C&VG


Eskimo Eddie

Publisher: Ocean
Machine: Spectrum 48K

 
Published in Computer & Video Games #32

Eskimo Eddie

Pengo has successfully made its debut into the home computer market over the last few months. With several versions of the game already on the streets, I wondered what was in store with Eskimo Eddie.

Featuring Percy the Penguin, polar bears and snowbugs, it just had to be set in the frozen wastes of the arctic.

Eddie, warmly wrapped up in a hooded parka has to trundle across the paths of two polar bears and whizzing icebergs to rescue Percy the Penguin who's stuck at the top of the screen. This level is played in Frogger style with the polar bears and icebergs moving across the screen from both sides at varying speeds. Percy has to be rescued three times to get to the next level.

Eskimo Eddie

Graphically, this first screen isn't very impressive and contains almost no colour. However, the polar bears are excellent - they look as if they've just stepped off a glacier mint!

Eskimo Eddie takes a bow and departs at this point. You're left alone to escape the snowbugs who resemble little Pac-Men. Unfortunately for Percy, they have an insatiable appetite for penguins and he has to work very hard to escape from and kill these little yellow monsters by squashing them with blocks of ice. However, don't relax - each succeeding level gets harder.

I know the Arctic isn't a very colourful place being, for the most part, covered in white! However, I do feel that more colour could have been used throughout the game. The title page is excellent, graphically exciting and more colourful than the game itself.