PrinceWatercress plays Classic Muncher - The Longplay

And now for my winning run through this game, minus commentary. See you next Let's Play.

Let's Play

Classic Muncher is a Pac-Man clone for the ZX Spectrum commercially released in 1987 as a budget title. Pressing 1 on the keyboard will start the game, but pressing 2 will let you either switch to a joystick or change the keyboard controls, which are displayed on-screen if you leave the attract mode running long enough.

From here, you're playing the game. There are six screens in all in this game, and if you go through all of them, you'll play through them all again, but this time the ghosts (of which there are four, just like in the game this is based of) will move much faster.

As always, you just move around with the keyboard or joystick, and the fire button does nothing. There are power pills that make the ghosts flash all sorts of colors to show they are vulnerable, and you can eat them for bonus points. There are also random fruits and the letters for the word "Extra" that you can pick up for big points and extra lives, respectively...assuming you're patient enough to get the latter. Your score as well as the amount of lives you have are at the top of the screen.

The game looks pretty good, and what little music there is sounds alright. However, just like with the recently-played Mazemunch for BBC Micro, not only do I have problems with the game that keep me from really enjoying it, the problems are the exact same ones!

Once again, you have to hold a direction on the keyboard or joystick to continue in that direction instead of just tapping a direction, and once again, that means having to fine tune your position to take a corner. This can be bad if you have multiple ghosts on your tail. While being able to play with a joystick makes this a little easier to deal with, as you aren't forced to keyboard controls that may make you feel like you're operating a construction crane, it's still pretty annoying.

Also, you get no audio warning that the ghosts are going to turn back to normal from eating a Power Pill. You'll have to pay close attention to the ghosts to know when they're going to stop flashing. Another interesting thing to mention is that the Power Pills lose effectiveness the further you get into the game. You can easily eat all the ghosts for big points early on, but once you're halfway through the game, you're better off eating the Power Pills to get the ghosts away from you so you can focus squarely on eating the dots you have yet to run into.

Because of this, it makes me wonder: which game would I rather have? Both games look alright, but they have the same flawed gameplay and the BBC Micro game was a type-in game out of a magazine while the Speccy game was a commercial release. It makes me pick the BBC Micro game more, because it was a type-in game from the very start, you didn't have to pay money for it (well, sort of, considering you had to buy the magazine the code for it came from) and if you knew how to program BBC Micro games, you could improve on it a little bit. Not so with this one.

Is this still a fun game? Absolutely. Even though I ended up playing it for only twenty minutes, it was pretty easy to set up, pick up and play. At least you have varying boards to play through before you loop through them all again with much faster ghosts. However, I found it a little quaint that the improvements that I wanted for Mazemunch also applied here. At least the ghosts' faces are a little more detailed and don't look like something out of Space Invaders. You may end up playing this for a couple of minutes before picking up another better, more popular game, but you can do better - and worse - with this Pac-Man clone.

PrinceWatercress plays Classic Muncher

Another one? So soon. Well, that's odd. But hey, I'm playing a Speccy game again!

Longplay

Classic Muncher is a Pac-Man clone for the ZX Spectrum commercially released in 1987 as a budget title. Pressing 1 on the keyboard will start the game, but pressing 2 will let you either switch to a joystick or change the keyboard controls, which are displayed on-screen if you leave the attract mode running long enough.

From here, you're playing the game. There are six screens in all in this game, and if you go through all of them, you'll play through them all again, but this time the ghosts (of which there are four, just like in the game this is based of) will move much faster.

As always, you just move around with the keyboard or joystick, and the fire button does nothing. There are power pills that make the ghosts flash all sorts of colors to show they are vulnerable, and you can eat them for bonus points. There are also random fruits and the letters for the word "Extra" that you can pick up for big points and extra lives, respectively...assuming you're patient enough to get the latter. Your score as well as the amount of lives you have are at the top of the screen.

The game looks pretty good, and what little music there is sounds alright. However, just like with the recently-played Mazemunch for BBC Micro, not only do I have problems with the game that keep me from really enjoying it, the problems are the exact same ones!

Once again, you have to hold a direction on the keyboard or joystick to continue in that direction instead of just tapping a direction, and once again, that means having to fine tune your position to take a corner. This can be bad if you have multiple ghosts on your tail. While being able to play with a joystick makes this a little easier to deal with, as you aren't forced to keyboard controls that may make you feel like you're operating a construction crane, it's still pretty annoying.

Also, you get no audio warning that the ghosts are going to turn back to normal from eating a Power Pill. You'll have to pay close attention to the ghosts to know when they're going to stop flashing. Another interesting thing to mention is that the Power Pills lose effectiveness the further you get into the game. You can easily eat all the ghosts for big points early on, but once you're halfway through the game, you're better off eating the Power Pills to get the ghosts away from you so you can focus squarely on eating the dots you have yet to run into.

Because of this, it makes me wonder: which game would I rather have? Both games look alright, but they have the same flawed gameplay and the BBC Micro game was a type-in game out of a magazine while the Speccy game was a commercial release. It makes me pick the BBC Micro game more, because it was a type-in game from the very start, you didn't have to pay money for it (well, sort of, considering you had to buy the magazine the code for it came from) and if you knew how to program BBC Micro games, you could improve on it a little bit. Not so with this one.

Is this still a fun game? Absolutely. Even though I ended up playing it for only twenty minutes, it was pretty easy to set up, pick up and play. At least you have varying boards to play through before you loop through them all again with much faster ghosts. However, I found it a little quaint that the improvements that I wanted for Mazemunch also applied here. At least the ghosts' faces are a little more detailed and don't look like something out of Space Invaders. You may end up playing this for a couple of minutes before picking up another better, more popular game, but you can do better - and worse - with this Pac-Man clone.

PrinceWatercress plays BraveStarr (ZX Spectrum) - The Longplay

Now for the whole game in one sitting minus commentary...and thankfully, without crashing.

Let's Play

Grab your joystick! Up jumps, Left and Right move and Down ducks, while the fire button fires!

Shaman has been kidnapped by Tex Hex, who wants to destroy the New Texas colony so that Stampede can revive the dinosaurs to the point that they take over the entire planet. (Yes, that's the plot here.) Marshall BraveStarr has eight days to save Shaman or else the planet is doomed.

At the top of the screen is the map, and to the right of that is the current time. If the time runs out, you lose, and you're forced to start all over again. 

You start your game in Fort Kerium. Your first place to go to is your saddle rocket, which is all the way to the left. As you go, there will be plenty of enemies that will rush at you, and if you get hit, you'll lose time. It is possible to be dead for a few seconds, which will cost you a lot of time, so don't get hit a whole lot; otherwise, you'll be incapacitated. Your best bet is to brute force your way to 

When you get to the saddle rocket and press Down on it, you'll be able to move a cursor along the map at the top of the screen. Your first place to go to is Starr Peak, which is all the way to the left on the map. Move the cursor over to it with the joystick, then press the fire button. The game will soon become a horizontal shmup. Take out enemies without getting hit yourself.

As you defeat enemies, they may drop sparkles or squares. These sparkles and squares slow down the timer, with the sparkles slowing it down more than the squares. Every little bit helps, so grab as many of these things as you can.

When you land, head left. You'll enter Shaman's hut. From here, you can use the joystick and the fire button to choose what action to perform. Examine the hut, and you'll find out that there is a green stone from the prairie mines and signs of a struggle. You now have some Kerium, and Shaman has indeed been kidnapped. Also, the mines between Starr Peak and Fort Kerium have been revealed on the map.

Leave, then get back on the saddle rocket and head to the mines you just revealed. In the mine, Examine. Untie the Prairie People who are bound and gagged, then Talk to them. You'll find out that Tex Hex stole their magical Kerium so that he could enter Starr Peak and capture Shaman.

Leave, then head back to Fort Kerium and enter the Exchange, which is indicated by the sign saying "Exchange" above it. Press Down at the door to enter. Talk to the guy at the counter and exchange the Kerium for money. Leave, then head to the Bar, which has "Bar" above it. At the bar, Talk. Pay for information, and you'll find out that Tex Hex was supposedly seen in Deadrock, which is now revealed on the map and is east of Fort Kerium. Get on the saddle rocket and go to Deadrock.

At Deadrock, you will have to power your way to the right. You will eventually come across a guy in what looks like a black sleeveless full-body suit who moves around the screen. This is Tex Hex. To beat him, duck down and stand in place, and shoot at him as much as you can. This will keep you from dying a whole bunch and losing a lot of time, and you'll more than likely lose more time here than you will anywhere else.

Once you beat Tex Hex, you will have to make the (seemingly) long trek back to the saddle rocket, then you'll have to make the (seemingly) long flight back to Fort Kerium. At Fort Kerium, enter the Jail and Talk. Release Tex Hex for information about Shaman. You'll find out that Shaman is being held captive in the Hexagon, which is on the far right side of the map, even further than Deadrock. This is your next destination. Get on the saddle rocket and get over there.

After dealing with all the enemies and trying to save as much time as possible on the long flight there, you'll eventually meet Stampede. Keep as far away from him as you can while keeping him on-screen and jumping and firing at him without getting hit by Stampede's bullets. You can sometimes get some time-stopping pick-ups, which can be a bit of a help at this point. If you're good, Stampede will explode, and you'll rescue Shaman and beat a pretty darn hard Speccy game.

PrinceWatercress plays BraveStarr (ZX Spectrum)

Believe it or not, BraveStarr had its own video game...in Europe.

Longplay

Grab your joystick! Up jumps, Left and Right move and Down ducks, while the fire button fires!

Shaman has been kidnapped by Tex Hex, who wants to destroy the New Texas colony so that Stampede can revive the dinosaurs to the point that they take over the entire planet. (Yes, that's the plot here.) Marshall BraveStarr has eight days to save Shaman or else the planet is doomed.

At the top of the screen is the map, and to the right of that is the current time. If the time runs out, you lose, and you're forced to start all over again. 

You start your game in Fort Kerium. Your first place to go to is your saddle rocket, which is all the way to the left. As you go, there will be plenty of enemies that will rush at you, and if you get hit, you'll lose time. It is possible to be dead for a few seconds, which will cost you a lot of time, so don't get hit a whole lot; otherwise, you'll be incapacitated. Your best bet is to brute force your way to 

When you get to the saddle rocket and press Down on it, you'll be able to move a cursor along the map at the top of the screen. Your first place to go to is Starr Peak, which is all the way to the left on the map. Move the cursor over to it with the joystick, then press the fire button. The game will soon become a horizontal shmup. Take out enemies without getting hit yourself.

As you defeat enemies, they may drop sparkles or squares. These sparkles and squares slow down the timer, with the sparkles slowing it down more than the squares. Every little bit helps, so grab as many of these things as you can.

When you land, head left. You'll enter Shaman's hut. From here, you can use the joystick and the fire button to choose what action to perform. Examine the hut, and you'll find out that there is a green stone from the prairie mines and signs of a struggle. You now have some Kerium, and Shaman has indeed been kidnapped. Also, the mines between Starr Peak and Fort Kerium have been revealed on the map.

Leave, then get back on the saddle rocket and head to the mines you just revealed. In the mine, Examine. Untie the Prairie People who are bound and gagged, then Talk to them. You'll find out that Tex Hex stole their magical Kerium so that he could enter Starr Peak and capture Shaman.

Leave, then head back to Fort Kerium and enter the Exchange, which is indicated by the sign saying "Exchange" above it. Press Down at the door to enter. Talk to the guy at the counter and exchange the Kerium for money. Leave, then head to the Bar, which has "Bar" above it. At the bar, Talk. Pay for information, and you'll find out that Tex Hex was supposedly seen in Deadrock, which is now revealed on the map and is east of Fort Kerium. Get on the saddle rocket and go to Deadrock.

At Deadrock, you will have to power your way to the right. You will eventually come across a guy in what looks like a black sleeveless full-body suit who moves around the screen. This is Tex Hex. To beat him, duck down and stand in place, and shoot at him as much as you can. This will keep you from dying a whole bunch and losing a lot of time, and you'll more than likely lose more time here than you will anywhere else.

Once you beat Tex Hex, you will have to make the (seemingly) long trek back to the saddle rocket, then you'll have to make the (seemingly) long flight back to Fort Kerium. At Fort Kerium, enter the Jail and Talk. Release Tex Hex for information about Shaman. You'll find out that Shaman is being held captive in the Hexagon, which is on the far right side of the map, even further than Deadrock. This is your next destination. Get on the saddle rocket and get over there.

After dealing with all the enemies and trying to save as much time as possible on the long flight there, you'll eventually meet Stampede. Keep as far away from him as you can while keeping him on-screen and jumping and firing at him without getting hit by Stampede's bullets. You can sometimes get some time-stopping pick-ups, which can be a bit of a help at this point. If you're good, Stampede will explode, and you'll rescue Shaman and beat a pretty darn hard Speccy game.

PrinceWatercress plays Robocop (ZX Spectrum) - The Longplay...and more!

Anyway, here's the whole game in one video.

But wait...there's more!

It turns out that the main title theme...

...was used in an Ariston commercial!

Here's an even longer version!

(Special thanks to Justin TinpotGamer from the One Credit Classics community for bringing this to my attention!)

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PrinceWatercress plays Robocop (ZX Spectrum) - Part 4 of 4

If you can get past Stage 7, complete with hordes of enemies shooting at you at once, you'll be home free with this game. This game is tough, but it is beatable.

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Stage 7

Unlike the fifth stage, which had you going from the bottom to the top, you're going from the top to the bottom.

To use the elevators, stand dead center on them, then hold Down to go down to the next level. Be sure to keep a look out for enemies before and while using the elevators. Thankfully, you can shoot while making your way down.

The three-way shot shows up here again. It may help you. Or not. It's up to you.

Stage 8

Here, you'll be going up and down and all around in what looks like a construction site

The guys with the Cobra Assault Cannons are the worst; take care of them first, then take their gun. Each one will give you ten shots, which can go through multiple enemies like the machine gun but travel even faster. State of the art. Bang, bang.

You'll also have to deal with ED-209 again, but if you've been accurate with your Cobra Assault Cannon, two shots will do it in.

Stage 9

It's Stage 2! But it's all white! And it's Boddinger! And he's taken The Old Man hostage! And it's harder than last time!

When Boddinger moves, you'll have to shoot him in the shoulder, as he will be exposed a little bit as he moves around as he hides behind The Old Man. Be careful not to shoot The Old Man, and make sure not to take too much time as Boddinger can shoot at you. Once you beat Boddinger, you'll go back to Stage 1, but you'll have beaten the game! Congratulations!

PrinceWatercress plays Robocop (ZX Spectrum) - Part 3 of 4

This is where the difficulty heats up. If you can make it past these two stages, you've gotten pretty good.

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Stage 5

The warehouse is quite possibly the worst level in the game, as this is one place where it can be easy to take damage.

Going in diagonal directions on the joystick lets you go up and down stairs, and look alive for power-ups...you'll need them! Thankfully, they're always flashing.

The three-way shot can be nice, as it always fires two diagonal shots in addition to the one that fires straight forward, but the shotgun will allow to take care of enemies a little more efficiently, especially the chainsaw guys.

The stairs do not protect you from the chainsaw guys; you can be clearly above them and they can still hit you.

Stage 6

Here, you'll try to arrest Clarence Boddinger, but you cannot arrest him because of the fourth objective. From here, you'll have to fight ED-209...with your fists. When you approach it, duck down to avoid getting shot at. When you get close, alternate between punching and ducking. Three punches later, ED-209 will be defeated...for now.

PrinceWatercress plays Robocop (ZX Spectrum) - Part 2 of 4

Short video this time around, but that's because the two levels here are also relatively short. Also, gotta love those computer game piracy charges on Emil there.

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Stage 3

This one is more of what you've expected from Stage 1, but there is new enemy. The guys on the motorcycles can be taken down with a punch from up close, so be ready to hit them. The machine gun ammo, once you pick it up, will blow through them. Once again, when you beat up all of the enemies at the end, you'll go on to Stage 4. 

Stage 4

Stage 4 has RoboCop logging into the Detroit Police Department database for a face-matching minigame. The one you need to match is on the left; the one you're making is on the right. Use the joystick to go through all the features, then press Fire when you think you've got it right. The face will always be randomly generated, so pay attention, even though it will always be on the left side of the screen. You'll start with the face outline, then the chin, then the nose. then the mouth, then the eyes. If you get everything right, you'll get info on Emil Antonowsky just like in the movie (complete with a cheeky reminder not to copy games), then go on to the next stage. You don't have a lot of time, so pay attention to detail...and quickly!

PrinceWatercress plays Robocop (ZX Spectrum) - Part 1 of 4

Here it is: my very first ZX Spectrum Let's Play! Here's hoping that I have more Let's Plays with games on this system down the line! And what better way to start than with one of the more notorious and well-known games for the venerable micro?

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Stage 1

The joystick moves Robocop around and lets him aim, while the fire button lets you shoot the gun. You cannot jump in this game. If you're close to an enemy when you fire the gun, you'll punch instead. This is especially true when facing the chainsaw guys up close. You can duck with Down, but you have to press Up in order to stand back up again.

The best way to avoid most things is to move forward. This is especially useful when you have enemies shooting at you from the windows above.

The guys who run at you and jump kick can easily be ducked under.

The jar is baby food, which will restore some of your health. Grab it when you see it; energy is hard to come by in this game. Your energy is the yellow gauge at the bottom. The rest of the HUD is the ammo for all four of the guns in the game that you have, your current score, and the amount of time you have left. You don't have a lot of time, so don't waste it. Also, you'll get an extra life at 20,000 points.

You'll start out with a pistol that fires one shot at a time, but you'll get other guns as well. You'll find the machine gun early on in the first stage, which works like the pistol but blows away multiple enemies at once. You can only switch back to the pistol when you've used up all the machine gun bullets.

You'll find pistol ammo near the end. When you can't move to the right anymore, you'll have to fight some enemies down. Once you defeat the enemies near the exit, you'll be able to leave. Keep an eye on the timer, as you only have four minutes to get through the stage.

Stage 2

You'll be in first-person shooting at a guy who is taking a woman hostage. Be sure to shoot the guy in his exposed arm to ensure that you hit him. Shoot him before he can shoot you. Move the crosshairs with the joystick, and press the fire button to fire the gun where the lines meet. If you accidentally hit the woman, you'll lose health, and hitting her too many times results in the loss of a life. You also only have 30 seconds to clear this, so be fast.

The Jetpac Series: Lunar Jetman

Here's the much harder sequel to Jetpac.

Here, you took a bomb to a base in order to destroy it. All the while, you'll be using your Lunar Rover to get around, teleporting and filling in craters.

Once you hit the later levels, the game is just nuts.

The Jetman Series: Jetpac

As I took a look at this game, I found out that there is a game called Lunar Jetman, and that Solar Jetman was the third in a series of four games.

The first game in the series is Jetpac, released for the ZX Spectrum in 1983 back when Rare was known as Ultimate. The whole "build the spaceship, then collect all the fuel" thing is pretty obvious, and just like in Solar Jetman, you also collect radioactives and gems for points.

If this game looks familiar to you, congratulations. You must have played Donkey Kong 64. The game made a surprise appearance along with the original arcade version of Donkey Kong, and if you got 5000 points on this, you got an edited-in Rareware coin.