I played this game for one reason only: because I wanted to review something. This was the first time I actually tried to play The Great Waldo Search, the previous two times I wasn't even trying and was a bit confused. However, with the thought of writing a review of the game this time around, I kind of tried to understand what was going on. Of course, we all know the premise of Waldo: you have to find this stupid-looking idiot within a giant, detailed map filled with oddball characters. Well, in this video game adaptation, it's pretty easy to spot him, because each map is not that big, and he sticks out quite well. Once you spot him, on to the next stage, right? Nope, the game throws a curve ball at you, forcing you to look for a scroll in each stage as well. It doesn't stick out as easily as Waldo and it's much, much smaller, which means it should be a tougher challenge to find, right? Again, no, unless you're really not trying that hard to spot it, you should be able to find the dang thing in under a minute.
With that being said, I was able to complete the entire game on my very first playthrough in under 10 minutes. Sad, yes. There's only 5 small stages, each with its unique style and look. In the first stage, you have a map where a bunch of men squirt water at each other. Oh, baby. And on another map, you have a bunch of men pointing their sticks at each other, while giants stare. Hot. It's only the last stage, where the majority of the characters are Waldo look-a-likes, that the game tries to be an actual challenge. Though, once you figure out that you have to look for a Waldo wearing a sock instead of a shoe, it becomes as simple as the rest. After completing that final level, you get a simple congratulations, some credits, and get sent back to the Sega logo. At that point, I decided to play again on the expert difficulty setting, thinking things will be a bit tougher. I ended up completing the game faster that time around...
The developers tried to spice things up a bit by planting other "hidden" things to find, like extra time or points. They also gave you extra items to fetch when you pick up a certain clock, like a three-legged man or a red bag. But, considering the screen freezes when you're doing this, it makes finding the item much easier to locate. It would've been better if they forced you to search the whole area like the other two. Also, you can, if you so choose, partake in a stupid bonus game where you fly around on a magic carpet with Waldo's equally stupid-looking dog, picking up bones. Fun. The Great Waldo Search just ends up being an insult to the Waldo books, where actual detail and work was attempted. Stick to the books if you're a fan. Everyone else, just go back to playing (insert favorite Genesis game title here).
Overall Rating: 1/10
You can also see this review on GameFAQs and HonestGamers. If you spot this review anywhere else, I didn't post it there.