Big K


Escalador Loco
By Ventamatic
Spectrum 48K

 
Published in Big K #9

Escalador Loco

Schizophrenic Spanish import that wears Donkey Kong duds (misleading), calls itself Escalador Loco yet loads as Crazy Climber...! The latter is perhaps the most descriptive handle as the game involves climbing the outside of a skyscaper. A dull enough task were it not for the falling plantpots and obstrperous apes you meet en route.

The graphics are neat, with the large cartoony climber being effectively animated, and the curse factor alarmingly high. Just when you think you've survived the first floor out pops a bearded terror who brains you with his last petunia. The monkey's even worse (he lurks further up the building).

I've got simply no idea how you're meant to pass his hairy, flailing arms. (Starting up is equally challenging.)

As with other Ventamatic imports, the instructions are in Spanish and consequently meaningless (unless you're a Spaniard). It was only after much experimentation that I sussed out that it was the cursor keys 5 and 8 which moved the climber left and right (what do you mean, it's obvious?), while keys 6 and 7 each moved an arm.

U takes the character up the building but only after a firm grip has been established on the next ledge. A stick option would have made life a lot easier! Worth perservering with though, as the actual game is mucho fun. And of course its scarcity ensures great snob appeal!