C&VG


Plotting

Author: Robert Swan
Publisher: Ocean
Machine: Atari ST

 
Published in Computer & Video Games #106

Plotting

This conversion of a little-known Taito coin-op puts you in control of a small orange blob-like thing, which has the amazing ability of hurling blocks about. But these aren't just ordinary blocks, mind you, because these all have little symbols on them. How exciting!

The aim of the game is to destroy a pile of said blocks by hurling another block with a particular symbol against blocks of the same "denomination". Once this happens, the blocks disappear, and in return you get the last block to be hit. If there's no block [What a load of blocks! - Ed] that can be returned, this counts as a miss. Three misses and it's game over.

If you want, you can choose to play a split-screen two player-game (with player one on the left, and player two on the right), or play in challenge mode. This is the same as the normal game played in a variable time limit, but if three or four blocks are disposed of, they appear on the other player's pile! Plotting also has a construction kit, with which you can create your own fiendish setups, then save them to disk for future use.

Atari ST

Plotting

I confess to never having seen this game in the arcades, but I wish I had. For such a remarkably simple idea, Plotting is one of the most fiendishly addictive games I've played in many a moon.

Throwing blocks doesn't sound like a gripping game idea, but, like Tetris, simple ideas usually work out to be the best. After the first few levels, the gameplay grabs you by the scruff of the neck, and refuses to let go.

The two player mode adds more to the game, and in challenge mode, things go from good to hysterical. Just when you think you've cleared a screen, the other player throws a few more blocks on your side of the screen!

The graphics are small and cute (the blob bouncing with glee when a screen is cleared is a really nice touch!), and the sound fits things nicely. Plotting has that spark of originality that makes it refreshing to play, and well worth paying good money for.

Amiga

Apart from slight colour and sound differences, Amiga Plotting is exactly the same as its ST counterpart, and just as much fun. Grab it at the first opportunity.

Robert Swan

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