Do you remember Bubble Bobble? The classic 80s arcade game has been reproduced with more power-ups in Qwak, a two-player, platform game from developer Jamie Woodhouse.
Originally made for the BBC Micro and then Commodore Amiga, this is a graphically updated version of the second. On each single screen level, you have to collect golden keys to open the exit to the next room.
Your progress is hampered by various enemies, and showers of spiked balls. The pace of the game is frantic, and the screen is absolutely full of moving objects that make concentrating and decision making really difficult. The music also helps give the game a rushed air. It's very much a game of its time, so if you feel nostalgic for the hardness of early 1990s gaming, you'll get a kick out of Qwak.
This demo features an hour of gameplay, but is interrupted by lots of nag screens encouraging to buy the full version. That's a fair question, but they occur too often and get irritating!
Qwak feels like stepping back 15 years in computing history, and is a remarkably difficult, but cute platform game.
