The Goonies

About

The Goonies is a late '80s platform game that splits its action into eight distinct levels, each mirroring a key moment from the movie. Players control two kids at a time, navigating traps, solving puzzles, and avoiding deadly threats like bats, Fratelli enemies, and a flying skull. Each level ends with a mini-boss or timed escape, forcing quick thinking and precise jumps. The controls are tight for the era, but the challenge is steep, lives are scarce and death comes fast. What sticks is how closely it follows the movie's structure, with levels set in the restaurant, shipwreck, and pirate tunnels. The mix of exploration and action feels fresh even today, especially considering it runs on 8-bit systems. While the graphics are simple, the pacing keeps things exciting. Released in 1985, it’s a relic of early arcade-style conversions but holds up for nostalgia or retro gameplay fans.

Storyline

The Goonies are a group of kids or youths. Everything starts with an unscrupulous property shark who wants to purchase the kids' housing complex and the parents lack the money that is needed to prevent the pending sequestration. In the house of their leader Mikey the group makes an unusual discovery. They find a treasure map which is supposed to lead to the hideout of "One-eyed Willie", a pirate. Mikey can convince his friends to go for a treasure hunt. This starts in an abandoned restaurant. The evil Fratellis have settled in there. So after all Goonies, except for Chunk who is supposed to call the police, have entered a system of catacombs through a manhole in the restaurant, the adventure really begins. So the kids do not only have to beware of mean traps and bats, but also of Mama Fratelli.