Personal Computer Games


Kokotoni Wilf

Author: Bob Wade
Publisher: Elite
Machine: Spectrum 48K

 
Published in Personal Computer Games #12

Kokotoni Wilf

The idea that Kokotoni Wilf was a new pop star was shattered when I played the tape and found it to be a computer program.

Young Wilf is a magician's apprentice who has been sent back in time by his ageing mentor to collect the scattered pieces of the Dragon Amulet. Wilf has to recover the fragments from six time zones and reach a time-gate to take him onto the next zone.

You move either by flying with a pair of wings provided by the magician or by walking. You start in the age of the dinosaurs and on each screen these prehistoric beasties and other hazards bar your way to the piece of amulet.

Kokotoni Wilf

This first level is easy and for this reason more experienced players can start on the second or third time zones.

The obstacles in your way change between zones but there is the usual platform-game behaviour, of following simple patterns which you have to get past.

Many things are deadly to Wilf's touch. including innocent-looking bushes and purples spikes on the floors and ceilings. This means you have to stay in the air a lot and this is where control is most crucial since you cannot hover but keep moving up and down with the effects of flapping and gravity.

Kokotoni Wilf

The screens are nicely depicted but usually don't have much moving on them. Some have only one route to the amulet fragment while others can be got at from several directions. The need for precision flying is vital on later screens since the pieces are tucked away in hard-to-reach spots and one slip of the wing could lead to disaster.

There are over 60 screens, some set above ground and others deep in the bowels of the earth where you encounter bats, killer plants and even a fish in an underground lake.

Completing the game will give a message telling you why you were sent on the quest, but if level three is anything to go by it will take a long while before anyone discovers the secret.

Kokotoni Wilf

The game does not achieve its aim of stealing Jet Set Willy's crown as number one arcade adventure but it has enough depth to be a real challenge.

Steve Cooke

This game grew on me steadily the more I played it. To begin with, I felt it was rather lacking in excitement - the screens aren't exactly bursting with activity at the lower levels - but the further I got, the more hooked I became.

It's very easy at first but there is no indicator to show you how many items you have collected so you must keep track yourself.

Kokotoni Wilf

You'd think that because there is only one object to be collected on each screen the game would be a bit limited, but in fact I found this a very compelling feature. Each screen became a real challenge to overcome, and some of them defeated me entirely. So, I haven't yet discovered why I was sent on the quest. In the meantime, there is enough to keep me interested. The graphics are excellent...

Chris Anderson

Companies who make grand claims for their games expose themselves to considerable risk. Elite say this game is better than Jet Set Willy, and the fact is it isn't.

So the temptation for a reviewer is to switch off the computer in disgust and give the game a pasting. This would be unfair because although it doesn't live up to its type, it is good.

For one thing it's well structured - you don't always have to start right at the beginning, and you can choose different routes around the various levels. The graphics are pretty without being stunning. The skill lies in accurate control and careful timing. Should give lots of fun to most players. Provided you don't expect another Jet Set Willy, you'll be well pleased.

Bob Wade

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