Previous Next

The scenario of Nightmare Maze finds you looking down onto a maze drawn in 3D and the task is to guide your man around collecting the keys that appear at various points. You have to collect eight keys to enable you to open the door at one side of the maze to escape to the next level. Why you need eight keys to open one door beats me! Anyway, your task is hampered by the presence of five lunatic springs who are bouncing their way around the maze, doing their best to flatten you.

Your only help comes in the form of a cup of black coffee that appears now and again in the maze. If your man Sleepy Joe can get to it quickly enough and drink it, he is charged with extra energy and the crazy springs all disappear allowing him to zip round the maze in safety. The respite is short-lived however and you are soon back dodging the springs again.

Points are scored for each key collected and a time bonus is awarded on completion of the screen. Should you fail to get all the keys before the time limit you lose a life. The thing that infuriates me about this game is, when you lose a life, you also lose all the keys you've collected, so it's back to square one, or rather - key one! I have lost count of the number of times I have had all eight keys and just started making tracks for the door only to be cornered and clobbered.

The second and third screens of the game, which was as far as I got, feature bouncing balls and hopping frogs instead of springs. The mazes get increasingly complex as you progress and the inhabitants of the maze a lot more efficient in preventing you from collecting the keys.

The graphics are very good and show that a lot of thought and effort went into obtaining a realistic looking 3D effect. For example, all the characters on screen have their shadow beneath them as they move. In the case of the bouncing springs etc, the size of the shadow changes in correct relation to their height as they bounce and, with the little man, the shadow of his legs as he runs changes in relation to the length of his stride.

Sound is quite good although not outstanding. I did find the "boing boing" of the springs a little annoying after a while and it had me searching for the sound off key.

Apart from sound on/off, other features include keys or joystick option and a high score table. Personally, I found guiding the man round the sharp angles of the maze hard to get used to even with the keys - with joysticks almost impossible.

My only real criticism about Nightmare Maze is that the author should have made the first screen a little less difficult. Some people may find it too hard and get put off very quickly. But if you like a game that provides an infuriating challenge buy it. I don't think you will be disappointed.