Blast Annual


Frantic Freddie II

Author: Andrew Fisher
Publisher: Oziphantom
Machine: Commodore 64/128

 
Published in Blast Annual 2020 Volume 1

Frantic Freddie II

An updated version of the classic 1983 platform game, Freddie must collect all the items on each screen while climbing up and down the ladders (which must be approached from the side) and avoiding the patrolling enemies.

Bonus objects also appear for a short time, bouncing back and forth. This is a well-made game, with some cute sprite designs, excellent rock covers by musician nm156 and fantastic intermission sequences after every second level. These have a sense of humour, including Freddie squashing the baddies with a steamroller.

Another nice touch is that Frantic Freddie II also slightly alters the frequency of the music it will play in order to get the best out of the SID chip of the host machine. The game is unfortunately let down by its high difficulty level. The enemy AI is designed to home-in on the player relentlessly, making certain levels (particularly the second) exceptionally difficult to clear.

The only reason to keep playing is to see the higher levels and build up your score (saved to disk). It is a great homage to the original but it feels very dated.

Andrew Fisher

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