3 Stooges

The Three Stooges - the 1987 comedy action game for Commodore 64 from
Cinemaware.

Guide Moe, Larry, and Curly through a series of slapstick mini-games to
raise enough money to save an orphanage from foreclosure.

Core loop
- spin a chance wheel to select each day’s event
- play themed mini-games for cash, food, or mishaps
- survive 30 in-game days and meet the charity goal

Systems and items
- pie throwing - time hits against rivals and avoid walls
- boxing - dodge punches, jab carefully to stay in the fight
- hospital feeding - keep the patient happy without spilling
- trivia and risk events - randomize income or steal time
- running gag screens - bonus scenes pay homage to classic shorts

Level design and feel
Each mini-game runs with bright, cartoon timing and expressive sprites.
Simple one-stick controls and humorous cutscenes string the antics
together between days in a parody of 1930s Hollywood pacing.

Why it is notable
- faithful adaptation licensed from Columbia Pictures’ shorts
- one of Cinemaware’s earliest arcade/film hybrids on C64

Tips
- learn each mini-game’s rhythm before chasing high scores
- avoid negative squares on the chance wheel to save time
- the pie fight and boxing rounds are your best cash earners

At a glance
Year - 1987
Developer - Cinemaware
Design and programming - John Cutter - David Riordan - Doug Barnett
Graphics - David Riordan - Jim Sachs
Music - Bob Lindstrom - Jim Cuomo
Publisher - Cinemaware
Genre - Mini-game comedy
Players - 1
Controls - Joystick in port 2