lefei
22nd March 2004, 11:52 AM
Introduction
Level 1, 2 and 3...
Canopus (http://www.canopus.co.uk/), a UK software company that creates Windows as well as Palm OS applications, has released their first game for the Palm OS -- Rock and Roll.
Aim of Game
Collect the gems, avoid the baddies!
In the arcade puzzle game Rock'n'Roll, you play a plucky worm called Shailoo. The worm has to search for his home in the secret Blue Book.. You have to collect Firestones and flatten Monsters while avoiding Rocks, Homebods and Deadly Fungus. There are 64 levels in all, but only 5 will be accessible in the trial version. You'll need to purchase the game in order to receive the key to unlock the other 59 levels.
Artificial Intelligence (A.I.)
Trying to avoid the baddies... but it was too late.
There are a few types of monsters: one that comes from eggs, and one that roams about the level when you start the game. There is also some type of fungus weed that can help or harm you, as well as some fish-like creature that you have to guide to 'its' home.
The first type that you will encounter will be unleashed only when you bump into the eggs and that's when they crack and start prowling you. This 'breed' can move diagonally and almost as fast as your worm can. You can only get rid of them by activating rocks to crush them or by luring them into traps.
Another type of monster will only be unleashed at the start of the level and they only attack in a certain pattern around the level. The way to get around them is to notice where they attack and their movement. And again, they can only be destroyed by using rocks or setting traps for them.
Home-run!
In order to complete a level, you will have to collect all the gems and head towards a blue book which will open up after you have survived the monsters.
Controls
Up down left right.
You can control your 'worm left, right, up, down, and even diagonally using your Palm's hard buttons. The controls are fairly simple to use and you can change them as well, but there is no support for any form of stylus control, except for tapping on the screen to change your preferences or to start the game.
I suppose you can use those third party joysticks for your Palm, whether it is for the Handspring Visor or the Palm or Sony CLIÉs, provided that you have it.
Graphics/Sound
Collecting those gems.
The graphics of Rock and Roll seems very retro... like those old arcade style games of the likes of PacMan or Space Invaders. The graphics are not very flashy or modern, along the lines of Siberian Strike or Ababall.
Also, there is no music in the game, except for those normal system sounds.
Gameplay
64 levels of worming around...
As the trial version of Rock and Roll allows only 5 levels of gameplay, I am unable to review the other 59 levels.
The first level I tried was fairly easy and after I completed it, I tried Level 2 and it was not much easier. After a couple of tries, I managed to get past Level 2 and got myself into the next grueling level. In Level 3, it was just as difficult to get past the nasties. But three days after playing the game, I'm still stuck at Level 3. :-(
Sadly, there aren't any hints at all to assist you in completing every level because there is very little time for thinking once you get those monsters hot on your heels.
Likes
many levels for long game play
Dislikes
rather expensive for an ordinary game (£10 = approx S$28)
GUI is not intuitive enough
tough A.I. -- hard to beat those monsters :-(
graphics are a tad childish
no Hi-Res support for SONY CLIÈs
Conclusion
The game is pretty tough to play, while the graphics seems pretty 'out-dated'. There is also no version for Hi-Res for the Sony CLIÉs (I use a Prism, so I have no arguments about that ;-P ).
Last but not least, the A.I. and the graphics needs to be improved by quite a lot in order to get the attention from pampered gamers like me.
Rating
Specs
Publisher: Canopus (UK)
Website: www.canopus.co.uk (http://www.canopus.co.uk/)
Cost: £10
Size: approx 128kb on Palm
Article by Andre Tan (andre@spug.net)
10 May, 2002
Level 1, 2 and 3...
Canopus (http://www.canopus.co.uk/), a UK software company that creates Windows as well as Palm OS applications, has released their first game for the Palm OS -- Rock and Roll.
Aim of Game
Collect the gems, avoid the baddies!
In the arcade puzzle game Rock'n'Roll, you play a plucky worm called Shailoo. The worm has to search for his home in the secret Blue Book.. You have to collect Firestones and flatten Monsters while avoiding Rocks, Homebods and Deadly Fungus. There are 64 levels in all, but only 5 will be accessible in the trial version. You'll need to purchase the game in order to receive the key to unlock the other 59 levels.
Artificial Intelligence (A.I.)
Trying to avoid the baddies... but it was too late.
There are a few types of monsters: one that comes from eggs, and one that roams about the level when you start the game. There is also some type of fungus weed that can help or harm you, as well as some fish-like creature that you have to guide to 'its' home.
The first type that you will encounter will be unleashed only when you bump into the eggs and that's when they crack and start prowling you. This 'breed' can move diagonally and almost as fast as your worm can. You can only get rid of them by activating rocks to crush them or by luring them into traps.
Another type of monster will only be unleashed at the start of the level and they only attack in a certain pattern around the level. The way to get around them is to notice where they attack and their movement. And again, they can only be destroyed by using rocks or setting traps for them.
Home-run!
In order to complete a level, you will have to collect all the gems and head towards a blue book which will open up after you have survived the monsters.
Controls
Up down left right.
You can control your 'worm left, right, up, down, and even diagonally using your Palm's hard buttons. The controls are fairly simple to use and you can change them as well, but there is no support for any form of stylus control, except for tapping on the screen to change your preferences or to start the game.
I suppose you can use those third party joysticks for your Palm, whether it is for the Handspring Visor or the Palm or Sony CLIÉs, provided that you have it.
Graphics/Sound
Collecting those gems.
The graphics of Rock and Roll seems very retro... like those old arcade style games of the likes of PacMan or Space Invaders. The graphics are not very flashy or modern, along the lines of Siberian Strike or Ababall.
Also, there is no music in the game, except for those normal system sounds.
Gameplay
64 levels of worming around...
As the trial version of Rock and Roll allows only 5 levels of gameplay, I am unable to review the other 59 levels.
The first level I tried was fairly easy and after I completed it, I tried Level 2 and it was not much easier. After a couple of tries, I managed to get past Level 2 and got myself into the next grueling level. In Level 3, it was just as difficult to get past the nasties. But three days after playing the game, I'm still stuck at Level 3. :-(
Sadly, there aren't any hints at all to assist you in completing every level because there is very little time for thinking once you get those monsters hot on your heels.
Likes
many levels for long game play
Dislikes
rather expensive for an ordinary game (£10 = approx S$28)
GUI is not intuitive enough
tough A.I. -- hard to beat those monsters :-(
graphics are a tad childish
no Hi-Res support for SONY CLIÈs
Conclusion
The game is pretty tough to play, while the graphics seems pretty 'out-dated'. There is also no version for Hi-Res for the Sony CLIÉs (I use a Prism, so I have no arguments about that ;-P ).
Last but not least, the A.I. and the graphics needs to be improved by quite a lot in order to get the attention from pampered gamers like me.
Rating
Specs
Publisher: Canopus (UK)
Website: www.canopus.co.uk (http://www.canopus.co.uk/)
Cost: £10
Size: approx 128kb on Palm
Article by Andre Tan (andre@spug.net)
10 May, 2002