1st October 1988
Ricochet
The basic formula of this Breakout clone is nothing new - smash the ball against the bricks with the bat to clear the screen. Extra functions can be added to the standard bat by catching pods and letters that fall when bricks and diamonds are hit. Catching coloured blobs causes a corresponding letter (in the word GRAVY) to increase in brightness. When a letter flashes, the function is added to your bat.
| G | = | 'Greased Lightning' | = | Brick-busting laser show |
| R | = | 'Magno Bat' | = | Ball sticks to the bat |
| A | = | 'Gisrn Gun' | = | Shoots bricks |
| V | = | 'Violent Ball' | = | Unstoppable ball |
| Y | = | 'Angry Yag' | = | Fires brick-destroying blobs |
On clearing a screen, a bonus level appears in which points are acquired by shooting or bashing a set number of aliens.
GH
It's undoubtedly Ricochet's sense of humour and originality which sets it apart from other similar games. Wacky samples, silly sprites, jolly messages and obscure references form part of the varied and imaginative Breakout screens.
Collecting coloured balls and using GRAVY display to gain extra powers is of more interest than the instant gain of Arkanoid-type capsules and gives a sense of satisfaction when a weapon is gained.
With several good, similar games on the shelves at the same price, Ricochet isn't the best buy around, but it's worthy of a die-hard Arkanoid fan's attention.
ME
Just as Breakout games were starting to become much of a muchness, Ricochet bursts onto our C64s.
The humour virtually slaps you in the face, complete with caricature sprites of software industry celebs and silly screen names. I'm also glad to see a little more imagination being put into the actual screen designs, like Pac-Man shapes, instead of the usual square brick patterns. Despite being very derivative, Ricochet is, quite simply, a good game. Highly recommended.
Verdict
Presentation 91%
Clear, smooth and funny throughout, better than usual on this type of game.
Graphics 87%
Simple sprites but imaginative construction more than makes up for this.
Sound 92%
Usual 'bounce' and 'crunch' noises and a cracking tune.
Hookability 90%
Dead simple but devilishly addictive once you start.
Lastability 82%
Lots of screens to see, and even when seen you'll want to keep playing.
Overall 86%
One of the best Breakout games.
Screenshots
