The Goonies, when a treasure and a galleon were better than the Upside Down!
by Simon LaroccaJanuary 29, 2026
It happens to everyone, sooner or later. Growing up, becoming adults, saying goodbye to the child we once were and who, for the rest of our lives, we will try with all our might to keep inside us like a wooden boat moored with a thin rope. A rope that we stubbornly keep pulling in order to hold on to something that is by nature wilful. Rewatching Spielberg’s film as an adult was like grasping that rope again, now broken, but its value has not diminished over the years.
The Goonies is a cult film for the generation of the Eighties, just as Stranger Things is for today’s generation, and even now it continues to attract millions of fans through reunions, industry fairs and themed events: in 2025, the fortieth anniversary fell, and it was the perfect opportunity to get back to the Famicom joypad and dust off its video game adaptation, a fun title and, in certain parts, quite challenging.
The game bears Konami's signature and is without a shadow of a doubt one of those titles that today we would call “a product of its time,” an expression that is usually synonymous with something unflattering, but that would not be at all fair to it.
This is because I think The Goonies is a platformer of real quality, with careful level design, despite its structural simplicity, and the need to learn enemy patterns, similar to giant rats (?), in order to overcome them. But above all, it embodies the essence of arcade games, and that means that, in addition to the map, a water bottle, and plenty of courage, in the backpack of the young teenage adventurer we will be called upon to be (or rather, to become again), there will be just one key word we must carry with us: patience.
Visually, The Goonies makes wise use of the NES's limited palette. This is a point I already made for other titles reviewed in this column, and I repeat it here: Nintendo knew very well how to make the most of its potential by “hiding” its flaws with the expertise of developers who even today serve as role models for the new generation.
The color contrast is really effective, and every area is immediately recognizable as soon as we step into it. Setting aside the imaginative take on caves and pirate ships, the use of many graphical effects and sprites taken from other games bearing the big N’s trademark (the flames identical to those emitted by the cannons of the flying ships in Super Mario Bros. 3, for example) helps the game maintain a functional aesthetic, even if the console’s legendary flickering sometimes makes an appearance.
![[The Goonies II]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.thegamesmarket.com%2Fapi%2Fv1%2Ffile%2Fproxy%3Fkey%3Dstaging%252Fmagazine%252Fcontent%252Fi-goonies-quando-un-tesoro-e-un-galeone-erano-meglio-del-sottosopra-img-0.png&w=3840&q=75)
The gameplay brushes against the typical dynamics of pure platform games, training the player to strengthen hand-eye coordination and timing, essential skills for not dying badly after ten seconds, but the adventure component also offers some variation on the theme. The search for key-unlocking-doors and the rescue of companions will be vital operations for the continuation of the game.
The sound department does its dirty work, adopting as its musical backdrop a selection of catchy tracks that are perfectly in line with the mood of the period, as well as with the means available: yes, it is exactly as you are thinking, the repetitiveness of the themes will come out of your ears, but after all that is also the beauty of the experience, isn’t it?
In conclusion, The Goonies is one of those titles that, whether because of its rarity or the importance it carries as part of one of the most successful films in cinema history, remains firmly anchored in the memories of those who played it with wonder in their eyes back then: today it may perhaps feel the dust it has gathered, with new and fresher champions invading gamers’ screens with photorealistic graphics power, but let us ask ourselves: is an eight-bit arcade title really destined for oblivion, for d… No, I am sure that even the lovable Sloth from the film would disagree: because the Goonies never say die.
And I hereby sign, with quill pen and ink.
Pro
A title that oozes Nintendo Entertainment System vibes from every pore, or rather every circuit: sprites, animations, enemies, and even the elements that make up the backgrounds and the objects you interact with are instantly recognizable
If you like platformers and love The Goonies, if you appreciate the good old “find keys-find keys-open doors-next level” this is the game for you
Contro
All things considered, The Goonies is not a game that redefines new standards of gameplay, graphics, or story: it recaptures the teen-adventure atmosphere of the film, but adds nothing more, perhaps disappointing those who expected a product that could have “dared”
Simon Larocca
My name is Simon Larocca, and I am a gamer, collector, and lover of pop culture in all its forms. I go to the cinema whenever I can, I have been reading since I started wearing glasses, so, basically forever, and I have a passion for storytelling in all its forms, so powerful that it became my profession. But as Doc from Ritorno al Futuro would say, there would be no present if one did not look at the past with respect and admiration, and it is the Simon child of more than thirty years ago, give or take a year, who is to thank for that.
Simon Larocca
My name is Simon Larocca, and I am a gamer, collector, and lover of pop culture in all its forms. I go to the cinema whenever I can, I have been reading since I started wearing glasses, so, basically forever, and I have a passion for storytelling in all its forms, so powerful that it became my profession. But as Doc from Ritorno al Futuro would say, there would be no present if one did not look at the past with respect and admiration, and it is the Simon child of more than thirty years ago, give or take a year, who is to thank for that.