Spindizzy for Atari 8-bit computers | Review
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Explore a vast and colorful world of strange geometric landscapes in 3D perspective, full of bridges, elevators, ice, water and other traps.
SPINDIZZY
Posted by: Electric Dreams, 1986.Gender: Arcade, isometric 3D.
Extra: 1 player, joystick and keyboard.
THE STORY
You work as a junior assistant cartographer for a demanding government-sponsored corporation. Their scientists have just discovered a new dimension, containing a strange artificial world - they dubbed it Hangworld - left behind by an extinct civilization and hanging in infinite space.
Your mission will be to explore it remotely, using an old-fashioned spinning top-shaped craft called GERALD (Gyroscopic Environmental Reconnaissance And Land-Mapping Device).
Since the more time you spend in Hangworld, the more money the company can claim, it's your job to explore as many areas as possible. Unfortunately, due to budget constraints, the ship only has a small energy reserve, so you'll also need to collect life-saving crystals, which reward you with extra time.
GAMEPLAY DYNAMICS
The goal is to navigate your ship through 385 isometric screens before time runs out. Achieving this goal requires a great deal of joystick precision and problem-solving skills.Hangworld is a labyrinth of geometric structures suspended in three-dimensional space, offering multiple paths of exploration. It includes ramps, stairs, jumps, bridges, elevators, walkways, paths, lakes, trampolines and ice areas, from which it is very easy to fall into the void. In addition, there are also dangerous "inhabitants" that you should not touch as they steal your energy (time).
Fortunately, GERALD has a compass that always points north. He's also equipped with a handy turbo unit that allows him to speed up to avoid these dangers - albeit at the cost of precious energy.
Falling reduces your time limit, but extending it is done by collecting the jewels scattered throughout this mysterious world. Each time the ship is destroyed, it will be sent back to the last location visited.
Additionally, GERALD can transform between a ball, a tetrahedron, and a gyroscope. Each form has its own control peculiarities and can be suitable for different occasions.
If you want to practice, head east of the first screen. This area slows down time and offers simple versions of the main obstacles.
SWITCHES AND ELEVATORS
Within Hangworld, you'll find certain locations that can only be accessed via elevators. To activate them, you must activate switches: a series of pads bearing a symbol. By placing your ship on one, all pads with the same symbol will be activated.
In certain cases, it may be necessary to use two switches together. Often, these switches or elevators are blocked by obstacles, which in turn must be removed by other switches. So another task will be to figure out how to access the elevator.
CONTROLS
Move to GERALD: use the lever.Speed up the ship: Press the trigger button.
- Rotate the point of view: use the keyboard arrows.
- Stop the ship: Hold down the space bar.
- Change the shape of the ship: Press the I key. The ship can transform between three configurations: a ball, an inverted square pyramid, and a gyroscope.
- See the map: Press the M key. The flashing square is your current location. Unexplored areas are shown in red. Areas already visited are shown in yellow. Any area with an uncollected gem is shown in pink. Press the ESC key to return to the game.
- Change color: Press the C key to switch between two color modes.
- View current score: press the S key.
- Pause the game: press the P key.
- Abort the mission: Repeatedly press the space bar until time runs out.
- View credits: Press ESC at the title screen.
GAME SCREEN
The action takes place from a diagonal view from above. However, the perspective can be varied to view the playing field from four angles and rotate between them.On the left side of the screen you can see the time remaining to play; the number of areas left to visit; and the number of jewels collected.
In the bottom left corner of some screens with elevators you will see a hint about the switch (or switches) you need to activate.
In the lower right corner is the compass, whose arrow points north.
EVALUATION
A practically flawless title, except for the lack of a matching soundtrack, “Spindizzy” has a remarkable level design and addictive gameplay: although several levels are extremely challenging, they will never prove impossible to solve.CURIOSITIES
- Inthe blog Manillismoby Germán "Devwebcl" González-Morris (Chile), some words "written" with the scenarios are detailed, such asHawk WindandSpindizzy
- The credits screen suggests making a map on a 60x50 grid.
MORE DATA
- «Spindizzy» was published by Electric Dreams Software, the English subsidiary of the North American company Activision.
- It was always compared to "Marble Madness", released by Atari Games in 1984 - that is, a couple of years before its premiere.
- The game was originally released for the Commodore 64 and Amstrad CPC. It was later ported to the Atari 8-bit, ZX Spectrum and Apple II.
- He had asequel titled «Spindizzy Worlds», released for the Atari ST and Amiga in 1990. It was made available for the SNES in 1993.
We thank Paul Mallinson (England) for allowing us to use some images from hisweb The King of Grabsin this article.
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