Zzap


Night On The Tiles
By Firebird
Commodore 64/128

 
Published in Zzap #30

Night On The Tiles

It's a hard life to survive on the streets. Take me, for example - if I want to eat, I have to go and get it myself. It's fishbones tonight, and plenty of them. Once I've collected all four fishbones on this block, I can claim it as my territory and move onto the next one.

Mind you, it's no easy task. Owls swoop out of the air and if you don't head-butt them in time, you're dead meat - only eight lives left. Then there's hedgehogs - I can spit at them, jump them and outrun them. Either way they're to be avoided, because one stick from those spines and it's hello to life number seven.

Frogs aren't too much hassle, but don't hang around near one or your energy drops. I also have to take care at the end of the block by old Mr. Brown's. He hates cats. If I go up there too early, he'll chuck an old bucket at me and it's goodbye to yet another life!

Night On The Tiles

The final danger, if you can call it that, comes from the fleas. Great brown jumping things they are - let one of them on you and you can't shake it off.

There's plenty of mice scurrying around the block and they provide a decent meal for a peckish torn. I get 'prowl points' for collecting my fishbones and each mouse that I manage to catch - this goes towards my final score for the evening.

SJ

It makes a nice change to take control of animal instead of a droid or a spaceship - especially when they are portrayed as well as this.

Night On The Tiles

The animation is absolutely superb, and the sprites look gorgeous. The gameplay is fairly straightforward, and even though it seems a touch too difficult at first, I soon got through to the second level so perseverance is the name of the game.

I really don't consider Night On The Tiles to be an essential purchase, but it's too nice to be ignored, and it offers a good bit of fun.

PS

A night on the tiles without the effects of the morning after? Sounds too good to be true. Unfortunately this little experience is only for the feline type. The movement of this particular moggy is very sleek and decidedly cat-like, and the streetscape backgrounds are quite atmospheric.

Night On The Tiles

However, the sound effects are fairly basic and switching to the music track offers little improvement to the atmosphere. Ultimately, there is altogether too little depth in the game to retain any lasting interest.

Verdict

Presentation 54%
Limited options, and the use of the space bar to 'spit' is a nuisance.

Graphics 93%
Breath-taking sprites and animation.

Night On The Tiles

Sound 71%
The funky piano soundtrack fits the game well, although the effects are merely adequate.

Hookability 69%
Initially off-putting but perseverance reaps its own rewards.

Lastability 67%
Getting from block to block provides a fair challenge, although the repetitive gameplay might pall after a while.

Overall 78%
The feline equivalent of Green Beret, and pretty good fun it it too.