The Addams Family with Adam Williamson

Play Comics

Welcome to another spine-tingling, joystick-wiggling episode of Play Comics, where the pixels meet the page and the game controllers are always at risk of being thrown in excitement or frustration. This week we’re diving into the dark cobwebbed corners of the gaming world to unearth the 1992 classic The Addams Family, a game that dared to ask “What if we took a beloved, macabre family and turned their life into a platforming adventure?” Based on the 1991 film of the same name, this game sprawled across the NES, SNES, Genesis, Master System, Game Gear, and Game Boy, proving that no console was safe from its kooky, spooky charm.

In this episode we’re thrilled to welcome back the illustrious Adam Williamson, a man whose knowledge of games is only rivaled by his ability to survive encounters with the supernatural—or at least supernatural-themed video games. Adam, who last graced us with his presence in a bodyslammin’ discussion on WWF No Mercy, returns from the depths of the gaming archives to help us navigate the twisted halls of the Addams’ mansion.

Prepare for a journey where every jump is a leap of faith (into a pit of who-knows-what), every enemy is as bizarre as an Addams family member, and the only thing scarier than the game’s difficulty is the thought of turning it off before finishing. Will Gomez find his beloved family members, or will he be doomed to wander the pixelated corridors forever? Join us as we explore the mystery, the humor, and the sheer Addams-ness of The Addams Family game.

So tighten your seatbelts, adjust your monocles, and make sure your hand (Thing, is that you?) is firmly attached to your wrist. It’s going to be a wild ride through the Addams Family estate, where the only guarantee is laughter, nostalgia, and maybe, just maybe, a newfound appreciation for games that make you want to pull your hair out—in the most delightful way possible.

Learn such things as:

• How can you base a game off of single panel comics?
• How is this macabre family so wholesome?
• What does Jonathan Blow have to do with any of this?
• And so much more!

You can find Adam absolutely nowhere except for on Play Comics where he writes comic reviews and appears on other episodes. Of particular interest to listeners of this episode are The Gimmick #1 and The Job #1.

Twitter Thread and Bluesky Thread to enter the giveaway for copies of The Color of Always and Sharp Wit & The Company of Women. Or just comment on the When I Was Young episode post with what stories you’re looking forward to reading.

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A big thanks to Crossplay Conversations and Tales from the Backlog for the promos today.

Intro/Outro Music by Best Day, who still goes Trick-Or-Treating. In fact he’s going next weekend.