WarmFluffyUK
The Big Wad Bolf.
Bobby Bearing Review
Hi, I’m Bobby, and I have a story to tell. Up until last Tuesday about lunchtime, my life was pretty simple. Roll around, smile a lot and take heed about our mother’s warnings to stay well clear of the Metaplanes. “The Metaplanes are dangerous, they have all sorts of nasty monsters waiting to draw you into their traps” she would say. Personally I think she over acted but that's mums for you.
Well me and my brothers we’re pretty scared of the Metaplanes, that was until our cousin came to stay. To say he’s a bit of a rebel is like saying Hitler had a bit of a grudge, and he managed to convince my brothers to go wondering off into the Metaplanes. I haven’t seen them in ages
sniff…..Well folks that’s the plot in a nutshell, you’re a ball bearing called bobby and you have to rescue your brothers. If you like the sound of this then read on and immerse yourself in one of the cutest, craziest Spindizzy style games you will ever play!
Bobby bearing is the creation of “The Edge”, it appeared on our 8 bit computers around 1986 and was instantly a Crash hit scoring 94% if my ailing memory serves me correctly. I first saw it on my friends Dragon 32, and instantly ran out to buy it for my ZX Spectrum, I wasn’t disappointed. I think the only other game I ran out to the shops to buy was Ant Attack. Maybe another review for that one.
Graphics
Absolutely amazing, each screen is a section of a huge maze. Its isometric and metallic look really has you believing that you are in Bobby’s world. I spent hours wondering, er ok, rolling around the maze, bashing into things, whizzing around the curved corners, up ramps etc. just to see what was around the corner.
Sound
A few sound effects here and there, all in all it’s a pretty quiet game.
3/10
Gameplay
Move Bobby in the direction you want to go, and he will roll that way. The games physics is pretty realistic as gravity and inertia are simulated very well. You will find yourself playing with ramps and corners just for a giggle.
On a down side though, this game only has one difficulty level, and it isn’t the easiest game on the planet. You have to find your brothers, they are unconscious and you have to push them all the way home. All within the time limit. Bobby can be squashed, or stunned by various horrors or heights. This removes some time from the timer, giving you less time to complete the game.
8/10
Hazards
Bobby can be squashed by moving blocks, stunned by falling from heights or bashed by evil black ball bearings. There are also lifts and air vents that help you in your quest. Quite ingenious if you ask me!
7/10
Presentation
As soon as I started to load the game I was impressed by the quality. The loading screen was very clever for a spectrum game, The Edge have written their own loader that scrolls text along the screen as the game whizzed off the tape and down the cassette interface. The game is slick, nice menus and smooth screen transitions.
10/10
Overall
Amazing graphics, dull sound, fantastic game play but difficult to complete. This is definitely worth having it on your SMC.
7.9/10
