Smurfs, The (Europe) (En,Fr,De,Es)

The Smurfs is a classic side-scrolling platformer for the NES, taking players on an adventure as Papa Smurf to rescue his fellow Smurfs from the evil wizard Gargamel and his cat, Azrael. The story begins when Gargamel invades the Smurf Village and kidnaps most of its inhabitants.

Players control Papa Smurf, navigating through a variety of diverse environments such as forests, caves, swamps, and eventually Gargamel's castle. The primary objective in each level is to find and rescue a captured Smurf. Papa Smurf can walk, run, and perform jumps to overcome obstacles and avoid enemies.

Throughout his journey, Papa Smurf will encounter various types of enemies, including spiders, snakes, birds, and other creatures conjured by Gargamel. Papa Smurf can defeat them by jumping on their heads or by using collected items. The most common item is an acorn, which can be thrown as a projectile weapon. Other items include leaves, which allow Papa Smurf to slow his descent, magic potions for temporary invincibility, and Smurf icons for extra lives.

The level design in The Smurfs is fairly linear but often features secret areas and hidden paths that contain valuable items. Players must skillfully navigate past pitfalls, spikes, and other environmental hazards. The health system is represented by hearts at the top of the screen. When Papa Smurf takes damage, one heart disappears. Losing all hearts or falling into a pit results in losing a life.

At the end of some levels, there will be boss encounters, typically against Gargamel himself or one of his magical creations. To complete the game, players must rescue all the kidnapped Smurfs and ultimately defeat Gargamel once and for all.