Based on what I consider to be the best movie of the entire Indiana Jones movie run, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom hit arcades in 1985. This game is the reason I found Vizzed. I had wanted to play this game again ever since it mysteriously vanished from my local arcade, Bally’s, decades ago. When I played it again, it did not disappoint.

This game is what all other ports are based on and that means something. The reds of the Thugees, the detail of Mola Ram, even Kali Ma’s temple are all perfect representations of the movie. I’m sure it could be re-mastered and look a lot better but for it’s time the graphics are a perfect 10.

The sounds are what make this game unforgettable. There are sound clips of both Indy and Mola Ram. Indiana speaks classic lines like “I’m not leaving here without the stones.” and “We walk from here!”. Mola Ram offers “Welcome” at the title screen and my personal favorite “Soon Kali Ma will rule the world!”. The music is the same caliber, several tracks from the movie are recreated note for note in digital perfection. This is another 10. 

I am so addicted. This is probably the game I play the most around here. I am constantly trying to perfect my skills so I can free all of the captives, navigate all of the mine cart sequences and recover all 5 of the Shankara stones. I was never very good at this game when I was a boy but now I think I actually have a chance to get to the rope bridge and defeat Mola Ram. There is a slight frustration factor when I work really hard for 10 or 15 minutes to get pretty far and then get robbed by sneaky Thugee guards or Mola Ram’s flying flaming heart but it only feeds the addiction. I give it a 9 on addictiveness because of the sporadic urge to rage quit. 

The story? This is INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM! Story doesn’t get much better. I’m not even disappointed that there are no “chilled monkey brains”. Another 10. Fortune and glory, baby…fortune and glory. 

With 5 levels of captive rescuing, 5 levels of mine cart navigation, 5 levels of Kali Ma temple raiding, at least 1 rope bridge crossing and possibly dropping Mola Ram off a cliff into a crocodile smile, this game offers plenty and it has to be done with only 7 lives. To top it off there are 3 levels of difficulty to choose from. That’s 10 points worth of stuff to do. 

Did I mention the 7 lives? Well, in actuality the choices are 3 men and for one token or 7 for 2 and there is no continue. After the title screen there are 3 caves Dr. Jones can enter before actually starting game play, there’s easy, medium, and hard. I’ve been practicing and I have only seen the 3rd Shankara stone a few times and that’s in the easy cave. I’m actually starting to believe that the caves should be renamed to “hard“, “don’t be silly” and “you will die quickly“. The controls are simple: direction and whip. Therefore, I don’t really consider this game hard to play but more, hard to win. I have no other choice but to rate the difficulty a 10. 

Overall, it’s hard to remain neutral when reviewing this classic but I honestly don’t think 1985 arcade gets better than this. I’m rating this gem at  9.8, but don’t take my word for it. Play it now! (I am so addicted…)  

thephantombrain : Another great review from you!  I keep finding them on here lol   I love Indiana Jones, so this is one I have to try out!  Love learning about all these cool games by reading these reviews!