Editing Fester's Quest

{{Short description|1989 video game}}
{{Infobox video game
| image = FestersQuest.jpg
| developer = [[Sunsoft]]
| publisher = Sunsoft
| designer = 
| composer = [[Naoki Kodaka]]
| engine = 
| released = {{vgrelease|NA|September 1989<ref name="NintendoList">{{Cite web |title=NES Games |url=https://www.nintendo.com/consumer/downloads/nes_games.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140611225644/http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/downloads/nes_games.pdf |archive-date=2014-06-11 |access-date=2015-08-09 |publisher=[[Nintendo of America]]}}</ref>|EU|September 14, 1990}}
| genre = [[Run and gun (video game)|Run and gun]], [[Adventure game|adventure]]
| modes = [[Single-player]]
| platforms = [[Nintendo Entertainment System]], [[PlayChoice-10]]
}}

'''''Fester's Quest''''' (also known as '''''Uncle Fester's Quest''''' or '''''The Addams Family: Uncle Fester's Quest''''') is a video game for the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]] based on the 1960s television series ''[[The Addams Family (1964 TV series)|The Addams Family]]''. It was released in 1989 in North America and 1990 in Europe.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Fester's Quest |url=http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/nes/data/563413.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090213020552/http://www.gamefaqs.com:80/console/nes/data/563413.html |archive-date=2009-02-13 |access-date=2009-08-30 |website=[[GameFAQs]]}}</ref>

==Story==
One night, a UFO beams up all the residents of the city where [[The Addams Family]] lives; this is except for the members of the family, whom [[Grandmama (The Addams Family)|Grandmama]], the only one to predict the invasion, cast a protective spell on their home beforehand. As the father of the family, [[Gomez Addams]], must continue to guard the home from invaders, it is up to [[Uncle Fester]] to use his gun and save the townspeople from the aliens.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Fester's Quest Instruction Manual |date=1989 |url=https://www.retrogames.cz/manualy/NES/Festers_Quest_-_NES_-_Manual.pdf#page=2 |publisher=Sunsoft Corporation of America |page=2 |via=RetroGames.cz}}</ref>

==Gameplay==
''Fester's Quest'' is a [[shoot 'em up]] game<ref name="EGM" /> that takes place in three overhead areas (the streets, the sewers, and the UFO platform) and six buildings where the hallways are viewed from a 3D perspective.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Fester's Quest Instruction Manual |date=1989 |url=https://www.retrogames.cz/manualy/NES/Festers_Quest_-_NES_-_Manual.pdf#page=3 |publisher=Sunsoft Corporation of America |pages=3, 9 |via=RetroGames.cz}}</ref>

Along the way, Fester encounters other members of the Addams Family in seven houses (plus the Addams mansion via a secret path through the trees behind the mansion): [[Thing (The Addams Family)|Thing]] (three times), [[Wednesday Addams|Wednesday]], [[Gomez Addams|Gomez]], [[Morticia Addams|Morticia]], [[Grandmama (The Addams Family)|Grandmama]], and [[Pugsley Addams|Pugsley]], all of whom help him by giving him different weapons and items. Use of one particular item, the Noose, will summon [[Lurch (The Addams Family)|Lurch]] to destroy all enemies on the screen. The game uses ''[[Blaster Master (video game)|Blaster Master]]''{{'s}} overhead shooter engine.{{Citation needed|date=October 2021}}

Fester must travel through the city sewers to reach areas that are otherwise inaccessible due to aboveground obstacles. He may enter certain buildings, which transform the game from its standard overhead view into a 3D mode of play akin to a dungeon crawl. Five of these buildings each house an enormous Alien Boss character, which upon defeat will supply Fester with a puzzle piece and a picture of the alien's UFO, and refill all of his items. After defeating a boss, Fester will leave the building and be unable to backtrack through it to previously visited areas. Once all five bosses are defeated, Fester must board the UFO and defeat one last boss in order to stave off the invasion.

The North American release has a feature that makes Fester's bullets collide with walls and objects, making it more difficult to hit enemies compared to the European release.<ref>{{Cite AV media |people=Displaced Gamers |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZc3S0gSEg0 |title=The Frustrating Weapons and TWO Versions of Fester's Quest - Behind the Code |date=October 21, 2021 |access-date=2022-11-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221114154354/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZc3S0gSEg0 |archive-date=2022-11-14 |url-status=live |via=[[YouTube]]}}</ref>

==Reception==
{{Video game reviews
|title=Initial and retrospective reviews
|Allgame={{rating|2|5}}<ref>{{Cite web |last=Weiss |first=Brett Alan |title=Fester's Quest |url=http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=1191&tab=review |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141116142645/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=1191&tab=review |archive-date=November 16, 2014 |access-date=October 1, 2020 |website=[[AllGame]]}}</ref>
|CVG=56%<ref name="CVG">{{Cite magazine |last=Glancey |first=Paul |date=November 1990 |title=Fester's Quest |url=https://archive.org/details/Computer_Video_Games_Issue_108_1990-11_EMAP_Publishing_GB/page/n55/mode/2up |magazine=[[Computer and Video Games]] |issue=108 |page=57 |via=[[Archive.org]]}}</ref>
|EGM=5/10<ref name="EGM">{{Cite magazine |last=Steve |last2=Ed |last3=Donn |last4=Jim |date=July 1989 |title=Fester's Quest |url=https://archive.org/details/ElectronicGamingMonthly_201902/Electronic%20Gaming%20Monthly%20Issue%20002%20%28July-August%201989%29/page/n9/mode/2up |magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]] |page=11 |volume=1 |issue=2 |via=[[Archive.org]]}}</ref>
|JS=70%<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=J.M. Destroy |date=September 1990 |title=Fester's Quest |magazine=[[Joystick (magazine)|Joystick]] |page=111 |language=French |issue=8}}</ref>
|NLife={{rating|1|10}}<ref>{{Cite web |last=Griffin |first=Bryan |date=October 29, 2010 |title=Fester's Quest Review (NES) |url=https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/2010/10/festers_quest_retro |access-date=October 1, 2020 |website=[[Nintendo Life]]}}</ref>
|NP=4.45/5{{efn|''Nintendo Power'' gave ''Fester's Quest'' two 4.7/5 scores for graphics/sound and theme/fun and two 4.2/5 scores for play control and challenge.<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=May 1989 |title=Fester's Quest |url=https://archive.org/details/nintendopowerissue006mayjune1989/page/n49/mode/2up |magazine=[[Nintendo Power]] |pages=48–49 |via=[[Archive.org]] |issue=6}}</ref>}}
|ONM=57%<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Merrett |first=Steve |last2=Radion Automatic |date=December 1992 |title=Fester's Quest |url=https://archive.org/details/nintendo-magazine-system-3/page/116/mode/2up |magazine=[[Official Nintendo Magazine|Nintendo Magazine System]] |page=117 |via=[[Archive.org]] |issue=3}}</ref>
|PO=70%<ref name="PlayerOne">{{Cite magazine |last=Murdock |first=Matt |date=October 1990 |title=Fester's Quest |magazine=Player One |page=59 |language=French |issue=2}}</ref>
|TOT=14%<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=James |date=October 1993 |title=Fester's Quest |url=https://archive.org/details/total-issue-22/page/n79/mode/2up?q=Sculptured+%22Super+WrestleMania%22 |access-date=2021-09-05 |magazine=[[Total!]] |pages=80–81 |issue=22 |via=[[Archive.org]]}}</ref>
|rev1 = ''[[Paragon Publishing|Super Gamer]]''
|rev1Score = 34%<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=July 1994 |title=A-Z of Games |url=https://archive.org/details/super-gamer-04/page/n107/mode/2up |magazine=[[Paragon Publishing|Super Gamer]] |page=109 |issue=4 |via=[[Archive.org]]}}</ref>
|rev2 =''VideoGame''
|rev2Score = {{rating|5|5}}<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=August 1991 |title=Fester's Quest |magazine=VideoGame |pages=24–25 |language=Latin |volume=1 |number=6}}</ref>
}}
The French magazine ''Player One'' stated that ''Fester's Quest'' was great for fans of the franchise, although did suffer from short game length, "motley" visuals, and occasional slowdown.<ref name="PlayerOne" /> Paul Glancey of ''[[Computer and Video Games|CVG]]'', on the other hand, dismissed the game for its "flickery and unimpressive" visuals, lack of humor, and "unrewarding" mindless shooting gameplay consisting of constantly-respawning enemies.<ref name="CVG" /> Critics from ''[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]'' felt that while the game had alright graphics and "awesome" and "very good" music, its difficulty was "unbalanced" as it consisted of too-little real action and variety, very-easy mini-quests, and "next to impossible" bosses.<ref name="EGM" />

''[[GamesRadar]]'' ranked it as the 73rd worst game ever made. The staff criticized its excessive difficulty and lack of comicality.<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 15, 2013 |title=The 50 Worst Games of All Time |url=http://www.gamesradar.com/worst-games-all-time/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150509133313/http://www.gamesradar.com/worst-games-all-time/ |archive-date=2015-05-09 |access-date=2013-12-05 |website=[[GamesRadar]]}}</ref> ''[[IGN]]'' ranked ''Fester's Quest'' 45th on its Top 100 NES Games list.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Moriarty |first=Colin |title=45. Fester's Quest |url=http://www.ign.com/top-100-nes-games/45.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161206054246/http://www.ign.com/top-100-nes-games/45.html |archive-date=2016-12-06 |access-date=2016-11-28 |website=[[IGN]] |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]]}}</ref> ''Fester's Quest'' has sold one million copies.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fenris |first=Kid |date=November 30, 2014 |title=Interview: Fester's Quest |url=http://www.kidfenris.com/2014/11/interview-festers-quest.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161128201213/http://www.kidfenris.com/2014/11/interview-festers-quest.html |archive-date=2016-11-28 |access-date=2016-11-28 |website=Kid Fenris}}</ref>

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{MobyGames|/festers-quest}}
* [http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/nes/data/563413.html ''Fester's Quest''] at [[GameFAQs]]

{{The Addams Family}}
{{Sunsoft}}

[[Category:1989 video games]]
[[Category:The Addams Family video games]]
[[Category:Nintendo Entertainment System games]]
[[Category:PlayChoice-10 games]]
[[Category:Run and gun games]]
[[Category:Single-player video games]]
[[Category:Sunsoft games]]
[[Category:Top-down video games]]
[[Category:Video games about alien invasions]]
[[Category:Video games about old age]]
[[Category:Video games developed in Japan]]