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Sydney Hunter - explorer, adventurer, Indiana Jones wannabe, is navigating the Yucatan Peninsula in search of fame and fortune when he's kidnapped in the middle of the night. A native explains that he won't be harmed if he helps the tribe to collect enough diamonds to re-open the door to the other side of the island so they can trade for good once more. Sensing this also as a way to escape, he agrees and sets off into the caverns.

As unarmed Sydney, all you have to work with are your brains and a jump sufficient enough to navigate the platforms and avoid roaming denizens such as spiders, bats, snakes and leaping lava balls. Ladders and vines connect various levels, and there are a few shortcuts present. Quicksand isn't instantly lethal but don't sink too deep... but then again it may hide the odd way forward. Needless to say, touching any hazard results in losing a life, but extra lives are obtained by collecting pineapples. Why pineapples? Just put it down to that totally tropical taste!

Many of the diamonds you need are sitting out in the open, although some of them require a bit of head-scratching and figuring out a route to reach them. Thankfully, there is an in-game map available for the hopelessly lost. Most of the high value gems are locked inside chests that can only be opened via the keys dotted around the map, although how you obtain keys is another matter. Manned checkpoints exist at various stages; you cannot get past these unless you have collected sufficient diamonds. Thankfully, you don't have to collect every single diamond in the game in order to complete your mission!

Past the final checkpoint lies the ultimate test... But you are Sydney Hunter, and nothing will stop you!

This reminded me of Montezuma's Revenge and Rick Dangerous, so it probably isn't much of a surprise to discover a certain protagonist along the way.

The in-game map is mildly useful, but it makes more practical sense to plot out the game screens yourself, whereupon you discover the overall map has been put together with a lot of thought. Quicksand is both friend and enemy for example, and obtaining some of the diamonds requires a little head exertion.

Sydney Hunter doesn't really do anything spectacularly new or different, but what it does is executed extremely well with oodles of polish and has that 'one more go' feeling to push the player along to complete the game.

Here's hoping Collectorvision consider converting its other titles to the Commodore 64.

The old-school influences are abundantly clear, with the cameo by Panama Joe (from Montezuma's Revenge) a big clue to the style of game. Presentation is good and the sprites are very cute. The in-game map is very useful, but it is still possible to end up going in circles looking for the way forward.

The quicksand effect is clever. The most frustrating part is climbing up and down ladders, with Sydney needing to be lined up carefully every time, and that took a lot of fun out of the game for me.

The physical editions may have sold out already but consider the download if you are into this type of precision platformer.

I'm reminded of Legend Of Atlantis, but with an element of Rick Dangerous gameplay and flair thrown into the mix. Despite the odd moment of questionable collision detection, it's easy enough to progress round the temple as you run and jump from screen to screen with their decent backdrops, reasonable platform challenges and fast, deadly inhabitants. Don't get lulled into a false sense of security - the diamonds are scattered all over the place so there's a lot of backtracking, and that's when the mistakes start to happen.

Sydney Hunter is a decent enough challenge with a nice sense of humour, though later sections don't have different backgrounds and creature variety to reward progress. Ultimately, a simple but playable platformer.

Presentation 82%
Introduction and end game sequences, in-game map and optional fast disk loader.

Graphics 79%
Nice mix of sprite animations and backdrops - but not much variety.

Sound 70%
Pleasant ditties play throughout.

Hookability 86%
The urge to explore and collect diamonds is addictive.

Lastability 72%
You'll either get lost easily or push on until the end.

Overall 76%
An above-average platformer brought down by a few niggles.