Wally Bear and the NO! Gang
Encyclopedia
Wally Bear and the NO! Gang is an educational Nintendo Entertainment System
game that was released in 1992 exclusively for a North American audience.
s like tobacco
, alcohol
and marijuana
. It is notable for being one of the many NES games that were not licensed by Nintendo
, most likely because the game's content did not comply with Nintendo's Content Guidelines that were in effect at the time of the game's release. The game was designed in cooperation with the American Medical Association
and the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information. Like in most early platform games, even getting hit once meant losing a "chance" to beat the game.
The game was originally going to be called Wally Bear and the Just Say No
Gang, but this phrase had been trademarked by Nancy Reagan
. The Wally Bear Hotline provided by this game, 1-800-HI-WALLY, was still active as of 2006. However, it was disconnected by October 2007, 15 years after the game was released.
video game review magazine GamePro
gave Wally Bear a 5 out of 5 rating in its May 1992 issue. Meanwhile, GameCola
.net gave this game rating of 2.5 out of 10 in its March 2008 update of their web site.
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...
game that was released in 1992 exclusively for a North American audience.
Summary
This video game teaches children to say no to potentially harmful drugDrug
A drug, broadly speaking, is any substance that, when absorbed into the body of a living organism, alters normal bodily function. There is no single, precise definition, as there are different meanings in drug control law, government regulations, medicine, and colloquial usage.In pharmacology, a...
s like tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
, alcohol
Alcoholic beverage
An alcoholic beverage is a drink containing ethanol, commonly known as alcohol. Alcoholic beverages are divided into three general classes: beers, wines, and spirits. They are legally consumed in most countries, and over 100 countries have laws regulating their production, sale, and consumption...
and marijuana
Cannabis (drug)
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among many other names, refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or for medicinal purposes. The English term marijuana comes from the Mexican Spanish word marihuana...
. It is notable for being one of the many NES games that were not licensed by Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
, most likely because the game's content did not comply with Nintendo's Content Guidelines that were in effect at the time of the game's release. The game was designed in cooperation with the American Medical Association
American Medical Association
The American Medical Association , founded in 1847 and incorporated in 1897, is the largest association of medical doctors and medical students in the United States.-Scope and operations:...
and the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information. Like in most early platform games, even getting hit once meant losing a "chance" to beat the game.
The game was originally going to be called Wally Bear and the Just Say No
Just Say No
"Just Say No" was an advertising campaign, part of the U.S. "War on Drugs", prevalent during the 1980s and early 1990s, to discourage children from engaging in recreational drug use by offering various ways of saying no. Eventually, this also expanded the realm of "Just Say No" to violence and...
Gang, but this phrase had been trademarked by Nancy Reagan
Nancy Reagan
Nancy Davis Reagan is the widow of former United States President Ronald Reagan and was First Lady of the United States from 1981 to 1989....
. The Wally Bear Hotline provided by this game, 1-800-HI-WALLY, was still active as of 2006. However, it was disconnected by October 2007, 15 years after the game was released.
Ratings
The AmericanUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
video game review magazine GamePro
GamePro
GamePro Media was a United States gaming media company publishing online and print content on the video game industry, video game hardware, and video game software developed for a video game console , a computer, and/or a mobile device . GamePro Media properties include GamePro magazine and...
gave Wally Bear a 5 out of 5 rating in its May 1992 issue. Meanwhile, GameCola
GameCola
GameCola is a comedy-oriented independent videogame review website that features videogame reviews, columns, fanfiction, webcomics, podcasts, and videos.- History :...
.net gave this game rating of 2.5 out of 10 in its March 2008 update of their web site.
External links
- Wally Bear and the NO! Gang Review at Seanbaby.com