Fire And Brimstone
The Norse kingdom is under threat from Hel, the goddess of Niflheim, and has a mighty legion of demons to set traps and hurl weapons. The gods swiftly decide this is a job for Thor, the old hammer-swinger himself...
The kingdom is split into four lands, each a single load, which are completed by collecting all the pieces of a key and going through the door at the level's end. Scrolling is flick-screen, allowing each screen to have its own distinct puzzles and villains. Thor can carry two weapons, starting off with fireballs and a hammer, which can be swapped for different ones later on. He can also carry two potions, which can restore energy and create magical platforms to jump on - avoiding traps.
Stu
There's nothing like a bit of fire and brimstone to remind me of home, but even I was a little daunted by the hellish difficulty of this aardvark. Each level is packed with nasty traps, many sprung so fast it's virtually impossible to react.
This makes for much frustration at first. Although working out the solutions provides plenty of satisfaction eventually, the game is never completely addictive.
The graphics are nice to look at but hardly awesome, and the sound effects are mediocre. Four levels aren't that much either: we've already completed level one.
At £15 this would be good fun, but for £25 it's disappointing.
Phil
This reminds me too much of Film Planning to be enjoyable! But seriously, despite some attractive, characterful graphics, the gameplay is very 8-bit - strange then that there won't be a C64 conversion.
Despite the inclusion of various weapons and potions there isn't much to think about: the action is pretty straightforward, the main difficulty coming in the form of cruel traps. I'm afraid Fire And Brimstone isn't half as exciting as the title suggests.
Verdict
Presentation 66%
Okay intro section, ability to continue from a new level once reached.
Graphics 70%
Imaginative but unspectacular with flick-screen scrolling.
Sound 68%
Good intro tune, but dull in-game effects.
Hookability 70%
Tough and frustrating to begin with, though level one soon becomes enjoyable as the solution becomes apparent...
Lastability 64%
...but later levels are more irritating and there aren't that many of them.
Overall 69%
A competent aardvark, but lacking anything new.