Commodore User
1st April 1989
Author: Mark Patterson
Publisher: Enigma Variations
Machine: Commodore 64
Published in Commodore User #68
Gilbert
It seriously worries me that our kids are growing up watching programs being presented by snotty, green, Spurs fans (well, aren't they all?). And that's Gilbert, rising star of Get Fresh and Gilbert's Fridge.
In order to boost his mega stardom and his ego, Gilbert has decided to accept the offer of appearing in another series on Earth. Now all Gilbert's fellow Drillians have great problems in handling Gilbert bragging about his fame, so in an attempt to stop him getting to Earth on time to sign his contract they have broken his space craft into several pieces, which they have secreted about the planet.
Not being completely heartless, Gilbert's mates have told him that if he can beat them at their favourite video games they'll let him have a piece back. All very well, but Gilbert has only got twenty-hour hours in which to make it back to Earth, and every time he loses a game, an hour will be deducted from the clock.
The games can be played in any order, that is when they have been found. Drill is big, containing oceans, swamps and cities all populated by nasty creatures who seem to hate Gilbert even more than his friends do. An example of the kind of games you are likely to find is a gem called Sprout Wars, a shoot-'em-up whereby you have to save your sprouts from the Bihelze bugs by attacking them with leeks!
There are three other games on top of all this which have to be 'clocked' in order to complete the game overall. And to make things worse, they're hidden in places like swamps or beneath oceans.
Gilbert: Escape From Drill is an enormous game, hundreds of scrolling screens, five arcade games, hordes of nasties and a great soundtrack. All of which lead the programmers to assure me there were a mere two bytes left in the memory by the time they were finished. Take it as you will!
This, I am afraid to say qualifies as a slightly-above-average game, and nothing more. It takes a long time to find the arcade sequences, and often proves infuriating. It could be worse, but then it could be a whole lot better.