Reviews

Back in the days of 8-bit computing, many spectrum tape boxes lined the shelves of Boots and Smiths all boasting of cartoon graphics.

Even some full priced games didn't achieve the look particularly well which makes it pretty amazing that £1.99 could buy you this little platform game.

It's worth remembering that most games in this price bracket lacked a loading screen and often only greeted you with a basic menu in sinclair font for you to select a joystick.

By contrast, this game is better presented than many full price games of the era. Great music and quality sprites are everywhere and you start to wonder if the shop gave you the wrong tape.

Now I'm not going to pretend that this is the greatest game you could load on your spectrum.

It's mostly a 'dodge the baddies' affair where at each stage you have to get to an object, collect it and return it to the cauldron.

A really unforgiving timer bar hurtles across the screen as you try to achieve this and the collision detection with the baddies is far too sensitive. Jumps have to be timed to perfection to avoid seeing the admittedly fine death animation again and again.

I've no doubt there is someone out there who can complete this in one life. But for me the difficulty is far too high.

But both screens (yes I'm that bad at it!) I got to see of this game were fabulous. The game looks terrific with beautifully drawn and animated sprites moving over colourful backgrounds.

And when it's all over a humorous game over animation pulls you back for one more go.

Flawed, but still a great little game.

This game is as tough as nails! A seriously unforgiving game where every move has to be carried out with pixel perfection and under a time limit to boot. It's like a hybrid of Manic Miner and Scooby Doo and very addictive as you progress just a little bit more on each play through. I could complete this back in the day, no chance now tho :P

by Ionis Software International, D&K Softwaredevelopments (Roger Danison, Jerry Astley)

Cartoonish but infuriating platformer.
2,75/5

1986 Firebird Software (UK)
by Roger Danison & Jerry Astley



Olli and Lissa is probably the best budget title ever released. The game has everything to be a winner, but Firebird decided to release it at a budget price.
My only suspicion for this strategy is the unforgiving difficulty the game poses.

It starts of with a magnificent loading screen, an awesome creepy tune and a great menu. Then you get blasted way by the game itself, with medium large graphics, beautifully designed and animated, cool looking full of color backgrounds and ambiance sound fx's. Remember this was 1986.
Then you start playing and everything starts to wane off. It's too difficult. Even so, the game is so addictive I always came back for more even if I only got to the third screen.

Besides the difficulty level, there is also another small nag I have with the game. I mean, if each screen was meant to be played just once, a bit like Manic Miner it would be OK, instead you have to keep coming to the first screen with the object meant to be collected, get it into the cauldron and then make your way again to the last screen you did before where a new screen is available and a new object is waiting to be collected.
In my eyes this makes the game repetitive and less interesting.
But then again this is a great title worthy of having, even at full price.

Indeed, a very detailed and cute piece of software
I like that type of graphics more than say, Dizzy