Terry's Big Adventure

It's-a-me, Terry!

Terry's Big Adventure was released in 1989 by Gary Walton for Shades. It plays with more than a pinch of Mario (how did moneybags Nintendo let them get away with it, but I'm glad they did). His adventure takes us through twelve lands and, like his Italian cousin, he is stuck within a 2D world of silliness. Get your joystick ready because this means lots of platforms, gaps to jump, magic mushrooms, and iddy biddy critters.

Terry isn't a mean guy, and he doesn't like squashing cute creatures, so instead, he has brought a different weapon. Now, if you're expecting something like a shotgun or a sword, then you might be disappointed because it's actually a yo-yo. That is unlikely to impress the girls, but it's different and works well, too.

Power-ups are frequently available, plus you can swap the yo-yo for pebbles by hitting the space bar. Terry is such a badass, right? Many kills reward a random letter in a tiny parachute; collect 'em to eventually make "terry" to earn a temporary shield. This comes in handy, allowing you to plough through the horde.

Fancy some big tips? Well, it's always worth collecting the mushrooms for juicy points. Also, an extra life awarded every 20,000 points, which you will be glad of. Finally, there are bonus levels stocked to the brim with even more mushrooms - just don't get yourself addicted!

Fancy a screenshot? No? How about an animation? Better check this out then...

The Atari ST cannot scroll, right? Well, that's what the talentless programmers say...

Visuals, Sounds, Controls.

The graphics are very "NES" in style with tiny sprites, but these suit the console experience perfectly, and everything you see is colourful and detailed. Scrolling is silky smooth, and it's obvious Gary took pride in his work and achieved beautiful results - using a computer without any hardware scrolling.

The audio is a little disappointing, with the option of chip music or sound effects. The tunes are cute and my preferred choice in comparison to the dullness of the sparse sound effects. Don't get me wrong, the effects are okay, but few and far between - so much of your gameplay will be in silence. Stick with the music!

Any Mario game needs responsive controls, and Terry has a precise feel that is great. It's perfectly "console", which I know sounds odd, but it's true! This works hand in hand with the laws of physics, which means how and when to use the Yo-Yo. That weapon has a knockback that affects Terry, so watch out if near water.

Splish... Splash... Splosh... let's see a screenshot...

Terry's world is filled with colour and cute things. But even little things can hurt!

The CryptO'pinion?

Terry's Big Adventure is a superb game and one that will appeal to those who enjoy Giana Sisters or the Stario games. It might be a rip-off, but Terry has enough personality of his own to make this different and entertaining. The only kicker is never knowing about this wonderful platformer back in the day...

I thoroughly enjoyed playing yo-yos with my new spiky-haired friend. What a fantastic platformer!!

Download for floppy or hard disk.