Hook

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An Introduction To Today’s Game

Happy Black Friday, friends. I hope you had a good Turkey Day to those in the States!

When thinking of Thanksgiving games, I usually think of N64 multiplayer classics: Mario Kart 64, Goldeneye 007, and Super Smash Bros. Beating up cousins became a fun tradition.

But for this year's Thanksgiving, I wanted to pick a game that maybe a lot of people haven't played. Steven Spielberg's Hook took a beating from critics when it first came out. My dad took me and my cousin Cal to see the film in theaters, and the main thing I remember is that it gave me a monster migraine.

Over the years, the film was always on during Thanksgiving, and I started associating the two with each other, just like Die Hard and Christmas. And ever since we lost Robin Williams, that feeling has only strengthened.

And because of that, we're looking at Hook for the SNES for Turkey Day 2025.

This is a flawed game for sure, but it's still worth checking out in my opinion. Thanks to John Williams' themes for the film, faithfully recreated here, this game's soundtrack rivals almost anything on the SNES. Throw in some beautiful pixel art and you have the makings of a memorable game lost to a IP license.

Make yourself a leftover turkey sandwich and join me in Neverland! Until they make a Planes, Trains and Automobiles game, this is my single-player Thanksgiving game.

BEHIND THE PIXELS

Let’s Dive Into The Game

Hook is a side-scrolling action platformer where you control Peter Banning, the grown-up Peter Pan who must remember his past to save his kidnapped children from Captain Hook. You'll traverse multiple levels across Neverland, from dense forests to icy mountains, pirate towns to Hook's ship itself.

The game is pretty straightforward. Peter starts with a basic dagger and quickly earns a golden sword that shoots energy projectiles. You'll collect cherries to restore health, apples for full healing, and leaves that extend your health bar. The core mechanic revolves around flying.

Tinkerbell appears throughout levels to fill your flight meter, letting you soar freely in any direction. This creates a different flow than typical platformers, as you're constantly managing when to walk, when to run, and when to take to the skies.

Combat is simple but functional. Pirates and various creatures populate each stage, though they're rarely threatening. Boss fights punctuate certain levels, featuring characters like Rufio and various pirate captains, though none provide much challenge.

The real challenge and the game’s biggest flaw is the movement speed. Peter moves at a snail’s pace. This is the anti-Sonic game and the slowest platformer I’ve ever played. You can run faster if you hold down the attack button, but the game doesn’t tell you this and I didn’t remember this until a few levels in. Even then, I feel the game is too slow.

The level design takes advantage of the flight system with wide open spaces and vertical exploration. Hidden areas contain extra lives and power-ups, encouraging you to explore. The overworld map between stages shows your progress across Neverland's diverse regions, adding a storybook quality to the experience.

Visually, Hook impresses. The sprites are large and well-animated, with Peter's movements feeling smooth despite his initially slow speed. It is a beautiful game that holds up.

The backgrounds are lush and detailed, featuring weather effects and layered scrolling that showcase the SNES hardware. Each environment feels distinct, from moonlit forests to snowy peaks.

The opening intro captures the spirit of the film and perfectly sets the mood.

The audio delivers too. Ukiyotei adapted John Williams' memorable film score into 16-bit form, and the results are genuinely impressive. The music captures the whimsy and adventure of the source material without feeling like compromised MIDI renditions.

The difficulty skews easy. Extra lives are abundant, continues are unlimited, and most boss patterns are telegraphed and simple. Skilled players will complete the game in a single sitting, as the 11 levels move quickly once you've mastered the controls.

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WHERE TO PLAY

• The original copy or emulation will be your best bet for tracking this down.

• Original Copies of the Game (All prices in USD)

  • Loose: $18

  • Complete: $86

  • New/Sealed: $153

GAME INFORMATION

Cover Art

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RETRO NEWS

Here’s a quick roundup of the latest retro gaming news we’ve dug up.

• Mangmi Air X Review: Budget Emulation with a Polished Feel
  A slick under-$100 handheld that handles retro games impressively well.
  Read more at Time Extension

• Switch Online Expands NES & Game Boy Catalogs This Month
  New retro classics added to Nintendo’s subscription service lineup.
  Read more at Retro News

• EverDrive 64 Flash Carts Now Fully Compatible with Analogue 3D
  Analogue 3D gets full EverDrive support for N64 game backups.
  Read more at Time Extension

PREVIOUS POLL RESULTS

What’s your favorite “retro” Star Trek show?

• The Original Series - 20%

• The Next Generation - 40%

• Deep Space Nine - 40%

• Voyager - 0%

• Enterprise - 0%

GAME OVER

Why You Should Play This

Hook stands as a curiosity, a licensed game that exceeded expectations without quite becoming essential. The production values are top tier, with visuals and music that rival first-party Nintendo releases. The flight system works smoothly, creating moments of genuine fun as you soar through Neverland's environments. For platformer fans who grew up with the film, there's nostalgic charm here.

The colorful graphics, cheerful music, and the whimsical premise combine to deliver that warm, fuzzy early-’90s vibe. It’s not the longest or most complex SNES game, you can finish it in an afternoon, but sometimes a short and sweet journey to Neverland is just what the retro doctor ordered.

Fans often remember Hook as a “hidden gem” of the SNES era, and it’s earned a bit of a cult following for being one of the better games based on a film. If you loved the movie, you’ll smile at how closely the game follows its scenes (with a few creative liberties). And even if you’ve never seen Robin Williams duel Dustin Hoffman, Hook stands on its own as a breezy fairy-tale romp.

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