"You have been foiled in your attempt to rescue your family.
However, you still have a chance."
—The Sega Genesis and Super NES versions' death screens.''
The Addams Family is a Licensed Game of the film of the same name, developed by Ocean Software in 1992. It was released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in March, with ports of this version also released for the Amiga and Atari ST later in the year, and a Sega Genesis version on October 1993.
The game is a sprawler wherein Gomez must search the house and the grounds for his missing family, Wednesday, Pugsley, Granny, Fester, and Morticia. This one is an entirely different game from what would be developed concurrently for the 8-bit systems, featuring improved controls and an element of Mercy Invincibility, plus special weapons and a password system. It was later ported to the Genesis, and received a heavily pared-down reskin on NES and Game Boy as The Addams Family: Pugsley's Scavenger Hunt, tied into the 1992 animated series.
The 16-bit adaptations contain examples of:
- Adaptation Amalgamation: The game is mostly a loose adaptation of the 1991 film, while the Addams' in-game sprites more closely resemble their 60s sitcom incarnations. The game also uses music from the sitcom.
- Adaptation Species Change: Abigail Craven is depicted as a witch, who uses magic to brainwash Fester.
- Anti-Frustration Features: In the hall of stairs on the first floor, there is a secret door to Pugsley's Den off to the left. This section leads to multiple 1ups that you may stock up on, as well as multiple heart refills and power ups to help you replenish after a level. This section seems to be intended take the edge off of some of the game's difficulty.
- Breakable Power-Up: The weapons and the speed shoes are lost when hit, but they count as an extra point of damage.
- Cardiovascular Love: After Gomez rescues Morticia, the game ends with the couple acting like Sickeningly Sweethearts as hearts float up the screen.
- Damsel in Distress: Gomez has to rescue Grandmama, his daughter Wednesday and wife Morticia.
- Demoted to Dragon: Abigail, the main villain of the movie, is instead one of the lower bosses. Instead, Judge Womack is the Big Bad.
- Distressed Dude: Gomez's son Pugsley and brother Fester are being kept captive by the game's bosses and need to be rescued.
- Flying Face: The Wacky Scientist boss is just a head with blades spinning around it.
- The Fire Dragon boss is changed from serpentine to just a floating head in the NES Pugsley's Scavenger Hunt.
- Hat of Flight: The fez item, with a tassel propeller.
- Heart Container: Earned from three optional bosses, the big bird, the snowman, and the centipedes (or spider depending on your version).
- Law of 100: Every 100 dollars collected is an extra life. Every 25 recovers a heart as well.
- Metroidvania: It has some elements of this genre. You can fight side bosses to gain heart containers, the Adams Family Residence has a central hub section where you may access the levels in a non-linear fashion, there are secret passages where you can find helpful power ups, and you are required to rescue most of your family members by defeating bosses so that you may progress to the final level, defeat the Final Boss, "rescue" Morticia and complete the game.
- Optional Boss: The giant bird is one of the few bosses that isn't holding a family member hostage and can be defeated early for an extra heart container. Ditto for the Snowman with the icy heart and the three giant centipedes.
- Shared Life-Meter: Given to the two (and then three) centipede bosses.
- Slippy-Slidey Ice World: The stages inside the freezer are the typical video game stage of dangerously slippery icy surfaces.
- Snowlem: A giant snowman is the boss in the freezer.
- Sprint Shoes: An item that makes Gomez run a lot faster—Until he's hit.
- Ungrateful Bastard: Some of your relatives will put you down for beating the bosses and/or just coming for them. That's the Addamses for you.Pugsley: But father, I was working on a new poison for Wednesday with the Wacky Scientist.
Wednesday: Hello father. Thank you for rescuing me. But honestly, I was having so much fun.
Granny: What took you so long Gomez? I was just getting very comfortable. - Video Game Adaptation: The game uses images from the 1991 film's actors to depict the in-game characters.
- Weaponized Ball: The golf balls, a throwing weapon.
- Wicked Witch: A stereotypical witch is the boss holding Fester captive.
