Clear Your Sinuses, It's Time For Boogerman

by Aron Deppert

“Boogerman: A Pick and Flick Adventure” sounds too good to be a true game title, doesn’t it? Well, guess again because this isn’t a joke. Boogerman was a side-scrolling platformer released originally on NES, then later on Genesis (the later version is by far superior), and just recently the Genesis version was released on Wii’s virtual console. In the game, you take control of an eccentric millionaire named Snotty Ragsdale. He is on a quest to stop the evil Professor Stinkum from destroying the Earth by donning a cape and jumpsuit and becoming the not-so-super hero Boogerman. He will use his supercharged boogers, farts, belts and jumps to pave way to victory…with your help, of course.

Technically, the game was a good one. The Genesis cartridge was a whopping 24 megabytes and the animation was at 30 frames per second, which was done in an effort to capture a more cartoon-like feel. The control scheme is easy and natural-feeling for anyone who has previously played a game of this type. Players of this game may be reminded of Earthworm Jim by both the look and the playing style of the game…and due to the fact both games were made by Interplay. The game featured some minor voice acting, such as Boogerman yelling “BOOGERS!” when the C button is pressed on the controller. Basically, it’s chalked full of humor appropriate for those of us who are 16 years old or younger (or have the equivalent mentality). Many people criticized the game for this very reason, saying it was simply too inappropriate for the target audience.


One of Boogerman’s many idle animations involves him picking his nose, and then eating it.

The pacing of the game is rather quick, which would seem to pose a challenge to players of a younger age bracket. There were many times when the game seemed to be playing itself, as Boogerman bounced and flicked his way across the Flatulent Swamps. The level design was a little akimbo, featuring many undefined paths through the level. There were hidden doors and warp toilets everywhere, which made it very hard to decide where to go. It was also entirely possible to ignore the alternate paths all together and take a straight shot through each course, ending up in the exact same place you would have ended up taking a short(long)cut.


Somebody should’ve avoided the bean burrito at dinner.

Overall, Boogerman was good for a short burst of fun, but shoddy level design left it feeling like just another side-scroller once the shock value of boogers, farts, burps and loogies wore off. After spending a few hours with Snotty Ragsdale’s alter ego, it really isn’t a surprise that Boogerman didn’t enjoy the longevity that his wormy counterpart did. This would definitely be a game worth checking out if you are the kind of person that can’t stop laughing over a well-placed whoopee cushion, or you just happen to have credits you can’t figure out how to spend on the Virtual Console.



Image source: Screenshots, en.wikipedia.org