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

6th Place – Revenge Of The Punched Tape – Total: 230

Ian:

This strangely playable game appears to be some form of mutant PacMan/Snake hybrid, set inside a computer system. Whilst the game offers a two-player option, my review is base on the single-player game.

Taking the control of what could only be described as silicon chip spider, you have to roam the basic, stylised maze in the search for memory. Memory comes in various flavours, including cassette tapes, floppy disks and cartridges; each gives you between 1kb and 2Kb memory. Once you have collected enough memory (64Kb), you move into the next area of the computer, for a different maze.

These memory enhancements only stay in place for a short time before disappearing. Random enhancements pop up all over the maze, so you’ve got to keep moving.

The only downside to the above is that there is a punch-paper snake constantly chasing you. The only time it doesn’t chase you is when an EPROM chip or “?” appears, which the paper-snake homes in on. As the snake eats, it grows longer. Collision with any part of it costs you a life. Strangely when you die, your start position is randomised rather than at a set starting point, sometimes placing you directly in front of the snake.

The gameplay is smooth and fast, with no difference in speed between you and the snake, so you’ve got to be on your toes. The graphics, whilst vibrant are very limited. Sound too is simple, with a short, but appropriate repeating in-game tune with spot effects. The title tune however, sounds like the bastard offspring between a Spectrum soundchip and the SID from a C64.

A simple but ultimately shallow game, that may appeal more to younger gamers than it did to me. A game perfect for the ATARI 2600 methinks.

64%

Geekay:

Initially, I though to myself “Goodness, not another Pac Man variant”, and I was about to punch my monitor instead of the tape.  I’m glad I didn’t.  This game is a lot more playable and addictive than I first gave it credit for.

The game is played in a variety of mazes, and you are pursued by the ever expanding punched tape (which resembles more like the screeds of dot matrix paper) and there are items to gobble up. So it reads like Pacman.  Whereas Pacman had the bonus fruit to collect, in this game the player must collect the randomly place and impatient memory chips in order to proceed.  By the time the chips appear, you are probably being pursued by a very long tape, and to make it more frantic, the bloody chip is bleeping its head off.

I love all the sounds – there are also enough bleeps, blips and bongs to suit the average spot effect connoisseur. On top of this, the 2 tunes provided really suit the game very well.

I’m not really a huge fan of this genre, but it does have style and substance.   It is certainly limited and the only variety comes with the different mazes. I doubt anyone will spend ages on it, but for what it is, it does it good.

Yet again, this category has provided us with another nicely tied up bundle.

60%

Spray:

Well, let’s face it, it don’t get much more retro than punched tape does it? Well, an abacus would have been nice, but who am I to complain? Oh, I’m a judge aren’t I? BWAHAHAHAHA…

This is a rather unforgiving and, at times, downright impossible maze game. The idea is, as far as I can work out, that you control a little chip (ROM or RAM) around the maze collecting goodies and avoiding the baddies. Sound familiar? Well, it’s not exactly new and inspiring, I’ll admit… BUT… and it’s still a relatively small but, even in capitals, the single enemy chasing you grows in length when it collects the maze goodies itself.

Trouble is, the punched tape monster is very intent on catching you. So intent, in fact, that it makes a beeline for you at ever available chance. Running away isn’t that much of an option ‘coz it moves as slick and quick as you do. Oh yeah, and if it does collect one of the special Micro-controller thingamy-doohdads before you can, which 9 times out of ten it will, it turns off the maze visuals which spells almost instant death and doom for you.

I honestly didn’t get into this. Chasing things round invisible mazes just ain’t my cup of EPROM.

With changes this could have been a good game, though with changes, Simon Cowell would have never been born.

63%

Oogy:

Punched Tape is angry. Maybe because it’s obsolete these days, who wouldn’t be after years and years of hard work and loyal service. So it decides to roam the labyrinth, looking for ram’s and rom’s.

The game is rather basic. Graphics are very flat and one-dimensional and apart from the bricks changing with each labyrinth, there’s not alot of variety. The sound effects are very minimal, but this is something you would expect about twenty years ago.

There’s not much in the playability department either. The Tapeworm (looks awfully alot like Snake) roams around the maze and homes in on the player very effectively. In fact, it’s too effective because you’ll soon find out that it’s impossible to shake it. This results in a situation where you cannot make a mistake or you’ll loose a life. This is a very unforgiven game. Not that it’s all that hard to keep moving, it just feels a bit pointless.

I don’t know if the game changes past the second level. I had no desire to find out to be honest. I don’t think the author put much effort into the game, people had three months to complete their entry, and it feels this has been worked on for about a week.

43%