Retrospective - Forgotten Classics16/03/98

Well, class, gather round. Today's lesson -- and yes, Smith, this *will* be in the exam - concerns some of the forgotten works of genius produced by Amiga software authors in the late 1980s and early 1990s. While these games have fallen by the wayside somewhat, it would not be right to let them pass without attention or acclaim... However, some of the other games hailed by contemporary critics as the best thing since sliced bread - nay, even better than sliced bread -- have not weathered the intervening years so well. I don't want to mention any names here -- that would be somewhat catty -- but I think that mentioning phrases like "movie tie-in" or "arcade conversion" will give you the general idea.

No, the games programmer cannot take their inspiration from external sources. The only way a good game can be created is to take an original spark of an idea, add to it, shake gently, and then cook over a slow flame for a period of anywhere between a week to a couple of years. What would, for example, Wizball have been like without that amazing colour-mixing? (Before dashing off to download the Amiga version, be warned -- it was a load of crap. Whatever possessed such a fine group of coders such as those at Sensible Software to pass off the conversions from the Commodore-64 to talentless losers like those responsible for Wizball and Microprose Soccer on the Amiga? And where, in this day and age, is the Lazarus of the C64 scene? Answers on a postcard to the usual address, please.)

One fine game from the early days of Amiga gaming -- well, at least from *my* early days of Amiga gaming -- is Stunt Car Racer, the work of one Mr. Geoff Crammond, later responsible for such fine works as F1GP and F1GP2. A white-knuckled big-car fast-driving ramp-hurtling petrolhead's wet dream, this game looks deceptively sparse and simple yet requires both involved thought and the reflexes of a kamikaze pilot hopped up to the gills on Air-Force issue amphetamines. In fact, having written the above, I just decided to go and play the game for a while -- a little *too* much activity for me, and how frustrating it is when you teeter on the edge of the elevated track before crashing to the ground below! This game has always had a small group of hard-core adherents, but many people seem to be dubious of its status as a classic, doubting that a mere racing game is worthy of consideration up there with games like Civilization and Cannon Fodder. I've got news for them; like some sort of Zen koan, this game is the essential racing game, the pinnacle of the form, and does all that it sets out to do with effortless grace. While not bearing comparison to the above-mentioned Formula One simulations, being a game of completely different intent and style, this is one game that should not only be remembered but should indeed be venerated, worshipped and played until your knuckles bleed.

Staying in a similar time frame, another game which was dominant in its chosen field (and, indeed, stayed that way until later supplanted by what initially seemed little more than a brash, youthful challenger) is Kick Off. This (and its sequel, Kick Off 2) "were" football/soccer to a certain generation of Amiga games player. The computer would stay on for hours -- no, days -- as tournament after tournament were played in an attempt to wrest the fickle currents of sporting fate from your friends, and towards your own team. Although the physical model of the game took some getting used to -- after all, the ball didn't stick to your players' feet like it was glued on -- this just added to the appeal of the game, and the artistry required to play it produced some goals worthy of acclaim in the real game, and just as difficult to perform. Both games also had some legendary bugs, but even these added to the gameplay instead of detracting from it. Corners were often being awarded to the wrong team, players would foul despite a lack of instruction to do so from the user, the game would finish with the ball mere inches from the line, needing but one more second for inertia to break the scoring deadlock... all just a part of the fun.

By the time Goal (a game which was, to all intents and purposes, Kick Off 3 except for the name -- this was for legal reasons, as the author, Dino Dini, had changed publishers from Anco to Virgin in the period before having the game released) was on the scene, however, a new contender had appeared to challenge the dominance of the Kick Off series. Its name: Sensible Soccer. Given that everyone knows now of the dominance of Sensible World of Soccer in all its myriad forms (and even as I write a 3D version should be released soon, titled SWOS 2000), I don't think it is necessary to enumerate the features of the title, or its advantages over Kick Off... but there are still features I'd like to see in SWOS and its sequels that Kick Off included. Wind affecting the flight of the ball and referees with a specific temparement are a coupple that come to mind. Now that I think of it, why don't soccer games feature pitch invasions, players arguing with the referees, goalkeepers missing goals because they receive a dart to the back of the neck thrown by supporters of the opposing team, bottles being thrown onto the pitch at an unpopular decision, players grandstanding after being sent off... I could go on, but I think you get the idea.

Anyway, time and space limitations prevent me from excursing further (i.e. I need to do some real work now, and I have to do it somewhere else). If you've enjoyed this brief peek back into the mists of Amiga history, let the demigods who maintain Lazarus know, download the games I've mentioned and play away!! Ali Graham