A Retro Review – Home Improvement: Power Tool Pursuit!

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presents a


by

	(SNES)
	(Action/Adventure)
	(Single-player)
	(Coolness not guaranteed)
	(Terrible game)
	Cool arsenal of items Colorful visuals That’s pretty much it
	Horrible level design Clunky controls Quiet and uninteresting musical score
	Utterly devoid of anything worthy of the word “improvement”, Power Tool Pursuit hammers its own thumb to oblivion with terrible gameplay centered around abstract platforming that makes the show seem like Shakespeare in comparison

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Story

After many years of faithful service as the accident-prone host of the t.v. series Tool Time, Tim “The Toolman” Taylor has been awarded with his very own line of power tools designed in his honor. Planning a grand reveal on a very special episode, Tim is shocked to find that the tools have been stolen before the show’s onset and placed randomly throughout the production set where filming occurs. Eschewing sanity and avoiding proper procedure (such as contacting the local authorities), The Toolman arms himself for aggressive retaliation with a sledgehammer, dynamite and other unnecessarily overpowered objects with the ultimate goal of retrieving his beloved tools as soon as possible.

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Overview

Home Improvement is a side-scrolling action/platform game where you take control of Tim “The Toolman” Taylor and help guide him across 20 levels while utilizing a multitude of power tools to attack enemies and reach new areas. Encapsulating the stages are 4 different worlds populated with unique enemies and backgrounds that Tim must navigate through. While most games of this variety typically require you to simply reach the final goal of a level, Home Improvement takes a little different approach by tasking the player with the retrieval of 6 crates hidden in random locations that must be discovered within a time limit before proceeding. 

Several standard platforming obstacles present themselves throughout gameplay (namely enemies who can damage the player, pitfalls, hard to reach ledges, etc.) however The Toolman is armed with a litany of useful power tools with which to help find the missing crates and defeat adversaries. Many of the tools become a requirement at times in the stages as certain parts of a level are only accessible after using an item in it such as breaking a wall down with the sledgehammer to reveal an alternate path or reaching new heights with the grappling hook. Successful completion of the first 4 levels of a world will bring Tim toe-to-toe with a boss battle that must be defeated before progressing further. Help guide The Toolman across all the different stages and defeat the 4 bosses to discover the location of the missing tools and complete the game!

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Cast

Tim “The Toolman” Taylor (main protagonist) Clumsy handyman host of a low-budget home repair t.v. show… always needs more power in his life

Al Borland (protagonist support) Tim’s level-headed and much more tool-proficient sidekick… eager to help but strapped by poor game design

Tim’s Kids (protagonist support) Tim’s “cornermen” more or less, his kids help him to brush off his latest accident allowing “The Toolman” to climb back on his power-mad saddle with a higher expediency

??? (main antagonist) Though there are 4 standard bosses located at the end of each series of t.v. set stages, the main culprit responsible for setting Tim off on this ridiculous quest remains unknown unless somehow your able to survive to the bitter end

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Fake Men Need Not Apply (XL section)

Instruction manuals are without a doubt an important part of any acclimation process to a new product. Whether they’re showing you how to properly assemble a piece of furniture or teaching you how to program a new electronic device, text information can play a pivotal role in ensuring that the learning endeavor is completed correctly and efficiently. It makes perfect sense then that this premise found itself in the world of video games by providing players with a guide of sorts to pair with your new purchase, helping to ease the transition into figuring out “how to make the little guy jump” or whatever you needed to learn. On top of that, tons of cool story exposition, character biographies, artwork, etc. can typically be found within the confines of these little books which makes it even more rewarding to own these things beyond the need to reference them for academic purposes. With that in mind, Home Improvement: Power Tool Pursuit! has without question the sorriest excuse for an instruction manual in the history of mankind by providing players with a facade that looks the part on the outside but opens up to a single pitiful phrase covering up all the relevant stuff on the inside stating that “Real men don’t need instructions !” …Lame.

Obviously, this is a nod to the sitcom that the game is based on, Home Improvement, which sees the show’s main character (Tim “The Toolman” Taylor ) reverting back to caveman tactics by never reading instructions and generally screwing up anything he tries to build or fix. While this works well enough within the structure of a mindless comedy show, foregoing tradition here only serves to piss off hardcore gamers (and feminists)! I mean… we might not need instructions but they sure can be nice sometimes . Not to mention, I would have no idea what kind of title this is (since the very concept of a game based on a pointless t.v. show like this makes absolutely no sense at all) meriting the necessity even further for a hearty and well-informed manual. Oh well, I guess if we’re gonna take control of Tim we’re gonna have to also take command of his neanderthal ways of learning and bump our heads as we go !

To start with, Home Improvement: Power Tool Pursuit! contains a plot that’s as thin as the instruction manual which would kind of make sense if this was supposed to be like an episode of the sitcom but it’s not so whatever. If you’ve seen the show (and chances are you have) then you’ll recognize right away the characters, setting, etc. however no prior knowledge of The Toolman and his antics is required to comprehend this “story”. Basically, Tim is being awarded with a line of power-tools with his name on it while filming his usual home-repair television show and it turns out that the tools have been stolen before he gets a chance to unveil them. A note from the thief is discovered at the scene suggesting that Tim check the surrounding t.v. studios for the missing tools and with that, The Toolman darts off to get them back by any means necessary (even if he has to fight ). …Pretty dumb. 

Now of course you might have been able to read about this in the *cough* instruction manual if you weren’t such a REAL MAN so the opening introduction in the game is your only exposition before this grand adventure (unless you do some internet research that is). Once the scene is finished, Tim is instantly thrust into a side-scrolling 16-bit platforming world without rhyme, reason or a true understanding of what he’s doing there other than to kick the asses of whoever stole his precious power tools. Your first instinct will be to look for an exit to the level your in while killing/avoiding the ridiculously out-of-place enemies that block your path however you’ll have better luck trying to hammer a nail with a forklift as this is not the proper way to progress at all. It turns out that standing still like an ape is the correct procedure (sort of) as an arrow appears after a few seconds of idling giving Tim a general direction to begin his fetch-quest for missing crates which is your key to completing the level. …Who knew ???

Seriously though, while this concept could have been explained in greater detail (instead of what was provided) giving players a better grasp on the game’s initial intentions, a little trial-and-error will familiarize you rather quickly to the overall scope which is probably what they were going for anyways. Essentially, Power Tool Pursuit plays like a side-scrolling scavenger hunt with players utilizing an array of different tools to attack adversaries, clear obstacles and reach new areas all while discovering the location of 6 crates hidden throughout various parts of the stage within the allowed time-limit. There are 4 different t.v. studios that Tim must complete all with unique themes including Jungle, Egypt, Haunted House and Space (explains the crazy variety of baddies you’ll encounter such as dinosaurs, mutant plants, giant spitting scorpions, bed-sheet ghosts and more) which breaks down to a slight change-up of enemy/level/background design. Each studio is set up the same with 4 platforming stages followed by a unique boss battle who must be defeated before pressing on including a huge dragon, mummies …and Dracula. Geez, what the hell are they filming here anyways?

Of course aiding Tim along the way is his trustee collection of home improvement devices designed to crush all opposition in his path (or repair the sink… whatever)! Much like Batman’s array of unstoppable gadgetry, The Toolman comes equipped with all the requisite items needed for an insanely outside-the-box scenario such as this. For starters, the nail gun works great for attacking enemies from afar and accompanies The Toolman right off the bat as his main offensive option but other tools/weapons present themselves as item pickups throughout gameplay such as dynamite, a flamethrower, chainsaw and an arc welder type-thing that shoots lightning (…be still my heart) which are all pretty sweet. Additionally, Tim is armed with 3 more tools that he can unleash at anytime to help in his journey including a jackhammer to open up holes in weak floors, a grappling hook to reach higher platforms and a sledgehammer to smash down breakable walls. Also, 3 bonus items can be found randomly during play for increased aid such as the hard hat which grants invincibility for a stint, a clock which increases the time limit available and a “power up” icon which grants Tim invulnerability to certain attacks and a jumping increase. Now we’re playing with power… MORE POWER !!!

Other factors worth mentioning in Power Tool Pursuit include Tim’s “nuts & bolts” health system which works exactly the same as Sonic the Hedgehog’s “rings” though not as forgiving (do they really have to fly away and disappear so fast after getting damaged?), enemies who require WAY too many hits before they’re defeated (why is a cockroach so hard to kill with a flamethrower… WHY?) and the confusing level design which has you doing oddball crap like using the grappling hook to lower yourself to the platform below you instead of just pressing down and jump like you do in most other titles (not ashamed to admit that I was stuck for a long time at a spot like this). While none of these points alone would be enough to drastically change the difficulty level too much, the combination of the 3 push it into the stratosphere of ridiculousness and we haven’t even got to the controls yet (*spoiler*… THEY SUCK). Couple all that with a 3 lives-your-out system mixed with the unforgiving absence of being able to continue in the section that you died in (not to mention the blatant lack of a co-op mode with Al ) and you have a recipe for some of the thinnest patience found on the SNES. It’s a shame too since a game involving chucking dynamite at dinosaurs seems right in my wheelhouse but when the execution is this rough, it leaves me no choice but to call it like I see it. The gameplay is complete garbage… moving on.

Now about those controls… they’re bad! A persistent slipperiness accompanies The Toolman throughout your journey which makes it increasingly harder than it already needs to be to reach that far off ledge. On top of that, the hit hit detection never feels quite right as the impact made on enemies with your tools feels strange and uninspiring compared to what you would expect from using items such as these. Not to mention, the grappling hook feels distinctively more awkward than it should and contributes further to the games poorness since it’s a vital component to progressing through the wonky levels that populate Power Tool Pursuit. While the controls overall are somewhat adaptable over time, too many factors come into play to work against you to like them during gametime resulting in yet more frustration… yay!  

The music/sound category might be the worst one of all which is impressively bad (considering the surrounding mediocrity). The opening theme is okay (sound bar at top) and is quite literally the only music worth mentioning in the game while the effects are grainy, annoying and forgettable. Graphically, Home Improvement is an interesting blend of vibrant redundancy. The colors are lush and the sprites all look nice however there’s just not enough variety in the overall design from level-to-level which leads to eye boredom rather quickly. It’s okay though… real men don’t need aesthetics! 

As far as ‘tude is concerned, Home Improvement splits down the middle with the “more power” persona of The Toolman and his awesome arsenal of uncommon weaponry (good) combined with the insanely dumb enemies and stupidly concocted plot (bad). I mean, blasting at a raptor with a lightning gun is nice but it happens too infrequently for the coolness factor to ever settle in long-term however it does happen so credit due I guess. Also, when did chainsaws start shooting projectiles? Would have loved to have seen Tim running through waves of bad guys sawing them in half like a crazed psychopath (“GIVE ME BACK MY TOOLS !!!”). Still, you’ll probably be too busy being frustrated by everything else that’s going on around you to truly appreciate pegging that mutant dragonfly with the wildly inaccurate nail gun which is a letdown since the ‘Tude Meter spikes with approval during these rarer incidents yet valleys back out again through the rest of the slog experienced as your bouncing around boring levels like a headless chicken.

So what’s the best way to describe Home Improvement: Power Tool Pursuit? …How about BROKEN! It’s an over-the-top difficult action/adventure/platforming affair that is relentless and unrewarding. It feels a little (and I mean very little) like Sonic the Hedgehog (health system and level design) mixed with Castlevania (ability to use different items and monster-type enemies) however even that would be garnering too much praise for this heap as it never achieves anything close to those 2 awesome franchises with a glaring void of polish, creativity and fun. It’s sad too because so much of me wants to like this game with its outside-the-box concept combined with funny ideas and premises from a show that I enjoyed from my childhood but the end result is a title that is devoid of anything worthwhile making you reach quickly for the power button on your Super Nintendo so that you can replace it with something better. Oh well, maybe they wanted it to feel defective as if Tim himself had made the game like one of his projects from the show .

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Critical Analysis

1/5 Right away, the gameplay is an instant problem for Home Improvement with no direction given as to what you are supposed to do which spirals quickly into a frustration that grows even after learning the nuances of the game. The monotony of the design is a major culprit here as the levels and enemies never change much which is a major problem in comparison to other great platforming titles of the time. Pair that with a brutal and unfair difficulty level brought upon by lackluster quality in item execution and stage creation and you have a game that’s as forthcoming as a staple gun shot to the nuts!

1/5 Wow do these controls SUCK! Hitting your spot on a tight jump never feels smooth as Tim runs around in what can only be described as ice-skate-shoes which adds to the layer of already present problems in Power Tool Pursuit. Additional frustrations here include the uncomfortable lack of being able to aim your offensive weapons at enemies (why can’t every side-scrolling game with projectiles not follow Contra’s simple formula), the quirky grappling hook which makes you wish you were playing Bionic Commando and the weak hit detection which inaccurately conveys the direct impact of these power tools as you lightly tap enemies with what should be heavy duty thuds.

1/5 Geez… it smells bad enough already! The music is all facets of unacceptable and not even worthy of writing about with its boring drones that fade away quickly into the background without a trace. Meanwhile, the sound effects aren’t too much better with nothing but the occasional roars/yelps from adversaries mixed with your own weapon/item noises to fill the air with (could we not get some Tim voice-clips in the game saying “more power” or doing his grunt or SOMETHING).

4/5 Finally, a category that doesn’t stink! While the backgrounds are a little too simple for my taste, overall I like the graphics in Power Tool Pursuit. The sprites all look the part while the Super Nintendo’s impressive color output shows off capably and displays yet another high-quality looking title during the 16-bit era.

Who knew The Toolman had such an impressive arsenal of fix-it gadgets to unleash on all of his would-be adversaries? Even if these were t.v. studios or whatever, then how come they’re filled up with random animals/insects/monsters that are trying to kill you when all your doing is looking for your stuff that was stolen? While there’s definitely enough here to keep the reading from dipping into the minimal range, ultimately the ‘Tude Meter is more confused than anything else as it ponders the outside-the-box-concept of a video game based on a fictional house repair show contained within a family sitcom… !!!

Terrible game What can I say… Home Improvement: Power Tool Pursuit is as bad a game that you can find from this period and entirely worthy of my lowest achievable score displaying horrid qualities in too many of its aspects requiring (ironically enough)… improvement in just about every way. From the joke empty instruction manual to the crappy controls to the snore-fest gameplay to the kindergarten quality music and beyond, this game delivers the “dung” in truckloads and begs for your avoidance in all avenues besides meddling curiosity which is sure to be satisfied abruptly by even the staunchest of gaming prudes. Besides that, Power Tool Pursuit offers nothing in the way of novelty towards the television show its based on other than some blink-and-you’ll-miss-them scenes at the beginning of and in-between levels which further raises the question of its existence. Seriously though, who really was the target audience for this heap anyways cause I can’t imagine anybody from my generation forking over their hard-earned dough unless somehow they were tricked into doing it? If they did/do exist and are reading this now… how did you escape your captivity???    In all seriousness though don’t be like Tim, do yourself a favor and heed my personal warning label which fills in all the missing information you need from that barren instruction manual – AVOID THIS GAME AT ALL COSTS! You’ll literally have more fun improving your own home doing random chores than you will trying to guide The Toolman through this anxiety-inducing race against the clock with no rewards in sight (now that’s bad)! Moreover, if your looking for an unfair challenge that will push your patience to its limits than look no further as Home Improvement will have even the most enlightened of souls cursing the game and ditching it behind for greener pastures (unless your a hardcore masochist that is) with its brutal difficulty and poor design. Plus, how could you miss out on the obvious opportunity for some Smash T.V.-style co-op with Al Borland doubling-down on the nail gunning mayhem? Whatever… time to flush this turd down the proverbial toilet of inferiority FOREVER!

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“Poor Al… always getting left behind .”

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