Cauldron (C64, 1985)
Graphics-7.5 Sound-6.5 Control-6.5 Challenge-9/6* Story-?
Level Design-6.5 Frustration-9.5 Fun-5.5 Originality-7
Overall Score-5/6*
*w/ unlimited lives cheat
+
Hybrid gameplay - Defender-like shooter (outdoors while flying, can land and walk around like in Fantasy Zone)+Platformer (indoors, flip screen)
Can shoot in 6 directions but have to be pressing a direction to fire so it's hard to maintain the same speed unless moving at top speed
White flashing serve as HP recharging points+never run out but they are kinda rare considering how much damage you take from each hit
Decent variety
Good animation and use of color for the time, Basic ambient sfx (lava)
Respawn on the spot
+/-
Can only open one of the coloured doors the game instructions tell you? (I think this refers to somewhere in the late game, not the four doors you find outside)
Collectathon-lite (6 ingredients and 4 keys)
Can't gain more 1-ups?
-
Crash immediately from touching ground obstacles and the game is a bit too picky about where you can land (next to the purple door for example)
Turning is too slow which exasperates the above issue
Can't shoot while walking on the ground
No mid-air control when jumping
Kinda short
Random invisible wall in one of the forest segments
Some backtracking (overworld is one long corridor and there are no teleporters or shotcuts)
No real fight with the pumpkin boss - the game just checks if you collected all the items
Level Design-6.5 Frustration-9.5 Fun-5.5 Originality-7
Overall Score-5/6*
*w/ unlimited lives cheat
+
Hybrid gameplay - Defender-like shooter (outdoors while flying, can land and walk around like in Fantasy Zone)+Platformer (indoors, flip screen)
Can shoot in 6 directions but have to be pressing a direction to fire so it's hard to maintain the same speed unless moving at top speed
White flashing serve as HP recharging points+never run out but they are kinda rare considering how much damage you take from each hit
Decent variety
Good animation and use of color for the time, Basic ambient sfx (lava)
Respawn on the spot
+/-
Can only open one of the coloured doors the game instructions tell you? (I think this refers to somewhere in the late game, not the four doors you find outside)
Collectathon-lite (6 ingredients and 4 keys)
Can't gain more 1-ups?
-
Crash immediately from touching ground obstacles and the game is a bit too picky about where you can land (next to the purple door for example)
Turning is too slow which exasperates the above issue
Can't shoot while walking on the ground
No mid-air control when jumping
Kinda short
Random invisible wall in one of the forest segments
Some backtracking (overworld is one long corridor and there are no teleporters or shotcuts)
No real fight with the pumpkin boss - the game just checks if you collected all the items