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In the between-level segments, Garfield does not take damage from the obstacles instead, they teleport him back to the start of that segment. Garfield does not have different outfits in each level, and the attacks are the same in all levels (his close-range is a punch, and the projectile are stones). There is only one type of bonus stage (accessed by finding an icon of Arlene's face in each level), in which the player must wreck everything in Jon's living room within a time limit to get an extra life. The Game Gear version includes eight levels, two of which appear in the Lost Levels. Sega Channel subscribers could download Garfield: The Lost Levels, that featured 3 different levels.
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The original Sega Genesis game features six levels. Each time the player defeats a boss, Garfield takes a commercial break where he rockets through the Television Wasteland, trying for an extra life or a continue. There are two bonus stages, one of which resembles a Whac-A-Mole game. Enemies consist of ghosts, piranhas, crabs, bulldogs, and mummified mice. The game is a platformer, with Garfield being able to attack enemies up close or throw objects at them (the close-range weapons and objects thrown change between each level). The Glitch transports Garfield into the television and now he must defeat the Glitch to make his way out. As Garfield throws away the spare pieces, they become an electronic monster known as the Glitch. Without so much as a screwdriver, Garfield quickly reassembles the television, minus a part or two.
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In a rushed effort to repair the television before Jon catches them, Garfield and Odie attempt to put the banged up and broken pieces together. Odie scares Garfield while he is watching television, and he ends up falling on the television.
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