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Totally Rad for Nintendo NES
Totally Rad for Nintendo NES is an action platformer in which, as Jake, you put the magician Zebediah's lessons into practice. Allison and her father have been kidnapped by Edogy, who is making plans for California from the underground world. You pursue his henchmen through an amusement park, a circus tent, streets, sewers and caves. Five larger areas consist of several stages and end in a battle against a large guardian.
Jake jumps and shoots energy balls. Holding the fire button charges a stronger shot; holding the jump button longer produces a higher jump. You can also choose from twelve magical options right away. You restore energy, briefly freeze enemies or use elemental attacks. As a lion you jump higher and are protected while jumping, as an eagle you can fly, and as a fish you can swim.
You play alone with one standard NES controller. Start opens the spell-selection menu; you activate the selected magic with up and B. This assistance costs magical energy, so a safe jump can sometimes achieve more than another attack. Between stages, short scenes show how the rescue progresses. The original cartridge has no battery-backed saves or passwords for a later session: after switching off, you start Jake's journey again.
Region and language
Our Nintendo NES games are PAL editions, unless stated otherwise. This product contains a loose cartridge for the European market. A box is only included if explicitly stated in the product details. We note any different region in the product details. In almost all cases, the game is playable at least in English, and often in the other five common European languages too.
Manual
With Totally Rad for Nintendo NES, you receive a loose cartridge. A box and manual are not included unless we explicitly state otherwise in the product details. This is the standard way we supply this copy.
The history of Totally Rad
Aicom developed this adventure for Jaleco. It appeared in Japan in 1990 as Magic John; the Western NES release became Totally Rad. That adaptation changed more than the title. The Japanese characters and tone of the story received a different presentation for the West, featuring Jake, Allison and the magician Zebediah. It remained a platformer about magic and transformations, but its conversations made conspicuous use of American youth slang and references to California.
Jaleco carried that tone into the original English-language manual. Explanations of buttons, spells and bosses appear among jokes, exclamations and asides from the narrator. Even the contents page uses that casual style. The localisation is thus visible beyond the game images: the story of the underground Edogy and Allison's kidnapping acquired a distinctive voice. Meanwhile the magical arsenal remained central to the action, with healing spells, elemental attacks and three animal forms.
In 2025 City Connection released Magic John and Totally Rad together as part of JALECOlle Famicom Ver. for Nintendo Switch. That collection shows the different characters and story nuances side by side and adds features including magic shortcuts, rewind and quick saving. This Nintendo NES cartridge contains the original Western version. You select spells through the normal menu and play without the later aids, the additional gallery or a second included Japanese version.
Similar games for Nintendo NES
Mega Man 2 for Nintendo NES shares the combination of jumping, shooting and special attacks with their own energy meter. Mega Man earns new weapons by defeating Robot Masters and chooses which opponent to tackle first. Jake has his magic from the beginning and follows a fixed route. In Totally Rad, you therefore mainly decide when to spend energy on healing or a transformation; Mega Man 2 also lets you build a weapon collection and a useful order of encounters.
Kirby's Adventure on Nintendo NES likewise lets you use different abilities to cross platforming areas. Kirby swallows certain enemies to acquire their powers and can fly by himself. Jake chooses from a fixed magic menu and can become an eagle, a lion or a fish. Both games ask you to recognise a useful ability, but Totally Rad ties that choice to a limited magic meter rather than the enemy you have just swallowed.
Little Samson for Nintendo NES offers different heroes with individual movements, including a flying dragon and a character who climbs walls. After their introductory routes, you switch between four team members to overcome obstacles. Totally Rad achieves variety by transforming one hero into animals. Doing so consumes magical energy that you also need for other spells. Both involve adapting to the terrain; the difference is a changing team versus Jake's shared supply of magic.
Castlevania on Nintendo NES, like Totally Rad, combines precise jumps, large bosses and attacks that require managing a supply. Simon uses a whip and spends hearts on additional weapons, whereas Jake shoots energy balls and uses magic. The fixed whip strike calls for distance and timing; Totally Rad lets you charge a shot or change form. Dracula's castle also has a very different atmosphere from Jake's journey from an amusement park to an underground city.
Shatterhand for Nintendo NES also combines platform hazards with choosing extra firepower. Letter combinations provide hovering robots that react when you punch. Jake obtains his special attacks from a magic menu and can change his body to move differently. After the opening, Shatterhand offers a choice between several areas. Totally Rad keeps the order of the journey fixed and places decisions mainly on preserving magic for healing, protection or a difficult passage.
