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1997-04-16
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123 lines
Reviews of CHUCKIE EGG, BERT THE SQUIRT and STUNT BIKE
by Raymond Mortimer
CHUCKIE EGG
-----------
Chuckie Egg (CE) was one of the most addictive games I ever
played on the Spectrum, while not being original was certainly
fun to play. This ST version was made in 1988 but has only just
come to my attention.
For those non-spectrummers out there, CE is (literally) a
platforms and ladders style game in which you control an egg
shaped bloke called Hen House Harry, and have to run around the
screen collecting 12 eggs scattered about the place, whilst
avoiding getting pecked by the ducklings who wander around.
There are 8 screens which cycle round, getting more difficult on
each attempt. A yellow duck sits in a cage in the corner of the
screen., and on later levels flies around after you. You'll lose
one of your 6 lives if she gets you. Also on later levels, there
are lifts to get you to higher platforms, but these are sometimes
tricky to get on. Falling down the lift shaft or down a gap in
the lowest platform means death.
The graphics are as good as they can be with this type of game,
and there are some nice farmyard scenes as backdrops. There are a
couple of tunes and spot effects for sound.
Unusually for an ST game, you can play using the keys and these
can also be re-defined. I prefer to play using these because you
can position Harry on the ladders more precisely.
Overall, this should please those who played it on the Spectrum,
otherwise this ST version is no better than most other platform
style games.
£9.99 or less from most mail-order suppliers.
------
Chuckie Egg 2 is set in a chocolate factory and the screens have
a similar layout, except you can move around at will in order to
collect parts to a massive chocolate easter egg. Not as addictive
as CE1.
------
If you are a PD game writer/avid STOS'er and are short on game
ideas, you could do worse than to raid your old Spectrum games
library. While some games like Cadaver are copies of Knight-Lore
and other Ultimate games, and some spectrum games are already
converted (see above), there are many that would be ideal to have
a go at. The relative simplicity of most would make it ideal for
STOS conversions and if they had a popular Spectrum following,
should be an ST hit too!
One game in the Public Domain, and written in STOS is Harris went
Skiing, a copy of Horace goes Skiing, one of the first games to
appear for the Spectrum.
~~~OOO~~~
BERT THE SQUIRT by BUDGIE. £2.95 from most PD libraries
-------------------------------------------------------
Bert is an Andy Capp look-a-like who has to move about each level
of this platform style game, collecting fruit whilst avoiding the
nasties. The levels are nicely designed as garden scenarios, so
the nasties include worms, hedgehogs and ghosts(!).
Dotted around the garden are animal traps (instant death) and
trampolines. The trampolines must be used to jump up to the
higher parts of the screen. When jumping through the air, you
have full control of Bert, so you can guide him to where you
want. slippery ice patches and ropes provide extra ways to get
about on some screens.
Each level must be completed within a time limit. There is a
bonus for unused time and fruit collected. After every six
levels, you are given a code. This can be entered on the title
screen, so that when starting a new game, you don't have to start
from the first level. All the codes are contained in a file on
the disk.
Sampled sound is used quite a bit, and the graphics are very nice
indeed. The animations are quite smooth, but Bert moves too
quickly to see his walk properly.
This game is written in STOS, but you would not think so because
of the professional appearance of the game. Some of the levels
really make you think when you see them for the first time, and
these are invariably the levels with the ghosts on (they home in
on you). This is a very high quality, addictive game which nobody
should miss.
~~~OOOO~~~
STUNT BIKE from SPASOFT PD (STE only!)
--------------------------------------
Being an STE only game I thought this would be something special,
but it is actually rubbish. Although there is a clear sample of
Layla by Eric Clapton, the graphics are simple and could have
come from a Spectrum. The idea of the game is to jump over
telephone boxes etc, rather like that Eddie Kidd bloke used to
do.
There appears to be 2 controls, faster and slower, but as soon
as the bike reaches the ramp to jump, the program puts it back at
the start again! Definitely one to miss.
I also ordered BIRDS of WAR, another STE only game, and again
from SPASOFT PD, but it didn't arrive. All I got was a blank disk
instead, but it that game is anything like STUNT BIKE it is just
as well!
Raymond