Cliff Hanger Game Review
It’s time for my first C64 game review for this page – The ones who know me will be surprised as the Commodore was the machine I grew up with. So why this game for my first pick? Well, this is a game I had on my disks but with a faulty version that did not allow us to play it when I was a kid. So why not a Cliff Hanger Review?
It caught my attention when looking through my collection of games and I told myself that if I would do a review it would definitely be Cliff Hanger first.
As the company “New Generation Software” had a neat title called “Thrashman” I was expecting something great for this special occasion.
To the game, did it meet my high expectations then? No, it even was a total disappointment – it more felt like a joke of a game as you could expect better graphics, better sound and ofcourse a better gameplay.
The game is to easy and none-challenging and the enjoyment stops as fast as your first game has ended – the waiting and slowness in the game does contribute to this bad sensation. So one event? In each level? Not for me.
For me that have been waiting 36 years on playing this understand that my waiting was for nothing.
When expectations are not met
Cliff Hanger is the first real attempt to turn a cartoon into a computer game maintaining the feel of animation. The cartoon chosen is reminiscent of Road Runner and any second you are expecting your 64 to go Beep Beep. The objective of the game is to kill the Bandito who is running up the valley taking pot shots at you. The screens are generated randomly and offer you a variety of ways of getting even with Bandito.
Most of these involve dropping some sort of heavy weight on him from your vantage point on the ridge above the valley road. Other screens offer you boomerangs, cannons, see-saw boulder mechanisms, and even bombs to dislodge other boulders.
At first the game appears to be ridiculously simple until you realise after playing it for several hours that you haven’t splattered the little 8 once. It’ll take quite a few goes to lob a boulder onto the Bandit’s head but when you finally succeed it doesn’t half feel good.
The game is moderately amusing and a brave attempt to try something different. Somehow though – it doesn’t quite work.
I found it repetitive and lacking any real challenge – not really a game for the experienced player.
One day cartoon animation will make computer graphics a thing of the past as far as games are concerned. But before that happens all micros will have to be compatible with cheap, fast, laser disk units.
Attempting cartoon games without this technology is like trying to play Mozart on the spoons.
Commodore User nr 15 Dec 1984
Beyond the Cover
Object:
The object of the game is to stop the bandit shooting up the canyon. Cliff, our hero, can do this in a variety of ways which becomes more complicated as you progress to higher levels. Before each screen a title is displayed giving you a hint of the action that follows.Look at the objects on the screen and use your imagination to discover their purpose in stopping the bandit. Push boulder off the cliff by walking up to it, fire the cannon by standing behind it and pressing the fire button, etc.
Always bear in mind that you are taking the place of the hero in a cartoon-style action game.
Object of the game from Inlay
For more game covers
The Commodore 64 game-cover gallery.
Our rating of Cliff Hanger
Well, not much more to add to this Cliff Hanger Review, the game is not in my taste and has much more to wish for. I’m sorry to offend the ones that actually loved this game. The game gets one “Cliff” out of ten.
