Every week I plan on taking a look at the classic games being uploaded on the
GameTap service. Regardless of whether it's part of their free or premium service,
GameTap offers a wide variety of old school games that is worth checking out. Here are the most recent games uploaded to their server, keep in mind that all of these games are free to play unless otherwise stated:
Captain Dynamo (Commodore 64) -
If you great up in the 1980s (or have played a lot of games from the 1980s) then you should already know that most old school 2D platformers are extremely difficult. They force you to deal with reappearing bad guys, make invisible jumps and generally make you start the whole level over if you die at the very end. These games are the very epitome of frustration. Within the first thirty seconds of the game Captain Dynamo (who appears to be a caped superhero that can jump extremely high and do nothing else) you're forced to jump across two deadly pits. The only problem is that above the pits are huge spikes, so you can't jump. Instead you have to time your move just right or it's back to the beginning of the level. Sure it's doable, but why is this the first thing we have to do in the game? This is an annoying platformer with frustrating level designs and a control scheme that just doesn't work for this type of game. Pass.
CJ's Elephant Antics (Commodore 64) -
Like Captain Dynamo, CJ Elephant Antics is another 2D platformer for the Commodore 64. Unlike Captain Dynamo, this game isn't nearly as brutal (and looks a whole lot better). But that doesn't mean that this game doesn't hate you, because it does. In this platformer you play an elephant who is tasked with killing a bunch of other animals and picking up floating objects. He's like the elephant version of Hitman (which is also on GameTap). The only problem is that in order to jump you have to push up on the D-Pad, which means that you'll be accidentally all the time. This would be fine if the levels were laid out to accommodate accidental jumping, but they aren't and you will die dozens of times before getting the hang of it. While it's better than Captain Dynamo, you should still avoid CJ Elephant Antics.
Grell & Falla (Commodore 64) -
After two terrible 2D platformers I was kind of hoping that this one would be better, but Grell & Falla is just as bad as CJ Elephant and Captain Dynamo. The good news is that this game isn't nearly as frustrating as the other two, but that doesn't mean that you should play it. Grell & Falla is a weird beast; it's a fantasy-based platformer that tries to be more than it actually is. But the real problem (the problem that makes this game unbearable to play) is that you don't even have to touch the D-Pad to move your dinky little character. Once you get the guy going in one direction he just keeps walking, no matter what you do. On the plus side when you fall into the water you don't die, you just kind of stand there motionless. Does that make any sense? Of course not, but neither does the rest of the is game. This is just another example of early game developers testing the waters to see what works and what doesn't. Unfortunately there are a lot of questionable decisions in this game.
Robotron 2084 (Arcade) -
Robotron 2084 is the only non-Commodore 64 retro game released on GameTap this week, which is probably why it's the only game this week worth playing (both on GameTap and the Virtual Console). This 26 year old arcade classic is the precursor to Smash TV, which in turn was the precursor to games like Geometry Wars and Everyday Shooter. I did run into a few control problems when testing out this game, but once you get the hang of this action game it's easy to have a good time. While a lot of people picked up this phenomenal game for $5 on the Xbox Live Arcade, now is your chance to check it out for free on GameTap. Personally I'm more of a Smash TV kind of guy, but make no mistakes about it, Robotron 2084 is a worthwhile game (and easily the best game of the week).
Slightly Magic (Commodore 64) -
Finally, a Commodore 64 platformer worth playing ... or at least trying out. Unlike all of the other C64 games reviewed in this episode, Slightly Magic is actually an inspired combination of platformer action and a classic computer adventure game. In this game you pick up items to solve puzzles (extinguishing dragons, fighting ghosts, etc.). There are still a few problems (like how you jump and how sluggish the rest of the controls are), but overall this is a solid effort and a surprisingly good adventure game. If you're going to check out one Commodore 64 game this week, make sure it's Slightly Magic.
Super Seymour (Commodore 64) -
Up until now it's been a bumpy ride, but we've decided to end our look at This Week in GameTap with a bang. This is Super Seymour who looks kind of like a mole person who needs to pick up barrels of oil. Regardless of what it looks like you're supposed to be doing, the fact of the matter is that this is a solid action game that is plays fast and has solid controls. You heard me; this game has controls that actually make a lot of sense. Yes this game is difficult, but it's not because of bad game design decisions. In a lot of ways this game looks and feels like a classic arcade game, which is a real compliment when compared to the slow-paced platformers found on the system. While Slightly Magic is an interesting concept, Super Seymour is a worthwhile game that is still fun today. This is not a guilty pleasure game; this is a solid action game worth playing.
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