Reviews

1984 CRL (UK)
by Zafarullah Karim

This game together with 'Barchou' the other creation by Mr.Karim, reminds me a lot of the early Ultimate games (am I crazy? probably!).
The game is simple, grab 10 dolls before they escape the toy store while avoiding the other nasty toys. The objects that keep appearing randomly I can't tell what's their use, if any...
Well, besides not being the prettiest and most interesting game it is also too hard for it's own good. And I think that explains the low rating it gets at WOS.
For a young kid in 1984 with niggardly parents, owning just this game, I bet it would be the fastest way to put aside his Speccy and never to touch it again.

I remember this from one of the Video Basic course tapes. Not too much to be said - it's a feeble attempt at recreating the feel of early Ultimate games. No way Jose! It's repetitive, boring and with none of the charm and care typical of such titles. Avoid.

According to the instructions of this game, by the same coder as Barchou, midnight at the general store and the bottles start to sing - typical Spectrum game scenario really. Handy Andy is a hapless caretaker, like so many others central figures of Spectrum games, a downtrodden working class hero. Then toys get jiggy (as with Ah Diddums) but

"the Dolls have decided they want more, they want to show the
world what they can do. The Dolls begin to march out of the store."

Andy is there to catch them. A frenzied collect-em-up Hnady Andy is less successful than Barchou and every bit as hard. It is a very poor relation to early Ultimate games.
Top tip: Get on the left and catch em early.

With the poor reception here and the low score on WOS I excepting much from this game, and indeed I didn't get very much. But I mean it's not great but it isn't that bad, I have played a lot worse. It's kind of like Robotron except you can't shoot, you just move to collect the women, various other items for points and to avoid the enemies on the screen which move very fast, that's it. Well it was £1.99 so I guess you got what you paid for then. I think if you were able to shoot the enemies this would have been more competent, but as it is you can't and the whole thing comes off as bland as a result. Not saying that, not a hidious game and not one worthy of a 1 score.