Ghouls Review
As I always do before my intention to write a review is to go through all the covertext and if I have the chance I also try to browse through any advert I might know of. You can read for yourself below after you have read this Ghouls review.
But to summarize it my expectations were set to very high, I was expecting some kind of Pacman clone – and with this titlepic who would expect something else?
What did I encounter then? Well you could call it a platform variation of Pacman. The screen looked neat, and the set was also built up in a nice way. But then it started – the lousy monster not giving me any chance to come up, you dying by just falling one level down? What the hell is this? My frustration level was up to a ten, and by this the atleast my game experience was under ice.
The game has a good plot, the set is nice, but it just seems like the game needs a more skilled player than me. So to be fair, if I would have been able to come to the next level my rating below on this page would have been higher. I’m including a review from a game magazine further down and based on what is written in it, he was a much more skilled player than me.
Ghouls and Jewels
‘Ghouls’, Micro Power,
BBC B, Acorn Electron, £7.95
GHOULS is a delightful game set in a mansion on top of a creepy hill. There are said to be ‘power jewels’ inside, but all those who have gone in search of them have fallen victim to the mansion’s deadly inhabitants.
The mansion has four sections. First you must traverse Spectre’s lair, on through Horrid Hall, into the Spider’s parlour and finally to Death Tower. Each one must be finished before your time runs out.
Each section has defences, however – poison-tipped spikes that you must jump over and a ghost that follows you. The spider, which guards her parlour, bounces up and down and you have to dodge beneath her. Worse still are the moving platforms and disappearing floorboards. On some levels, you use powerful springs to bounce from floor to floor. You are not without defences, though. If you can eat a stray power jewel, the ghosts will disappear for about 15 seconds.
The graphic quality of Ghouls is impressive, despite being fairly straight-forward. I liked the sideways scrolling after each level (as described in April’s Acorn User) and the way the screens are displayed, but some of the movement is jerky. The funniest aspect of the game the way your character moves, complete with the pitter-patter of tiny feet, though I was concentrating more on that spider. Sound can make or break a game, and the sound in Ghouls is superb. Some of the noises are creepy, and would be wellplaced in a horror film! You can even have music playing while the tape loads.
The program includes, a top-ten scores table, and you uan pause while you brew your tea. Controlling your men (you start with four) is simple, using Z, X to move and ‘Return’ to jump. The game itself is not so easy!
Ghouls is a great game with superb sound, fair graphics and, enough problems to keep the player trying.
Stuart Menges Ghouls Review Acorn User June 1984
What the cover says
Many have tried to rescue the power jewels from the creepy mansion on the top of the hill. None have lived to tell the tale. Now it is up to you to try to wrest the treasure from the mansion’s deadly inhabitants.
From the cover inlay – Ghouls Review
Run through the Spectre’s Lair, Horrid Hall, the Spider’s Parlour and Death Tower. Leap over the poison-smeared spikes, scamper along the moving platforms and contracting floorboards, run past bouncing spiders, and use the powerful springs to propel you onto overhanging ledges. Consuming the yellow titbits earns you extra points and eating a stray power jewel causes the ghost(s) to disappear for about 15 seconds.
A bonus score in the top right hand corner of the screen counts from 50 down to zero. If you don’t reach the top of the screen within this time limit you lose a life. You start with 4 lives. An extra life is awarded every four screens up to a maximum of 6.
For more game covers
The Game cover gallery BBC Micro/Acorn Electron
The Micro/Program Power Gallery
What the adverts say
Run through the creepy mansion to rescue the power jewels dodging ghosts and bouncing spiders. Leap over poison-smeared spikes, scamper along moving platforms and contracting floorboards, and use powerful springs to propel you onto overhanging ledges. Superb animation and sound effects.
Only
Full advert Acorn User June 1984
£7.95
(inc. VAT)
Our Ghouls Review rating
Yes, I hear you say that I’m a bad looser – and it might well be so. But my expectations on a game hangs a lot on that it should have a good playability and in my opinion this game lacks on two frustrating moments, one with the annoying monster getting stuck and the second with the one level fall that kills you.
I give it two monsters out of five.
