Dick Tracy is an action-adventure detective game developed by Realtime Associates and published by Bandai for the NES, based on the comic strip. Players solve five cases by driving through the city dodging snipers, then fighting through side-scrolling stages — punching and shooting crooks, collecting clues, and defeating bosses like Flattop and Pruneface — while avoiding accusing the wrong suspect.
How To Play Dick Tracy
Control
Action
D-Pad
Move Tracy on foot; steer the car in driving sections; navigate menus
A Button
Jump (on foot); accelerate (driving)
B Button
Punch or fire weapon (on foot); shoot (driving)
Select
Switch weapon (fists, hand gun, Tommy gun)
Start
Pause / case menu
About Dick Tracy
Release date
NA: August 1990 (Game Boy: December 1991)
Developer
Realtime Associates
Publisher
Bandai
Platform
Nintendo Entertainment System (NES); also Game Boy
Genre
Action-adventure / platformer (detective)
Series
Dick Tracy (based on the comic/film)
Modes
Single-player
Also known as
Dick Tracy (distinct from the Sega Genesis version)
Sheldon has spent over a decade immersed in retro gaming, from NES classics to arcade gems. He's deeply passionate about preserving gaming history and helping others rediscover these timeless titles. When he's not gaming, Shaun writes about the evolution of video games and their cultural impact.
