Cliffhanger (Europe)

Getting Started

When you start Cliffhanger, you are thrown straight into the first level. There is no title screen exposition - the game assumes you have seen the film or at least know that you play as Gabe Walker, a mountain rescue climber. The core loop is straightforward: walk right, punch and kick enemies, and try not to fall into pits or get hit by environmental hazards. The game mixes typical beat-em-up brawling with precise jumping sections that require careful timing over bottomless chasms.

Most of your time is spent alternating between fighting groups of thugs and navigating treacherous cliffside platforms. The jump controls are stiff and unresponsive compared to platformers like Sonic, which makes the narrow ledges especially punishing. New players should take their time and avoid rushing, as a single missed jump often means losing a life and restarting from a checkpoint. The D-pad moves Gabe left and right, and you press X to jump or confirm selections. Use S for your primary attack, and remember that you can also run by holding the S button while moving. There is no skill select or difficulty setting, so the game plays the same for everyone.

If you get stuck on a particular jumping segment, try short taps of the jump button rather than holding it - the momentum carries differently than in other Genesis games. Keep an eye on the health bar at the top of the screen; it depletes quickly from enemy hits and falls. There are no continues and no password system, so you must finish the entire game in one sitting. The game is short but brutally hard, partly due to the awkward controls.