GNASHER review for ZX Spectrum
0HdE'S TOTALLY UNORIGINAL GAMING SHOW S03, E10
GNASHER REVIEW FOR ZX SPECTRUM.
When is a ghost not a ghost? WHEN IT'S A CTHULHU JELLYFISH MONSTER!
In this episode, I take a look at a game that really speaks to the nature of the 1980s home computer game market. Be honest - you saw that thumbnail and thought 'that's Pac-Man,' didn't you? And, to be fair, nobody could blame you!
Gnasher, a budget title released by Mastertronic in 1983, apes Namco's infamous maze game to quite a degree. Although, as we'll see, it's not an entirely faithful homage. Coded within a tight 16K memory constraint for the early run of Sinclair ZX Spectrum computers, it's a bit of a basic affair, by necessity. And, given that it's the product of just one dedicated programmer, it's certainly an achievement. It has all the familiar ingredients - the pill-popping gameplay, ghosts, power-pills, bonus fruit and even a few of Namco's flourishes from their arcade game are present and correct. The Spectrum isn't short of Pac-alikes, though, including an excellent, official port courtesy of Atarisoft. So there's a lot of competition for this one.
Does it hold up as a fun Pac-Man clone today? Or does it feel like a second rate knock-off? (I'll give you a hint - it's a 16K Spectrum game, and the 1980s home computer game development scene wasn't exactly governed by the strictest standards of quality. But I've said too much - go watch the video!)
I'm always on the look-out for interesting games to feature on this show - whether they're any good or not. So if you know of or have fond memories of any particular looky-likey games like Gnasher, let me know about them in the comments section!
Here's a link to the featured review at the end of the video - DEAD SPACE for the ZX Spectrum (yes, really!)
https://youtu.be/EhptNL5V_Vg
#pacman #ZXSpectrum #gaming