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This was a surprise for C64 fans. Budget programming legend Karl Hornell suddenly returned with a new game, after years of working in the online casino industry. It is actually a conversion of a Java game written in 1996. After the initial release there was an updated version with bug fixes and a built in cheat. Karl also went on to release another new game in 2018 called Scuttlebutt, filled with toilet humour.

Based on the classic arcade game Pengo, the player controls a penguin called Pixel Pete. He must collect the coins trapped in the ice blocks. Blocks can be pushed when there is space beside them; when they collide / are pushed into another block they shatter and release the coin. The ice can also be used to kill the wandering enemies that home in on Pete. Pete only has three lives but there is no time limit.

The game starts with a lovely sequence that explains the basics of the gameplay. Pete is a great little sprite, especially when he looks happy on completing a level. The background tiles change every few levels, adding some variety, and there is a clever fade between levels. The jolly tune can be switched off during the game. Control is good and presentation works really well.

The first couple of levels are deceptively easy and the difficulty does not increase much, just the number of blocks. The pace is quite slow too, with only a limited number of enemies on screen at the same time. The tune does become repetitive and there are very few sound effects.

It is wonderful to see Karl coding for the C64 again, although he admitted it was a real challenge. With a bit more variety this could have made another great budget release. As it stands it’s a fun diversion that compares well with other Pengo style games on the system, with a cute graphical style. At the time of writing, Pond Software are planning a physical disk release.