Planet Bob

Really challenging this game, especially with nobody having a clue how it works :)

 

Today I figured that it's randomized, wether a page you find is good or bad. It also seems the page locations are randomized within a couple of rooms. A map that I found for the speccy version also supports this theory, since it has "possible page locations" marked.

 

I also found this map for the C64 version:

http://c64.tin.at/_single_files/heartland.sol.gif

 

Those page positions and page types it shows were IMO just valid for the particular round when it was mapped

 

Still works fine as a C64 room map though.

 

Finally I revived an older Heartland discussion on Lemon, maybe this'll reveal some more of how the game is ticking.

 

Oh and just for the record, today I made it to level 4 already, so even without knowing what I'm doing, I'm at least getting forward

Ok, figured it out:

(Lame ending, eh?)

 

Here's my final theory of how the game works:

There's only 10 pages, 6 bad and 4 good. For each game they're randomly placed on certain hotspot locations. Collecting the book will activate the first bed (=teleporter to next level). Collecting 4 more pages will activate all beds so you can freely teleport between the 5 levels. Any extra pages you collect will make you drop one of your 4 in hands - repeatedly doing so will allow you to exchange grey ones in your hand for white ones, until you found all whites. Then just shoot all remaining/dropped greys.

 

Some future day the "Playing..." series may see another 2D action adventure in the form of "Terramex", but first it will pause a bit... ?!?

Have you ever tried "StreetBeat" (C64) aka "GhettoBlaster"? You play as a DJ searching for great music. You explore a city looking for tapes (flashing doors). You take tapes you find back to the studio. Then you have to play them and get 10 people to dance in order to make the song a success. There are gang members trying to ruin your day, but you can start them dancing with a blast of music from your boom box. There are drug addicts that you can not stop and you have to run from them. The ending is lame, but the gameplay is very enjoyable.

 

Cheers!

Yes, I remember playing that one quite a bit

 

Had a lot of funny details, like the psychopath that would destroy your Ghettoblaster or those old people yelling "No Respect!"

 

Also very good music for a '85 title. I think I never managed to finish it though.

Since the "Playing..." series is paused while I will be focusing on Colony 7 during the next few weeks, I thought to present at least a small forecast of things to come. It will continue with games reviewed in issue 12/86 of Happy Computer. After some initial research, these are the games I decided to have a closer look:

 

Labyrinth

Druid

Fist II

Ninja

BMX Simulator

Ya gotta love these old-school games with their extremely generic names:

Ninja

Druid

Labyrinth

Adventure

Maze

etc.

After the goldrush all the 'easy' names were taken though

 

BTW: There's more to 'Labyrinth' than what you'd expect from such a generic name...

It will continue with games reviewed in issue 12/86 of Happy Computer.

 

Ah, there's nothing like changing plans every once in a while. The series will continue soon, but before going on with the announced issue I will have a little "Playing..." special focusing on "Tank Games". Yup, you read that right, I said "games", not "simulations"

 

I won't tell the names straight away, just reveal that it will be about two C64 classics and a NES oddball