Creepy

Atic Atac?

Atlantis Software released Creepy in 1991, and it may sound like yet another predictable good vs evil affair, but just wait until you play it! Some might say it's inspired, or maybe a shameless Ultimate rip-off.

Creepy is a little fella, but very brave. In fact, he's so brave that he is about to enter a castle owned by the Lord of Darkness. Why, I hear you cry? Is he mad? No, it's to find four pieces of the Necromancy Scroll that will defeat this nasty man and restore peace to a land ravaged by evil monsters. But of course it is!

What, you don't believe Atic Atac appeared on the Atari ST? You'd better take a look at this then...

I killed a warrior, so pinched her dragon and rode him like John Wayne!

Dark rooms and lots of monsters!

The Lord's castle has rooms spawning a bunch of monsters. Some are easy to kill, but others are harder, like the She-Warriors who ride on dragons. She might be tough, but when you defeat her, Puff is left behind, so hop on for a ride. Watch out for other nasties like the odd-looking Frankenstein and a ginormous spider!

So how can we defend ourselves in this dangerous castle? We are equipped with arrows, but these are slow, so it's best to upgrade to something better in the shop. Yes, this castle has a shop with stuff like health and fireballs - I liked the fireball weapon, and restoring health is always a wise purchase. Locked doors can be opened with the correct key, and tiny yellow keys will unlock treasure chests that adorn many rooms. Gamblers will love these, as you never know what's inside - something useful or something sinister?

Monsters won't aimlessly wander and love to play chase - at the expense of your energy level (displayed as an apple rather than a roast turkey). A life lost no longer leaves behind a Cross where we breathed our last breath. Oh, and I still haven't made up my mind about which has the best effect when falling between floors.

Creepy isn't a carbon-copy clone of Ultimate's game. It plays quicker with other subtle differences within a castle that is dingier than the colourful Spectrum game. It took me a while to feel comfortable with the speed but it wasn't long until I was zipping through the rooms like a crazy medieval dude.

Whether you came from the ZX Spectrum or not, you'll love this ripoff game :)

The CryptO'pinion

Those old enough to have gasped in awe at Ultimate's 1983 classic might turn up their nose at this blatant imitation. Please don't. Yes, it's a ripoff, but it's still a fantastic game in its own right. I am incredibly impressed by the fast and furious oldskool gameplay, which takes that original and adds its extra zest.

Creepy is nothing less than a nostalgic 48K impersonator with addictive gameplay. A genuinely excellent 8-bit game with 16-bit aesthetics. I enjoyed plundering the castle, bashing in monsters like it was 1983.

DOWNLOADS

for hard drive or floppy disk.