C&VG
1st October 1983
Pickaxe Pete
Pickaxe Pete is the Philips G700's answer to Donkey Kong. It follows the familiar leaping over rolling deadly objects and avoiding dropping fireballs while heading toward the top of the screen along a series of platforms.
Mine games for computers are currently enjoying a boom thanks to Manic Miner from Bug Byte (and Miner 2049'er for the Atari). This video game is an adequate substitute for video games centre owners - but it doesn't have the same addictive quality.
The graphics are uninspiring and the game rapidly becomes unchallenging. You can't really call it boring as it takes some time to get to grips with - and after that there's always the chance that something new might be behind the spinning doors that keep changing colour.
Which brings us on to a brief description of the game. Once you've plugged in the cartridge you'll see a screen full of platforms, rolling boulders and those three colourful spinning doors - at different levels along the platforms.Your aim is to reach the top where you'll be rewarded with a golden key which opens the revolving doors. Then you go on to the next screen.
You are armed with a pickaxe which smashes the rolling boulders. But, after a while, this disappears - and you have to duck and jump the deadly rocks. A spare pick will appear from time to time at the bottom of the screen - but you'll have to go all the way back down to take it.
Once you've got the key you can enter any one of the three doors - the grey one leads into an invisible maze.
You score points - and add to your golden hoard - by evading boulders, smashing boulders, getting a new pickaxe, getting a key and getting through the door.
There are supposed to be nine levels of play - but to me most of the arrangements of the platform looked remarkably similar.
Not the best game for the Philips system. You'll probably find better in their catalogue.
