Previous Next

Here we are again with another game about round people (wot?). Well, Pacman was round, Harvey Headbanger was round and now Zoomer is round (thus ends our entry for Most Tenuous Start To An Intro Of The Year).

In this release from Discovery Software, the converters of Arkanoid onto the Amiga, you take the part of a rather athletic round person, running about on a grid trying to change the tile colours. This is done by surrounding the square with your trail, which you automatically leave behind. If you manage to change all the squares, you can move on to the next plane.

As always, however, there are the nasty monsters of Zoomland trying to kill you, each with their own movement characteristics.

Also littered around the maze are objects to help you in your contest, either giving you an advantage or giving the monsters a disadvantage. If you lose all three lives before completing fifty levels then the monsters win and you lose (Boo-hoo!).

It's interesting watching the games industry going back to its roots, and turning up games like Blasteroids, PacMania, Better Dead Than Alien and now Zoom! which is a 3D version of Amidar.

Like the other games I've mentioned, Zoom! proves that the old format isn't at all tired out, and the addition of excellent graphics and good sounds help it stand out in today's market full of innovations.

Gameplay is simplistic, but the frenetic chaseabout action provides loads of fun. The dual player mode and collectable icons boost the enjoyment as ever, but I can see the action becoming a teensy bit repetitive over 50 levels which just provide differing screen layouts.

Even so, twenty quid is a reasonable price to pay for such classy entertainment, and I'd say Zoom! is definitely a game you should look up.

I like games like this, because they're *really* silly, appealing to my childish sense of humour. I could tell just from the loading screen that the game was going to be a bit loony, but when I saw the stage-show introduction I just burst out laughing!

Little round peole dancing about all over the place; brilliant! Some of the music is very well done... no, I tell a lie, *all* of the music is very well done!

The intro piece is particularly good (I'm sure I've heard it somewhere before...) suiting the show wonderfully.

The game itself is very addictive, not to say nerve-wracking at times, bringing cries of "Ooh!", "Aagh!" and "Yoiks!" after turning along a line straight across the path of a monster. If you like a bit of silliness as well as a playable game, then buy Zoom!

Presentation 92%
Fantastic introduction piece, ability to start on any of the first ten levels and numerous humorous in-game touches.

Graphics 90%
Brilliant sprites, funny animation and all-round good use of colour.

Sound 94%
A load of great samples and tunes.

Hookability 90%
The simple gameplay is an absolute doddle to get into...

Lastability 91%
...and it's just as easy to get completely hooked.

Overall 89%
Another old game given a new lease of life and it's well funny to boot!