This game's title is clearly a play on "Hampton Court Palace" and its famous hedge maze. The aim of the game is to guide the eponymous main character out of the maze exit. This is a relatively early speccy title from 1984, coming from a time when someone could have a simple idea like "You just have to escape from a maze" and publish it as a commercial title. In later years, perhaps more would be expected of a retail game by the majority of the game-buying public.
At the time of the game's release it was given an overall poor review and it's easy to see why. The scrolling is painfully slow and once completed, the game does not inspire a whole lot of subsequent replay. Also, the game's official blurb with its mention of "lots of animated sprites" and "3D maze" is a gross exaggeration. In reality, there is one animated sprite (the player character) and four non-animated sprites (in-game objects) and the maze is purely pseudo-3D of the simplest type with a "faux-perspective" looking down from above. Still, these simple renderings look quite good and particularly striking is the fact that the player character is in three different colours. Although, colour clash dictates that his arm often changes to the wrong colour when walking.
The game is just elevated above "poor" though by the sheer size of the maze and the in-game objects and the fact it is a challenge due to the time limit.
You start off with something like 22 minutes of time to complete the game. Firstly you'll hopefully locate the map which is typically not too far from the player's starting position. On viewing the map, you will be horrified (and impressed) at the sheer size of the maze which apparently covers 50 speccy screens. Looking at the map for a few seconds will also cost you a minute of time, but is essential to do at least two or three times during play.
Subsequently, you must find the glasses, after which the key will become visible on subsequent viewings of the map. This is typically contrived such that you usually have to double-back on yourself for a significant distance in order to get from glasses back to the previously invisible key. Finally, you may want to pick up the clock item which adds three minutes of time onto the limit.
On escaping (I happened to do it in 12m 32s), you will feel a real sense of achievement that you completed the game and you'll be encouraged by an on-screen message to play it again, getting an even quicker time. Whether you will immediately feel like taking on another huge maze right at this point is another matter!
The mazes are pseudo-randomly generated and different each time, although they are not "perfect" mazes which means there are often thankfully multiple valid routes through many parts of the maze. Wall-hugging would not be only a too time-consuming strategy here due to the slow scrolling, but it wouldn't actually work in many parts of the maze.
Sound is very basic, but graphics are pleasant even if they were oversold by the publisher. Seemed poor at the time of release but with hindsight a quite unique and enjoyable title to complete at least once.
Totally and completely a maze game, you must find the other exit after the door closed behind you - your sprite is colorful, the walls too - but you're very slow, which is particulary annoying when you have to go back because of the umpteenth cul-de-sac. Although pressing M [I think it was] you can visualize the map.
Which is quite big and twisted.
2/5
