The Great Waldo Search (1992-)

• Developer: Radiance

• Publisher: THQ

• Genre: Puzzle

The Great Waldo Search for the NES was developed by Radiance and published by T*HQ in 1992. Based on the popular Where’s Waldo? book series created by Martin Handford, the game attempted to bring the visual puzzle experience of the books into an interactive format. The NES version was one of several home console and computer ports, with the game also appearing on the Sega Genesis and various personal computer platforms. Its release aimed to capitalize on the early 1990s popularity of the Where’s Waldo? franchise, which had become a cultural phenomenon.

The gameplay centers around the player’s task of locating Waldo and other specific items within crowded illustrations that have been digitized and adapted to the NES’s hardware limitations. Unlike the books, which featured large, detailed illustrations, the game simplified the art style to accommodate the lower resolution and color palette of the console. This sometimes made finding Waldo more challenging, not because of clever visual tricks, but due to the pixelated graphics. Players could also search for Waldo’s dog Woof, represented by a floating bone icon, which served as an additional objective.

The game’s design drew directly from the format of the books, with scrolling environments standing in for the large, detailed spreads. While the core idea mirrored the source material, the execution was met with mixed reception. The soundtrack, composed of short, looping tunes, attempted to provide a playful backdrop but was minimal in scope. Because the gameplay relied almost entirely on visual searching, the music and sound effects played only a small supporting role rather than being a standout element.

The Great Waldo Search followed an earlier NES release simply titled Where’s Waldo?, which was published in 1991. The prequel had already faced criticism for its unclear visuals and rushed design, and unfortunately, the sequel fared little better. It was promoted as a family-friendly game that would appeal to fans of the books, but it was generally received poorly, with many players and reviewers noting that the transition from page to screen stripped away much of what made the original books engaging. No further sequels in the series were developed for the NES, and the franchise would eventually find new life in later adaptations on more powerful platforms.

Images from MobyGames