Line #48 YMMV/Action52


1	* AccidentalInnuendo: Some game names are rather unfortunate: "G-Force FGT"[[note]]Many interpret the "FGT" as "Faggot."[[/note]], "They Came...", "Thrusters."
2	* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation:
3	** The main character of ''Non-Human'' and ''Micro Mike'' and the enemies of ''Spread Fire'' are perfect for Rorschach tests.
4	** And what about the fellow from ''Sombreros''? Some thieves steal a bunch of hats in such a rush that they drop them all over the place. This prompts our hero to pick up a gun, walk down the middle of a road into oncoming traffic, shoot a bunch of innocent cars (''[[EveryCarIsAPinto which explode]]'') for getting in his way, and [[DisproportionateRetribution try to shoot the unarmed culprits dead while they try to frantically escape his line of sight, all to get said hats back.]]
5	** In [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWXOQD-VAmY the unaired commercial]], Apollo says "We come from the ''Action 52'' game world, where every game is..." before Hercules interrupts him. People have joked that he was trying to warn players of the game's quality.
6	* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: To quote a comment on Website/YouTube, "The only good thing about Action 52 is the music."
7	** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZlYGN5W2Yg The theme]] from ''Cheetahmen'', easily the game's most popular track. No one is sure how it happened, but it did. Additionally, it got many, many remixes on the [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff Japanese]] video site Website/NicoNicoDouga.
8	** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHpgzqbJQ14 The theme]] for ''Ooze'' on the Genesis version, which was done by Nu Romantic Productions, who were responsible for the soundtracks of ''VideoGame/ToeJamAndEarl'' and ''VideoGame/KidChameleon''.
9	** The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgsObE_8HHI Dam Busters theme]]. LetsPlay/{{Northernlion}} approves! Also the game's funkier remix, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PO0Ewnhi5jM Space Dreams]].
10	** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTopo85K-iQ Timewarp Tickers]], another candidate for the catchiest track on the game, which sounds like an oldies rock 'n' roll tune.
11	* BileFascination: Everyone ''knows'' how horrible ''Action 52'' is. Despite this, years later, players are ''still'' delving into the games in this title, using emulators to beat the ones that are unbeatable (or to actually play the ones that normally crash immediately upon selection), and even posting tips and tricks for the games on Website/YouTube. The game's infamy is so giant that it even got ''an entire exhibit dedicated to it'' at the National Videogame Museum in Frisco, TX.
12	* DemonicSpiders: Most games include at least one type of it, and frequently more. Some deserve a special mention:
13	** Hairdryers in ''Fuzz Power'', which shoot nearly impossible-to-dodge stuff at player at random. Made worse by the fact that main character has only a melee attack.
14	** Balls in ''Hambo'' (especially bowling balls) which spawn onto tiny platforms, often making the game {{Unwinnable}}. Dynamite that spawns on top of ladders also qualify. [[OneHitPointWonder That you start with only one life doesn't help.]]
15	** Tiny red spheres in ''Micro Mike'' can spawn in random parts of the screen and then home in on the player. Since it's only possible to shoot forward, getting hit is guaranteed when these spawn above, below or ''behind'' the player.
16	** Starting from stage 3, many enemies in ''Bleeps 'n Blips'' have incredible speed and homing ability, allowing them to hit the player in a fraction of a second. It doesn't help that your character can only shoot in the direction it's moving (and not diagonally).
17	** Almost every enemy in the 5th level of ''Cheetahmen'' has these traits. They either move so fast and lock on to the player that there's only 0.2 seconds maximum to shoot them down, or they're just too low to hit (Apollo can't duck).
18	** Pretty much any enemy in ''Haunted Halls'', due to their random spawning, GoddamnedBats behavior, and the fact that you can't crouch. The worst one may be the "Skull of Doom".
19	** The literal GoddamnedBats in the later levels of ''Illuminator''. They home in on you at high speed, are nearly impossible to hit before they hit you, and you're a OneHitPointWonder to boot.
20	** Spiders in ''Dedant''. If they come down to your level, they stay down there till they get you, and [[DenialOfDiagonalAttack you can't shoot diagonally or sideways.]]
21	* DifficultySpike: Some of the games have this:
22	** ''Cheetahmen'' has level 5, which gives you the worst weapon in the game (a crossbow which is ridiculously hard to aim properly) and unfairly quick enemies, most of whom home in on you.
23	** ''Illuminator'' has bats from level 4 onwards, which are the toughest enemies in the game.
24	** ''Haunted Halls'' introduces spiders in level 2, which can render the level impossible depending on where they spawn.
25	** ''Beeps n Blips''' enemies vary depending on the level, with most from level 3 onwards being too quick to react to.
26	** ''Robbie n the Robots'' is ridiculously easy in level 1, but the rest of the game is quite difficult.
27	** ''Starevil'' starts off directly in front of a nearly-impossible-to-avoid wall. This comes after the first game, ''Firebreather'', which was relatively slow-paced and 2-player.
28	* EnsembleDarkhorse: The "Haunted Hill" main character is the only character besides the Cheetahmen to get any sort of attention, mostly due to her sprite having [[MsFanservice noticeable assets]].
29	* FanNickname: The Haunted Hill main character is unofficially called "Mrs. Tits" by many people, due to WebVideo/AngryVideoGameNerd calling her that in his video on the game. The WebVideo/OneyPlays crew settled on "Jiggle Jane" as her name during their playthrough.
30	* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff: The background music in the ''Cheetahmen'' game has become popular in the Japanese video game remix scene.
31	* GoddamnedBats: Of course, these games have quite a few of them:
32	** Sharks and especially jellyfish in... ''Sharks''.
33	** Enemies in later levels of ''Storm over Desert''.
34	** Droplets in ''Ooze''. To defeat them just wait for them to fall. Slowly. Many times in some stages.
35	* GoodBadBugs: While the game features glitches, it also often has glitches to get around the glitches. There are many of them, some of which ''have'' to be used to complete the level:
36	** In ''Manchester'', you can't pass a certain point because of flames being in the way. However, it's possible to fall partially down a bottomless pit and walk through the ground, bypassing most of the levels.
37	** These are also found in ''Underground''. While walking into the walls is sort of amusing, the ability to fire ''through'' the walls (properly utilized) takes the game all the way to "genuine fun" territory.
38	** In ''Dedant'', if the player positions their ant so that they are half on one side of the screen and half on the other, any enemies that home in on their position will disappear before they can make contact with the player.
39	** Aries (in the 2nd level) and Hercules can jump in mid-air by pressing jump just after attacking. This trick carried over into ''Cheetahmen II''.
40	** In many games, BottomlessPits actually make the character [[WrapAround reappear at the upper side of the screen]]. In ''Lollipops'', attacking in mid-air while falling will reset the falling height and cause the character to reappear in the sky, allowing you to skip a few sections of the map.
41	** In several games, the number of enemies spawning can be reduced by firing a lot of projectiles or not killing current enemies on screen. Often it's also possible to scroll enemies off the screen which is extremely useful in Haunted Halls which stops the enemies spawning behind from getting you.
42	** In Chill Out, when jumping constantly, edges of the screen can be used to get up without using ladders. This helps to get up and shoot the enemies relatively safely.
43	** In Slashers, you can walk around the enemies so you [[PacifistRun don't even have to fight them]].
44	** Certain actions in ''Fuzz Power'' make the main character unable to do its attack, but in return, make him invulnerable.
45	** In ''Non-Human'' you can [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ebowap7Zi_I jump and stand]] on the mouths of the green Elton John heads without dying. It is possible to bypass the entire level this way.
46	* JunkRare: Getting an actual cartridge of either ''Action 52'' or ''Cheetahmen II'' will cost you upwards of at least $300, making it one of the most expensive NES games. But $300 for a unfinished glitchy mess of a game? Not worth it unless you're a collector.
47	* MemeticMutation: The Cheetahmen games (especially part II, which was in its own cartridge) are the subject of several parodies and tributes on the Japanese video site Website/NicoNicoDouga.
48	* MisattributedSong: The music from Silver Sword, French Baker, Fuzz Power, Streemerz, Time Warp Tickers and Ninja As(s)ault were actually composed by Ed Bogas. Ed's work is used without approval, and uncredited.
49	* NightmareFuel:
50	** The somber, minimalist music from [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHMOorKpIKM Lollipops Level 3]] is absolutely unnerving and melancholic.
51	** What's more shocking, that's only what it sounds like when using a ROM Utility. In-game? ''[[FromBadToWorse Even]]'' ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9JK6-OghsI worse.]]''
52	** Also [[AllThereInTheManual interesting to note that the game's manual]] states the Lollipops' story is something about the main character trying to rescue his girlfriend and it gets darker as he goes. Makes you wonder what kind if NightmareFuel the game could have been if it was developed better.
53	** The Genesis version has the death animation in ''Freeway'', where the street-crossing dog gets graphically crushed when run over by vehicles.
54	---> '''WebVideo/TheAngryVideoGameNerd:''' That's horrible! The poor dog doesn't just get run over, it gets ''smushed'' into pieces!
55	** The harsh, industrial-sounding, dramatic music in the Genesis A52 game ''Sharpshooter'', juxtaposed against gameplay of shooting cute little animals in a carnival with bright flashing lights.
56	* NightmareRetardant: In ''Non-Human'', after fighting waves of weird-looking mutant horrors, you then start facing off hungry cyclopean heads. They look like adorable smiling orange dog/cat/hamster heads, which takes away any creepy factor.
57	* ObviousBeta:
58	** More like Obvious ''Alpha''. Some games are worse than others, but at one point or another, it becomes clear that most of them were just getting started, especially when compared with the way they are described in the manual.
59	** ''Cheetahmen II'' was an Obvious Pre-Alpha, and they still programmed it into cartridges. Did they really intend to distribute it in that state?
60	** Even the cartridge itself was prone to this. As WebVideo/TheAngryVideoGameNerd pointed out, if you have the cartridge in your NES while turned on for an extended period of time, it starts to overheat due to the plastic casing, leaving behind a burned plastic smell. He also pointed out this can happen with any NES model, be it the original grey box, the Top Loader, or even third-party clones like his Nintoaster.
61	* RetroactiveRecognition: Who knew that Farsight Studios, the developers of the Genesis version, not only survived the failure of the game, but went from strength to strength as developers of casual games, including the well received ''VideoGame/ThePinballArcade''? And that studio founder and producer of the game, [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jay_Obernolte Jay Obernolte]], went on to have a successful career in politics, jumping from mayor all the way to being elected to US congress?
62	* SignatureSong: The music from ''The Cheetahmen'' is by far the best-known thing about this compilation, thanks to being actually good.
63	* SoBadItWasBetter: The Genesis version of ''Action 52'' is nowhere near as infamous as the NES version, in large part due to actually being fairly competent, yet still subpar. Games in the Genesis version are far less prone to crashing and are at the very least playable, but they're still quite bland, unmemorable, and lacking in the (attempted) level of ambition found with the NES version, which is at least [[SoBadItSGood funnier]] in [[ObviousBeta just how unquestionably busted it is]].
64	* SpiritualSuccessor:
65	** To another unlicensed multicart called ''Supervision 52-in-1''. The two games have identical coding for the main menu, and both are a compilation of 52 games (although in ''Supervision'''s case, it is mostly made up of slightly edited versions of other games, and it actually has 50 games with two repeats).
66	** To ''VideoGame/Cassette50'', a similarly lackluster collection of 50 games that was developed for home computer platforms, albeit for a less extortionate price.
67	* SuspiciouslySimilarSong:
68	** The level 1 theme from ''Lollipops'' is a variation of the Music/{{Frank\|Sinatra}} and Music/NancySinatra duet "Something Stupid."
69	** The intro sounds exactly like "It Takes Two" by Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock, as pointed out by ''WebVideo/TheAngryVideoGameNerd''.
70	** The theme of ''Dam Busters'' is very reminiscent of [[Music/PachelbelsCanon Pachelbel's Canon in D]], specially the second half.
71	* ThatOneLevel:
72	** ''Micro Mike'' is probably the hardest game on the cart, as the auto-scrolling is simply too fast, and the player character is not mobile enough to reasonably keep up.
73	** As for individual levels themselves, there are quite a few candidates:
74	*** Levels 3 and up in ''Beeps n Blips'', due to the amount of DemonicSpider enemies.
75	*** Level 1 and 2 in ''Billy Bob''. Both levels are absolutely flooded with screens that immediately begin with pits in front of you where you can't see them coming, and the randomly spawning obstacles often appear in spots where they are impossible to avoid. By comparison, the rest of the game is a breeze.
76	*** Level 5 in ''Cheetahmen''. This is the first level where you play as Apollo, who has the misfortune of being being ill-equipped to handle the level, as his only attack is a crossbow that is almost impossible to aim, due to the wonky jumping physics combined with the fact that he cannot aim at lower altitudes. The enemies are all very small targets that home in on Apollo right below his shots incredibly quickly, making them almost impossible to hit. While this level does contain a warp that lets the player skip it, taking the warp [[GameBreakingBug causes the game to glitch out]], making it useless.
77	* UnfortunateCharacterDesign: In the third screen of the NES Cheetahmen's intro sequence, one of the trio's tails is sticking between his legs in a way that looks more than a little phallic. The illusion is made even worse by the fact that we only see the Cheetahman from their knees down in that screen.
78	* UnintentionalPeriodPiece:
79	** ''Storm Over The Desert'' is very transparently based on [[UsefulNotes/TheGulfWar Operation Desert Storm]], which concluded just before the game's release.
80	** The [[BandLand music themed]], psychedelic ''Manchester'' is likely a reference to the "Madchester" music scene that declined in the early 90's.

Context YMMV / Action52