The randomizer has chosen Super Pipeline II as my next Commodore 64 game to try! This game has a manual, so here is the cover to set the mood:
There are pipes and they are definitely in geometric lines, so I better prepare for some... water that goes in a line? This is the cool part about trying a game that I have never played or even heard of. The excitement of having no idea what I am getting into!
Status: Played it
Thoughts: I like simple games. Pac-Man is one of my favorite games! But Pac-Man controls well. That is crucial for an action game.
Super Pipeline II does not control well at all.
Foreman Fred is very sluggish and it is not fun to try to make him do any sort of turn. Many games from the 70's had reasonably good controls, so Super Pipeline II has no excuse in 1985. I think it is the pipe size! If they were significantly bigger and Fred was smaller, it would require less precision. The game would be more fun. Fred is way too big and the enemies are too small in comparison. I loved the mechanic of using Wills (assistants) to fix leaks. That part was fun! But when I would attempt to turn Fred around to shoot an enemy, problems would arise. Fred decides to be slow about it and also walk forward, which is certain death if it is a short pipe and an enemy is in front of me. The computer-controlled Wills saved me way too many times! The game mechanic might simply be to herd the endlessly-spawning Wills into being human shields, but that is honestly not much fun at all. If they are defeating enemies AND fixing leaks, why am I even there!
Rating: 1.5 out of 4 Irish Screwdrivers
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