Atari User


Jet Set Willy

Categories: Review: Software
Author: Neils Reynolds
Publisher: Tynesoft
Machine: Atari 400/800/600XL/800XL/130XE

 
Published in Atari User #23

Jet Set Willy

Jet Set Willy was originally written for the Spectrum and remains one of the all-time greats of computer gaming.

Tynesoft have not produced it under licence for the Atari, nearly three years after it was originally published by Software Projects.

The story so far: Miner Willy has returned home from his adventures and throws a party to celebrate. However, Maria his housekeeper won't allow him into bed until he has gone around the mansion and collected all the glasses.

Jet Set Willy

You move Willy through the house and grounds, down stairways, up trees, swinging over obstacles on ropes, making jumps that require great precision and avoiding the many and various creatures that are out to get him.

The game remains faithful to the layout of the original, but unfortunately loses in the translation.

The graphics on the Spectrum are bright, lively and have a great deal of humour and charm. Tynesoft seems to have made the conversion too literally. With the Atari's far superior graphics capabilities I had expected a riot of colour and fast-moving action.

Jet Set Willy

I got neither. The graphics are lacklustre, controls are sluggish and the movement is too slow.

Tynesoft have very definitely improved one part of the game though - the music is superb. It can be switched off if necessary, but I really enjoyed it and kept it on.

If the music is switched off, you are left in total silence, with none of the trills, bleeps and burblings that denote jumping, falling or whatever.

No great loss perhaps, but I do feel they would have added to the atmosphere. In its own right, the game is playable and more tricky to get through than the original.

The coordination and accuracy required to clear the gremlins and obstacles is considerable and the game will still appeal to those who like this sort of pixel-scraping challenge.

Neils Reynolds

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