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Cover art of Totally Rad

2.9 / 5

4 votes

Platform
NES
Genres
Action · Adventure
Developers
Aicom
Publishers
Jaleco USA
Release date
December 31, 1990

Summary

Totally Rad, known in Japan as Magic John, feels like a breezy arcade ride wrapped in a surfer’s handbook. The game plays as a classic side‑scrolling platformer, peppered with a surprising variety of boss encounters that demand timing more than button‑mashing, and it even lets you summon magical attacks to clear the way.
The continue system is a quirky twist: while the Japanese version lets you keep trying forever, the Western release caps you at three continues, turning the fourth death into an abrupt Game Over with a sting of music.
What really catches my eye is the instruction manual – it’s littered with surfer slang, goofy picture breaks, and cheeky comments about the author’s “babe,” giving the whole package a tongue‑in‑cheek personality.
Critics were lukewarm; Mean Machines gave it a 63/100, noting the early levels feel easy, the action repetitive, and the overall design a bit too simple to reach brilliance.
Despite those flaws, the game’s charm and off‑beat presentation make it a memorable slice of early‑90s NES nostalgia.

Storyline

In the NES game Totally Rad, Jake (named John in the Japanese version) works as an apprentice magician under the eccentric Zebediah Pong. While training, a band of mysterious attackers swoops in and kidnaps his girlfriend Allison (Yuu in Japan). Determined, Jake sets out on a quest to track the culprits and uncover why they targeted Allison. His investigation reveals that the kidnapping was a ruse designed to draw out Allison’s father, a famed scientist who has been in hiding. Jake must rescue the scientist and ultimately confront an evil king who plans to unleash a subterranean army against Jake’s world.

Edited by Maya Carter

Game Screenshots

  • Screenshot 1 of Totally Rad