Amstrad Action


Head Over Heels
By The Hit Squad
Amstrad CPC464/664/6128

 
Published in Amstrad Action #58

Head Over Heels

How many surrealists does it take to change a light bulb? A fish. It's this kind of humour that pervades that recently re-released old chestnut, Head Over Heels. Yes, the game Dali would have been proud to write is back, and for only £2.99.

From the school of Isometric 3D - quite a trend in its time - comes a story involving two small creatures charging through room after room of some programmer's nightmare. Head and Heels, the two characters, can do everything you'd expect from arcade adventurers. It's where they run and jump, what they carry etc. that's the important bit.

The worlds the two brave 'things' charge around are the real stars of the show. There's Penitentiary planet - a prison world where you'll need to climb like a mad thing to survive. Safari Land - densely wooded, full of natives and full of traps. West World - where the Mad Emperor (against whom you're struggling) keeps his library of Zane Grey novels and Blacktooth, the final planet, teleport terminus for the empire.

Head Over Heels

Head Over Heels is a great example of a genre that has passed on into the mists of time - unjustly, perhaps.

Programmed well, it plays excellently and if you feel the need to escape football or alien-bashing this summer, it may be just what you've been looking for.

Second Opinion

Looks like a Speccy port, but the graphics are detailed and amusing, and the gameplay is deep enough to keep you going for a long time.

First Day Target Score

Head Over Heels

Don't be a dummy (lowest points time).

Green Screen View

Green over Green can still be seen.

Verdict

Graphics 66%
P. Cute Speccy-style sprites.

Head Over Heels

Sonics 55%
P. Cute tune!

Grab Factor 69%
P. Intriguing and big game!

Staying Power 52%
N. Can the cuteness hold it together?

Overall 62%
P. A welcome re-run.

Trenton Webb

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