Fester’s Quest is a 1989 shoot-’em-up game developed and published by Sunsoft. The game was released exclusively for the NES, and is based on the TV series, The Addams Family.
By and large, the reviews for Fester’s Quest were pretty awful. Everything from its length, visuals, and mindless gameplay was put down by critics. Despite this, the game did go on to sell over 1 million copies, showing the power of The Addams Family name was worth more than any critical reception.
Fester’s Quest Premise
©Screenshot from Fester’s Quest.
The gameplay in Fester’s Quest is played from two different perspectives. One is a top-down perspective, with some levels instead played with 3D hallways. The main objective of the game is to guide Uncle Fester through the city sewers, fighting aliens with a large array of weapons. He can also meet other members of the Addams family, who provide more useful items and weapons for him to use. Strangely, the North American and European versions of the game have one big difference in regards to the combat. In the European version, players can shoot directly through walls, making enemies much easier to hit, while the North American version blocks this to make it more difficult.
Between each sewer section, Fester can enter a building. Each building in the game is home to an Alien Boss, and defeating them gives him a puzzle piece needed to beat the game. When five of these bosses have been defeated, Fester must then face off against the final boss on the alien UFO.
Fester’s Quest Main Characters
©Screenshot from Fester’s Quest.
Despite being based on The Addams Family, Fester’s Quest only really focuses on one character – Uncle Fester. He’s the main protagonist of the game and is the only character the narrative really focuses on. It doesn’t even have an antagonist, beyond nameless aliens that Fester must stop!
However, the other members of the Addams family do appear in the game. All of Thing, Wednesday, Gomez, Morticia, Grandmama, and Pugsley, appear at various points, helping Fester out on his journey by providing him with weapons and items. Players can even summon Lurch by using the Noose, appearing to defeat all of the enemies on screen.
The lack of lengthy interaction with the rest of the Addams family feels like a missed opportunity for Fester’s Quest. As a result, it barely feels like an Addams Family game at all.
Fester’s Quest Titles in the Series
©Screenshot from Fester’s Quest.
As a franchise, The Addams Family is more known for its efforts in the film and TV space. Across the years, most video games based on The Addams Family have been released around the time that a film or TV project was in the public consciousness, with very few exceptions to this rule.
The games have never been particularly critically acclaimed, either. Most Addams Family games have been released to cash in on the franchise name, and it’s a shame given how successful the film and TV efforts have been over the years.
We imagine this pattern will continue as long as The Addams Family continues to exist.
- Fester’s Quest (1989)
- The Addams Family (1992)
- The Addams Family: Pugsley’s Scavenger Hunt (1992)
- Addams Family Values (1995)
- The New Addams Family (2001)
- The Addams Family Mystery Mansion (2019)
- The Addams Family: Mansion Mayhem (2021)
Fester’s Quest Cheat Codes
©Screenshot from Fester’s Quest.
Unfortunately, Fester’s Quest doesn’t have any cheat codes that work in the base game. It isn’t clear why this is the case, when so many similar NES games of the era featured them.
Even still, there’s a solution. Players who have access to a Game Genie cartridge for their NES or are playing the game on an NES emulator can use Game Genie cheat codes instead. These cheats allow you to modify a ton of variables about the game, giving you the ability to make the game much easier.
If you’re playing Fester’s Quest on an NES emulator such as Mesen, you can enter these codes by finding the Cheats section of your emulator (for Mesen, this is Tools > Cheats). Depending on the emulator, you may have to specify via a checkbox that you’re using a Game Genie code.
Without further ado, here are the Game Genie cheat codes for Fester’s Quest:
Fester’s Quest Game Genie Cheats
| Cheat Code | Cheat Code Effect |
|---|---|
| GETAYG | You’ll always have a Level 4 gun. |
| GETEAG | You’ll always have a Level 4 whip. |
| IPEKAG | Changes the colors of the game. |
| AAOPNLLG | Enemies now die instantly. |
| ZAUSTPIE | Hot dogs now cost $10 instead of $5. |
| PAUSTPIA | Hot dogs now cost $1 instead of $5. |
| LTIEGP | Gives you infinite bulbs. |
| LTTAPP | Gives you infinite invisibility potions. |
| LTIEIP | Gives you infinite keys. |
| LTTALP | Gives you infinite missiles. |
| LTTAZP | Gives you infinite money. |
| LTIETP | Gives you infinite nooses. |
| LTTAGP | Gives you infinite T.N.T. sticks. |
| LTIEYP | Gives you infinite vice grips. |
| SPOTTXSU | Gives you infinite of every single item in the game. |
| SXEPUKVK | Gives you infinite health. |
| OSSKKK | Turns down the game’s difficulty. |
| GETEZG | Gives you maximum energy. |
| OPIETA | Removes all enemies outside buildings. |
| XVXOUEVK | Red gun icons no longer decrease gun power. |
| VVXOUEVK | Red gun icons increase gun power rather than decreasing it. |
| XVKOOEVK | Red whip icons don’t decrease whip power. |
| GASZIYZA | Starts a new game with four energy blocks. |
| LLSXGYAA | Starts a new game with 50 nooses and 50 vice grips. |
| GTSXGYAA | Starts a new game with 99 nooses and 99 vice grips. |
| GEOXLNAA KNOXINON | Starts the game near the entrance to the final stage. |
| PASZIYZA | Starts the game with one health bar. |
| LASZIYZA | Starts the game with three health bars. |
| ZAKXIYAA | Starts the game with the chain whip. |
| LAKXIYAA | Starts the game with the chain whip with the spike tip. |
| KIKEAG | Adds strange music and sound effects. |
| AEUKKGEA | You can walk through walls. |
| SOSKKK | You no longer have a gun. |
Fester’s Quest Cheat Code FAQs
©Screenshot from Fester’s Quest.
How Do You Use Game Genie Cheats in Fester’s Quest?
The exact specifics of the process will depend on which emulator you’re choosing to use. However, the broad strokes should be the same. If you’re using Mesen, one of the most popular NES emulators, go to Tools, then press Cheats. Here, you’ll be able to add your cheat and specify that you’re using a Game Genie code using a checkbox.
If you’re using an emulator other than Mesen, you need to follow the same process by finding your equivalent of the Cheats menu. It shouldn’t be too difficult to find, allowing you to use Game Genie codes in Fester’s Quest.
How Do You Become Invincible in Fester’s Quest?
To become invincible in Fester’s Quest, you need to enter the Game Genie cheat code “SXEPUKVK.” This will give you infinite health, essentially making you unkillable.
How Do You Walk Through Walls in Fester’s Quest?
To walk through walls in Fester’s Quest, enter the code “AEUKKGEA” into your NES emulator. Be warned, though. This can make the game far too easy, and you can simply avoid pretty much every fight in the game for an instant win.
Does Fester’s Quest Have Achievements?
No, not at all. As a NES release, the game has no achievements to speak of. This is aided by the fact the game was never rereleased on platforms that do have achievements years later, so developer Sunsoft never had the opportunity to add them in after the fact.
Can I Make the Game Harder With Fester’s Quest Cheats?
With creative use of the Game Genie codes, you can make Fester’s Quest harder rather than easier. Mainly, we recommend you use the code “SOSKKK.” This will remove Fester’s gun, meaning you only have a few other weapons to use in-game. The game is already difficult enough, and having to complete it without a gun is a challenge few will be able to complete.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Screenshot from Fester's Quest..