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Welcome
to Game of the Week! Each week there will be a
new featured game on this page. The game may be good,
average or diabolically bad, it really doesn't matter!
Just look at the pics, read the text and enjoy the nostalgia!
:-) Game of the Week! is open to contributions so if you
would like to contribute
a game article for this page you're more than welcome
to! Every article we receive will be considered! |
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Geoff
Capes Strongman Challenge
1986 Martech
Programmed
by ?
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Most
text of the present article comes from the review published
in the thirteenth issue of the British C64 magazine ZZAP!64
(street date: April 20th, 1986). |
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GEOFF CAPES'
STRONGMAN CHALLENGE
Martech,
£8.95 cass, joystick or keys
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When he's not being jolly, tough and really raucous
on telly, turning over cars and such like, Geoff Capes
is a sprite in Geoff Capes' Strongman Challenge.
A fat multicolour one at that. Anyway this latest prog
from Martech puts you on the spot to be put through
a series of computer fitness tests but you don't have
to have a Popeye body since it's all done with a joystick.
This means that you can bend fifty iron bars around
your neck, hurl a million barrels into a waiting truck
and biff cars onto their side with an insignificant
flick from your little finger without stinking of sweat.
Handy if you ever want to find a Mrs Geoff Capes.
[This
screenshot was not in the original review]
First
the computer must decide how tough you are, sort the
bits from the bytes so to speak. Apparently toughness
is measured through how fast you can wiggle the joystick,
as this is the deciding factor on how much energy is
allocated to the Geoff being controlled. Toughness is
measured in wittily named Jim's Gym and Geoff stands
face to the screen. The idea is to bend as many iron
bars around Geoff's neck in a limited amount of time;
once the time has drained then an energy allowance is
awarded depending on how well Mr Capes performed. After
that the energy can be shared around various parts of
the body. Throughout the Strongman Challenge the bottom
half of the screen displays various bits of flesh in
windows. These are the all important muscle icons. Each
window also has an energy status and after acquiring
the overall energy on the test screen it's up to you
to distribute it between various bits of Geoff's body.
Using a joystick and arrow pointer, pressing fire when
positioned over one of his muscles increases the power
in that region of the body. When the energy has run
out it's onto the first event, Barrel Loading.
[This
screenshot was not in the original review]
This
takes place by the seaside which scrolls into view accompanied
by a Rob Hubbard interpretation of 'Roll Out The Barrel'.
Gosh, this is a toughie considering that you're supposed
to be the world's strongest fatty: two barrels have
to be loaded onto an awaiting truck. Before partaking
in any event the effort you intend to put in must be
decided. The higher the effort the easier it is complete
but Geoff gets knackered easier and the muscle icon's
power bars reflect this. If at any time the power on
a muscle tries to drop below zero then Geoff faints;
we don't want that to happen because all his friends
will then take the mick. Once power is set, the idea
on Barrel loading is to get Geoff to walk down the stairs,
pick up a barrel and then get back up the stairs to
lob the keg into the back of the truck. Mistiming Geoff's
footfalls when stairwalking causes a fall and running
out of energy causes a faint. Picking up the barrel
is rather simple as it's yet another case of repeated
joystick wibbling.
The
next event is Tug of War, a battle against the computer
generated fatty. The main factors in this eloquent test
of skill are the attributing of power onto the different
muscle icons. The arm icons decide on how much Geoff
grabs and the chest icon's level limits how much he
pulls. After setting the correct levels, selecting both
leg icons starts the pull. First to tug off the edge
of the screen wins the war.
The
other events, Fairground Bell, Wood Chopping, Sumo Wrestling
and Car Rolling, are all presented and played in a similar
vein to the first two events, though reaching them is
not easy. Every time Geoff faints he has to start again.
Being the world's strongest fatty is not an easy life.
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.
Martech
have gone from strength to strength since they
released Eddie
Kidd's Jump Challenge
a couple of years back. Licensing deal after licensing
deal followed, and we saw such classics as Brian
Jack's Superstar Challenge
and Zoids.
Crazy
Comets
was also very good, despite the absence of a licensed
character. Now we have Geoff
Capes' Strongman,
and it is not nice -- at least I think so. I don't
like the graphics and sound, and I don't like
playing it at all. Dull, dull, boring -- not interested.
Unfortunately, Martech have regressed somewhat,
and ought to pull up their proverbial socks. Anyway,
at least there's Samantha
Fox's Strip Poker
to look forward to. That is, if you like that
sort of thing -- I don't, so I'm not overly enthused.
.
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Presentation
44%
Lots of superfluous keypresses make any sort of
interaction awkward. Poor title screen as well.
Graphics
32%
Dull backgrounds and equally rancid
sprites.
Sound
49%
Rob Hubbard manages to audibly
annoy throughout. The sound effects are just as
bad.
Hookability
34%
There isn't any except, possibly,
for those who love Geoff Capes.
Lastability
29%
The game is difficult, the
sort you never want to play more than a couple
of times.
Value
For Money 29%
There are cheaper ways of exercising
your joystick muscles.
Overall
33%
Not at all worth the time of day,
even for joystick wibblers.
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Htmlized
by Dimitris
Kiminas (20 Jun 2005)
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