Terminator 2D: NO FATE

Terminator 2D: No Fate is the T2 arcade game that should have existed in 1991 and we finally have in 2025, better late than never. Bitmap Bureau has created a labor of love that shows in every pixel, every animation, every boss pattern that makes you sweat.

An old-school action blockbuster that should make 16-bit fans very happy. Everyone else should know what they're getting into here.

Terminator 2D: No Fate is actually the best Terminator 2 game in terms of its visual style, music, and gameplay. It also reminds us that one of the most important representatives of the action and science fiction genres deserves to be represented by more great games.

Terminator 2D: No Fate is a wonderfully realised tribute to one of the single greatest movies ever made, punctuated with pitch-perfect music, exquisite pixel art, and brilliant Easter eggs.

Terminator 2D: NO FATE doesn’t go the extra mile to really mine the sci-fi classic for gold, but it lands all its shots and delivers highly replayable, no-nonsense retro goodness that looks, sounds, and controls great.

Terminator 2D: No Fate is a near-perfect T2 nostalgia capsule: tightly directed, beautifully animated, and packed with iconic moments. It’s also very short, though, so it’ll mostly appeal to side-scroller fans who don’t mind running through a game multiple times.

Terminator 2D: NO FATE is an honest excursion into the nineties, which does not deny the short footage, repetitive structure or uncompromising difficulty, but balances all this with a genuine love for the golden era of action films and games. Bitmap Bureau, with respect for the original, serves up a brisk, imaginative and surprisingly atmospheric retro arcade that not only evokes nostalgia from the Terminator, but also offers solid gameplay and several pleasant ideas. If you enjoy the smell of the nineties, brutal fights and beautiful pixel art, Terminator 2D works as a great nostalgic ride.

Even without the Terminator license, this would be just a very well-executed old-school side-scrolling shooter. With the touchstones of the film to work with, though, Bitmap has delivered an experience that finally does proper justice to one of the greatest blockbuster films of all time.

I quite enjoyed Terminator 2D: No Fate. Having been a big fan of the ’90s Terminator 2 game, this was a touch of nostalgia mixed with a modern twist (almost like someone went back in time and altered the original game). I’m not entirely sure it’s worth the price tag… even with the different difficulty settings and the occasional points where you can choose how to proceed… it’s still mostly the same basic game. That’s not to say it isn’t worth getting… just maybe wait for a sale, unless you are a super fan and just want all the T2 goodness you can get… in which case, go for it.

Terminator 2D: No Fate is a conscious act of love towards a specific era of video games, recreated with technical skill and aesthetic taste that go far beyond simple nostalgic exercise. Bitmap Bureau once again demonstrates its mastery of the 16-bit language, crafting a title that seems to come from an alternative timeline where quality tie-in games never went extinct. The problem is that, just like a 1990s action movie watched on VHS, Terminator 2D: No Fate ends too quickly. The challenge is quickly overcome, the longevity remains limited even when exploring the variations offered, and the extra modes fail to transform the experience into something more lasting. It remains, therefore, an excellent game in its form, but limited in scope: a small instant classic, destined to leave an enthusiastic memory rather than occupy the player's evenings for a long time. A creative success, in short, that only needed a few more cartridges in the magazine.