It's not often a parent introduces their young child to gambling! But, I figured racing blobs was going to be worth the risk of the cops knocking on my door. Yep, you heard correctly, today we are going to be betting on green blobs which is something similar to the horse racing machines at the seaside amusement arcades (and this one won't cost you a penny!)
Developed by Kev Davis back in 1991, Blob was never released for some insane reason.
Well, not until 1994 after he saw an unreleased beta on a Menu Disk... Yikes!
You know me, folks, I love Atari ST games but our PD/Homebrew scene is something else. There is so much out there just waiting to be re/played. It's often the place to find hidden gems bursting with innovative ideas from people that loved to experiment. Well, I think Blob Race is just that and I've gotta say Kev has a fantastic sense of humour!
What am I waffling on about? Let's take a look at a screenshot before you should read on...
Ricky D. would be proud of that boulder... until it squashed a blob to death!
Wacky Races
All games are a gamble and we begin with £100 in the kitty. Racing a blob is just like the games from the arcades: pick yourself a likely winner from a selection of six candidates. Each has a name and its own individual characteristics for speed, reactions (how well they can maintain that speed) and the number of tricks they're able to perform.
Oh yes, a blob can possess a bunch of tricks used against competitors such as throwing bombs, riding a bike, and sprouting helicopter wings. If all this wasn't enough, you might see one teleport or explode. Love it!!
The betting system is simple but not like you might expect: come first and you get your winnings at the specified odds. Coming in second allows half of that, whilst third place gets you your money back. Finish worse than that and you receive a big-fat-nothing. This system actually works really well and helps keep everyone playing for longer.
It's time for another glorious screenshot of technically amazing graphics. Well, no, but at least it's a funny one...
One gets crushed by a ton weight and another develops helicopter hair.
High Roller Racing!
That's about all there is to this belting game: pick a blob and watch it squelch across the screen. It's great fun but what makes it extra awesome is its simplicity and superb humour: I loved the falling ton weights, bombs, and lots of other worm-like incidents. Also, the news headlines are funny: avoid cliches like the plague. My only criticism would be the length of each race which is too short otherwise Blob is ace and gets a thumbs-up from both of us here. You'll love it!!
Come on, grab the download and give this stupid game a run for its money. Let me know what you think.
Back when they knew how to make great horror movies
I remember watching Nightbreed back in the day and absolutely loved it. Okay, it was a little cheesy but I'm a fan of most horror genres and Clive Barker never disappoints. It had such a different twist to its style and atmosphere and I loved the idea of Midian with its freaks - being the good guys. Something I didn't expect at the time.
Being the weirdo that I am, I would have loved to see Midian for myself one dark night - of course, armed with nothing more than a flashlight!! Alas, it was never meant to be... well... until now that is!! Thanks to Ocean, and their amazing dedication to movie tie-ins, I finally have their Nightbreed which tries to follow the original plot as best it can. This time it's what's called an interactive adventure, umm, with some arcade action thrown in for good measure.
Right then, let's stop the natter and check out some of the screenshots from this scary game...
Don't listen to the bad man...
Hey, check out that 90s hairdo (and Aaron's nipples! lol)
The gameplay area is pretty large and feels a lot bigger thanks to the laborious car journey!
Armed with a torch, we head into the dark woods!
As you can imagine, we play as Aaron Boone and begin our adventure in the doctor's office listening to his lies. Yup, he's trying to trick us into a confession for something we haven't done - our world is collapsing in on itself. After this introduction plays through, we're presented with a map of the area which has many roads. Here you can travel to three possible destinations: the redneck police station, an ever-attractive asylum, and the mysterious Midian Town.
To drive, we use the overhead map of the area using the mouse and click each intersection of any road. However, watch out for hidden roadblocks that present a decision: do you smash through like a rebel or turn around to find an alternative route? Keep your eyes on the fuel gauge, I wouldn't like to get stuck on these roads at nighttime...
Deciding where to go is completely up to you but take a look at this map first, before you start burning unnecessary fuel. And then think to yourself what would Aaron Boone do? Everything may look very similar but each action you make (generally) has a different outcome: I made my way to the hospital in my first game, but (ahem) that didn't go very well.
Not well at all, actually! Check out the screenshot I got to see on my first game...
What a nightmare it is to be shackled and caged like a beast!
Arghh!! Caught and locked away in a padded cell for the rest of my days!
Just listen to his howling!! Wow :o
I've been eaten, again!
Of course, being the eager adventure, I restarted and headed straight to Midian. Here I was given three options: I chose to enter Midian itself which is something I was really looking forward to. However, I think this was a bad choice because I was instantly torn to pieces by a Berserker without any possible chance to defend myself. What an ending!!
I never gave up and tried again with my foolish venture into Midian but, this time, I was set upon by something else that was extremely vicious. However, this is where I finally got to see Nightbreed's action scenes as I ran away like a scared chicken. This part has you banging on the mouse button to separate two sprites at the top of your screen - one to represent you and the chasing monster. I escaped but trigger-happy cops were waiting and I found myself in the morgue!
As you can see, my fortune in this game is pretty terrible. Let's see some screenshots...
I made a poor decision and the doctor was waiting for me...
He brought the cops. Who shot me into pieces!
Midian is full of freaks... but I gotta admire the artwork and a dodgy game of chase!!
Horrorscope!
Visually, Nightbreed doesn't fail to impress and features many screens with gorgeous artwork. I love the eerie tones that make use of great palette choices to honour the movie's atmosphere nicely. However, the animations are pretty lame and I dare you not to laugh when being chased However, it's this part where I thought Aaron looked like David Boreanaz [remember the vamp Angel] as his image wobbles back 'n' forth. Or is it just me?
The audio is also excellent. Okay, I'd have liked more background sounds but, what we have, is sampled and pretty darn awesome. Easily my favourite sound effect is when we're captured and held captive in the asylum: this is probably one of the scariest samples I've ever heard in any game. It's incredible. Listen to it!!
Remember when I said I found myself in the morgue? Well, that doesn't necessarily mean game over...
Oh no, I'm not doing too well... Well, I did end up in the morgue so that's never good!
Well, I never expected that... this is turning into an old Hammer House of Horror movie!!
The CryptO'pinion?
I've enjoyed Nightbreed with its weird storyline and freaky aesthetics that I'm sure Clive Barker would appreciate. The game is big and offers quite a challenge but I was left a little disappointed - considering this is an interactive adventure - as I imagined a lot more actual "interaction". Also, I felt blindly forced into following a predetermined and limited plot - one wrong move and you're dead. Which isn't brilliant for what is supposed to be a free-roaming adventure scenario.
Don't get me wrong, this is no Dragon's Lair and I'm sure fans will get something from this interactive movie tie-in. I loved the ability to venture into Midian for myself but I simply feel more could have been done to exploit the setting and storyline with its wide variety of Midian monsters. I enjoyed it as it's not a bad game just not a great one.
Here are a few screenshots to tempt you into downloading Nightbreed for floppy or hard drive!
