Top, MSX version. Middle, Famicom version. Bottom, Commodore 64 version.
There were four games based on the movie The Goonies (three covered here).
- Three were by Konami. One was for the MSX. It was a platformer game with some adventure elements. The actual connection to the movie was rather light. Mikey's fellow Goonies are captured instead of traveling with him, and the Fratellis are basically individual Mooks instead of the family chasing the heroes. Then you have rats, bombs, and Mikey using a kick attack.
- A similar game was made for the Famicom, but not localized on the console elsewhere. It was instead released for the arcades on the VS. System board as VS. The Goonies. The graphics, music, and level design are drastically different from the MSX version.
- Datasoft developed an unrelated single-screen platformer on the Commodore 64. This one follows the plot of the film more closely. Each screen depicts a scene from the movie has two characters present that have to solve its puzzles with teamwork.
The famicom game has a sequel, The Goonies II.
Tropes among the games:
- Brats with Slingshots: It's a weapon you can find during play. It's your only ranged weapon in the first one.
- Cartoon Bomb: Mikey can use these as weapons, as well as to reveal hidden doorways. Ma Fratelli also throws them as her attack.
- Damsel in Distress: The girl Goonies, and Annie the mermaid in II.
- Distressed Dude: All the guy Goonies except Mikey.
- Event Flag: In the first game, Mikey must rescue one of his Goonie friends in each of the first five stages before he can reach the last stage, which takes place on the pirate ship Inferno. It is essentially a short bonus stage where you can earn a lot of points, get a kiss from Andy, and see an 8-bit recreation of the film's final scene. If you miss a Goonie, you simply restart the game after Stage 5.
- Everything Trying to Kill You: If it's not a wall, platform, or door, it's out to get you (save for the first person scenes in the second game). Even waterfalls cause damage if you touch them without the right protective equipment.
- The second game has two exceptions. There are the NPCs in the first person areas, and the floating heads on the bridge (though be prepared for some intense platforming if you want to keep your boomerang).
- Flame Spewer Obstacle: At the early stages in the game, there are flame emitters that spew flames.
- Happy Ending: The games based on the movie end on the Goonies watching the ship, as it sails away on its own.
- Hearts Are Health: Hearts dropped from enemies will restore health.
- A Kind of One: You'd assume that there'd only be one Jake Fratelli and one Francis Fratelli, being that the film showed Mama didn't reuse any names. However, in the game, they're technically enemy types, and multiple Jakes and Francises can spawn at the same time (though this only happens in the second game, when you start getting close to Annie). Multiple "Pipsqueak" Fratellis are also possible.
- Non-Lethal K.O.: Unfortunately for Mikey, he doesn't have the raw strength to actually kill Jake, Francis, or Mama Fratelli. He can only temporarily knock them out. This gets a bit ridiculous when you start hurling Molotov cocktails at them and all it does is knock them on their butts for a few seconds. The exception is "Pipsqueak", who is defeated when hit and not stunned (though he immediately respawns).
- Offscreen Teleportation: Related to A Kind of One above, Mama Fratelli can suddenly pop all over the map if you scroll her off-screen. She can't spawn multiple times, but if she's moved off and despawned, any area is fair game for a respawn.
- Out of Focus: Sloth only appears on the title and ending screens in silhouette with the other Goonies.
- Pixel Hunt: An odd case. In each stage of the famicom game, you need different combinations of buttons to find hidden items throughout the stages (kicking at certain places in the first stage to find gems, pause while walking in the second, etc.). Most of them are not necessary in completing the stages, but they'll make your life much easier.
- The second game averts this in the first person scenes. Either you use a command on the clearly visible object and people, or you try them on the center areas of the walls, floor, and ceiling.
- Random Drop: Enemies can drop hearts, keys, bombs, and other items.
- Save the Princess: The other Goonies in the Konami games, and also Annie in the second.
- Steam Vent Obstacle: Some pipes have steam outlets that shoot out puffs of damaging steam.
- Stuff Blowing Up: The Konami games give you bombs, and II gives you Molotov cocktails.
