Name: Tick, The
Platform: Sega Genesis / Mega Drive
Region: USA
Media: Cartridge
Controller: Gamepad
Genre: Beat 'em Up
Gametype: Licensed
Release Year: 1994
Developer: Software Creations
Publisher: Fox Interactive
Players: 1
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There's a new superhero in town, and he's a seven-foot tall, 400-pound arachnid! Join the tongue-in-cheek action, as you guide the unlikely hero through colorful levels of high-stress action. Based on the hit cartoon series of the same name, THE TICK pits you against some rather unusual enemies--ninjas, hoods, and clowns--who all seem to have it in for you in this extensive tale of crime fighting. You do have some extremely rare combat techniques, but then?you're not exactly the most common savior. Back-to-back fighting lets you control two characters at the same time, while detailed characters give the title the look and feel of real arcade game. Do you have what it takes to save the world? Let's hope so.

Directions:

Begin your super hero quest with Chapter One, "The Night of a Million Zillion Ninjas". Oh, they mean it. Ninjas galore. O.K. So there may not be a million zillion exactly, but I'm sure it's close. Give those ninjas a super hero spanking by punching and kicking them over and over.

The main thing here is not to fall off the bus. Other than that, those puny little ninjas do little damage to the nigh-invulnerable Tick, though this won't always be the case as newer and stronger ninjas appear in later chapters. Oh, and don't worry. You will eventually be fighting goons other than ninjas.

Land three punches and the fourth will be a power punch. Land two kicks and the third will be a power kick. Tick also has one air move. Press C while in the air to do a kick in the air. In addition to these heavy handed tactics you can call on your trusty sidekick Aurthur. Press C and B at the same time to call for Arthur. Arthur will fly across the screen and take out all of the enemies on the screen. You can only do this a limited number of times. The number of times you can do it is in the upper left corner of the screen with Arthur's head beside it. Pick up Arthur heads on the screen to replenish these.

You'll also find some items to help you out along the way. Extra men will look like Tick's head, and while your health refills in between each section (with the remaining health adding onto your score) there are no pick-ups that refill your health. Pick up a fist icon and a super friend will come to your aide. They will put their back to yours and every time you attack, they'll attack. Besides that, some things in the game can be interacted with, like mailboxes. Walk up to a mailbox and press B to pick it up. You can then carry it around and then throw it at an enemy to kill them with one hit (if you can manage to hit them with it, it's pretty difficult).

Hitting a ninja once will cause him to drop his weapon. Now he's less dangerous (especially those star throwing ones) and can be taken out more leisurely. Keep this in mind when you are swarmed with many enemies at once. Also watch out for a crazy super hero that will zoom across the screen, taking out enemies, and you as well if you aren't careful. There's always a high-pitched trilling whistle before this dope zooms across the screen.

You're probably thinking the ninjas on the bus will never end, but they will. Then you'll be able to move on to fighting ninjas on rooftops, and then in yards, then in alley ways, and well, you get the idea. Of course, first you'll have to make your way across an obstacle course of knives, stars, spears, and even axes being thrown at you as you jump from roof to roof. Don't worry about falling here. If you fall you will get a "Sub Plot" and you will fight someone down in the alleyway. This will make sense to anyone who ever watched the cartoon and saw Tick fall off buildings all the time. Still, it's only O.K. to fall on these screens and not on screens where you are actively fighting someone. Falling on a screen where you have enemies to combat means death.

Occasionally you will have to face super villains. These guys are all much tougher than the ninjas and you will have to avoid getting hit more seriously. Hit and run is the best tactic with these guys. They will take more hits to bring down as well. 

Controls:

A Button: Jump
B Button: Punch
C Button: Kick
Start Button: Pauses Game

Hints:

- More Bang for Your Buck -
Wait to pick up the fists until there are a few enemies on the screen. When you pick it up they will all be knocked down and lose their weapons.

Reviewer: fallenrain
http://www.consoleclassix.com/genesis/the_tick.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tick_(video_game)
http://www.neoseeker.com/Games/Products/GENESIS/the_tick/