Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

The gameplay in Cliffhanger captures the intense action of the 1993 Sylvester Stallone movie with straightforward side-scrolling mechanics. You control Gabe Walker as he climbs, jumps, punches, and kicks his way through treacherous mountain terrain. Movement feels responsive, and the variety of actions—from running to rope traversals—gives you a solid toolkit for overcoming environmental challenges and enemy encounters.

Combat is a mix of hand-to-hand fighting and environmental danger management. Standard foes like armed terrorists require a few well-timed punches and kicks, while wildlife threats—wolves and birds—add a layer of unpredictability to each skirmish. The inclusion of falling snow, avalanches, and rockslides as hazards requires you to remain vigilant, blending platforming skill with action strategy at every turn.

Special feats, such as shimmying across ropes suspended between cliffs, enhance the verticality of the levels. These sequences feel particularly cinematic, channeling the film’s spirit of high-stakes rescue and pursuit. Timing and precision become crucial when evading avalanches or crossing narrow chasms, ensuring each stage feels dynamic rather than a simple run-and-gun affair.

Level design keeps a steady pace of escalating difficulty. Early sections serve as tutorials to master Gabe’s moves, but by mid-game you’ll face multi-layered challenges: enemy ambushes combined with crumbling ledges and environmental traps. This gradual ramp-up offers a satisfying learning curve, though some might find certain segments unforgiving without repeated attempts.

Graphics

For a 1993 title, Cliffhanger delivers crisp, colorful pixel art that brings the alpine setting to life. Mountainsides are rendered with layered backgrounds, giving a sense of depth and scale. The contrast between snowy peaks and shadowy crevices helps you spot hidden paths or incoming threats before they catch you off guard.

Character sprites are detailed for the era, with Gabe’s movements animated smoothly across running, jumping, and fighting poses. Enemy designs are distinct enough to recognize threat levels at a glance—terrorists in varying stances, wolves poised to pounce, or birds swooping in from above. Environmental animation, such as drifting snowflakes or tumbling rocks, heightens immersion.

Lighting and color choices reinforce the mood of each level. Bright daylight sequences give way to dusk or moonlit climbs, showcasing subtle palette shifts that keep the visuals fresh. Occasional parallax scrolling in the background layers amplifies the sense of being high in the mountains, while foreground obstacles always remain clear and readable.

Despite hardware limitations of its time, the game’s graphical presentation remains engaging today. Modern players might notice pixelation or limited frame rates, but the artistry and design decisions stand out. The result is a cohesive visual package that supports the game’s tension-filled atmosphere without overwhelming the action.

Story

Cliffhanger faithfully adapts the film’s basic premise: Gabe Walker, a mountain search-and-rescue expert, must thwart terrorists who hijacked a plane loaded with cash. The narrative unfolds through brief cutscenes before key stages, providing context without long-winded exposition. This allows the game to maintain momentum and focus on gameplay.

Though dialogue is minimal and delivered through text boxes, it’s enough to convey urgency and motivation. You can feel Gabe’s determination as he races against time, especially when rescuing hostages or dodging fresh hazards triggered by villainous actions. The terse storytelling suits the game’s fast-paced nature, though fans of deeper character development may find it lacking.

Level progression mirrors the film’s structure: starting with a plane crash rescue, moving through snowy cliffs and forested slopes, then culminating in a final confrontation. Each stage introduces new story beats, such as discovering the stolen cash or freeing captured colleagues. This direct correspondence to the movie gives context to your objectives and makes each victory feel meaningful.

While Cliffhanger doesn’t expand on relationships or subplots from the film, it succeeds in delivering a streamlined, action-driven narrative. For players familiar with the movie, the game offers enough nods to iconic moments—like cliff-edge showdowns—to spark nostalgia. Newcomers can also follow the basic plot and enjoy the sense of peril and heroism at its core.

Overall Experience

Playing Cliffhanger feels like stepping into a condensed version of the movie’s most thrilling scenes. The combination of side-scrolling action, environmental hazards, and tight controls creates an adrenaline-fueled journey from start to finish. Its straightforward design ensures pick-up-and-play appeal, but mastering certain segments demands patience and skill.

Replay value centers on improving your completion times and conserving health against tougher enemy placements. Veterans of classic action-platformers will appreciate the challenge, while modern players may find the difficulty curve nostalgic yet sometimes punishing. Nonetheless, each retry uncovers refined strategies for tackling deadly ice slides or group ambushes.

Though it lacks the cinematic depth of contemporary titles, Cliffhanger stands as a solid adaptation of the Stallone blockbuster. Its blend of nimble platforming, hand-to-hand combat, and environmental puzzles keeps gameplay varied enough to hold attention over multiple hours. The crisp visuals and dynamic level design further reinforce its entertainment value.

For retro gaming enthusiasts or Stallone fans seeking a slice of 1990s action, Cliffhanger delivers a tough-but-fair experience rich in alpine peril. While it may not redefine the genre, its faithful recreation of a high-stakes rescue mission and memorable set pieces make it a worthy addition to any side-scroller collection.

Retro Replay Score

4.2/10