Play Goonies II, The Online

Konami released The Goonies II for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1987, a time when licensed games were often ambitious but uneven. It was a direct sequel to the first Goonies game, though that one never came out in North America, so for many players this was their first encounter with the franchise on the NES. The game tried to blend several popular genres of the era into one package, resulting in something that felt both familiar and completely its own.

You play as Mikey, searching for a missing mermaid and the other Goonies kidnapped by the Fratellis. The game shifts between side-scrolling action sections where you jump across platforms and use a slingshot or bubble gun on enemies, and first-person exploration segments where you navigate mazes, talk to characters for clues, and use items like the vacuum cleaner or radio to progress. It's a demanding game; the labyrinthine layout requires careful mapping or a sharp memory, and the difficulty can spike without much warning. Progress often hinges on finding the right tool or speaking to the correct NPC in the vast network of rooms. Playing it feels like piecing together an obtuse but satisfying puzzle where every small discovery matters.