Captain Planet was a video game released for the Nintendo Entertainment System

Nintendo Entertainment System

The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...

 by Mindscape

Mindscape

Mindscape is an international software publishing company, previously part of The Learning Company. They are now affiliated with EA . As of 2004, the group has offices in Europe, Asia, Australia and South America. It has an annual turnover of €38 million and employs 150 people. Mindscape...

 in 1990. The game is loosely based on the environmentalist animated series, Captain Planet and the Planeteers

Captain Planet and the Planeteers

Captain Planet is the title character of the series. In the beginning of the series, Gaia assembles a modern-day team of "Planeteers" from several nations...

and was produced by the third party developer Mindscape Inc. The company also created different games using the license for the Amiga

Amiga

The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...

/Atari ST

Atari ST

The Atari ST is a home/personal computer that was released by Atari Corporation in 1985 and commercially available from that summer into the early 1990s. The "ST" officially stands for "Sixteen/Thirty-two", which referred to the Motorola 68000's 16-bit external bus and 32-bit internals...

 and ZX Spectrum

ZX Spectrum

The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd...

/Amstrad CPC

Amstrad CPC

The Amstrad CPC is a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad between 1984 and 1990. It was designed to compete in the mid-1980s home computer market dominated by the Commodore 64 and the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, where it successfully established itself primarily in the United Kingdom,...

.

Gameplay

The game has five levels, each of which was divided into two different type of stages. The first stage involves controlling the international teen heroes (Planeteers) flying their Eco-Jet to an enemy fortress, while trying to avoid the instant death that occurs by touching any of the scenery or getting hit by the various projectiles or birds.

The second stage involves controlling Captain Planet himself as he fights his way to a ecovillain from the TV series.

Reception

Most video game critics panned the game for its weak graphics, limited playability and difficulty. Mindscape was one of the many third party publishers of NES games that had a reputation of releasing low quality products.

The difficulty in the game arose from the fact that the various powers of the geocruiser or Captain Planet had to be cycled
through while the player was being actively attacked.