The Smurfs (GG, 1995)
Graphics-8 Sound-9 Control-7 Challenge-7.5 Story-5.5
Level Design-6 Frustration-8 Fun-6 Originality-4.5
Overall Score-6
+
Pretty good art direction and use of color, Some large sprites, Good animation
Decent variety (mixes in some auto-scrolling levels including a minecart segment, a log riding segment and a shoot 'em up style segment albeit without shooting)
Some decent bosses (the snake)
Some hidden items and decent bonus levels if you beat a level quickly
Pick up and throw bombs
Impressive use of the sound chip
Pretty good intro and ending cutscenes
Improved colors compared to the SMS ver.
Difficulty options
+/-
Level timers
Password save
Easy to rack up lives (feels like a quick fix for the game's problems)
The game might as well had made you run by default since you can't make a lot of jumps without it
-
Some control issues (some delay before you turn around and if you just tapped the button it won't even happen, can't look up/down - probably less of an issue on SMS, sometimes unforgiving hit detection (the acorns during the final boss fight), kinda sluggish controls during the "shoot 'em up" segment)
Poorly designed final boss fight (die in one hit, hit detection issue, only one acorn can be on screen at a time, slowdown)
No continues
Plenty of trial & error (some enemies can't be jumped on with no obvious clue as to why, some cheap deaths and hits, final boss, some awkward jumps in tight spaces, some parts of the minecart segment, one of the hidden rooms in the mountain level where you start on a falling platform, hard to react to some moving objects)
Slowdown whenever there are 2+ enemies or moving platforms on screen
The levels don't flow that well overall (lots of stop and go design)
Difficulty spike at the swamp level
Lacks creative mechanics and you can't play as the other smurfs (these could've had unique abilities or attacks) - being able to carry and throw objects is a good start but not much is done with it besides the dragon boss fight
Some unavoidable hits (have to damage boost upwards in the mountain level)
Kinda tedious dragon boss in that the flames take so long to dissipate)
Pretty short - around 35-40 mins if you're very good
Level Design-6 Frustration-8 Fun-6 Originality-4.5
Overall Score-6
+
Pretty good art direction and use of color, Some large sprites, Good animation
Decent variety (mixes in some auto-scrolling levels including a minecart segment, a log riding segment and a shoot 'em up style segment albeit without shooting)
Some decent bosses (the snake)
Some hidden items and decent bonus levels if you beat a level quickly
Pick up and throw bombs
Impressive use of the sound chip
Pretty good intro and ending cutscenes
Improved colors compared to the SMS ver.
Difficulty options
+/-
Level timers
Password save
Easy to rack up lives (feels like a quick fix for the game's problems)
The game might as well had made you run by default since you can't make a lot of jumps without it
-
Some control issues (some delay before you turn around and if you just tapped the button it won't even happen, can't look up/down - probably less of an issue on SMS, sometimes unforgiving hit detection (the acorns during the final boss fight), kinda sluggish controls during the "shoot 'em up" segment)
Poorly designed final boss fight (die in one hit, hit detection issue, only one acorn can be on screen at a time, slowdown)
No continues
Plenty of trial & error (some enemies can't be jumped on with no obvious clue as to why, some cheap deaths and hits, final boss, some awkward jumps in tight spaces, some parts of the minecart segment, one of the hidden rooms in the mountain level where you start on a falling platform, hard to react to some moving objects)
Slowdown whenever there are 2+ enemies or moving platforms on screen
The levels don't flow that well overall (lots of stop and go design)
Difficulty spike at the swamp level
Lacks creative mechanics and you can't play as the other smurfs (these could've had unique abilities or attacks) - being able to carry and throw objects is a good start but not much is done with it besides the dragon boss fight
Some unavoidable hits (have to damage boost upwards in the mountain level)
Kinda tedious dragon boss in that the flames take so long to dissipate)
Pretty short - around 35-40 mins if you're very good