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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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Kayak
1985 Creative
Sparks
Programmed
by ?
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| Most
text of the present article comes from the review published
in the fisth issue of the British C64 magazine ZZAP!64
(September 1985). |
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[This
game has no title screen!]
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KAYAK
Creative
Sparks (Sparklers), £2.50 cass,
joystick only
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There have been many variations on the 3D racing theme
since the release of Pole Position in the arcades
a couple of years ago, and Creative Sparks have obviously
decided it's about time they had something to offer
in the form of Kayak.
As the title suggests, this is a water-based 3D racing
game that puts you in the driving seat of a kayak (a
form of canoe). Instead of battling your way around
the harsh surface of a race-track, avoiding cars etc,
Kayak has you bobbing down the length of a not-so-serene
river, weaving in and out of markers. No waggling or
actual paddling needed here though, as your kayak seems
to be equipped with some form of outboard motor -- pushing
forward on the joystick gives you an increase in forward
speed and pulling back slows you down. Turning the canoe
is also made simple, as you only need to push left and
right to move in the respective directions.
The
first course (sounds rather like a menu than a game)
presents you with some tricky-to-negotiate 'gates' which
must be passed through correctly, so as not to incur
any time penalties. So long as you keep the white flag
to your left as you pass through a gate, then it will
have been cleared successfully and a little black square
appears at the top of the screen to let you know you
have done so. If you clip a flag while passing through
a gate then a white square appears. Missing a gate adds
a time penalty to your final time and no little square
appears (shame).
Small
currents (not of the little black variety!) appear along
the course and throw you off direction should you run
into one. These currents usually appear right in front
of a gate to make life awkward and generally foul things
up for you. The time you are taking to complete the
course is shown in the top right of the screen and at
the end your final time and any penalties incurred along
the way are given. You then move on to a tougher course
-- the fish course perhaps?
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Presentation 66%
Standard instructions and a few options.
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Other than New Generation's excellent Shoot
the Rapids and
the superb kayaking event in the stunning Summer
Games II,
this is really the only canoeing game on the 64.
The Pole
Position style
3D view is a good one and gives a new approach
and feel to this sort of game. Sound is a bit
week, with a meagre tune and minimal effects.
Steering the canoe is slightly sluggish and isn't
exactly realistic, but it's still fun to play.
A good variation on the Pole
Position theme
that won't break the bank.
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Graphics
77%
Good 3D effect and background detail.
Sound
45%
Splishy splashy noises and a bit
o' music.
Hookability
70%
Splishy splashy fun in trying to
beat the courses.
Lastability
64%
Little variation in the 24 courses
but some playability.
Value
For Money 76%
Sensibly priced.
Overall
61%
A simplified, but fun Pole Position
variant.
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Htmlized
by Dimitris
Kiminas (29 Nov 2002)
SID, freshly ripped by Adam Lorentzon, added 19 Jan
2002.
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"Games of the Week!"
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