Active Enterprises

Active Enterprises was a United States video-game company founded and owned by Miami businessman Vince Perri. The company is primarily remembered for Action 52, an unlicensed but commercially released compilation containing 52 games for the Nintendo Entertainment System. The collection became notorious for its extremely uneven quality, technical failures, confusing design, and high retail price, and is now frequently cited in discussions of poorly received or commercially unsuccessful video games. Perri reportedly conceived the business after seeing a Taiwanese multicart containing dozens of games attract interest among children in his neighborhood. He sought to reproduce the basic appeal of a multicart through a legally distributed product containing original games. To develop the NES version, he recruited Mario González, Javier Pérez, Albert Hernández, and another developer after González and his colleagues demonstrated a Tetris-style game called Megatris. The team was trained on NES development equipment by Sculptured Software and was given approximately three months to complete the project. The compressed schedule left limited time for testing and debugging. Action 52 contained games across several genres, particularly scrolling shooters and platformers. Many entries suffered from crashes, freezes, incomplete or endless stages, poor controls, and other programming or design problems. The collection's final entry, The Cheetahmen, introduced three animal-themed characters that Perri intended to develop into a multimedia property comparable to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. A promotional comic was included with the package, but planned television, comic-book, clothing, and toy projects did not materialize. The product was marketed at an unusually high price of US$199, a figure that further damaged its value proposition. Active Enterprises also promoted a contest based on the game Ooze, offering a combined cash and scholarship prize to players who could complete a specified level. The relevant level reportedly crashed in the original release, making the contest effectively impossible without an emulator. A later Revision B cartridge addressed that problem along with some other defects. Active Enterprises presented Action 52 at the 1993 International Winter Consumer Electronics Show and claimed to have obtained substantial private backing from Europe and Saudi Arabia. The company commissioned a separate Sega Genesis version from FarSight Technologies. That edition was rebuilt substantially, received more testing, and contained fewer technical problems, although it was still poorly received. Active also planned an SNES edition and a sports-oriented compilation called Sports 5, but left the video-game business soon afterward. The company is therefore regarded as defunct, with its lasting cultural presence coming from Action 52's rarity, notoriety, collector interest, and status as an example of an ambitious but unsuccessful early-1990s game venture.

Active Enterprises emerged in the early 1990s under Miami businessman Vince Perri. The company's central idea was to create a legally distributed alternative to the inexpensive multicarts circulating in the gray market. Perri had seen a Taiwanese cartridge containing many games become popular among neighborhood children and concluded that a similar product could have commercial potential if it were developed and sold as an original release. To execute the idea, Perri connected with Mario González at a Miami recording studio. González and colleagues Javier Pérez and Albert Hernández demonstrated Megatris, a Tetris-inspired game, and were subsequently brought into the Action 52 project. The development group, which also included an additional programmer or artist whose identity is not established in the cited material, was sent to Salt Lake City for training on Nintendo Entertainment System development equipment supplied by Sculptured Software. Working primarily with an Atari ST, the team had roughly three months to create the collection. The short production period left little opportunity for systematic testing, refinement, or correction of defects. The resulting NES cartridge contained 52 games in multiple genres. Shooters and platform games were especially common, while the final title, The Cheetahmen, introduced the characters that Perri hoped would anchor a larger franchise. The cartridge's games varied widely in design and functionality. Some froze or crashed, some had incomplete or repetitive stages, and others suffered from unresponsive controls or unclear objectives. The product's US$199 launch price was unusually high for a game cartridge and amplified criticism of its quality and value. Active attempted to support the release with marketing and promotional activity. The company advertised a contest involving Ooze, offering a prize combining cash and a scholarship to players who could complete a designated level. Because the original version reportedly crashed before the qualifying point, the contest could not be completed normally. A Revision B release corrected the crash and other issues. Active also promoted The Cheetahmen through a comic included with Action 52 and discussed plans for an animated series, additional comics, apparel, and action figures. These projects were not completed. The company displayed Action 52 at the 1993 International Winter Consumer Electronics Show. Perri claimed that private investors from Europe and Saudi Arabia had provided substantial financial support, although the cited material does not establish the final amount raised or the company's financial performance. For the Sega Genesis, Active commissioned FarSight Technologies, led by Jay Obernolte, to rebuild the compilation. The Genesis edition was developed over approximately one year, with more experienced programmers and more testing. Most games were recreated rather than directly ported, and the cartridge added features such as category colors, a randomizer, and a music demonstration mode. It reduced many of the NES version's technical problems but retained the basic criticism surrounding the concept and execution. Active planned further projects, including an SNES version of Action 52 and Sports 5, a sports-themed multicart. Those plans ended when the company withdrew from the video-game industry. Active Enterprises did not develop a durable commercial portfolio, but Action 52 became a prominent example of a notorious early-console release. Its rarity has made physical copies collectible, while its poor reputation has prompted retrospective criticism, unofficial remakes, and continued discussion in video-game history.

• 1993

  Action 52 is presented at the International Winter Consumer Electronics Show

  [1]Action 52en.wikipedia.org

  Active Enterprises showcased its flagship compilation while promoting its broader plans for the product and The Cheetahmen.

• 1993

  Genesis edition is released

  [1]Action 52en.wikipedia.org

  FarSight Technologies delivered a rebuilt Sega Genesis version with fewer defects and additional menu and gameplay features.

• 1992

  Action 52 launches for the Nintendo Entertainment System

  [1]Action 52en.wikipedia.org

  Active Enterprises released a 52-game NES compilation that became known for its high price, technical defects, and negative reception.

• 1992

  The Cheetahmen is introduced

  [1]Action 52en.wikipedia.org

  The final game in the NES compilation introduced The Cheetahmen, a character concept intended to support a wider multimedia franchise.

• 1992

  Action 52 Revision B addresses a contest-blocking crash

  [1]Action 52en.wikipedia.org

  A revised NES cartridge fixed the Ooze crash that reportedly prevented players from reaching the level required by a promotional contest.

An early-1990s independent game publisher and developer positioned around high-volume console compilations and an intended original character franchise.

• Video-game compilation · 1992

  Action 52

  Active Enterprises' signature product was a multicart containing 52 games. The 1992 NES release included shooters, platformers, challenge games, and other short-form titles, but was criticized for crashes, freezes, incomplete levels, poor controls, and inconsistent design. It launched at US$199 and included The Cheetahmen as its final game. A separate Genesis edition released in 1993 was rebuilt largely from scratch by FarSight Technologies, received more testing, and improved reliability without overcoming the collection's broader negative reputation.

• Video-game property · 1992

  The Cheetahmen

  The Cheetahmen was an original character concept developed for Action 52 and positioned by Vince Perri as the beginning of a franchise. The NES game featured the characters in a platform-oriented adventure, while the Genesis version used a different scenario involving the rescue of cheetah cubs. A promotional comic accompanied the cartridge, but the planned television program, expanded comic series, clothing, and action figures were never completed.

• 1993The Cheetahmen multimedia promotion

  United States

  Active used The Cheetahmen as the proposed foundation for a character franchise intended to compete with the popularity of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. A promotional comic was included with Action 52.

  Outcome. Planned animation, additional comics, apparel, and toys were cancelled or failed to materialize.

  Source
• 1992Ooze completion contest

  United States

  Active Enterprises promoted a contest requiring players to complete a specified level of Ooze, one of the games in Action 52. The advertised prize combined cash and scholarship funding.

  Outcome. The original Ooze release reportedly crashed before the qualifying level, undermining the promotion. A later Revision B cartridge corrected the defect.

  Source

• 1993

  Rebuild Action 52 for the Sega GenesisGeneration change

  Background

  The NES edition's defects and the Genesis hardware's greater capabilities created an opportunity for a substantially revised version.

  Action taken

  Active hired FarSight Technologies to recreate most of the games, add menu features, and conduct more extensive testing.

  Aftermath

  The Genesis version was less glitch-prone but still received negative reviews and did not establish a lasting business.

  Source

• 1992

  Launch a 52-game NES multicartProduct launch

  Background

  Vince Perri sought to commercialize the appeal of gray-market multicarts through a legally distributed cartridge containing original games.

  Action taken

  Active Enterprises commissioned a small development team to produce Action 52 for the NES under a compressed schedule.

  Aftermath

  The cartridge was released at a high price and became infamous for technical and design problems.

  Source

• Abandon planned console compilationsStrategy

  Background

  Active had planned an SNES version of Action 52 and a sports-oriented collection called Sports 5.

  Action taken

  The company left the video-game industry before those projects were completed.

  Aftermath

  The planned releases were abandoned and Active Enterprises became defunct.

  Source

1. 1Action 52en.wikipedia.org