Sinclair User


Seymour's Wild West Adventure

Categories: Review: Software
Author: Alan Dykes
Publisher: Codemasters
Machine: Spectrum 48K/128K

 
Published in Sinclair User #128

Wild West Seymour

Remember the Alamo? Well it's about time someone made a decent attempt at a cowboy movie on the Spectrum. It's certainly well besieged with all other types of game. OK we've had progs like Spaghetti Western before but none have ever concentrated on the problems that people like Sergio Leone and Sam Peckinpath had putting these movies together.

Get off your horse and drink your milk! Ah yes, John Wayne, probably the most famous cowboy of them all. Well Code Masters are back into simulator mode again (almost) without John Wayne, in a series of westerns starring their very own lovable lump of lard, Seymour. Unfortunately this actually makes him a cow-potato but nonetheless it's an admirable effort. Yee haw, rustle me up a mess o' beans thar Seymour.

Seymour, Codies and Big Red have been given the task of gittin' to the old west and rustlin' up a remake of some western B- movies. Unfortunately though an evil, stinkin' Mexican bandito doesn't want them to succeed (he probably works for the Mexican film board) and has laid all sorts of traps to prevent them from galloping along on their merry cinematic way.

Wild West Seymour

It all starts off at Codie headquarters in Leamington Spa where disasters abound; scripts have been stolen, safes have been blown up and Richard Crash' Eddy's pants have been lopped off at the knee for the first time since he was a boy scout!

As usual Seymour is lumbered with solving the world's problems but once the script has been found, along with the rest of the missing movie gear he and his buddies can finally go to the United States and begin their perilous journey to the wild west, by train, wagon and on foot. There Seymour gets into all sorts of bother as he attempts to make his name as a western star. Luckily there are plenty of objects littered along his path, some hidden, some obvious (though their uses may not be at first) and these allow him to solve problems, circumvent difficult situations and generally get on with the show.

Like Seymour Goes To Hollywood, the basis of this game is a treasure hunt, picking up objects and helpful hints and tips as you go along. This is all done in a superbly humourous way with plenty of funny dialogue and loads of characters for our well peeled sleuth to meet.

Wild West Seymour

There are five levels to go through to reach the end of Seymour quest. The first two are simple enough and not really too absorbing but from level three onwards you will be thoroughly entertained as you try to get the little guy on the right track again.

As usual the quality of graphics is excellent, the only problem seemed to be jerky control, though this varied with different joysticks and was moderately good on keyboard. One useful thing to remember about Seymour is that he can jump on clouds and trees without immediately falling through them, I forgot this and had no end of trouble until I rediscovered it. Avoid water and unfriendly looking objects and animals, they drain a lot of life.

With colourful cartoon style graphics and humourous interactive speech bubbles. Wild West Seymour is funnier than a fake arrow through the head and well worth a bash. But remember... always die with your boots on!

Label: Code Masters Memory: 48K/128K Price: £3.99 Tape Reviewer: Big Al Dykes

Overall Summary

Codies have done it again with a cute character and a crazy storyline. This Seymour outing is actually funnier and more accessible than his previous visit to movie stardom in Hollywood. I have to say I prefer Seymour to Dizzy (aggh - screams of woe from the faithful). Some of the screwball ideas Codies come up with for him should have had the entire company locked away in a loony bin ages ago. Boys, you gonna play this game or whistle Dixie?

Alan Dykes

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