Uploaded September 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Who Framed Roger Rabbit, developed by Rare and published by LJN for the NES in 1989, is a surprisingly ambitious action-adventure based on the 1988 movie. Instead of making a simple platformer, Rare tried to turn the film into an open-ended detective game mixing exploration, item hunting, puzzle solving, combat and driving. The result is clumsy in places and often cryptic, but also much more interesting than its reputation suggests.
Rating: 6.5/10
You play as private detective Eddie Valiant, with Roger Rabbit constantly following behind, as you search 1940s Los Angeles and Toontown for the four missing pieces of Marvin Acme’s will. Finding them will clear Roger’s name and eventually lead to a confrontation with Judge Doom.
Most of the game is played from an overhead perspective as Eddie explores streets, avoids traffic and enters buildings. Inside many locations, the view switches to a side-on perspective where you can talk to people, search furniture and collect items. Benny the Cab can also be summoned to make traveling across the fairly large map much faster.
One of the game’s most unusual ideas is that many item locations are randomized at the start of a new game. This means you cannot simply memorize one fixed route. Instead, NPCs can give clues about whether a nearby building contains something useful. Paying attention to these hints makes the adventure much more manageable, while blindly searching every room quickly becomes tedious.
The inventory is filled with cartoon-style tools and objects. Crowbars can open certain doors, dynamite destroys obstacles, whistles summon Benny, and food items can distract dangerous animals. Some characters can also reveal the locations of the will pieces if you give them the correct object. The system is inventive and fits the movie well, even if the game does a poor job of explaining many of these mechanics.
Combat is less successful. Eddie’s punch requires repeated tapping to charge before it is released, making even basic attacks feel awkward. Cycling through inventory items is also cumbersome, especially when enemies are nearby. Roger himself is another complication, since he can be grabbed by weasels or vultures and often feels more like someone you need to protect than a helpful companion.
The streets are packed with hazards such as cars, animals, falling objects and other dangers that can drain your health quickly. Some deaths feel cheap, particularly before you learn the patterns, but most threats become easier to handle with practice.
The final battle against Judge Doom is one of the game’s weakest moments. It is a major difficulty spike and relies heavily on the unusual punching mechanic. Without understanding exactly how the attack works, the fight can feel confusing and extremely tedious.
Presentation is quite good for a 1989 NES game. Eddie, Roger, Jessica Rabbit and the other characters are recognizable, and the bold graphics capture some of the movie’s mixture of noir and cartoon chaos. The environments can become repetitive, but the overall style works well. David Wise’s soundtrack is another highlight, with catchy music that gives the game plenty of personality.
Who Framed Roger Rabbit is ultimately a flawed but creative licensed game. Its awkward controls, repetitive searching and occasional cheap deaths prevent it from being a great NES adventure, but Rare clearly tried to create something more ambitious than a standard movie tie-in. Once its systems are understood, the exploration and detective elements become surprisingly enjoyable.
It is not one of the best games on the system, but it is far from the disaster it is sometimes made out to be. Who Framed Roger Rabbit is strange, frustrating and uneven, yet also distinctive, inventive and full of charm.
Who Framed Roger Rabbit, developed by Rare and published by LJN for the NES in 1989, is a surprisingly ambitious action-adventure based on the 1988 movie. Instead of making a simple platformer, Rare tried to turn the film into an open-ended detective game mixing exploration, item hunting, puzzle solving, combat and driving. The result is clumsy in places and often cryptic, but also much more interesting than its reputation suggests.
Rating: 6.5/10
You play as private detective Eddie Valiant, with Roger Rabbit constantly following behind, as you search 1940s Los Angeles and Toontown for the four missing pieces of Marvin Acme’s will. Finding them will clear Roger’s name and eventually lead to a confrontation with Judge Doom.
Most of the game is played from an overhead perspective as Eddie explores streets, avoids traffic and enters buildings. Inside many locations, the view switches to a side-on perspective where you can talk to people, search furniture and collect items. Benny the Cab can also be summoned to make traveling across the fairly large map much faster.
One of the game’s most unusual ideas is that many item locations are randomized at the start of a new game. This means you cannot simply memorize one fixed route. Instead, NPCs can give clues about whether a nearby building contains something useful. Paying attention to these hints makes the adventure much more manageable, while blindly searching every room quickly becomes tedious.
The inventory is filled with cartoon-style tools and objects. Crowbars can open certain doors, dynamite destroys obstacles, whistles summon Benny, and food items can distract dangerous animals. Some characters can also reveal the locations of the will pieces if you give them the correct object. The system is inventive and fits the movie well, even if the game does a poor job of explaining many of these mechanics.
Combat is less successful. Eddie’s punch requires repeated tapping to charge before it is released, making even basic attacks feel awkward. Cycling through inventory items is also cumbersome, especially when enemies are nearby. Roger himself is another complication, since he can be grabbed by weasels or vultures and often feels more like someone you need to protect than a helpful companion.
The streets are packed with hazards such as cars, animals, falling objects and other dangers that can drain your health quickly. Some deaths feel cheap, particularly before you learn the patterns, but most threats become easier to handle with practice.
The final battle against Judge Doom is one of the game’s weakest moments. It is a major difficulty spike and relies heavily on the unusual punching mechanic. Without understanding exactly how the attack works, the fight can feel confusing and extremely tedious.
Presentation is quite good for a 1989 NES game. Eddie, Roger, Jessica Rabbit and the other characters are recognizable, and the bold graphics capture some of the movie’s mixture of noir and cartoon chaos. The environments can become repetitive, but the overall style works well. David Wise’s soundtrack is another highlight, with catchy music that gives the game plenty of personality.
Who Framed Roger Rabbit is ultimately a flawed but creative licensed game. Its awkward controls, repetitive searching and occasional cheap deaths prevent it from being a great NES adventure, but Rare clearly tried to create something more ambitious than a standard movie tie-in. Once its systems are understood, the exploration and detective elements become surprisingly enjoyable.
It is not one of the best games on the system, but it is far from the disaster it is sometimes made out to be. Who Framed Roger Rabbit is strange, frustrating and uneven, yet also distinctive, inventive and full of charm.
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