Computer Gamer


Herbert's Dummy Run
By Mikro-Gen
Spectrum 48K

 
Published in Computer Gamer #4

Herbert's Dummy Run

Oh, this is ridiculous. I've lost count of the number of times I've played this game and I still can't figure out what on earth I'm supposed to be doing.

OK, so the graphics are up to Mikro-Gen's usual high standard, and the game has to be addictive or else I would have given up on it by now, but that doesn't help me one little bit, does it? I still can't figure out what to do with that silly looking little red whale. I thought that the chocolate 10p bit went into the vending machine slot (the one marked 10p seems like a reasonable assumption, doesn't it?), but I've had that brat Herbert leaping all over the place and I can't get the coin into the slot. I'm obviously overlooking something really obvious since I can't seem to manipulate any of the objects in the way that they were presumably intended to be used.

As usual in the Wally series, some of the locations that you visit contain arcade sequences that stand on their own, and, as usual, most of these sequences leave me totally baffled. For instance, the tennis screen is mentioned in the instructions, as is the fact that a tennis racquet might help. The trouble is that even after finding the racquet I still get pummelled to death by a load of tennis balls. Mind you, I've gotten further with this game than I did with its predecessor, so maybe there's still a chance for me to reach some level of adequacy.

Still, enough about my problems. As I mentioned, Mikro-Gen have done their usual good job in producing this Heir to the Wally line. The game itself is quite addictive, and this is helped by the now familiar style of graphics, with those big, solid sprites that look as if they could flatten any number of space invaders without batting an eyelid.

However, though I like Herbert's Dummy Run a lot, I can't help wondering what comes next. Certainly, this game does not improve upon Everyone's A Wally in the way that that game improved upon Pyjamarama. Still, it's an envious position for a software house to be in, when their new releases are compared with their previous efforts, rather than to the work of any other software house.