Amiga Computing - Commodore Is Awesome

If all these screen shots look as if they're
from the same three levels, there's a good
reason -1 wasn't very good at the game
You can't beat a good puzzle game -
(he graphics don't have to be thai
good and the sound effects are of
little importance. It however it
blows away cobwebs from an under used
brain, it can be a brilliant way to pass half an
hour. The best puzzlers are the simplest -
Tetris had you slotting coloured blocks
together and Pong required you to bounce a
ball around the screen, destroying blocks.
Applause's latest project is a fine puzzler in a
similar vein.
Blockhead, Applause's most recent
addition to the Amiga games market, is a
departure from the last few releases. After
adventure strategy games such as DNA and
Cygnus, Applause has opted for a pure
puzzler and in doing so produced its best,
and most professional, game to date.
The aim of the game is simple. You
control a cule looking little character called
Bertie who, in the small amount of lime
allowed, must venture around a room
slotting blocks into holes. In true 'buy il or
the puppy geis it fashion' Bertie's mate
petrified Pete faces destruction if the level
isn't completed.
As a sort of time limil for each level, a
sack is slowly dropped onto Pelrified Pete.
As the sack drops, it changes from gold to
Many bananas
Simple though it may look, this
screen is actually pretty tricky
ACTION PREVIEW
PUZZLER
Hugh Poynton teases zee
liddle grey cells with the
new puzzler from Applause
silver, to bronze. If the level is completed
when the sack is golden, maximum points
will be scored. Once every hole is tilled,
your liltle character may exit and Pete
escapes destruction.
Although this may sound
easy, the reality is that
unless you are very
gifted and have a
natural affinity for
lateral thinking
and strategic
planning, you
will find even
the early stages
of ihe game
pretty difficult.
The real
strength of the
game is that it
requires a certain
degree of mental
agility. If, for example, ^H
you have four blocks to
drop into holes, the layoui of
the room will more or less dictate
how, and in what order, the blocks
need to be moved. You will have
to think ahead and work out in
Use your dynamite to
blow up walls on this
level
And this one is
even harder
AMIGA ACTION
whether the action you take will help or
hinder future moves.
The game includes a couple of novel and
very welcome features. The tutorial section
for example is a feature I wish
more games incorporated.
The step by step tutorial
section for Blockhead
enables you to get
acquainted with
the controls,
features and
powerups
included in the
game.
This looks
like being a
very promising
release. The
concept of the
game is simple
yet engaging,
the gameplay
challenging and
well presented. With
Blockhead, Applause has
come up with a challenger to the
Binary Emotions slick and
polished puzzlers.