QWAK (Game Boy Advance) - Review by Andrew

Introduction

We seem to be in he age of all things retro (as far as consoles go anyway) and every week sees a new collection of original and updated collections from the 1980s. QWAK is a little different to all these though and while it is a game which originally saw the light of day on the Commodore Amiga and was release in the same decade as these collections it's only a single game. Nor does it have a big publisher behind it, in fact it's been independently published by its original developer Jamie Woodhouse who's something of a gaming hero, having also done the incredibly addictive Nitro for Psygnosis (let's hope that gets a handheld release). If you've delved into any of these collections you'll be well aware that the games can be hit and miss, with some not aging particularly well. A single platformer has to be a risk then... doesn't it?

Gameplay

Given the sheer simplicity of this game it isn't likely to be the longest Gameplay section you'll ever read but remember this is a 'retro' title. The objective is simple: playing as a duck (named Qwak we assume) you must make your way through the game's levels collecting all manner of goodies and then locating the key which, in turn, opens the exit. Unfortunately this is against a timer and you'll also have to contend with an increasing number of rather aggressive baddies who want to stop you. In addition there are flying keys, oversized Guardian levels and rather sizeable spikes that rain down on you if you should decide to spend too much time collecting goodies. Everything is saved on a high score chart, thanks to the battery back-up, encouraging you to just keep coming back for more.

Controls

Move, jump and fire with pixel perfect collision detection. What more could you ask?

Graphics

Simple but effective and almost identical to the Amiga original so don't expect anything which pushes the GBA's hardware. It is pleasing though and the style of the visuals complements the gameplay in every way.

Sound

While there's little in the way of sound effects there are lots of tunes to keep you occupied when you are playing. Cleverly the music speeds up as time is running out and the dreaded spikes begin to fall from the skies.

Final comments

It would have been very easy to dismiss QWAK as a simplistic platformer with no place in modern gaming but be warned because this unassuming little game has a habit of consuming your life. Why? You ask. Well, to bring it down to the most basic of levels QWAK is from an era where it was all about gameplay. There were no flashy visuals, FMV intros and certainly nothing in 3D. What it does have is that elusive 'just one more go' quality which will have you coming back repeatedly just to beat your last score over and over again. There are only 300 of these carts ever going to be made available (www.qwak.co.uk) so at a mere £15 you really should bag yourself a copy this instant.

Pro: Great Platforming Action.
Con: WARNING: Very Addictive!
Final score: 8.5

Share on Twitter or Facebook

Comments