid doesn’t wreck the whole Wal-Mart with his tantrum. Soon, the kid is again glued to the screen with the hypnotic powers of the man in the purple dino suit. You look at the screen and wonder why. Why must you suffer this torture?

The controls for the game can actually be a bit confusing. Any of the buttons except for the d-pad make Barney blow a kiss in the air. Even the start button does this, which means no pausing. The premise of the game is simple. Walk and jump (but only if your right next to a platform) around simple platform levels, looking for assorted friends and presents. After finding them, he grabs them for a great big hug, then tosses the child to the ground as it runs away. They’re apparently hiding from Barney, if you want to call it hiding. I mean, hiding can constitute of half of a kid sticking out from a rock or a log, or hiding behind a bush that the kid is obviously 3 feet taller than. Some even hide in plain sight. Read that again. HIDE IN PLAIN SIGHT! They claim it’s(It being Hide and Seek) a game, but we know the real truth. These kids need to escape before it’s too late! I mean, they try to leave school, and suddenly this stuffed animal comes alive and forces the kids to stay after school. During that, they sing, dance, and learn some vague lesson and go home. You’d think the parents would do something, but instead they just get Ritalin prescriptions.

Anyway, the game is pretty short, especially if you put the controller down and do nothing, because that’s when the game does the thing that almost made me claim the difficulty was non applicable. The game, if left alone for long enough, PLAYS ITS SELF! If your kid gets bored with the game (which happens), they can just sit and watch as Barney walks to the end of the level. Or, just press the down button, and the game becomes a cheap screen saver.

The actually look of the game, admittedly, isn’t THAT bad. The graphics are nice and bright, and the cartoony look is perfect for the age group. The recreations of the few real characters are pretty close to the show. Obviously, most of the graphics were created for the game, seeing as the show isn’t a giant cartoon, just some kids and a guy in a suit running around a school yard for a half hour.

Side note: Does anyone remember an episode where a blind kid was on the show, and met Barney? He felt Barney’s stomach, and somehow knew not only that he was about 7 feet tall and was made of fabric, he knew Barney was Purple! PURPLE!

Anyway, the sound isn’t really anything to complain about either. The music is simple public domain kiddy songs with out the words. Most of the sounds are really just different stock sounds, like bells, chirps, whistles, fireworks, etc.

Well, I guess the game did its purpose. A simple games for kids, and that’s about it. And because it’s a game that fulfilled its purpose, and actually isn’t THAT bad, this isn’t getting the 1-3 rating that some may have been expecting.

Score: 4

[The Jackal]

One of the best games on the Genesis. I hug it before I go to bed EVERY night...

[jerry coeurl]

I don't admit this too often, but my youngest brother rented this when we were younger, I was probably 11 or 12 at the time. And I played and beat the whole game, haha! Like all of the Sega Club titles, it's ridiculously easy, but unlike Ecco Jr., I don't think this game is worth owning for anyone who isn't a serious collector/small child.

[Baloo]

Link to the article is broken.

[djshok]

[Sega Genesis]

At one point in time on game faqs, this was considered the best game on the genesis.

[St Louie Bee]

At one point in time on game faqs, this was considered the best game on the genesis.

Come again?

[knicksfan89]

At one point in time on game faqs, this was considered the best game on the genesis.

he must have been on steroids then, maybe this is the worst game on the genesis, but seeing as I have never or never will play I will never know

[Sega Genesis]

Come again?

Shaq fu also had the title for a long time.