Beetlejuice

Beetlejuice on the NES is a side-scrolling action platformer inspired by the strange, gloomy comedy of the 1988 film. Released in 1991, the game was developed by Rare and published by LJN, putting players in control of the obnoxious ghost himself as he moves through a series of eerie locations filled with hazards and hostile creatures.

The game’s presentation captures the film’s offbeat atmosphere without attempting to recreate every part of its story. Beetlejuice travels through haunted environments, navigating platforms, avoiding traps, and battling enemies along the way. The levels mix conventional platforming with unusual visual touches drawn from the movie’s afterlife setting, giving the adventure a distinctly macabre sense of humor. Familiar imagery such as the waiting room and other supernatural surroundings helps it feel connected to the source material, even though the action is very much shaped around a traditional NES game structure.

Movement and timing are important, particularly when dealing with narrow platforms, environmental obstacles, and enemies that can make progress more difficult than it first appears. Like many licensed games of its era, Beetlejuice is compact and challenging, with straightforward controls and a focus on learning each area through repeated attempts rather than relying on elaborate systems.

It is not the most expansive NES platformer, but it has a memorable personality. Fans of the movie may enjoy seeing its bizarre visual style translated into 8-bit form, while retro players will find a brisk, occasionally demanding action game with an unusual premise. If you want to revisit this curious adaptation today, RetroCloud lets you play online on your browser, making it easy to experience Rare’s take on Beetlejuice without tracking down the original cartridge.