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Re: Poll: Ocean early games

Posted: Tue Nov 21, 2017 9:02 am
by Rorthron
R-Tape wrote: Tue Nov 21, 2017 8:36 am
Rorthron wrote: Tue Nov 21, 2017 8:04 am DNF - Chinese Juggler
Nay DNS?
You're quite right.

Neigh.

Re: Poll: Ocean early games

Posted: Tue Nov 21, 2017 5:25 pm
by Rorthron
DIGGER DAN

This is a very basic Space Panic clone. The graphics are simple and crudely animated, moving in whole character squares. Sound is almost non-existent.

The rough edges wouldn't matter so much if the game was fun, but I found it all pretty dull.

Updated rankings:

1. Armageddon
2. ‎Cavelon
3. ‎Digger Dan
DNF - Chinese Juggler

Re: Poll: Ocean early games

Posted: Tue Nov 21, 2017 5:31 pm
by R-Tape
Aye Sam Spade is a much better Panic clone. Not that it redeems the game but Digger Dan has the coolest inlay art.

Re: Poll: Ocean early games

Posted: Tue Nov 21, 2017 7:38 pm
by Rorthron
ESKIMO EDDIE

This has another very good loading screen, but the game does not match it. There is a simple Frogger-like section where you have to rescue a penguin a few times. Then you take the role of the penguin in a top-down maze, where you have to kill the enemies by pushing blocks against them.

The graphics are neat, but not spectacular. Sound is actually decent with a simple polyphonic tune. The gameplay, though, lets it down. It is simple and repetitive, and while there are plenty of simple, repetitive games that manage to be fun and addictive, Eskimo Eddie isn't one of them. There just doesn't seem to be much to the game.

It's a step up from Digger Dan, but still not great.

1. Armageddon
2. ‎Cavelon
3. ‎Eskimo Eddie
4. ‎Digger Dan
DNF - Chinese Juggler

Re: Poll: Ocean early games

Posted: Tue Nov 21, 2017 7:58 pm
by Rorthron
FRENZY

I'm sorry, but this one is just rubbish. I'm not going to waste much time on it. Graphics and sound are poor. The enemy that appears if you stay too long on a screen arrives far too quickly. Next!

1. Armageddon
2. ‎Cavelon
3. ‎Eskimo Eddie
4. ‎Digger Dan
5. ‎Frenzy
DNF - Chinese Juggler

Re: Poll: Ocean early games

Posted: Tue Nov 21, 2017 10:56 pm
by Rorthron
GILLIGAN'S GOLD

I'd never played this before and was quite looking forward to it, since it is currently leading the poll. The loading screen is once again pretty good, but that's not necessarily a good omen, as some of the other games have shown. Ocean mastered the packaging before it mastered the content.

But it's actually not at all bad. The graphics aren't spectacular, but they are pretty smooth. The sound is quite good, with a very warbly in-game tune that isn't too annoying.

There's quite a lot going on in the game, at least compared with the last few games I've looked at. So overall one of the better early Ocean games.

Still, I wouldn't place it top.

1. Armageddon
2. ‎Cavelon
3. ‎Gilligan's Gold
4. ‎Eskimo Eddie
5. ‎Digger Dan
6. ‎Frenzy
DNF - Chinese Juggler

Re: Poll: Ocean early games

Posted: Tue Nov 21, 2017 11:02 pm
by Rorthron
HUNCHBACK

Now to my bete noire: Hunchback. This used to drive me mad and I can see why: it is unforgiving and difficult to read. But it's not as bad as I remembered and, although infuriating, it has that one-more-go quality. So perhaps I was harsh on it.

Now to try and get on that bloody rope again....

1. Armageddon
2. ‎Cavelon
3. ‎Hunchback
4. ‎Gilligan's Gold
5. ‎Eskimo Eddie
6. ‎Digger Dan
7. ‎Frenzy
DNF - Chinese Juggler

Re: Poll: Ocean early games

Posted: Wed Nov 22, 2017 9:59 am
by Rorthron
HUNCHBACK II

I have a guilty secret to confess. The first version of this that I played was on a C64. And I loved it. My cousin had got it as soon as it came out (or possibly even pre-release, as his dad managed an electronics retailer) and I tried it at his house. So as soon as I could (and before any reviews) I went to WH Smith to buy the Spectrum version. I was able to try it in store first. And I hated it.

I haven't revised my opinion now. I haven't replayed the C64 version (that would just be wrong), but the Spectrum version is still fiddly and infuriating. Like the original game, but worse. The graphics aren't great, either.

So, revised rankings:

1. Armageddon
2. ‎Cavelon
3. ‎Hunchback
4. ‎Gilligan's Gold
5. ‎Hunchback II
6. ‎Eskimo Eddie
7. ‎Digger Dan
8. ‎Frenzy
DNF - Chinese Juggler

Re: Poll: Ocean early games

Posted: Wed Nov 22, 2017 10:29 am
by Juan F. Ramirez
I think Chinese Juggler is the most 'obscure' game of the lot, isn't it?

Re: Poll: Ocean early games

Posted: Wed Nov 22, 2017 12:05 pm
by Rorthron
Juan F. Ramirez wrote: Wed Nov 22, 2017 10:29 am I think Chinese Juggler is the most 'obscure' game of the lot, isn't it?
Possibly. Personally I'd go for Frenzy (Robotics). Until this thread I was only aware of the Quicksilva version.

Re: Poll: Ocean early games

Posted: Wed Nov 22, 2017 12:06 pm
by Rorthron
KONG

I've always loved Donkey Kong and I played this version a lot when it first came out. It's not a great copy. Kong is badly animated and there are a lot of sloppy touches ("1 LIVES LEFT", one digit of the score being a different colour, pixels left behind when Kong stamps). But it's reasonably playable. Not the conversion I was looking for, but not too bad.

Kong goes in 4th place:

1. Armageddon
2. ‎Cavelon
3. ‎Hunchback
4. ‎Kong
5. ‎Gilligan's Gold
6. ‎Hunchback II
7. ‎Eskimo Eddie
8. ‎Digger Dan
9. ‎Frenzy
DNF - Chinese Juggler

Re: Poll: Ocean early games

Posted: Wed Nov 22, 2017 5:02 pm
by Rorthron
KONG STRIKES BACK

Now for the other of Ocean's big 1984 sequels. Hunchback II managed to be worse than the less-than-stellar original. But Kong Strikes Back is a big improvement on the first game. The graphics are smooth and neatly animated. The sound isn't up to much, but the game is fun. I had never played it before, but I think it's actually my favourite so far.

There is a new (and to me quite unexpected) leader:

1. Kong Strikes Back
2. ‎Armageddon
3. ‎Cavelon
4. ‎Hunchback
5. ‎Kong
6. ‎Gilligan's Gold
7. ‎Hunchback II
8. ‎Eskimo Eddie
9. ‎Digger Dan
10. ‎Frenzy
DNF - Chinese Juggler

(I'm assuming Kong Strikes Back's lack of votes in the poll is because people haven't played it. Either that, or I've had a brainfart.)

Re: Poll: Ocean early games

Posted: Wed Nov 22, 2017 7:54 pm
by Rorthron
MOON ALERT

This feels like a game from the future. I don't mean the science-fiction setting. I mean that is a side-scrolling auto-runner very much in the mould of modern smartphone games. And it's really quite good.

You control a moon buggy which can jump over hazards and shoot at aliens vertically and horizontally. The graphics are good. The moon buggy is well drawn and moves smoothly, albeit with flicker. There's a smooth parallax scrolling effect. There are decent spot sound effects and a basic polyphonic tune. The game itself is a simple concept, but well executed and enjoyable.

It's been worth wading through some of the dross to discover the last two games.

The new leaderboard is:

1. Kong Strikes Back
2. ‎Armageddon
3. ‎Moon Alert
4. ‎Cavelon
5. ‎Hunchback
6. ‎Kong
7. ‎Gilligan's Gold
8. ‎Hunchback II
9. ‎Eskimo Eddie
10. ‎Digger Dan
11. ‎Frenzy
DNF - Chinese Juggler

Re: Poll: Ocean early games

Posted: Wed Nov 22, 2017 9:04 pm
by Juan F. Ramirez
Pud Pud no votes. Unfair. I've always thought it's an interesting game.

Re: Poll: Ocean early games

Posted: Wed Nov 22, 2017 9:36 pm
by redballoon
The thing is, I know all of them are pretty poor, but each and every one of those games in that poll mean something to me. I played them all in the early days of having my Spectrum and they were all something! Seeing the loading screen appear for Pogo. The wonderful abstract landscapes of the loading screens of Armageddon and Kong. Buying Cavelon and Eskimo Eddie from Tesco with my hard earned £5.95 and playing the living sh*t out of it. Playing Hunchback II at around 4am on Christmas morning because, according to my mum and dad, it was too early to get up and open the presents.

Each and everyone of those bad boys are special to me.
Would I play them now? Oh Sweet Moses, no!

Re: Poll: Ocean early games

Posted: Thu Nov 23, 2017 11:56 am
by Rorthron
MR WIMPY

I couldn't find a working download of this game from SC or WoS and I didn't want to use any sites which might not have proper permission to distribute. So this one has to go in the did-not-start/finish category.

That takes me to...

POGO

I am not alone in loving Pogo's loading screen, but it really is one of my favourites. It's so good I'd almost accept the game being another ropey arcade conversion. But it's actually really quite a good conversion of Q*Bert. It is playable and nicely presented. One of Ocean's better early efforts.

1. Kong Strikes Back
2. ‎Armageddon
3. ‎Moon Alert
4. ‎Pogo
5. ‎Cavelon
6. ‎Hunchback
7. ‎Kong
8. ‎Gilligan's Gold
9. ‎Hunchback II
10. ‎Eskimo Eddie
11. ‎Digger Dan
12. ‎Frenzy
DNS/DNF - Chinese Juggler, Mr Wimpy

Re: Poll: Ocean early games

Posted: Thu Nov 23, 2017 1:41 pm
by R-Tape
Rorthron wrote: Thu Nov 23, 2017 11:56 am MR WIMPY

I couldn't find a working download of this game from SC or WoS and I didn't want to use any sites which might not have proper permission to distribute. So this one has to go in the did-not-start/finish category.
Trust me on this one, it's safe at the bottom.

Re: Poll: Ocean early games

Posted: Thu Nov 23, 2017 8:30 pm
by Rorthron
PUD PUD

This is an odd one (in so many ways). Graphics, sound and overall presentation are just about the best of all of these games. But I really can't say I enjoyed playing Pud Pud. It too often felt like a slog. I really wanted to like this one, but I just couldn't.

1. Kong Strikes Back
2. ‎Armageddon
3. ‎Moon Alert
4. ‎Pogo
5. ‎Cavelon
6. ‎Hunchback
7. ‎Kong
8. ‎Gilligan's Gold
9. ‎Hunchback II
10. ‎Pud Pud
11. ‎Eskimo Eddie
12. ‎Digger Dan
13. ‎Frenzy
DNS/DNF - Chinese Juggler, Mr Wimpy

Re: Poll: Ocean early games

Posted: Thu Nov 23, 2017 8:31 pm
by Rorthron
ROYAL BIRKDALE GOLF

It's terrible:

1. It's in BASIC.
2. ‎It's a golf simulation.
3. ‎Even setting aside 1 and 2, it's still bad.

Bottom of the class.

1. Kong Strikes Back
2. ‎Armageddon
3. ‎Moon Alert
4. ‎Pogo
5. ‎Cavelon
6. ‎Hunchback
7. ‎Kong
8. ‎Gilligan's Gold
9. ‎Hunchback II
10. ‎Pud Pud
11. ‎Eskimo Eddie
12. ‎Digger Dan
13. ‎Frenzy
14. ‎Royal Birkdale Golf
DNS/DNF - Chinese Juggler, Mr Wimpy

Re: Poll: Ocean early games

Posted: Fri Nov 24, 2017 8:14 am
by Rorthron
TRANSVERSION

So to the last one. The graphics are very basic - simple designs, single-character size, movement in 8-pixel jumps - but they actually look reasonably good and work in the context. The gameplay itself is also simple: collect the items while avoiding enemy fire. I can see how some might find it addictive, but I found it a little frustrating (playing on a smartphone didn't help).

So the final leaderboard is as follows:

1. Kong Strikes Back
2. ‎Armageddon
3. ‎Moon Alert
4. ‎Pogo
5. ‎Cavelon
6. ‎Hunchback
7. ‎Kong
8. ‎Gilligan's Gold
9. ‎Hunchback II
10. ‎Pud Pud
11. ‎Eskimo Eddie
12. ‎Transversion
13. ‎Digger Dan
14. ‎Frenzy
15. ‎Royal Birkdale Golf
DNS/DNF - Chinese Juggler, Mr Wimpy

Monologue over. I suspect very few have read these posts, but I've enjoyed playing through these games. The top 5 are decent games. The rest range from OK-ish to dire. Thanks to Juan for setting up the poll.