Comical coppers are a great British tradition, and PC Fuzz is an attempt to carry this on in computerised form - even though Fuzz himself looks as if he's escaped from a Victorian episode of Dixon of Dock Green.
Fuzz is an avant-garde hobby, despite his appearance: he no longer plods his beat, but pedals it on his unicycle. According to the blurb, things had been pretty quiet - until the Mob arrived in town. And the punks, and the drunks. There's so much evil around that PC Fuzz could go for a world-record number of arrests.
The game starts with some very soothing music to accompany our hero's progress along the main street. On his way, he goes past such renowned hostelries as The Rampack and Anirog Inn. Out of these drinking dens pour the town drunks, crazily swaying from side to side and getting in the way of more serious matters.
The Listings Bank and the Memory Bank are very popular with the new villains. As they emerge with their swag, they release bombs. You can either jump over these or send your truncheon out to explode them. This weapon can also be sent up to prang the balloons bearing away the robbers loot.
To catch a villain, you have to creep up behind him and give him a good prod below the belt. You then deposit him in the police car which pulls up at the bottom of the screen.
The last of your problems, and the most graphically entertaining, are the punks. In true 1977 fashion, they bounce around on pogo sticks, red Mohican hairdos flaring, committing a nuisance. Fuzz has to see them off and carry on with the serious business.
PC Fuzz is a game that looks very attractive, and sounds even better; but is finally a disappointment. Once you've got the hang of it, there's not a lot of variety to keep you at it.
Richard Patey
My emotions were mixed about this game: on the one hand I liked the clear, smooth graphics, especially the comical punks and drunkards wheeling their way through the street. On the other, I quickly tired of the scenario and I found the 'street bonus' extremely hard to gain.
Adrian Ogden
Although the game idea is very original, with nice touches like the varying shops and shooting a truncheon instead of just a simple old gun, it is extremely slow.
If there was more speed in his little legs, and he actually put some effort into his aimless riding the game would be much better. Come to think of it, it would make a better game if you could control a villain and have PC Fuzz pursue you rather than the other way round.
There are two things that annoy me about this game. Firstly, it is very difficult to throw the truncheon where you want it, and secondly, when you lose your life you have to wait for an ambulance to come and pick you up. All I can say is thank goodness real ambulances move a bit faster!