Old vs. New A to Z: The Letter T

CURRENT SCORE:

OLD GAMES 8

NEW GAMES 11

Cheers Marcos for this fairly nightmarish image

THING BOUNCES BACK

(Gremlin Graphics, 1987)

It's unusual to have a sequel to a game whose original never appeared on the same system, but that's the case here. The only other example I can dredge up from my mind palace is Last Ninja II. While Bounder was the opposite, a great original and a sequel that for some reason never actually made it to the Spooktrum (sorry it's Halloween as I write...)

Boing! Urgh, red thing. Boing! Urgh, lasers

So in Thing On A Spring, springy thing Thing apparently defeated an evil goblin (or was it a hideous goblin, or an ugly goblin. And how the heck did he get out of that godforsaken place?) Now he has to stop production at the goblin's evil toy factory by collecting bits (no pun intended) of a computer program spread around the place.

In the cut-scenes, Thing rattles through the pipes in a barely controlled manner

A large part of this game involves getting boinged all over the place at high speed, in a manner reminiscent of games like Sonic Mania, which annoyed me greatly a few years back on the PS4. Trying to get some control is the name of the game, and not just being a helpless puppet at the mercy of gravity and all the factory's annoying inhabitants and infrastructure.

Thing's lube level is high, so hopefully he can slip out of this tight spot

But if the movement is awkward, your environment is at least colourful and smooth scrolling, with a fair amount of different start points available to try your luck at. 8 people made this game and on the whole it's quite an ambitious effort considering the machine's limitations (sorry Speccy) so should be applauded for such. Even if you might need a sick bag after playing it for a while.

This screen's fun. I'll even forgive them for missing the final E

THREE OCTOPUSES

(Kas29, 2017)

It's a well-known fact to those who know it well that the plural of octopus is not octopi, nor ever octopuses, but octopodes. It's a word of Greek origin you see, not Latin, so the plural should follow their rules. Remember that next time you play Scrabble and want to get into a fight. I've literally been there, it might not surprise you to learn.

Grandma's a bit blind - they're right in front of her surely?

Kas29 is quite a prolific chap, having done a number of games recently including Stars (Gumi) and the ingenious Squares. He's not actually called Kas29, but Alexey Kashkarov, another of the Russian contingent keeping Spectrum games going in these crazy times we live in. Well done.

Bubbles help get upwardly mobile, while sea urchins just get in the way

You're a jellyfish (no offence) who's got roped into child minding three octopodes, the poor sap, sounds awful. You have to headbutt them helpfully in the right direction so they can wibble their way home to Grandma Octo and not get lost in the big old 'orrible wet thing that is the sea.

Hard to get past all these Gnashers (the kids'll love that reference)

Three Octopuses is clever in its simplicity. Playing octopus keepy-uppies proves quite a challenge, as you have to be positioned just right otherwise they bounce off in the wrong direction. It reminds me a bit of Bugaboo (The Flea) in its frustrating but original gameplay. Graphics are cute and colourful for their watery setting, and a maddening tune reminds you constantly just what a bizarre task it is that you are attempting.

VERDICT

BEST GRAPHICS - THING BOUNCES BACK

BEST COLOUR - THING BOUNCES BACK

BEST SOUND - THREE OCTOPUSES

MOST PLAYABLE - THREE OCTOPUSES

MOST ORIGINAL - THREE OCTOPUSES

MOST ADDICTIVE - THING BOUNCES BACK

FINAL SCORE

THING BOUNCES BACK 3 THREE OCTOPUSES 3

Thing Bounces Back wins on penalties!