Atari User


Ollie's Follies

Author: Bob Chappell
Publisher: Americana
Machine: Atari 400/800/600XL/800XL/130XE

 
Published in Atari User #17

Ollie's Follies

Ollie's Follies is yet another platform game, but what it lacks in the novelty department it more than makes up for in the addiction stakes.

Like most games of this type, the object is to progress through a number of increasingly difficult screens. In this case, there are 24 of them, so you can see that there's a good deal of play in the game.

Refraining from charging straight into the game has its rewards. While on the title page the program soon launches into a swift preview of all the screens, served up in several consecutive showings.

Ollie's Follies

Ollie, a young lad clad in blue dungarees, can leap, turn and run to the left or right.

On each screen he must make his way over a series of platforms and ramps to an exit which leads to the next screen.

Although Ollie can drop short distances, if he falls too far he begins to spin head over heels and loses one of his five lives. Some of the platforms are patrolled by revolving robots. If Ollie touches one, he loses a life.

Ollie's Follies

Dotted around the screen are some floating balls - these turn out to be energisers which, once touched, turn his hair a different hue.

The effect only lasts for about five seconds, but while it does - and a jingle burbles away to tell you - Ollie has the power to touch and destroy robots with impunity.

Screen 3 introduces large fans which cause him to get blown off the ramps if he's not sharp enough. He must also dive down a large tube at the bottom of which is a platform guarded by a wandering robot.

Ollie's Follies

The screens get more and more difficult with added hazards and ever more cunning platform layouts.

There are sliding ledges, robots, fans, teleporters, tightropes, springboards, bolts of lightning and laser walls.

Ollie's Follies is very enjoyable and likely to keep you coming back for more until you've cracked it. At the low price it's too good a bargain to miss.

Bob Chappell

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