Review by Stack on 28 Feb 2009 (Rating: 4)
The first thing to strike you about this game is just how awful it looks. It truly is a contender for the worst looking game ever on the Spectrum.
Mushroom Man is intentionally reminiscent of wearisome type-ins from 1982 and the famous Cassette 50 compilation and it was entered in the 2008 crap games comeptition, an annual celebration of new games authored in the spirit of Cassette 50.
If Mushroom Man had appeared on Cassette 50 however, Casette 50 would have been worth the asking price. The awful looks can't fool me any more than they fooled 2008 crap games judge Digital Prawn. For the dire appearance does nothing to detract from the playability of this puzzle game that features an astonishing 175 varied levels.
It is a simple enough premise. Use directional keys to get to the exit. In your way will be stationary obstacles - locks, guards, walls, explosives, holes, water and er, jellybeans and items to collect to help you get around them - keys, bombs, teleports, boats, bribes, pistols.
By combining these few items in different positions and order, the authors have set some very engaging trappy levels, many of which take a burst of grey matter to sort out. I have been through 60 levels so far and have yet to feel deja vu. Each level has its own uniqueness.
Mushroom Man was written for Windows by Spectrum fan and WOS/CSS member Paul Equinox Collins and converted for the Spectrum by Hajo Spuunup. The graphics look rather good on Paul's Windows version. On the Spectrum they are wonderfully dire; the death messages in particular are rendered in great Cassette 50 style.
The game is by no means original. The Adverntures of Sid Spider, is very similar as is Chip's Challenge and there are probably others in the archive.
But there is great affection wtitten into the game and, after some learner levels, no weak or lazy puzzles to solve. Each level provides a quick fix. You can restart anywhere too, making it perfect for a busy person who wants to slot a few minutes of Speccy buzz into each day.
