Nightwalker
Imagine me in 1993, a dedicated Atari STe fanatic, but my beloved computer wasn’t valued nearly enough by the commercial gaming world, and its enhanced hardware remained largely ignored. So when Ocean promised an STe-powered platformer, I was ecstatic, imagining a vibrant world of exploration and adventure with extra colours, smooth scrolling, and sampled sounds. Then I got my hands on a cracked copy (99.9% sure it was Flame of Finland), and I was gutted. I wanted a platformer to be a platformer – run, jump, explore, pick up bonuses, and so on. No, it's more like Lemmings, and I hated that with a vengeance (sorry, not sorry).
For Sleepwalker, we take on the role of Ralph, a desperate dog whose owner, Lee, suffers from sleepwalking and might wander into all kinds of hazards. We must guide him safely through a gauntlet of different levels. Not only do we need to keep him alive, but we cannot let him wake up, or the shock kills him (good, I say!).
As Ralph, we rush to clear away any obstacles, some easy, some dangerous (this part weirdly reminded me of Highway Encounter). As you do this, you're opening up a pathway for the idiot kid, but you may still need to give him a (ahem) gentle kick in the right direction. I guess it’s a mix of puzzle-solving, wrapped in a slapstick package - with the ever-present tension that one wrong move could see Lee tumble into disaster.
As you can see, Sleepwalker does indeed share a bit of its DNA with Lemmings. However, I guess it’s more of a distant cousin you don't like, and, even though we're not digging holes or erecting ladders, you still manipulate the environment to steer Lee away from hazards. The challenge comes from being quick on the joystick and remembering the level map, all whilst thinking ahead to react and redirect Lee.
Sleepwalker is technically stunning, demonstrating the Atari STe with amazing graphics, sounds, and brisk hardware scrolling. Sadly, that means nothing when the game is doggy-do-do. Plus, I couldn’t shake the feeling that it's a cheap Lemmings in disguise. Only this time, we're stressing over a child. Something I do in life, and not what I desire from a game. Playing Sleepwalker is like being on unpaid babysitting duty!
It may have been for Comic Relief, but the only relief I got was switching off my STe and going to bed.
- Experience my version of 1993 with the same disks - Flame of Finland (download at Atari Legend).
- The best way to play Sleepwalker is using a hard drive, thanks to Peter Putnik.
- Sleepwalker is now listed in the Atari STe enhanced games list!
- Silly tidbit time... I decided to play Sleepwalker after a poll that I posted on X. While it didn’t quite go as planned (ahem), I would like to thank everyone who voted. Follow me on X.
So, we begin, and straight away, the first level is huge and easy to get lost in.
The next level looks really nice, with a bit of a Pitfall feel to it.
Irritating game!! This stupid kid is really annoying me...
...so, I left him and went exploring!
Lost the will to carry on here. So I let him die, for a laugh. Why not!
Once again, I left him to go exploring. I like to wander, me.
The daft look on my face as I realised games were supposed to be fun!
And after all that stress and hassle, the stupid kid is still asleep!!
(check out his big toes lol)
