Dick Tracy is a 1990 video game that was released for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Despite it being released around the time the movie was in theatres, it did not follow the plot of the movie. It received a follow-up a year later on the Game Boy. Both games were published by Bandai and developed by Realtime Associates.
Both games contain examples of:
- Big Bad: Big Boy Caprice is the bad guy in both games and is fought as the Final Boss.
- Death from Above: Falling safes will fall out of windows in some levels. They can easily be dodged with good timing.
- Password Save: The player can return to the last level they were on by entering a password.
- Smart Bomb: Tear Gas clears the screen of all enemies in the NES game. In the Game Boy game, it's the Grenade that clears all enemies.
- Super Drowning Skills: Tracy cannot swim in both games. He will either be teleported out of the Pier level in the NES game and take damage, or immediately drown on the spot in the Game Boy game.
The NES game contains examples of:
- Bank Robbery: Case 5 involves Big Boy's thugs robbing the 8th & C Bank, and ultimately leads to his arrest.
- Beware of Vicious Dog: Dogs, albeit uncommon, appear as enemies in some levels in Cases 3 and 4. They will run unpredictably across the screen until it is defeated.
- Boss Battle: There's only one in the game and it's against Big Boy. He will shoot at you at first, then use his fists once he's weakened.
- Continuing is Painful: Oh very much. If you get a Game Over, you not only lose all of the progress in the case you were in, but all of the rooftop snipers will respawn. Clues will have to be re-obtained.
- Guide Dang It!: Just where is Big Boy hiding in the final case? He's hiding in the Club Ritz, a place that is normally empty for most of the game. Not once does the game clue you in about that, nor does it have the correct criminal.
- In Name Only: It doesn't have any connection to the movie besides using the likeliness of the actors.
- Non-Standard Game Over: By committing three abuses of power throughout the gamenote , you will be let off the case and be given a Game Over. These are carried over from case to case.
- Mission Control: Your superior is a scowling police officer who will appear at certain points of the game.
- Railroading: Did you collect the last clue that shows which criminal did the crime and tried to arrest him without the other clues obtained? You must collect all of the clues beforehand before you can arrest the culprit.
- Swarm of Rats: Rats appear in some levels to overwhelm Tracy via Zerg Rushing him. Only tear gas will do them in.
- Video Game Cruelty Punishment: Shooting unarmed criminals in action scenes will reduce Tracy's energy meter by one full unit.
The Game Boy game contains examples of:
- Boss Battle: All five levels have bosses at the end of them. They will all utilize their own weapons against Tracy.
- Bottomless Pits: They're found in all of the levels. Tracy will immediately lose a life if he falls into one.
- Continuity Nod: Remember arresting Big Boy at the end of the NES game? Well, he gets away in the beginning of this game.
- Damsel in Distress: Tess is kidnapped by Big Boy towards the end of the game. Tracy must rescue her to complete the game.
- Flechette Storm: Knife-throwing criminals appear as enemies, throwing knives in an attempt to hit Tracy.
- Grid Puzzle: By collecting all of the puzzle pieces, Tracy can solve a 4 by 4 puzzle to see who the next criminal is and earn bonuses.
- Out of Continues: If you run out of continues, you'll have to redo that level via the password. Thankfully, the Game Boy game is more forgiving with continuing.
- Stalked by the Bell: Every level is timed. Tracy can obtain clocks in the level to increase the timer.
- Stealth Sequel: It might not be apparent at first, but it's a sequel to the NES game.
