Previous Next

Alternative Software is the latest company to start producing budget software, and so far their releases for the Spectrum have been passable versions of pretty old arcade games. Henry's Hoard, possibly the best of their first batch of games is a return to that old favourite, the platform game (how long is it since you've played one of those?).

It's a 50-screen game in which you have to send Henry (a small sprite with wiggly legs) off in search of items of treasure scattered around the various rooms. As is the way with these games there are lots of little spikey objects, stairways, moving walkways and deadly monsters to avoid, all by resorting to the fiendish strategy of jumping left and right. As Manic Miner clones go, it's fairly average - the graphics are a little on the small side but it's clear enough what's going on, and some of the obstacles require a bit of thought to get past.

Henry's Hoard isn't going to set the world alight, but I've always had a weak spot for platform games (they're so much more refined than those nasty shoot-'em-ups) so it gets a modest thumbs-up.