The four reviewers of "Electronic Gaming Monthly" criticized that the game's bosses are overly difficult, but generally approved of "Judge Dredd" for its large levels and selection of weapons, with one of their reviewers remarking that "What "Judge Dredd" lacks in originality, it more than makes up for in playability." They were much more critical of the Genesis version, which they said suffers from inferior graphics, sound, and most importantly, control compared to the SNES version. Similarly, "GamePro" criticized the game's lack of originality but praised the large levels, selection of weapons, and the ability to arrest enemies instead of killing them. They too gave the Genesis version a more negative review on account of inferior graphics and sounds.