F.U.R.: Fauna Quest

F.U.R. Fauna Quest is an action game based on the F.U.R. franchise (combining plot elements from both the original TV series and 1988 movie) by Magic World, developed by Software Creations and published jointly by Playfair Interactive with Sony Imagesoft for the Super NES and Sega Genesis, along with versions for MS-DOS/Windows. Macintosh and Amiga, in 1994.

Separate versions for the Nintendo Game Boy and Sega Master System/Game Gear were developed by Eurocom and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspect_Co. Aspect] respectively.

SNES/Genesis/Amiga/PC versions
This side-scrolling platformer/beat 'em up hybrid lets the player choose between Maya or Reggie Brushtail, a multiplayer mode allows for a second player to pick the one not selected. The mission is to locate the elixir amidst ancient Faunasapien ruins and rescue Donna before Dr. Mendelson and Crulbog (who have joined forces in this alternate telling of the franchise) can take over New Faunahaven.

Starting in downtown New Faunahaven, the player has Maya or Reggie roams city streets, the Neon Savannah and eventually numerous locations pertaining to ruins of ancient Faunasapien civilizations, fighting off mooks aligned with Mendelson and Crulbog and collecting items along the way, and occasionally defeating bosses.

Collectables include jewels (100 of which grant the player an additional continue), food items (which replenish health) and F.U.R. tokens (which transport the player to a bonus stage).

Game Boy version
The plot is similar to the 16-bit version but gameplay is completely different. The game is less of a beat 'em up and more of a straightforward platformer with a logic/puzzle-solving element, though enemies are still present in levels as surmountable hazards.

Also unlike the 16-bit version, the game has separate player modes for Maya, Reggie, Ben and Karla, all of which must be played to access the final area.

Game Gear/Master System versions
The game is also more of a standard platformer with a similar plot also requiring a search for keys (like the GB version) but it is similar to looking for the Chaos Emeralds in the 8-bit versions of Sonic the Hedgehog 1 and 2, in that they must be scouted out and collected to receive the "good ending" (though unlike both, levels subtly hint at where to find them, requiring logical thinking).

Marketing
Playfair presented an early build of the game (along with their other products to be sold later in the year) at the Summer 1994 CES in Chicago. Although tremendously overshadowed by Nintendo's presence at the trade show, especially their presentation of then-upcoming Donkey Kong Country, Playfair CEO of the time Cliff Wilson stated they had received some foot traffic and play-tests. Magic World founders Michael Warren and Joseph Haddad (who participated in the exhibition) recalled it was less than ideal but better than being ignored altogether, as they figured was a best case scenario.

Closer to the video game's release in North America, comic book publishers such as Archie, Marvel and DC as well as gaming magazines such as Nintendo Power, GamePro and Electronic Gaming Monthly displayed full-page advertisements.

In the US, Toys "R" Us held a sweepstakes to promote the game in conjunction with Delta Air Lines, with the grand prizes being a $1000 "Christmas shopping spree" or an all-expenses-paid trip to Peru with a tour of Machu Picchu (to explore "real ruins"). Most entrants instead received discounted vouchers to purchase the game on either 16-bit system of choice (or alternately the CD-ROM version for personal computers).

In Canada, Zellers hosted a similar (but smaller) contest in partnership with General Mills, McDonald's and Malofilm Video. The only grand prize on offer was a $1000 shopping spree at Zellers, with every entrant receiving McDonald's gift vouchers and a half-price coupon for a copy of the game on any system of the entrant's choosing. Guests could enter by solving a quiz on specially marked boxes of regular or Honey Nut Cheerios, answering challenge questions on a form sheet torn from an F.U.R. display at Zellers stores or writing answers for trivia questions (given at the end of Malofilm's VHS tapes of the series) onto paper to be mailed in later on.

Sales
The game was released on November 22, 1994 in North America, shortly before the highly competitive Black Friday weekend and in time for the Christmas season. The game initially had its sales hampered by the releases of more popular Super NES and Genesis titles such as Donkey Kong Country, The Lion King, Sonic & Knuckles, Mortal Kombat II and Earthworm Jim among others.

However, positive word-of-mouth spread from those who had rented the game or gotten discounted copies through vouchers (such as the aforementioned contests) helped provoke interest in the game throughout the following year, such that by the end of the 1995 Black Friday weekend, the game had sold over 2 million copies in North America alone.