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Review Information |
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Reviewer Name: |
HotDiggerdyDamn |
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Game Difficulty: |
Medium |
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Difficulty Options: |
False |
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Game Information |
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Full Title: |
Montezuma's Revenge Featuring Panama Joe |
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Year Released: |
1989 |
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Game Type: |
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Max Players: |
1 |
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| Introduction |
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| Panama Joe is a simple chap, all he wants from life is to make a butt load of readies by raiding the temples and tombs of a once proud and honourable people. However this will not be an easy task as his path will be riddled with fire, venom, pitfalls and the rolling skulls of the restless dead he has awakened with his thieving heresy. Fortunately though as well as being a simple chap Joe also has a nad-sack the size of Africa and a greed unparalleled by even Robert Maxwell. So with your help this brave/foolhardy adventurer will be plundering graves faster than his misshapen, pixelated, legs can carry him. HUZZAH! |
| Gameplay |
For many fans of retro games beyond the mighty Master System there are certain games that transcend platform and the screen and become lodged in the heart, like Mc Donald's food only less carcinogenic, Games like Head Over Heels and Doom and, for me and many others, the legendary Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy - well Montezuma's Revenge, as well as being an inventive nickname for the squits, is like Manic Miner only not quite as legendary. I loved this kind of platformer; the kind where every room is a little level all of it's own with ladders, platforms, enemies, obstacles and collectables all lovingly crafted into their own compact environments
Unfortunately this kind of game died at the hands of the scrolling platformer and I can't help but think the world is a slightly crapper place for it.
Anyhoo, within these separate little environs Joe must collect keys and avoid enemies to make his way further into the tombs and onward greater treasures. As well as all the afore mentioned obstacles Joe will have to contend with conveyor belts (all good ancient tombs had them), forcefeilds (again a staple part of life a thousand years ago) and spider thingies. So it's pixel perfect jumping abilities and timing of the gods that you'll need to complete this bad boy and without both of these skills...well quite frankly you're screwed. |
| Graphics |
| Overall it's a functional job but the screens are packed with movement and detail, and often the game flings the odd wall statue and ancient art at you that really adds to the atmosphere. Also it may be a simple thing but the colour of the temple changes as you move floor to floor which for some reason makes everything seem fresh, new and even more awesome than before and really adds to your sense of progress. |
| Sound & Music |
| Very little going on here, every so often you will hear the sound of Joe's tiny arse going up in smoke and on top of that you get a little Mexican tune every time you pick up some treasure and when you enter the temple. For some reason these little Mexican sounds really don't seem to fit with the game for my liking, even considering the games location, but they're not really a deal breaker. |
| Controls |
| Spot on, truly brilliant, gives you the same feeling you got when you managed to place one of the stickers in your Merlin or Panini sticker albums perfectly in the designated square - especially if it was one of those cool foil ones... sweet, sweet precision. |
| Replay Value |
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| Like most games it won't have you running through it twice on the same day, but I have come back to this time and time and time again. I suppose the time you invest will ultimately be based on your enjoyment of the genre and you keeping your rage levels to a minimum. |
| Conclusion |
| I love this game and I'm sure other retro gamers will find something familiar and loveable in here too. Joe, for some reason has more personality in one of the pixels on his tiny belt than 90% of today’s anime inspired, hermaphrodite looking, quiff wielding characters, and hopefully you'll enjoy his pilfering antics as much as I do. It may be getting rare these days and not the cheapest title to get hold of but I'd have to say it's well worth some of your ancient gold any day of the week |
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