Shakii the Wolf
Reviewed by Cynthia A. Sorrels
Published by Microforum

Age Group: Age 4 to 8, Age 8 and Up Type: Arcade Price: $31.95

Description:

It seems that Shakii the Wolf ruled the kingdom of Shake until a powerful bad guy, Midnight Sword, took over. Then Shakii and his followers retreated to protect the Jaka area of Shake. While Shakii was busy shaking in Jaka, Midnight Sword cloned a new Shakii and used him to wreak havoc and confuse the real Shakii's followers. The final show-down is coming, if Shakii the Wolf can harness enough power to defeat Midnight Sword and bring peace to Shake.

Note: I do NOT make this stuff up!

Midnight Sword and his followers

Installation

This title runs under the Windows MS-DOS prompt. The Windows '95 Autoplay feature is not functional. Note that Shakii the Wolf requires at least 575K of free memory to run.

Title Menu

The title menu allows access to options - this is where you can turn on the music, sound effects, control the number of times a game can be continued, or select keyboard or joystick play. The Game Menu will show the Enemy's energy bar, Energy bar, a Time section and the Score section. Further, the game can be paused, music and sound effects toggled on or off, by choosing one of the Function Keys.

Game Characters

You'll find 16 different characters in this title. Look out for Yaro, the robot and Stone Soldier, a bewitched soldier of Midnight Sword's. Of course, there's Midnight Sword, Shakii's arch enemy, too!

Environments

The First Stage

There are seven environments or stages of play in Shakii the Wolf. The First is "Empty Space" which didn't look so empty to me! Shakii will do some fancy fighting and rolling in this stage. The hardest part of it was getting onto the log to get to the next stage!

"Jaka Area" - the Land of the Giants is the second stage of play. Be careful for the electric shocks and sharp thorns - the water is below!

"Omain Land" - On the Cloud in the Sky, is the third stage. Lightening, tornadoes and ominous clouds are threatening, along with the BEES. Here's where you'll battle Omadon, who rules the sky.

"Lava Cave" is the fourth level. Stalactites fall and lava flows below - look out!

"City Street" is the fifth stage. Beware the beauty of the city, it holds both the past and future. Not to mention that there are enemies hiding...and watching.

"Shake Castle" - is the sixth level. Alas, the castle isn't what it once was. The walls have fallen and stones move up and down. Be careful when you jump and look out for the knights who are all over the place.

"Mind Province" - the 7th stage, complete this level and a deadly showdown with Midnight Sword awaits - almost the end of the journey!

Graphics and Sound

The 3D graphics used in Shakii the Wolf are really impressive. The opening graphics create a feeling of foreboding and danger quite nicely. The sound effects and music are appropriate, don't overwhelm game play and are fun.
Foreshadowing the battle

Attack Methods

Shakii has several attack methods:

• A basic attack can be done in the air or on the ground.
• Long Range Attacks can be implemented from far off as a rolling attack.
• Special Attacks (before transformation) allow Shakii to be invincible for awhile. During this time, he can only attack, and using this option greatly reduces Shakii's energy.
• Special Attack (after transformation) includes scratching and fire wind. Fire wind has the longest effective range and is Shakii's most powerful weapon after transformation.

Prepare to fight NOW!

Special Tools

There are 12 special tools used throughout the game. Most of them give Shakii more energy, but some increase time, give the user points or extra players, etc. Hint: Shakii has to reach down to pick up the tools - pull down on the joystick or press the Down Arrow key if you're using a keyboard.

Do You Want to Buy This Game?

If you're looking for a fun arcade game to run on your PC, then yes. While the sophistication of edutainment titles has increased to the point that the "edu" part is part of the fun, some of the time kids need to just enjoy an entertainment game. Shakii the Wolf makes no pretenses, it's an entertainment title, and a lot of fun at that.

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