Previous Next

Bobby Carrot is a ZX Spectrum de-make of a game which first started off in life as the first in a series of five mobile games developed and published by a German company called FDG Mobile Games back in 2004. This Spectrum version was an entry in the ZX Dev Proboards conversions competition from Couvej.

There are a couple of ways to play this game, harvest the carrots or plant the Easter eggs. In carrot harvesting Bobby's objective is to collect all the carrots in a field (level), thirty in all in harvesting mode, and then proceed to the next field via the exit once it becomes active. Hardly at the top of the ladder in the originality stakes but this games simplicity is one of it's strengths. Added complexities arise in the form of a number of obstacles such as spike traps, one way conveyor belts (don't ask me how you plant a conveyor belt in the middle of a field), rotary stones and Locks requiring keys, There's also a bunch of push buttons and switches which have an effect on some of the aforementioned obstacles.

In egg planting Bobby's objective is to plant easter eggs in all the nests that appear in a field. Similar obstacles are introduced in the twenty fields you need to progress beyond to complete this mode of the game. It has less levels but it's still a little more difficult than carrot harvesting because you cannot retrace your steps. No treading on eggshells in this game. Well actually just eggs but you get my drift. This is rather like those old Nokia snake games, Snafu on the Intellivision, Tron, Surround, etc, only it's a bunny and eggs.

Control options are keyboard, Kempston, Sinclair and cursor. Keyboard is the usual QAOP and cannot be redefined. Space is Fire, or select. Pressing the Break key pauses the game and allows you to select from a bunch of options for Help, Look Around, Lose a Life or Quit. 'Help' tells you all about the elements of the game and how they work. It's definitely worth a look. 'Look Around' allows you to scroll around the entire field enabling you to plan your strategy. 'Lose a life' is used when you find you've gotten Bobby trapped in a field and have no other option besides bunny suicide. 'Quit' ends the game and goes back to the main menu.

To play the game well you need to be familiar with how the obstacles work. Spike Traps can be stepped on once but as you step off them the spikes appear so you cannot step on them ever again. Rotary stones come in two varieties, corner and straight, There's only ever two compass point directions out of four which can be used to climb off a stone. Every time you stand on one it rotates clockwise ninety degrees changing the two available exit points. There are switches that when touched will rotate all the rotary stones on the screen ninety degrees. You can only walk in the direction a conveyor belt is pointing but unlike Spike Traps you can use it again and again. Push buttons can also be found which when stood on will reverse the direction of the conveyors. Locks sometimes secure gates which block your path and can be unlocked with keys found elsewhere in the fields.

There's no time limit to finish a level. However, you are timed during each level and if you are quick enough you get to enter your name on the leaderboard, which can be saved or loaded in from the main menu. A nice feature for a bit of friendly competition with your mates.

The game comes in two versions. The definitive 128k version and an inferior 48k version. The 48k version has a smaller (tiny) on screen playing area and has attractive pixel art surrounding it. The 128k version loses the pixel art border and has a much larger playing area which makes it easier to see everything and enables the cute graphics to shine through a bit more as well. The difficulty level of the game is perfect for me personally as I'm no puzzler. I just don't enjoy thinking too much about stuff. But hardcore puzzle gamer's who'll find this a push over may become bored of it in no time at all.

I'm not a big fan of puzzle games but this one it quite easy so it didn't have me pulling what's left of my hair out. The gameplay is simple and absorbing. It won't take anyone long to get straight into this little puzzler. The graphics are cute and functional. There's not much animation but there doesn't need to be. I found the title screen music a bit chaotic and grating for my tastes but the in game music itself is excellent and the little level completion ditty is nice too. The leaderboard of best times is a wonderful feature for increasing the lifetime of the game.

The 48k version. It sucks in comparison to the proper 128k version. There's no option to turn off the in game music so if you don't like it your ears will just have to bleed. I'm not a big fan of games where you get stuck and have to do a spot of harakiri by going into a menu and selecting lose a life to restart. I'd much prefer it if the game itself could figure that out and do it.

The 48k version of this game is so bad that you'd be inclined to commit bunny suicide almost immediately. However, the 128k version is so good it will rescue you from all that torment and despair. It's a shame the 128k isn't the only version in existence. It's polish and presentation is second to none. The simple and absorbing gameplay will appeal to the masses but I've a feeling hardcore puzzlers might turn their noses up at this fine effort because even the egg planting levels would probably be a breeze for them.