Rollaround (Amstrad CPC review)

Developer: Mr Chip Software

Publisher: Mastertronic

Released: 1988

Rollaround is an isometric action-puzzler that was also released on the Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum.

 

The object is to acquire crosses while avoiding aliens, death traps and the ever-decreasing time limit. These crosses come in different colours and you must only obtain the correct amount in each level, the requirements of which are displayed at the top of the screen. Controlling the ball requires precision, as a slight misstep will push it over the edge, squandering one of your ten lives. The aliens have unique abilities, including some that home in on your direction, and others that create holes in the floor. To help, you have the ability to jump which comes in handy for quick escapes. Being used to Marble Madness (1984, Arcades), the controls here are finicky, mainly because your movements are 'block-by-block' based rather than relying on rolling momentum; therefore, it's easy to accidentally overshoot a platform and fall to your death. It's possible to adjust after extended play but rarely was I comfortable due to constant overthinking. The game can be cheap and it's possible to legitimately die by touching an enemy, only to repeatedly respawn on top of them until all your lives are depleted. It's infuriating, especially in the later levels where you're desperately trying to conserve balls. I also didn't like that some levels offer you no grace period when they begin, meaning enemies swarm in while you're trying to see which coloured crosses are required. However, it has a maddeningly addictive quality and the short level lengths result in a 'just one more go' mentality that provides the main hook for the player. Completing a level is satisfying and the fact that new enemies and mechanics are slowly introduced keeps you motivated.

 

With a few tweaks to the controls and gameplay options Rollaround could have been a real gem in the Amstrad CPC library. It's certainly addictive, but ends up being too punishing for its own good, and the constant need to wrestle with the inputs dampens any initial enthusiasm you might have.

 

 

 

Random trivia: In 1988, Mr Chip Software changed its company name to Magnetic Fields (Software Design) Ltd.

Olympic Skier (Atari 8-bit review)

Developer: Mr. Chip Software

Publisher: Americana

Released: 1986

 

Olympic Skier is a sports game that was also released on the Commodore 64 (1984).

 

There's three events and the objective is to gain the highest possible score in each. In Slalom you must navigate through all the gates as quickly as possible while avoiding trees and using Up and Down to alter your momentum. Missing a gate deducts points from your score whereas crashing results in immediate disqualification; the latter has a humorous animation where you're air-lifted but it gets old after a while. The controls are perfect and tight turns and slight movements are easy to pull off. The course is always the same so once you know the best route it's easy to make it to the end; however, performing well while travelling at high speed is addictive and keeps you pushing for a better score. Next up is Ski-Jump where you waggle the joystick before pressing Up to jump off the ramp; once you're about to descend you then have to line up your skis with the angle of the ground to land safely. It's the easiest event to master but it's still fun (and exhausting!) in a similar way to Track and Field (1983, Arcades). Downhill is last and it's brutally hard compared to the previous events. It's akin to Slalom except there's numerous dead ends and you can now jump over hazards like logs. Learning the correct path through the course requires memorisation that can only be acquired by trial and error making it the most frustrating event in the game. Overall, the focus on points over rankings is an interesting concept and it gives the game a combative edge that's great for multiplayer sessions and bragging rights! The random switching of colour palettes is annoying though; while some schemes look like a cool day/night cycle, others are garish and make the trees hard to see.

 

Olympic Skier isn't the best looking game but the gameplay is so good that it's easy to overlook the simplistic visuals. Each event is great fun (especially if you're with a group of friends) and the tight controls and addictive high score chases will have you playing for longer than you might expect.

 

 

 

Random trivia: The game's programmer was Amin Hoque who also worked on other Atari 8-bit titles called Fidget (1986) and Trailblazer (1986).