Frantic Flea

Frantic Flea
US cover art
Developer(s)	Haüs Teknikka
Publisher(s)	GameTek
Composer(s)	John Anguish
Platform(s)	Super NES
Release	NA: April 1996 EU: 1996
Genre(s)	Action
Mode(s)	Single-player

Frantic Flea is a Super Nintendo Entertainment System video game created by British studio Haüs Teknikka that was released in April 1996.

Development

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."

Reception

The four reviewers of Electronic Gaming Monthly gave the game a 5.875 out of 10. Three of the four 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, Sushi-X, defended the game, praising its compelling action, graphics, and selection of weapons. A review in 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."