From: buffa@delos.inria.fr (Michel Buffa)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.games
Subject: Re: YOU SHOULD TRY HARLEQUIN !
Date: 6 Apr 92 11:34:16 GMT
Reply-To: buffa@sophia.inria.fr
Organization: Inria Sofia Antipolis

In article <34chb194@csv.warwick.ac.uk>, esucv@warwick.ac.uk (TOny M) writes:
|> In article <16809@sophia.inria.fr> buffa@sophia.inria.fr writes:
|> >Well, a few days ago I posted a msg about the game Harlequin, a platform game
|> >by Gremlins. I needed some help. NOBODY ANSWERED so I guess nobody knows about
|> >this very good game!!!!
|> >
|> >Harlequin is a very good smooth platform game that has got the quality of the
|> >best console games. It's big, very playable, the main character can perform a
|> >lot of different actions. levels are huge, a lot of fun, is much more an
|> >arcade adventure game than a silly platform game similar to turrican. It can
|> >compare with the best games on the sega megadrive, is much better than say
|> >'Robocod', you can load/save game, and this proves that the game is huge and
|> >playable. You will be able to complete it, but it will be long!!!!
|> >
|> >Reviews in English magazines are incredibly good, and if you tried a cracked
|> >copy, you have to buy it (anyway the cracked copies can't load/save, so you'd
|> >better buy it if you really want to enjoy it).
|> >
|> The UK mags raved about Robocod, saying it had fantastic graphics (but it
|> doesn't - re. the more than 1 enemy on screen jerkyness). How does
|> Harlequin compare? Does it jerk like crazy (this seems to be a common fault
|> with Amiga games - programmers trying to be too ambitious (both Turricans
|> do this)) ?
|> 
|> Still, it's playability that counts I suppose...


Well, Harlequin is not as colorful as robocod, but frankly, I never enjoyed
playing Robocod. Not a lot to do except exploring stupidly nice drawn
landscapes, and you are right, the scroll is jerky when there are more than 1
enemy on screen Harlequin is not 50Hz, not as colorful as Robocod, but is much
better designed. You can run, jump, scrawl, get ropes and use them, you can
open a umbrella when you are falling from a too high place, you can use a big
balloon to jump higher, you can turn yoursel into a fish and go underwater,
there is a system of bonuses very well designed that give you exra time when
you are going to die, and the playability is perfect. There are many levels, a
scenario, lots os switches to use in order to open doors, and so on. In the
beginning of the game you have to climb a gigantic clock tower, and when you
are on top, a message say that you need to fix the clock, so you go down, then
normally if you used the correct switches a door is open so you enter the
clock and reach level2. Than from level 2 you explore the interior of the
clock, go to level 3, slide on a rope like robert de Niro in Brazil, do the
fish and finally find a TV fuse you activate, then you have to go back to
level 2, back to level 1, go on top of the tower, jump, get the clock arms,
and like Harrold Lloyd you must jump onto another platform to the next level.
ANd you can save the game at any time so that you won't have to do all the
game from the beginning. And the animation is really detailed, the monsters
arebig and well animated. Well, I think it is one of the best platform games,
as good or better than Gods, Magic Pocket, First Samurai, the same arcade
adventure games, but it looks more like a console game, so in my opinion it's
a great original clever arcade game that will last a long time before being
completed.
 
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Michel Buffa:       Projet Robotvis, INRIA, France

    Internet:       buffa@sardaigne.inria.fr
Surface Mail:       Michel BUFFA, INRIA - Sophia Antipolis, 
                    2004, route des Lucioles, 06565 Valbonne Cedex -- FRANCE
 Voice phone:       (33) 93.65.78.39, Fax: (33) 93 65 77 65
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Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.games