Old vs. New: Obliterator vs. Ooze

CURRENT SCORE:

OLD GAMES 5

NEW GAMES 9

H.R Giger might sue, but it's worth it for this screen

OBLITERATOR

(Melbourne House, 1989)

You are the last obliterator, probably drinking mates with Trantor, and the Federation Council of Elders (not those to**ers) want your services, as a mega big alien ship has destroyed their whole fleet and is keen to landscape Earth into the bargain. You look like the Alien off of Alien, so you've got that going for you.

To avoid the blue guy's fire, click on the 'defend' icon, yeah that's the one there...I think

I don't remember this game but it sure looks like Melbourne House threw a lot at it, even though their primo Hobbit 'n' Horace heyday was long gone. I was expecting an Aliens: Neoplasma type set-up but was surprised to find a highly icon-based experience. Yep, icons. Like in M.O.V.I.E. Real potential game destroyers.

Our big-chinned hero enters the screen, 'action' icon at the ready. For what is unclear

You can move your xenomorph left and right manually at least, which is a relief, but everything else is done via the icons. Which is bloody annoying at first, but it kinda grows on you to a small extent. Graphics are ace, colour is ace and sound is ace, with a great spooky tune. It's not bad, you just kinda wish it didn't have those blasted icons. Raaaarrrrggghh!

So that's not gone well now, has it? Luckily our guy can take a few knocks on his travels

Is there a word in the English language that's more fun to say?

OOZE

(Bubblesoft, 2017)

This game sounds gross. It gets even grosser when you spot that it was re-released by those Bumfun folk. Ooze from Bumfun. You're welcome. Anyway you'll be glad or disappointed to know that the game isn't at all vomworthy.

Crushers...do I smell...mole?

You play as Tom Ooze (Cruise. No? I don't blame you) who is a test subject on a mission to escape from his lab-coated slavers and breathe the outside world's sweet air through whichever orifice you might have. You can ooze yourself onto the ceiling, onto the floor and reverse gravity, a power which I'm sure we all wish we had.

You need a green card to get through here. Ooze got it, I wonder?

This is a really nice li'l game. A simple idea with simple controls, but very well executed with snappy colourful graphics and a frankly outrageous soundtrack. It's not easy. I found precisely zero of the four coloured keys you need to escape, but I sure had me a lot of oozy fun in the process. Urgh.

VERDICT

BEST GRAPHICS - OBLITERATOR

BEST COLOUR - OBLITERATOR

BEST SOUND - OBLITERATOR

MOST ORIGINAL - OBLITERATOR

MOST PLAYABLE - OOZE

MOST ADDICTIVE - OOZE

FINAL SCORE

OBLITERATOR 4 OOZE 2

Obliterator wins!