Ep.73 – Searching for the Elusive Cheetahman: How Action 52 Tried (and Failed) to Launch a Franchise

In 1991, Action 52 promised fifty-two exciting games in one NES cartridge but instead delivered one of the most infamous disasters in gaming history. We look back at Miami businessman Vince Perri’s idea to legally replicate bootleg multicarts and how he recruited three young developers with just a week of NES training to make the impossible. The episode highlights broken games like Star Evil, Ooze, and Streemerz, alongside curiosities like Bubble Gum Rosie and Storm Over the Desert. We also talk about the planned franchise star, the Cheetahmen, complete with a comic, merchandise plans, and an unfinished sequel unearthed years later. Our conversation explores hilarious glitches, wild user reviews, and why collectors still chase this mess. Join us as we glitch, crash, and laugh through Action 52 on today’s trip down Memory Card Lane.