Previous Next

You are a cute little penguin with a pair of ice skates, out to explore Antarctica. In your way, there are numerous holes and crevasses which you must either jump over or avoid. Your task is to travel from the Antarctic base of different nations in the given time.

As the game progresses, you must travel faster and avoid more obstacles. There are green flags you can collect for extra points and occasionally a red fish (herring?) will jump out from a hole. Catch it and you'll get more points. Sometimes, a seal will pop his head out of a hole. This you must avoid for, if you bump into him, you'll get a nasty shock.

Sounds simple enough, when one describes it as above, but what makes this game so great is the quality to which it is made. The graphics, which are in 3D, are undoubtedly the best I have ever seen on a home computer. The movements of the penguin are truly realistic, specially when he bumps into things. The ice field is almost as good as on Pole Position (the arcade version) with curves and a scrolling landscape. The approaching holes, crevasses, seals and fish are very well done and the landscape is excellent, although a trifle repetitive. (This is not Konami's fault. There isn't much to Antarctica except snow fields and icebergs.)

The way the penguin skates with his legs going left-right-left-right and the comical movement he makes when he falls into the crevasse show how close you can get to a real arcade machine on a home computer.

To make a trip around Antarctica, you must visit ten exploration bases. When you arrive at each base, the penguin does a little dance. There is a special dance reserved for the south pole, too. The faster you go, the more bonus points you get.

The accompanying music is just as good as any you hear in the arcades. The background music - the skater's waltz - is by courtesy of J. Strauss and there is also Konami's original tune at the beginning. When the penguin bumps into a seal it gives a tremendous bouncing noise as you see him totter for a few moments.

This game is simple enough for anyone to play yet even a diehard arcade enthusiast will be totally addicted. It is totally non-violent yet is extremely addictive. It is not surprising to find that this game was number one in the MSX chart in Japan for a long time, until being replaced by another one of Konami's games.

I recommend this family game to anyone who has an MSX computer. It'll be remembered as a classic.