Zzap


Blinky's Scary School

Publisher: Zeppelin Games
Machine: Commodore 64/128

 
Published in Zzap #63

Blinky's Scary School

The McTavish family may be partial to a drop of Scotch but they loathe spirits! Ghostbuster Red Laird McTavish banished all the ghosts from his haunted castle. A century later, the ghouls decide it's time to get their own back. Blinky, the star pupil from the Scary School for young ghosts, is given the task of condemning the present Laird, Hamish McTavish, to a lifetime of haunting.

Exploring the flick-screen castle rooms, Blinky encounters ghost traps and plenty of intruder-hating creepy-crawlies and slimies - personally, I'd rather have ghosts in my home! Avoiding these energy-reducing hazards, Blinky must find the ingredients for magic potions to help him in his quest.

Some good spooky intro music gets you in the spirit to run and jump (surprisingly you can't float!) around the castle. The graphics are a bit Spectre-ummy and, with cute nasties, not particularly spooky - but then, that's why you're here. The game itself is a typical sort of platform arcade adventure. Apart from potion ingredients, objects cannot be used in any way, except for toilet rolls which are required to access the innovative, lavatorial teleport system - it makes you go faster! Otherwise, it's all pretty standard stuff, but lifted greatly by the fun storyline.