Amiga Power


Hook

Categories: Review: Software
Author: Cam Winstanley
Publisher: The Hit Squad
Machine: Amiga 500

 
Published in Amiga Power #32

Hook

Despite what everyone says, I still think that Steven Spielberg's a hit-and-miss director. If someone gave me $34 million, I'd be able to take a children's literary classic and turn it into two hours of jaded, boring, formulaic American trash, complete with nauseating ending and moronic kids on skateboards. A Peter Pan for the caring '90s? Chinny reckon, Steve.

It came as a great surprise then when I loaded up the game and found that it wasn't an equally lifeless experience. In an unusual flaunting of current film licence practices, this Hook's actually a graphic adventure in a point-and-click-a-bit-like-those-Monkey-Island-games sort of way. And, curiously enough, it's actually more fun than the film.

The game follows the movie plot quite closely: Peter has to return to Neverland to rescue his kids from evil Captain Hook. He initially needs to get dressed up as a pirate instead of a businessman, and then goes on to bump into the Lost Boys, remembers that he's Peter Pan, and all that.

It's entertaining, the graphics are nicely cartoony, and the whole thing will go down well with adventurers, but there are a few problems. There's not much help, and some of the puzzles are so obscure that, even when you've done them, it's hard to believe that you managed to work it out. Also, after an hour, I'd managed to get quite a long way through the film plotline, so I've got reservations about how long the rest of it would take. But if it's a toss up between buying the video or this, I'd definitely go for this.

The Bottom Line

The best parts of Hook are those that aren't in the film, and this succeeds as a playable adventure game despite its links to the movie rather than because of them. Recommended for those fortunate enough to have not seen the film.

Cam Winstanley

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