Reviews

I discovered a pre-release demo of this game on my divIDE card at the weekend and subsequently downloaded the release version from WoS. I proceeded to spend all my free time for the entire weekend on it!

The game reminds me of Tetris but to describe it as a clone is an injustice. There is no look-ahead feature for the next block but instead there is a sound effect to notify you of the titular Buzzsaw that gratuitously and messily (!) removes "creatures" from the play area. The first few levels are slow enough that you have plenty of time to set up a chain of creatures for the buzzsaw to rip through (!) but by the time you get to level 8 or 9 there is not much time to think at all!

There are subtleties to work out too with ton(ne) weights appearing and working out which direction the buzzsaw will take off in but I'm still trying to figure out how to make the starburst appear at will!

All that text and I still haven't mentioned the glorious multi-colour graphics that would have made the author a fortune if released in the Spectrum's heyday! An excellent game.

One of the best modern games for the Spectrum. Besides being technically very impressive, it's also really really fun!

Buzzsaw+ is a 'cute' game of the Tetris / Columns type, very reminiscent of the Cosmo Gang puzzle game.
Gameplay is spot-on. Smooth, enjoyable and compulsive enough to merit a 5 rating, without even considering the presentation.
And the implementation / presentation is, for a 48k Spectrum, stunning. The game has great looking and smoothly animated 8x1 (fancy multicolour) graphics. An artistic and technical triumph with humour and attention to detail.

Interesting Tetris variation with some original features , but nothing more than that !

Once again , overrated game .

2,5 out of 5 .

A highly addictive puzzle game with excellent presentation.

The idea of the game is not marvellous, but it is the colour treatment avoiding the classican clash of the spectrum due to some programming tricks.

Only this deserves the 5 points.
I strongly recomend to play it to dream about a past with more games like this one.

This is one of the most highly rated modern games on the Spectrum, so I was intrigued to see it for myself. It's based on Cosmo Gang the Puzzle, which in turn was based on the Cosmo Gang redemption game and later became the basis of Pac-Attack. Graphically it is very impressive, no question about it and for some the graphics alone are enough to give it a 5 rating, but the gameplay is the main course of any game and here, while being pretty good, the game is a drag because of its painfully slow pace, which causes the levels to take forever to complete. Is this getting a 5 from me? Hell no it isn't, hell no, but a 4 is justified because it looks good and plays well enough too, but probably best to play it at double speed for maximum enjoyment.

Yes!!!
It's a very modern game
But it's so cute!
Adorable creatures that are bloodily slaughtered!
...and with admirable use of rainbow techniques, multitude of colors.

2011 Written by Jason Railton & Mister Beep

Buzzsaw is based around a 1992 game called Cosmo Gang the Puzzle, which in turn is the third game in the Cosmo Gang series.
This unofficial conversion to the Spectrum, not only does the original justice, but it's also impressive in a few aspects. I mean a few, because if you take away the multicolouring, known as Rainbow Graphics, this is just a Tetris game with a twist. In fact in the late 80's, Rainbow Graphics, were already being used, Dan Dare, Action Force II, etc, to name just a few.
Sure it's playable, sure it's fun, specially if you enjoy puzzle games, but in the end it's Tetris all over again.

Needless to say I'm not a great Tetris fan neither of puzzle games. I played them, sometimes with enjoyment other times a bit cold, and I think I can be impartial enough, but maybe my review is influenced by that alone.

3,5

You'll have to forgive me for not giving it the highest Rating. But while this is an excellent puzzle game, it is too inspired by the mythical Tetris.
Although the addition of monsters and of course color effects gives it a special touch.



All in all, a well deserved tribute to Tetris