Terminator 2D: No Fate

Bitmap Bureau's tribute to classic run and gun is sealed with a loving blob of liquid metal.

Modes

Story

Arcade

Level Training

Infinite, Boss Rush and Mother of the Future are initially locked.

Difficulties

Easy Money - unlimited continues, weaker enemies

No Problemo - normal - a balanced fight

Hasta La Vista - hard - more enemies, faster reactions

Judgment Day¹ - very hard - relentless enemies, ultimate challenge

¹complete MOTF to unlock.

Story

The opening stages are set in 1994, a year before the film.

Level 1 - Desert Town

While Sarah is putting John through weapons training in Copper Valley, Bandit Bob kidnaps him.

I guess name is a nod to 'Uncle Bob'?

Whatever, he's Allen O'Neil from Metal Slug.

Levels 2 and 3 are set in Cyberdyne Research and Factory respectively.

 

Both are inspired by dialogue between John and Tim.

[finds a picture of John's mother] Is that her?

John: Yes.

Tim: She's pretty cool, huh?

John: No, she's complete psycho. That's why she's up at Pescadero. It's a mental hospital. Okay? She tried to blow up a computer factory, but she got shot and arrested.

Levels 4-5 jump to 2029, with John Connor fighting HK's.

Future War has been done countless times before, largely in games based on The Terminator and the first mission of T2 arcade.

Although Arnold Schwarzenegger, Robert Patrick and Edward Furlong lent likeness, Linda Hamilton refused over a payment dispute, so stunt performer Debbie Evans portrayed the digitized sprite of Sarah Connor.

Oh, nice "bangs" btw.

(Winks).

Levels 6-11 play out meat of iconic action in 1995, with the final stage putting us back in control of John in 2029.

Clothes, boots and motorcycle

I appreciate the passion and effort, but £42.95 for basically an hour's gameplay is ridiculous.

While silent dialogue is pretty accurate, it's not verbatim.

Also, music doesn't reflect situation.

Pixel art is impressive, but nothing mind-blowing.

Cut scenes and in-game character animations knock things out of the park though.

Those who can be bothered to play more than once will unlock ghosted modes and can trigger an alternative continuity by ordering the T-800 to kill Dyson.

A few 'new' stages play out, including Cyberdyne HQ: Annihilation, which let's us have fun with the T-800 and his mini-gun, with A.P.C. as a boss.

But then story is as you were, until an older Sarah takes on a pair of T-808's in Future War.

Finally, if we reset chip and have Sarah pull the trigger on Dyson, a T-808 kills John in the final stage.

In an alternative universe, this should've been released for consoles on August 29th 1997, but nobody had the balls and/or ingenuity to end three billion human lives.

Verdict 5/10