LYNX: Super Skweek










From: Robert Jung (ap803@cleveland.Freenet.Edu)

Date: 04/06/92-12:53:14 AM Z









From: ap803@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Robert Jung)
Subject: LYNX: Super Skweek
Date: Mon Apr  6 00:53:14 1992


  ANOTHER game? I'm still working on the earlier ones...

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SUPER SKWEEK
1-2 players, horizontal game
Atari Corp., for the Atari Lynx
$34.95
Stereo? No


OVERVIEW:
    It's a bird! It's a plane! It's...an orange furball? No, it's SUPER SKWEEK
on the Lynx, an adaptation of the French computer game, and an unofficial
sequel to SLIDER on the Game Gear. You control Skweek, the orange furball
alluded to above, whose mission is to save 250 tile-filled levels on five
islands with a motley crew of creatures and critters. The game is viewed from
above, as Skweek walks along the tiles and shoots any creatures that get in
his way.

    Skweek's most common goal is to walk on the blue tiles to make them pink,
though some levels require rescuing female Skweezettes or destroying monsters
instead, and all levels feature a time limit. Making the effort harder are the
many types of tiles in the game -- slippery tiles, crumbling tiles, explosive
tiles, and even tiles that float above the ground. Skweek can also find or buy
icons to change his shots or give other powers. The game can start from stage
1, 50, or 100, or be played in a random order, and a password saves your
current score and game. Finally, two people can ComLynx together for
cooperative or competitive play.


GAMEPLAY:
    Though it looks like a puzzle game, SUPER SKWEEK shouldn't be treated as
one. Some of the levels require strategic thinking, but most of the game is
played with instinct and arcade-quality caution. This title's biggest asset is
its wealth of features. There are literally dozens of enemies, enhancements,
tiles and wall pieces to work with, and discovering how everything works will
take a while. There's also a lot of randomness to the game, which makes
pattern developing impossible and helps its appeal. Other options allow you to
restart the current level and to adjust the diagonal movements of the joypad.

    While the idea is fine, the implementation is not, as there are problems
in SUPER SKWEEK that make it harder than necessary. Shooting is tricky, as
only a direct hit on a monster counts, and near-misses often prove deadly.
Because Skweek's movement is not confined to the "grid" of each level, you can
walk into a dangerous area unintentionally. There's also an annoying bug if
Skweek dies on a disappearing tile: your next life appears in the same spot,
and if the tile is still gone, you die again. These problems are frustrating,
though not enough to totally discredit the game.


GRAPHICS/SOUND:
    The graphics on SUPER SKWEEK are very nice, though there's little here
that any other video game can't duplicate. Colors are used incredibly well,
with bright pastels and primaries used to compliment the whimsy and give the
impression of lots of shades. Game text and elements are small, yet remain
easily identified with lots of detail and animation. Sounds consistly of
machine-generated effects, but nothing truly unusual or noteworthy. The
various themes and music, however, are a notch above the standard Lynx fare.


SUMMARY:
    This is an unusual game with a distinctive atmosphere that may not attract
all players. While the concept is fairly novel, there are a few flaws in the
implementation that hinder it somewhat. Still, if you're willing to put forth
a little patience for its weaknesses, SUPER SKWEEK can produce many hours of
engaging fun.


                GAMEPLAY:        7
                GRAPHICS:        9
                SOUND:           7.5
                OVERALL:         7.5

  Rating values  10 - 8   Great! This game can't get much better.
                  7 - 5   Good. Average game, could be improved.
                  4 - 2   Poor. For devotees only.
                      1   Ick. Shoot it.

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  Three weeks, three games. How about some sports titles next?

                                                --R.J.
                                                B-)

//////////////////////////////////////|\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
   Send whatevers to rjung@usc.edu    |      If it has pixels, I'm for it.
--------------------------------------+------------------------------Lynx up!
"You weren't chosen because you are the best pilot in the Air Force. You were
    chosen because you are the class clown and frankly, you're expendable."









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