Terminator 2D: No Fate

“The guiding principle of Terminator 2D: No Fate’s development was always to make it feel like the kind of arcade game that could’ve come out in the 90’s alongside the release of Terminator 2: Judgement Day,” say the developers, Bitmap Bureau, and it’s fair to say that is exactly what they have made. I am old enough to have been gaming in the 90s and Terminator 2D: No Fate reminds me of the excellent RoboCop 2 game that was released on the Commodore Amiga.

You can smash through Terminator 2D: No Fate's story mode in less that the runtime of the movie, but that doesn't stop this side-scrolling action platformer from being a perfectly presented tribute to 90s nostalgia.

Terminator 2: Judgement Day is one of those pop culture moments that may never fully die off.

Thanks to its retro-styled visuals and old-fashioned gameplay, Terminator 2D: No Fate genuinely feels like a blast from the past, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. While it's rather short and it's disappointing that there's no voice acting, it perfectly captures the essence of the classic film and remains fun to play throughout.

Terminator 2D: NO FATE doesn’t go the extra mile to really mine the sci-fi classic for gold, but it lands all its shots and delivers highly replayable, no-nonsense retro goodness that looks, sounds, and controls great.

Terminator 2D: No Fate doesn't capture every single little detail from the classic film, and the controls certainly have their quirks. Nevertheless, it's a fun side-scroller with enough game modes to keep you coming back.

Terminator 2D: No Fate is a wonderfully realised tribute to one of the single greatest movies ever made, punctuated with pitch-perfect music, exquisite pixel art, and brilliant Easter eggs.

The Terminator franchise’s overlap with video games is full of mixed results. Despite it being a universe overflowing with video game catnip-like explosions, robot skeletons, and laser guns, there have been plenty of misses and only a few hits. The same could be said of the film franchise, as well, but Terminator 2: Judgment Day is an undeniable classic – a defining action film of its time that is still entertaining more than 30 years later. Terminator 2D: No Fate is exclusively an adapt...

I feel transported back to when I was ten years old. It’s 1992, and Terminator 2 is dominating the movie scene. I’m visiting Salisbury Beach and hitting up the arcades with twenty dollars’ worth of quarters. Terminator 2D: NO FATE feels plucked directly from that era. It looks, feels, sounds, and plays exactly how I remember arcade machines of the time. It also frustrates in similar ways, and it’s all intentional.

Terminator 2D: NO FATE is an extremely faithful adaptation of Terminator 2, brought to life via incredible retro aesthetics, fun level design, and multiple play modes. Unfortunately, NO FATE is hampered by its short length and lack of difficulty, making the entire experience end far too quickly. For fans of the film, there is a lot to love here, including the fantastic Terminator 2 score and all-new compositions, but non-fans may not find themselves as enthralled by its retro charm.

The bar might be on the floor, but Terminator 2D: No Fate establishes itself as the definitive Terminator 2 video game, created with love and appreciation for both the movie and 16-bit era.

A mediocre homage to Contra and a terrible adaption of Terminator 2, which has nothing interesting to say about the concept of adapting movies into 2D video games.