H.U.R.L.

H.U.R.L. is a video game in the action genre developed by Deep River Publishing and published by Millennium Media Group originally released in 1995. It is currently playable on DOS.

H. U. R. L. is a horrible first-person shooter that attempts to bring the appeal of DOOM-style carnage to kids, substituting violence for non-violent action and ugly monsters for cartoonish ones.

Games Domain's Chris Mullen explains why this game is a turkey you should avoid: Instead of guns, the player can choose from three cleaning items (a water balloon, soap and something else) and is tasked with cleaning up the 'Slob Zone,' a heavily polluted area occupied by 'Bob the Slob' and his cronies. That's the plot, what little there is.

Basically, it's a game in the style of the aforementioned Wolfenstein 3D. There's a series of strange baddies, from the oddly docile 'Ricochet Pig', the egg-throwing 'Attacker Quack' to Bob himself. The action takes place over 10 levels, in different locations (the Trailer Park, the Sewers, etc. ), through which the player must navigate, collecting keys to unlock obstacles in their path. There is trash scattered throughout the game areas, which can be collected and exchanged for more ammunition, which in turn is used to fend off the advancing monsters. Find the exit and move on to the next level.

Graphics and sound aren't everything. I'm the first to admit it. I prefer companies to put gameplay before graphics. A flashy game might sell a few copies, but a good game that works well would sell a lot. Rise of the Robots, anyone? I'm guessing no. That said, Hurl meets none of these requirements, unfortunately. The game engine is painfully slow, despite being a bit more detailed than Wolf3D, or Blake Stone. Enemies move sluggishly and collision detection is more than iffy. Even if a baddie is only half in front of a door, you can't get through, and since baddies find it very difficult to get through doors, this becomes a real problem.

The levels are also extremely short, and with only 10 in total, the game was over in a jiffy. There are no difficulty levels, so it's not customizable for different ages. There are only three weapons, and they all behave the same. Enemies all use the same attack patterns, so dispatching them is just a matter of standing close and holding down the fire button. This does not bode well. As the level progresses, there's no sign of improvement, and even the final boss is ridiculously easy to dispatch. There's also no ammo to pick up, so you end up having to make runs to the nearest bunk machine to buy more ammo . . and then back . . . you get the idea.

I didn't find the game particularly interesting, but the green message may have some merit. However, there are many better titles, both educational and entertaining. The idea was good, but in the end it didn't work. There is no real challenge, and the whole game feels stilted'.

Stay away from this Real Dog if you can, unless you feel like playing every FPS ever.

It is possible that we have multiple downloads available when different versions exist.