Previous Next

Despite the uninspiring title, and the even less than inspiring cassette picture, this program is a gem.

It's a "jump-the-levels-and-moving-creatures, collect-the-objects and take-them-to-the-right-place" type of game. In this particular variation you have to collect a single item per screen and take it to Lissa (or go close to where she is) so that she can make a potion to make their friendly ghost invisible. Once the ghost is rendered invisible then he can scare off the American purchaser of the castle, who wants to export it to the US of A. Loads of political and social comment here!

So what, you say, surely it's yet another Manic Miner clone? I have to agree, but the animation and backgrounds are nothing less than superb and this lifts it into a different league. The animation of your control character is brilliant, the closest I have seen to cartoon quality yet, and the death and success routines are amusing, and pure genius.

There is a small amount of flicker in certain positions and, with a few sprite encounters, but considering the detail of the background and the characters this could have been much worse.

Sound is cleverly used and adds to the game with some recogniable snatches of tunes and the occasional squelch or crunch.

Control is a simple matter of left, right and jump and there are eight screens to complete per game. Each screen must also be completed in a limited time and you have the usual three lives. All in all, this is the kind of game which gives a good name to budget programs.