Crash


Dekorating Blues

Author:
Publisher: Alpha-Omega
Machine: Spectrum 48K

 
Published in Crash #33

Dekorating Blues

Ah got de blues baby, yeh I got dam blues, yeh, yeh, ah got de dekorating blues...

Decorating is the most tedious of chores. First the paste is too thin and the paper won't stick to the wall and then the paint drips all over the carpet. And have you ever tried wall-papering a ceiling? Still if you fancy yourself as a painter and decorator, then here's an opportunity you can't refuse. What about using your talents to bring a bit of colour to an otherwise drab hotel? Start at the bottom and work your way up.

Each of the screens displays a bird's-eye-view of the hotel's network of rooms and corridors. These networks assume a variety of shapes. Some take the shape of inanimate objects - a joystick, for example. Other networks take the form of animals (the Mutant Ram, for example) or humans (the French Teacher), whilst others are merely abstract. The background to each of the floor networks is sumptuously ornate, indicating that this particular hotel is something of a classy joint.

Dekorating Blues

The idea to work through each floor, roller in hand, as quickly as possible. As you move through each corridor, blue dots indicate the decorated areas, so it's easy to see where you've been. Nasties are determined to undo all the work you've done, and, if possible, put you out of action once and for all. Should you bump into any of them then you find yourself decorating that heavenly mansion in the sky in shades of subtle off-white.

The flashing red nasty and the caterpillar nasty both move very quickly and are simply out to knobble you. One of the other nasties wants to gobble up all your blue dots, so you may find yourself having to do the work twice over. Luckily, you have a steady supply of paste which can be dropped at convenient moments. Pretty strong stuff, the paste can be used to get you out of some rather sticky situations. For one thing, when dropped in the path of an approaching nasty it slows the little blighter down. It also enables you to walk all over them should you want to change direction.

The screen number is given in the bottom left corner, and directly beneath that, your score. Bottom centre indicates how many of your ten lives are left and above that, a clock ticks away the seconds. In the bottom right corner, the amount of paint, or number of dots you have to use is indicated and just below that, how many dollops of paste you have left.

There are plenty of screens to get through, so you'd better be a swift and nimble worker or you'll find yourself out of a job with a lot of time on your hands.

Comments

Control keys: redefinable
Joystick: Kempston, Cursor, Interface 2
Keyboard play: responsive
Use of colour: fair
Graphics: pretty, but, in the end, pretty boring
Sound: some nice effects
Skill levels: one
Screens: over 40

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