Sinclair User
21st February 1990
Author: Garth Sumpter
Publisher: Mindscape International Inc
Machine: Spectrum 128K
Published in Sinclair User #99
Fiendish Freddy's Big Top O' Fun
Roll up, roll up, roll up! See the magnificent acts pleeese! 'Cos if you don't get a lot of money soon the bank is going to foreclose on the £10,000 loan that's keeping the circus afloat and what will everyone do then?
The bearded lady's not going to get a job in a beauty parlour, the clowns won't get a job in the police force (hopefully), the plate spinning juggler's neither going to get a job in a restaurant nor most certainly a pet shop.
So, once again it's down to you to save the day by performing impeccably and perfectly to pre-empt the re-appropriation of the patron's pleasure palace - namely, one big top. Should be easy but the bank have put in a ringer - one Fiendish Freddy and he's going to do his upmost to spoil your acts so that the bank can steal the show.
Each of the six acts throws the various members of your troop into the ring to perform their act. Your guiding hand la needed to help them accomplish each of their daring doos to delight the crowd and hopefully earn some hard cash from each of the four completely insane judges. Each, when they've finished fighting amongst themselves, will award a cash prize - the better the performance, the more dosh they'll dole out. "What do points make..?" Oh do shut up Bruce, you silly old fart.Up to five players can take part with a practice mode where rad ringmasters can try their hand and perfect each of the various acts that they will have to undertake.
There are six acts altogether the first being High Diving and the rest being Juggling, the Tightrope, Fernadez the Human Cannonball, the Trapeze and a Knife Throwing act. With each act you must guide each of the artists so that their performances will be dazzling and convert into wads of cash with the judges - even with the interference from Fiendish Freddy.
The whole game is graphically vary good and is full of humour, making it definitely the most graphically funny game ever on the Spectrum. It's also great in terms of gameplay and everyone will have a particular favourite event; mine's the high diving because it's really silly with Horace the High Diver pulling some hilarious stunts and poses as he hurtles down to land in anything from a large water barrel to a small glass. Even the judges themselves do some peculiar and hilarious stuff before giving out their cash marks. Overall, the circus is about entertainment and Fiendish Freddy's Big Top O' Fun spells it out to a letter.Note This review is of the disk version of the game.
Overall Summary
All the fun of the fair and a lot of laughs. A feast of fun!
