"Horrible, Childish Game"

Beethoven, a 1994 release by Hi Tech Entertainment, was an attempt to cash in on the success of the movie. It fell extremely short of that attempt with this feeble excuse for a game. Bad is the best way to describe everything, and unless you're four years old, you definitely won't enjoy it.

Beethoven is a colorful game that was obviously intended for children. It features a really simple concept - guide Beethoven through five levels to find his lost puppies. Each puppy has a different skill that you can use, such as jumping or running. Beethoven is able to send showers of droll against deadly enemies such as snails and vacuum cleaners.

The graphics and sound are what you'd expect from a game marked towards kids - they're childish The small sprites make the background look way too big. The music sounds way too happy, it's right out of Barney the Dinosaur. The sound effects are pathetic little dog noises. Control isn't anything horrible, but it is still quite bad. The controls are hard to learn and frustrating to master, although you probably won't be playing the game that long.

Ultimately, Beethoven should be sent to the dog pound. Pass this up and play something better.

(All ratings are assigned as if they had been given when the game was first released)

Graphics: 6
Sound: 5
Gameplay: 4
Replay Value: 3

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 11/01/99, Updated 11/01/99