Software:Frantic Flea

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Short description: 1996 video game
Frantic Flea
File:Frantic Flea SNES Cover.png
Developer(s)Haüs Teknikka[1]
Publisher(s)GameTek
Composer(s)John Anguish[2]
Platform(s)Super NES
Release
Genre(s)Action
Mode(s)Single-player

Frantic Flea is an action game developed by Haüs Teknikka and published in 1996 by GameTek for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System.

Gameplay

Development and release

Andy Whitehurst, creative director of Haüs Teknikka, described the team's approach to the graphics: "What we were trying to show is that despite 16-bit graphical limitations you can actually make a video game look like a cartoon. We wanted FF to look like a '50s or '60s Warner Bros. cartoon and to have the same zany feel, almost Dr. Seuss-like which nobody has tried before in a video game."[4]

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
AllGame2/5[5]
EGM7/10, 5/10, 5.5/10, 6/10[6]
Game Informer5.75/10[7]
GamesMaster44%[8]
M! Games62%[9]
Mega Fun70%[10]
ONM74/100[11]
Total!(UK) 31/100[13]
(DE) 4[14]

Frantic Flea received mixed reviews.[7][9][10][11] Three of the four editors forElectronic Gaming Monthly commented that though the game has some innovative features, they are not enough to hold the player's interest. They also criticized that losing all the player's collected fleas each time said player is hit is more frustrating than fun, and that the levels quickly grow repetitive. The remaining reviewer, Ken "Sushi-X" Williams, defended the game, praising its compelling action, graphics, and selection of weapons.[15] GamePro said the game "puts another nail in the Super NES coffin with uninteresting gameplay, horrible cartoon-like graphics, obnoxious and monotonous music, and annoying, imprecise controls. Basically all you do in this game is run around and collect your little flea buddies".[16]

References

  1. "Pak Watch: Insider Update". Nintendo Power (Nintendo of America) 82: 102–103. March 1996. 
  2. "Composer information". SNES Music. http://www.snesmusic.org/v2/profile.php?selected=940&profile=set. 
  3. "You'll be itching to play Frantic Flea GameTek's newest Super Nintendo video game". February 12, 1996. Archived from the original on February 25, 1997. https://web.archive.org/web/19970225091906/http://www.gametek.com:80/webfinall/press/frantic_pr.html. Retrieved October 1, 2022. 
  4. "Interview the Man Behind the Flea". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (81): 61. April 1996. https://archive.org/details/electronic-gaming-monthly-issue-081-april-1996/page/n62/mode/1up. 
  5. Weiss, Brett Alan (1998). "Frantic Flea - Review". AllGame. All Media Network. http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=2498&tab=review. 
  6. Baran, Andrew; LeFebvre, Mark; Desmond, Mike; Sushi-X (April 1996). "Review Crew". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Sendai Publishing) (81): 32. https://archive.gamehistory.org/item/ca0aa45f-4ced-4582-8043-25869f09c0d8. Retrieved November 11, 2025. 
  7. 7.0 7.1 "At a Glance: Frantic Flea (Review)". Game Informer (Sunrise Publications) (36): 57. April 1996. https://archive.org/details/game-informer-issue-36-april-1996/page/n58/mode/1up.  (Transcription ).
  8. Groves, Will (January 1996). "Reviews: Frantic Flea". GamesMaster (Future Publishing) (38): 43. 
  9. 9.0 9.1 Ehrle, Oliver (May 1996). "Spiele-Tests: Frantic Flea" (in de). M! Games (de) (Cybermedia) (31): 57. https://archive.org/details/MANiAC.N031.1996.05/page/n56/mode/1up.  (Transcription ).
  10. 10.0 10.1 Souleiman, Sandrie (December 1995). "Test SNES / MD: Frantic Flea" (in de). Mega Fun (de) (Computec) (39): 78. https://retrocdn.net/index.php?title=File%3AMegaFun_DE_1995-12.pdf&page=78. 
  11. 11.0 11.1 White, Shaun; McVittie, Andy (December 1995). "Review: Frantic Flea". Nintendo Magazine System (EMAP) (39): 32–34. https://archive.org/details/nms39/page/n31/mode/2up. 
  12. Forrester, Simon (January 1996). "UK Review: Frantic Flea". Super Play (Future Publishing) (39): 44–45. 
  13. Dyer, Andy; Wallace, Danny (January 1996). "Total! SNES Review: Frantic Flea". Total! (Future Publishing) (49): 44–45. https://archive.org/details/total-49/page/n43/mode/2up. 
  14. Hellwig, Thomas (June 1996). "Test: Frantic Flea" (in de). Total! (X-Plain-Verlag) (36): 56. 
  15. Baran, Andrew; LeFebvre, Mark; Desmond, Mike; Williams, Ken (April 1996). "Review Crew: Frantic Flea". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Sendai Publishing) (81): 32. https://archive.org/details/electronic-gaming-monthly-issue-081-april-1996/page/n31/mode/1up. 
  16. "Quick Hits: Frantic Flea". GamePro (IDG) (91): 89. April 1996. https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_081_April_1996/page/n90/mode/1up.