The Tick stomps onto the Sega Mega Drive with all the chin-first bravado of Ben Edlund’s comic book creation, but the transition to the 16-bit hardware is a bit of a mixed bag. Developed by Software Creations, the game is a traditional side-scrolling beat ‘em up that captures the vibrant, Saturday-morning cartoon aesthetic perfectly. You play as the titular hero, occasionally calling upon his moth-costumed sidekick, Arthur, to clear the screen of enemies. While the sprites are large and the "Spoon!" battle cry is present and accounted for, the initial charm of the presentation quickly gives way to the crushing reality of its design.
The primary issue plaguing The Tick is its staggering, almost nonsensical length. With over 40 levels to punch through, the game becomes an exercise in extreme repetition that few players will have the patience to see through to the end. You will face the same wave of ninjas and Idea Men hundreds of times across static backgrounds that fail to evolve as the game progresses. While the combat mechanics are functional, they lack the depth or "crunch" found in genre staples like Streets of Rage 2, leaving the player to mash buttons in a state of mild hypnotic boredom rather than superheroic excitement.
Despite its flaws, there is a certain nostalgic pull for fans of the "Big Blue Justice." The humor remains intact through intermission screens, and the rendition of the iconic theme song on the Mega Drive’s FM synth chip is surprisingly catchy. However, as a piece of software, it serves as a cautionary tale of licensed titles from the era—prioritizing visual brand fidelity over engaging gameplay loops. It is a game that looks great in a magazine spread but feels like a slog in the console tray, ultimately relegated to the status of a shelf-filler for hardcore collectors rather than a must-play classic.
