(Insert stupid Blog name here) - Homebreviews - part 6

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Well, between working on my entry for the Medieval Mayhem contest and other projects, I managed to get in some quality time with several of the new homebrews I got from the AtariAge store.

 

I decided to tackle the Ebivision games first, since I've never played any of them before, and have been curious about them for some time. They've achieved a sort-of legendary status, probably due to the lack of readily available ROMs, more than anything. So, do they measure up to the hype?

 

Ebivision Five-Pack (this will include all five reviews in the store review)

3/5

 

Ebivision games are kind of hit and miss. They have a couple of excellent games, a couple of average ones, and one complete stinker. All of the manuals have back stories for the games, which adds a nice extra dimension to them.

 

Price-wise, this is a good deal if you really want all five Ebivision games. But the only two games I can really recommend are Power Off! and Allia Quest. Unfortunately, Ebivision doesn't make the ROMs available, so you can't check out the games ahead of time. For $110, you'll have to decide if it's really worth the risk for all five or not.

 

Ebivision Four-Pack (this will include all five reviews in the store review, except for Power Off!)

2/5

 

Given that one of Ebivision's best games - Power Off! - isn't included here, there's not much left to recommend about this four-pack. Unless you're a collector and absolutely must have all of Ebivision's games, save your money and just buy Allia Quest.

 

 

And now... the individual games:

 

Alfred Challenge

3/5

Alfred Challenge is a typical platform game, where you climb, jump and slide, while avoiding enemies and trying to figure your way out of each level. The added challenge is that you must find a series of keys in order to unlock various parts of each level. You can't just go through a level from one end to the other to get out - you often have to backtrack once you've opened a door in order to grab the next key. This means you really have to master sections of each level, which does help with the replay value. Unfortunately, Alfred Challenge isn't terribly exciting. The controls are adequate, but a little sluggish, and the sounds and graphics are merely average. For example, Alfred doesn't have any animation for climbing ladders - he merely slides up them sideways. You also can't start the game with the fire button, there's no score, and as far as I can tell, no way to earn additional lives. Alfred Challenge isn't a bad game, it's just a little dull, and it seems unfinished - especially compared to other games of its genre.

 

Allia Quest

4/5

 

Allia Quest is an excellent vertical shooter featuring large, colorful graphics that would be right at home in the classic arcade game Astro Blaster. The graphics in this game are absolutely superb, including a multi-level star field which gives a very nice sense of depth and movement, and the most impressive title screen I've seen on any 2600 game. The gameplay isn't anything new - you just shoot everything that attacks you and try not to get hit. But it is well executed, and the game is fun and challenging with good replay value. On the downside, there's no indication of how many lives (shields) you have left, and you can't use the fire button to restart after losing a game. Both of these are pretty obvious omissions, but don't detract too much from it being a good game. An additional element - such as needing to refuel periodically (as in Astro Blaster) would have been a nice touch, but even as it stands, Allia Quest is definitely recommended.

 

Merlin's Walls

1/5

 

Merlin's Walls is a 3-D, first-person maze game. The goal is to simply find your way out of a series of mazes. The problem is, in order to make 3-D work, the programmer rotated the game 90 degrees. To play it you either have to lay on your side (which is a literal pain-in-the-neck), or turn your TV on its side. This effectively reduces Merlin's Walls to little more than a technological curiosity, and not much of a game. But to be fair, I dug out my old portable TV, and flipped it on its side (I wasn't about to do this with my 27" set).

 

Well, it looks right-side-up now.

Inside the maze.

Once rotated, the game becomes playable, but with no indication of which way you're facing (some sort of compass is desperately needed) it's almost impossible to get oriented. Even with the included map of the first level, I struggled to find my way out. Through sheer luck, I managed to get through the first four mazes, but it was more guesswork than skill, and more frustrating than fun.

 

Merlin's Walls seems like a case of a game engine in search of an idea. A different concept where you didn't have to rotate the TV (or you) 90 degrees would have helped. Maybe flying through caverns (like in Descent) could have been adapted for it. If you're looking for a first-person game on the 2600, you can do better. Save your money and get Skeleton+ or a used copy of Tunnel Runner instead.

 

Pesco

3/5

Pesco is a pretty decent Pac-Man clone. But instead of Pac-Man, you're a fish named Pesco, who must eat plankton and avoid getting eaten by three hungry crabs. If you eat glowing plankton, you can turn the tables on the crabs and eat them. The basic elements from Pac-Man are here, except the maze is a little different, and there are only three crabs chasing you. While fewer crabs means less flickering, it also makes the game easier. Maybe too easy. The graphics are very good, but the sound is absolutely minimal. A few more sound effects could have really helped make the game seem more finished. There doesn't seem to be a way to earn extra lives, and in what seems to be an Ebivision tradition - you can't use the fire button to restart the game after losing. Pesco is enjoyable enough if you like Pac-Man, and probably a good game for kids, but it could really have used better audio, some additional mazes for variety, and another crab.

Power Off!

5/5

Ebivision's most recent game is also their best. A very simple premise with absolutely addictive gameplay, you must deactivate power cells scattered on different levels, while avoiding sentry robots. You have no weapons - just speed and agility. The controls are near-perfect, and the game requires both patience and quick reflexes. You must analyze each of the robots' movements, carefully plan around them, then run for your life! The graphics are excellent, with a nice variation of robot designs, good animation of the player, and a very cool scrolling title screen. The sounds are well done, including some nice title screen music, and the ever-present pulsating of a supercomputer gone wrong. My only minor gripes with the game are: there doesn't seem to be any way to earn bonus lives, and - as with all Ebivision games - you can't start a new game using the fire button. Even so, I highly recommend this game, including the extra few bucks to get the professionally printed box. There are few things that will take you back to the "good old days" like opening up a new, boxed game for your Atari 2600, and Power Off! is well worth it.

 

 

Next time... the games of UA Limited!

 

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