Previous Next

Helter Skelter from Audiogenic is a strange game. I can't offer you the name of a single game on the Beeb that it stems from, though it is similar to Overload on the Arc.

You control a little bouncing ball called Billy. You can move Billy left or right and control his bounce. Holding down the bounce key simply accelerates him downwards, meaning that you can either make Billy bounce higher by holding the key when he is going down, or stop the bounce by holding the key when he is going up. Take my word for it, it's easier to play than it is to explain! Bobby Ball can play at the same time, so this game is one or two player.

You have to destroy monsters with Billy and Bobby by bouncing into them. However, crashing into everything that moves is not the solution - a little arrow indicates the monster to blast next. On the way to that monster you have to be careful not to bump into another, or it gets mad and splits into smaller versions. The more monsters you make the more difficult it is to destroy them all before your time runs out.

I found that the timing was pretty fine. More often than not, I descended upon the final rogue, stopping the clock with a tenth of a second to go, and a large sigh of relief.

Graphics are good, much what you would expect from the Assembly Line programming team - big, cuddly and Mode 2. The monsters don't look too menacing and blasting them can only be compared to beating up your teddy bear!

There is a level editor, although it's not much use as there are plenty of levels to tackle already without adding your own!

All in all, fun-filled frustration.

Paul James