Alessandro Grussu


Comeme El Chip

Author: Alessandro Grussu
Publisher: Beyker Soft
Machine: Spectrum 48K

 
Published in Al's Spectrum Annual 2020

Comeme El Chip

The Boliche family, made up of adventurous Pac-Man-like beings, disappeared during its last excursion. It’s up to the younger member left at home, Baby Boliche, to start searching for his loved ones along five worlds full of traps and pitfalls.

This is the simple plot of Cómeme El Chip, a puzzle inspired by Chip's Challenge, and a pleasant surprise as well, with the complexity and variety of its level design and the remarkable technical realization, considering that it is entirely coded in BASIC.

Each of the 25 game levels is a maze seen from above, where the character controlled by the player moves one space at a time. To complete a level, you must collect all the keys scattered around and reach the door that leads to the next one within one minute. Among the features of the levels, you will find arrows that force you to move in a certain direction; water pools that make you drown, thus losing a life, but can be destroyed by bombs; teleports and more. Help can be activated by collecting a number of yellow chips (actually similar to diamonds). There are several: for example, the door will immediately take us to the next level, while the arrow will destroy all the arrows of the same type present on the current level.

Comeme El Chip

Upon finding a member of the Boliche family, at the end of the five stages of each world, you will take control of him/her and the game will continue until the end. There is also an alternative ending for the more curious! Longevity is increased by the “Crazy” mode, where the 25 levels will be randomly generated: screens made up of a huge number of arrows, with bombs and diamonds here and there. A challenge for advanced players.

Although the graphic style is simple and essential - all the elements of the game are just one character large - what makes Cómeme El Chip a gem of a game is its extreme ability to attract the player through increasingly difficult challenges. Level design soon becomes very complex, and this forces you to think carefully before moving, but not too much, because time is not on your side. Regarding the sound, there are some effects, a music played upon loading the game and a digitized voice saying “Get ready!” at the beginning of each level. It is not very much, but it does its duty, also taking into account the fact that the game was designed for the 48K Spectrum.

Like every good “retro” title, Cómeme El Chip proves that you don’t need tons of special effects or latest generation hardware to have fun. A good basic idea made real in a playable way is enough. And there is playability in spades here!

Alessandro Grussu

Other Spectrum 48K/128K Game Reviews By Alessandro Grussu


  • The Relic Front Cover
    The Relic
  • Redshift Front Cover
    Redshift
  • Alchemist II - The Dungeons Front Cover
    Alchemist II - The Dungeons
  • Aliens: Neoplasma Front Cover
    Aliens: Neoplasma
  • CODE-112 Front Cover
    CODE-112
  • The Order Of Sleeping Dragon Front Cover
    The Order Of Sleeping Dragon
  • Valley Of Rains Front Cover
    Valley Of Rains
  • The Witch Front Cover
    The Witch
  • Marsmare: Alienation Front Cover
    Marsmare: Alienation
  • Bonnie And Clyde Front Cover
    Bonnie And Clyde