You know your game's terrible when the NES version is considered to be somewhat far superior.
In this 16-bit adaptation of the movie of the same name, developed by Bits Studios and published by LJN for the Super NES and by Flying Edge for the Sega Genesis, you're the T-800 sent back in time to 1995, to protect John and Sarah Connor from the T-1000. There are two gameplay types: side-scrolling and driving. During the side-scrolling levels, the player's objective is to locate and retrieve all future objects, which are gray boxes with a flashing light on top, that, when broken open, look like endoskulls. The player must complete all objectives for that mission. Once all objectives are completed, the player goes back to the beginning of the level to finish the mission. Between the side-scrolling levels are the driving levels. During the driving levels, the player's objective is to drive to the next mission location by following compass directions, while avoiding pursuers.
The game very loosely adapts the film's plot. You have to collect "future objects" in every level, the T-1000 fights you even while it's still melting and the T-800 disappears in a time displacement bubble as the steel mill explodes instead of jumping into the molten steel. The T-1000 also poses no threat whatsoever and can easily be run away from or fended off except for the final boss battle. Additionally, you only have one life for the whole game, although when your life goes down to zero for the first time, the T-800 gets back up with 50% auxiliary power (one of the few details that are true to the movie).
More than half the game is an escort mission to protect John and Sarah Connor, which is easier said than done due to their brain-dead AI and the player having to keep telling them whether to follow or wait for them in the pause menu. Due to the adventure game elements that were shoehorned in, it's nearly impossible to complete without a guide and ridiculously easy to complete with one. Once you finally figure out what to do the game's difficulty goes all over the place, ranging from incredibly easy to stupidly hard.
As early as the first level the game has you do cryptic tasks like finding John Connor's phone number, which is found inside a phone booth, but there are multiple phone booths in the level so good luck finding out which one has the number for the first time.
The graphics and sprites look off-putting. The T-800 looks more like Hank Hill and his animations (particularly his jumping animation) are laughable at best. Also, the explosions in the driving levels look like they were made in Microsoft Paint. The game over screen is also really traumatizing, as it features a horrifying glimpse of the burning aftermath of the nuclear explosion from the movie, during the opening credits. Even the misleading text can send you to parts of the game that are completely unnecessary.
Now, the aforementioned driving stages in particular. Nearly every level is a giant maze and the controls are just so bad, that James Rolfe said that said they're the worst driving controls he's ever used in a game since Who Framed Roger Rabbit? and Dick Tracy on the NES. To further emphasize, you can only accelerate or weave up/down lanes on straightaways, to turn on intersections you have to hold the Y button and steer as if you're in first-person. Physics in the level also makes no sense — somehow colliding into cars and trucks on your motorcycle makes them explode instead of you.
Another game marked for termination overall.