A Flunky is a male servant who must do routine jobs for his masters; in this game you are a Flunky and your masters are the British Royal Family. There are five tasks you must perform: light all the fires, take a toy boat out of the bathtub for Prince Andrew, some freckles for Fergie, a wig for Diana and a mysterious task for the Queen. To access each room, you need the signatures of certain royals along the way.
Flunky is an arcade adventure that uses the same gameplay system as Don Priestley's other Trapdoor licenses: large sprites superimposed on block objects, apparently designed around Spectrum's attribute clash problems. Many screens operate on more than one horizontal plane, so you can move your character in and out of screens, as well as across them. Guards will shoot at you if you try to access restricted areas, so be careful.
1987, the year Gunboat was released on Commodore 64 as well as Amstrad CPC. Made by Five Ways Software Ltd. and published by Piranha, this action game is available for free on this page.
This game shares two major similarities with The Great Escape: first, it is licensed from a venerable film, using the scenery to new effect. Secondly, it has an isometric view (with monochrome graphics, even on the much better C64) and features full Filmation-style object interaction, which is taken further here, as the physics of objects vary according to their shape and center of gravity.
There are three stages to complete. In the first you play Johnathan Harker, who must retrieve some papers (he works for a real estate company) and escape from the castle. In the second level you are introduced to Lucy, Johnathan's wife, and Van Helsing, and the game switches between the three. Lucy's role is slightly different, as she is the one chasing the vampire himself, and she takes on the task alone in level 3.
Food must be collected to maintain the characters' strength, and crucifixes and candles can be collected to help.
Released in 1986, Strike Force: Cobra was a highly anticipated game for the Commodore 64. Developed by Nexus Productions, this side-scrolling shooter game quickly gained popularity among gamers for its intense gameplay, challenging levels, and impressive graphics. Set in a futuristic world, the game puts players in the shoes of a covert operative tasked with taking down a powerful terrorist organization known as Cobra.
The game starts off with a gripping cutscene, introducing players to the world of Strike Force: Cobra. The graphics are impressive for its time and immediately draw players into the game. The attention to detail is remarkable, with well-designed backgrounds and smooth animations. Players are equipped with a variety of weapons ranging from rifles to grenade launchers, providing a satisfying combination of action and strategy.
With over 20 levels, Strike Force: Cobra offers a diverse and challenging experience for players. Each level presents different obstacles and enemies, testing players' skills and reflexes. The game also boasts a unique boss battle system, where players face powerful and well-designed bosses at the end of each level. These battles require players to think on their feet and come up with different strategies to defeat their enemies.
One of the standout features of Strike Force: Cobra is its immersive soundtrack. The game's music changes depending on the level and situation, adding tension and excitement to the gameplay. The sound effects are also top-notch, making players feel like they are in the middle of a warzone. Nexus Productions did an excellent job of creating an immersive and dynamic audio experience for players.
Apart from its engaging gameplay, Strike Force: Cobra also has an intriguing storyline. As players progress through the game, they uncover the mystery behind Cobra's plans and their ultimate goal. The game's cutscenes and dialogue add depth to the story and keep players invested in the game until the end. The attention given to the story is commendable and adds an extra layer of enjoyment for players.
In this top-down shooter with similarities to Gauntlet, Mr. Weems has set out to kill the She Vampires in his mansion, which is divided into six levels. These include many locked doors for which keys must be found, as well as teleporters and secret paths.
Weems' main enemies are bats and monsters, strategically placed inside coffins and regenerating when you re-enter a room. Contact with them drains his blood, though fortunately there are spare vials of it. He is armed with a gun that shoots garlic, as well as a limited number of garlic pills, which cause enemies to avoid him.
In the first five levels, the objects needed to kill the Vampiras appear: a crucifix, a large piece of garlic, a stake, a mirror and a sledgehammer. Once you have killed them, you will have to flee, facing again all those bats and monsters.
The Big Sleaze is a humorous text adventure that parodies the detective genre. It is set in the late 1930s and the player controls Sam Spillade, a stereotypical and not too bright private detective. The adventure begins when he receives a new assignment: to find the missing father of his beautiful client.
The situations Spillade has to solve range from standard problems, e.g. getting money, to absurd situations, such as a car bomb planted by the neighbor's kids. And why has a dog brought a check and a photograph to his office? Commands have to be typed on the keyboard, but the parser only understands simple verb + noun combinations. In return, Spillard can engage in conversation with other people.
The game consists of three separate programs that must be solved in linear order: the saved game from the previous part must be imported into the next. The satirical e-zine Sceptical 3 is also included.
The Colour of Magic is an interactive fiction adventure (with some graphics) set in Terry Pratchett's improbable Discworld. The world, a flat disc, rests on the backs of four elephants, which in turn rest on the shell of the Great Turtle A'Tuin. Thus, unlike some text games that use North, South, East, and West, the directions in Discworld are Hubward, Rimward, Widdershins, and Turnwise.
Players control Rincewind the Sorcerer, the fastest Sorcerer in the Discworld, who understands the subtleties of survival (such as it's not where you run to, but what you run from). In his adventure, based on the book of the same name, he encounters such Discworld notables as Twoflower the Tourist, Luggage the Luggage, and Death as he saves Ankh-Morpork (again).
Berk tries to obtain a treasure chest from inside a castle inhabited by the Evil Tempered Thing. To do this you have to complete five tasks, although a learning mode is also offered in which only 4 are required. The first task is to provide a can of worms, while for the second you have to provide squashed eyeballs. Next, you have to boil the Slimies, fry the eggs (getting them is a dilemma in itself), and then force everything back into the trapdoor. These tasks must be completed before the Thing's anger meter reaches its limit.
As fans of the TV series will remember, The Trap Door in the title locks up numerous strange monsters, and in the game some are harmful and some are a hindrance, depending on the task at hand, so you have to be careful which ones you release. Remember to close it, as failure to do so will release wraiths - these require food to be appeased. Boni and Drutt appear regularly, the former giving cryptic advice and the latter eating spiders and getting in the way. You can prepare for one task while performing another, so pay attention to items that might be useful and think about what they will be used for.
In his previous adventure, Berk had to complete the tasks given to him by his master, the Evil Tempered Thing, and had to face his creatures lurking from beneath the Trap Door. Now, one day, Berk, along with his friend Drutt, decides to explore his domain by going Through the Trap Door.
You take control of both Drutt and Berk, switching between them with the fire button. They have to solve a series of puzzles and face new creatures along the way. There are four regions to explore, and opening locked doors gives access to later regions. Scattered throughout the regions are candies and mushrooms that, when consumed, will endow Berk with special characteristics. Progress is achieved by using the two characters together, as Drutt can reach places that Berk cannot.
Yogi must travel through Jellystone Park to rescue his friend Boo-Boo, who has been kidnapped. He travels through 198 screens to reach him, collecting six candy apples along the way, which become a code that allows Boo-Boo to be rescued without his kidnapper making a fuss.
The park scrolls sideways, with Yogi moving in and out of screens. It contains animals that can hurt you on contact, as well as black holes and water obstacles. Contact with the ranger or tourists is also forbidden. Yogi must watch his energy level, which is maintained by sweeping fish and collecting baskets. Boo-Boo must be rescued before he and Yogi have to hibernate for the winter.
