Gonzzálezz
(Opera Soft, 1989)
Gonzzálezz is a Mexican who enjoys a siesta in the afternoons as many Mexicans do. However, this particular siesta has turned into a nightmare; he can hear an alarm clock ringing, but he cannot wake up! This game, like many Spanish games, is divided into two parts. The first part is a platform game in which you must guide Gonzzálezz through a surreal landscape to reach the alarm clock and finally silence it. In the second part, Gonzzálezz crosses the deserts of Mexico to find a nice hammock so that he can take his siesta in peace. The graphics are stunningly detailed and the animation of Gonzzálezz and all the enemies to be encountered is excellent. It’s just a shame that the difficulty level is too high, particularly in the second part.
Watch YouTube videos of this game by: jgonza (part 1), jgonza (part 2).
Goody is a thief who has set his eyes on the Bank of Spain, located in Madrid. You may help Goody in a humorous voyage across Madrid, collecting money to buy the necessary tools to do your job, while avoiding a bunch of funny characters ready to prevent him from achieving his goal. Unfortunately, Goody is far too difficult, with some screens that require skill, luck and loads of patience. Apart from that, it’s quite a nice a game that’s worth a few tries.
Based on the 1980s movie, this game sees you on a quest to find a pirate ship hidden deep within a cavern. Initially, it appears to be yet another platform game where you run, jump and collect things. Start playing the first screen and you soon realise there is a lot of careful planning and strategy required. You play two of the kids from the movie who have to work together on each screen to make it to the next one. Pressing fire swaps between them, so one can operate part of the scenery allowing the other kid to move onwards. The Fratelli family of criminals are also on the hunt for the treasure and need to be avoided. The graphics for each screen are simple but varied, with a basic tune playing throughout. Sound effects vary from screen to screen, adding some atmosphere.
This is a fun, if a little simple, game where you progress from screen to screen solving the puzzles presented on each one. You move in four directions collecting artefacts to increase your score. Certain paths are blocked by all-seeing eyes which lead to death if touched. Finding the correct switch will remove them, often leading to a bonus such as an extra life. Gorbaf can call on his magic ability to freeze the hordes that block his route, but careful timing is required. This game carries the feel of one made using a game creator like Sprites Alive.
A thinking man’s Gauntlet. This game relies on skill and planning instead of just hitting the fire button. Your mission is to retrieve seven artefacts hidden and guarded within four towers, each comprising of seven floors. You have three distinct weapons that can be powered up, but ammo is needed. Just check out the fireball effect; it even destroys walls! 32 types of potion are to be found, and artefacts can also be collected that make you stronger. Graphically, this one is a smooth push scroll in Mode 0. Sound effects are sparse. It’s a challenge indeed that seems simple at first until you realise that pressing the fire button will not always save or help you.
Watch a YouTube video of this game by: Amstrad CPC World.
For a 1986 video game, Graham Gooch’s Test Cricket is probably the best looking and best playing cricket game that remotely resembles a cricket match on the Amstrad CPC. Your objective is to beat those larrikins from the land Down Under in a sporting game of cricket. Four game types – a 40, 55, 60 overs or two innings game – can be chosen, one or two players can play, and there are simulation or arcade modes and a range of skill levels. You then select those classic players from the 1980s that you want on your team, such as Ian Botham from England or Alan Border from Australia. In simulation mode the computer does everything and you just watch; in arcade mode you select how you want to bat and bowl. It’s a very tidy game with nice graphics and sounds, but it just lacks something, and it could have been brilliant.
Grand Prix
(D&H Games, 1989)
One of very few Formula 1 management games for the CPC, this offering sees you competing against other teams in the bid to win the driver’s and constructor’s titles. You start by selecting sponsors for your team and the engine that your cars will use, but you can’t choose which drivers to sign, which is a rather silly omission. Before each race, both drivers have to complete two qualifying laps, and you must then decide what tyres to use and how much fuel to put in the tank for each car. What really lets this game down badly is the race highlights, which last well over 20 minutes and offer no sense of thrill or excitement at all. It will test anyone’s patience to sit through one race, let alone an entire season.
Grand Prix 500 2
(Microïds, 1991)
Get on a 500cc motorbike and race against five other riders on twelve circuits around the world in the championship. Of course, there are also options to take part in a single race or some training. The game is full of options, with three difficulty levels and the ability to save and load your championship position. You can even choose the colour of your bike. Two players can take part in a race simultaneously, which is great fun. Despite all of these options, the game retains an arcade feel to it, as opposed to being a realistic simulation of motorbike racing. The presentation and graphics are both excellent and there is a real sense of speed as you zoom around the tracks at well over 200mph.
See also: Grand Prix 500cc.
Racing on twelve different circuits, you must prove that you’re the best motorbike driver in the world. You can choose between championship or practice, and one or two players. But even in solo mode, the screen is split into two halves, making the action sometimes difficult to follow. The feeling of speed is well rendered, but it is hard to anticipate the bends because you can’t see very far. The graphics are good, although the background is always the same. The crashing of your bike isn’t very realistic either, and the sound of your engine is a bit strange. But what is more annoying is that your bike responds very slowly, which makes the races a bit hazardous.
See also: Grand Prix 500 2.
Grand Prix Circuit
(Accolade, 1990)
Get in the seat of a Formula 1 car and race in the World Championship around eight tracks. You can choose to drive either a Ferrari, a Williams or a McLaren; the Ferrari is the least powerful but has the best handling, while the McLaren is the most powerful but is also the most difficult to steer. There are also five difficulty levels which determine how much damage your car can take, whether you use an automatic or manual gearbox, and whether your engine can blow up. Controlling your car is quite difficult, and you’re constantly swerving, trying to centre the steering! The game is rather easy, and you can usually win races without any problems. The graphics are very good, but the scrolling is quite jerky and you don’t really get an impression of driving fast.