Knights & Slimes (Monte Boyd) $3 USD
Game title: Knights & Slimes
Game description: The kingdom has been overrun by slimes and it's up to you to grab a knight and eliminate them all. The primary objective of the game is to clear the screen of all enemies for each level. There are a few types of enemies within the game but the main type of enemy you will deal with are slimes. The main gameplay mechanic in Knights & Slimes can be best described as a hybrid between Bubble Bobble and Pang. Killing the enemies requires running into them with your weapon or jumping on top of them whereby they will initially split into two smaller sizes and you continue hitting them and splitting them until they are eliminated. If an enemy hits you from behind then you lose a health point. Two enemies of the same size that touch each other will rejoin to form a larger enemy. So it is important to follow up your attacks. There are a number of different pickups to collect that will grant your knight temporary powers. You can also pick up apples to restore one health point. Knights n Slimes has 8 different knights for you to choose from. Each knight can accumulate Experience Points by collecting stars and defeating enemies. XP stats for any given knight are retained and can be built up across multiple playing sessions. For every 100 experience points gained - then that knight gains an ability. The first extra ability awarded is extra health points, followed by double jump and then the Enchanted Weapon (one hit kills). When you do complete a level, a summary screen is displayed showing you whether you have earned any bonus points. There are 4 different worlds in Knights n Slimes but only the first is initially unlocked. Completing all 8 levels of a world will unlock the next area. A new game can be started from any unlocked world, no matter which knight character you use. All progress you make in respect to unlocked areas, knights XP and abilities earned and hi-scores are automatically saved.
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Production - 88%
88%
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Fun - 90%
90%
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Depth - 83%
83%
Summary
Monte Boyd hits it out of the park with his first stab at providing an arcade style platform game for the Commodore 64 that is not only so easy to pick up and play but will have you hooked and returning to it for multiple playing sessions. The overall production values are wonderful. Starting from the console like intro screen, moving through to having 8 different knights to play across 4 different game worlds and the gorgeous graphics, we are provided with a highly authentic arcade style gaming experience for our humble little 8-bit machine. Is there anything missing from Knights & Slime? Well, I suppose a two player mode would elevate the game to the next stratosphere and from a single player perspective, so some sort of story narrative in between the game worlds would add further compulsion to see the game through to all its 32 levels and the main SID track won’t be to everyones liking. But as it stands in its current form, Knights & Slimes is pure arcade gaming bliss that would sit comfortably next to its peers such as Bubble Bobble. This is a game to be enjoyed by all C64 enthusiats.
Overall
87%User Review
( votes)Pros
- Simple, fast and fun to play
- Great graphics
- XP and ability upgrades
- Game world variation
Cons
- No two player mode
- No story narrative to tie the game together
Game Video Link:
