2008 Competition Results: (6:We Like It Retro)

7th Place – Staroid - Total: 229

Ian:

Looking and feeling like a typical C64 budget game, Staroid places you in the shoes of a strangely proportioned spaceman as he wanders around a vast map trying to find items that will assist him in his quest to prevent an asteroid colliding with Earth.

Using only his wits and his gun, you need to negotiate the labyrinth to find the tools required and presumably save the day, while avoiding or shooting the strange life-forms that exist within the asteroid itself. Air, life and bullets can be collected on the way, together with special items that allow you to progress deeper into the maze.

Thankfully your quest is aided by a rather handy navi-comp that maps where you are, where you’ve been and points out items of possible interest, although getting to them can be a problem. Pockets are limited in space suits, so you are only allowed to carry four items at a time, adding a form of strategy to the proceedings. Unfortunately, as the game doesn’t tell you what you need, where you’ll need it, or even what each item is, you’ll end up guessing their use. Some (like the umbrella) are obvious, most, however, are not. So it’s pretty much a game of trial and error and back-tracking to find objects that you’ve discarded or ignored.

Whilst the charming graphics are very C64, the sound isn’t. What little there is consists of harsh beeps and bops. There’s not even a SID style music track. Shame.

This game may well keep you playing for a while, but there’s only so much meaningless potholing that one can take before becoming bored. In my first game I explored over 50% of the maze, and still didn’t have a clue what I was supposed to be doing. This game appears to be heavily influenced by StarQuake. That is both its blessing and its curse.

Simplistic retro fun that lacks any real pull or feel for adventure. A bit more info and a bit less travelling might have improved this no end. Oh yes, and some SID music too…

63%

Spray:

Ah! – The old explory cavern – collecty bits – avoidy monsters – watchy air supply style game.

This is the 3rd of Tom’s games I’ve reviewed and, for the 3rd time running, the one weak link in this game’s chain (if a game’s components can indeed be considered a chain)(which in this case they can, because I’m judging it and I bloody well say they can!) is the audio.

Anyway, a new take on an old theme gives us this gem of an original game in the ‘We like it retro’ cat and it’s on with the oxygen mask and into the underground caves and lakes to find the gear you need to avoid an asteroid collision with Earth. Though why all the scientific hardware is down there in the first place is anyone’s guess.

I’ve just got time to throw a few random words in before scoring this one…. ‘romp’ – ‘gargantuan’ – ‘Oscillate’ and ‘pasteurised’

64%

Geekay:

Not the most enticing title as I thought I was about to be enduring some kind of Asteroids game. Instead, I am presented with a C64 looking game that is quite similar to Starquake, but not as good – mainly due to the labyrinthine chaos of the map.  Not many games will ever come that close to achieving the quintessential Steve Crow nirvana.

Staroid feels and plays like something your mates rave on about from their fondest memories.  You go and try it and can’t see what the fuss is about.  What I’m getting at is it reeks of “you had to be there”.  Now this is kind of defeatist and paradoxical even for a Time Lord – it is pseudo retro after all, but the game is stuck defiantly in the past. There are no elements of fun I’m afraid, just boring wandering in a world where you don’t really care why you are there or what goals you have to achieve.

It’s convincing as a C64eqsue game, but that of something released by Mastertronic.  Even then, such software houses who knew their game was crap would pay Ben Daglish in prostitutes to compose a unit shifting ditty.  This game doesn’t even have that – apart from a few noises it’s as silent as a hen night entourage sharing a cab with John Lesley.

No fun to be had here, move along.

45%

Oogy:

It’s a usual day for the usual hero with all the usual ingredients. An asteroid hurling towards earth. A reactor which isn’t built yet. And lots of bad guys standing between him and victory.

The game feels alot like a budget clone of Starquake. Gameplay is fast and continuous, though a bit limited. Throughout the maze that make up the game are items that you can collect to increase your stats and items you need to collect to build the reactor. As with Starquake, there’s a chance you run out of ammunition, which isn’t all too pleasant. It’s not like there are plenty of them laying around, but there are alot of spawning enemies to deal with. It’s a bit of an unfair balance.

Also there only seems to be a single life, which makes the game even more unforgiven. I haven’t traveled throughout the entire maze yet, but it seems pretty large. Large enough to warrent multiple lifes at least.

As a budget game from the C64 era it seems to be alright I guess. In my opinion it seems a bit lacking in detail and playability.

57%