APES MONEY by SkyBerron Productions

 

APES MONEY by SkyBerron Productions for ZX Spectrum 48K

   "It's about survival in a hostile territory populated by angry gorillas, and how you can still get rich by avoiding them and collecting bags of money that appear from nowhere." - From the author's e-mail.

   Gorillas in the jungle and bags of money - this makes no sense whatsoever! But thanks to the enormous, advanced organisation supporting the most prominent competition in the local galaxy cluster, we have once again sent representatives to consult with the Department of Anthropology and Mycological Similology at the University of South Tirinikistan in the north.

   After chatting with the Dean for a while and spending a week drinking the strong local liquor, this is what they discovered in the form of an old legend passed down from father to son for a long time:

   "Once upon a time, son, there was a dangerous jungle filled with angry gorillas that roared and chased anyone who dared enter. It was a place where survival was hard, and many gave up. But there’s an ancient legend about that jungle, about mysterious creatures that lurk beneath the ground.  

   According to the legend, these creatures are invisible spirits that sneak around in the dark, and whenever a brave person avoids the angry gorillas and moves carefully through the jungle, they can see the bags of money that these spirits mysteriously bring into existence. The spirits leave behind shiny coins, glittering jewels, and sometimes even strange, funny objects like rubber ducks.  

   The legend says that if you’re clever and brave enough to avoid the gorillas and follow the whispers of the underground spirits, you can gather all those treasures and become rich."

   Now that makes much more sense.

   Before we enter the jungle, I would like to introduce our participant, SkyBerron. He is an avid producer of games for 8-bit machines and the PICO-8 console. He has apparently seen the light and, with the help of z88dk, decided to create for the ultimate machine. May Uncle Clive bless you and forgive you for taking so long to embrace the truth..

   Our first game written in C this year!

   Both the game loading and the start screen are very promising, with colourful effects and sound.

   We are even offered a wide variety of control options. This is great.

"Over on the mountain

Thunder magic spoke

Let the people know my wisdom

Fill the land with smoke

Better run through the jungle

Better run through the jungle

Better run through the jungle

Woah, don't look back to see" 

- John Fogerty

   Let's run then.

   Magnificent pixel movement and no flickering whatsoever, pure smoothness following the recommendations of the jungle legend. The money bags flash briefly before disappearing, which is a nice touch as it helps you decide whether it's worth moving towards them or going for another one. 

   All set to sounds that have a very arcade feel to them. I really like it. And the sprites have walking animation, very good!

   As you progress and increase your monetary fund, more and more gorillas appear to make your life as a millionaire as short as possible.

   With all the bananas together to make a delicious banana split: This is undoubtedly SkyBerron's impressive entry into the world of Spectrum. Although the game mechanics are very basic, the work and attention to detail are fantastic. The game invites you to play it again and again in an attempt to beat your score. The author has promised/threatened to create more games, and I hope he will participate in the next edition of our wonderful competition.

Scrambled Smile: 5/10

Broccoli and Squid Yoghourt: 4/10

Deep Fried Ice Cream: 8/10

Strawberry Monosodium Glutamate: 7/10

Affable Hot Chocolate Sauce: 6/10