| Introduction
Zapper, from UK developer Blitz Games, is possibly
the only new and "original" game character
that I've encountered this year. For those that don't
know, Zapper is a cricket, and according to the game
synopsis, Zapper's brother has been kidnapped by the
Magpie Queen. As such, it's up to Zapper (and you) to
rescue his brother and in the process, explore new worlds
and collect hidden Magpie eggs.
GamePlay
Zapper is a standard puzzle platform game, but one
that encompasses a neat mix of gameplay elements from
other classic games, like the evasive maneuvers of 'Frogger',
the mine cart race from 'Indiana Jones', and the rotating
platform of the old Atari 7800 game, 'Tower Toppler'.
Of course, everything is enhanced for the GBA, and Zapper
has considerably more powers and gadgets to aid him
in his quest.
The 'Adventure Mode' in Zapper challenges you to
get to the exit while avoiding a collection of drone
creatures, which can either be jumped over or disposed
of by using your super zap. Before you get to the exit,
you'll also have to collect one hundred blue orbs and
twenty yellow ones. The yellow ones are a little trickier
as you have to collect them in a specific order. Flashing
indicates the orb and if you way mess this up in some
way, you might as well hit the restart button.
Once you collect everything, you'll be allowed to
enter a bonus section, which is a little more interesting
than the main game. There are two of these bonus sections,
'Mine Cart' and a kind of 'Tower Toppler' affair. The
latter resembles the main game, although here you're
climbing a tower as opposed to the overhead view that
the main game is played in. More interesting is the
Mine Cart section, which involves you trundling down
a mine shaft at great speed with only a 'lean' or 'jump'
control at your disposal. The objectives aren't always
the same either, so while in one you must collect all
the blue orbs, in the other, you must simply finish
the course within the time limit. Once you've completed
this you can enter the 'Arcade' section where you can
replay most of the levels you've already encountered,
only this time trying to beat your best time.
The highlight of Zapper though has to be the multi
player section, which only requires a single copy of
the game for up to four players. Most of these are based
on a 'Zipper Soccer' sport which is considerably more
enjoyable that most other aspects of the game.
Control
Zapper generally has two moves: 'jump' and 'double
jump'. This is true in the main game and the various
bonus sections and as the whole game is based on a grid
system, you'll only ever fall to death if you've chosen
the wrong one. Obviously, from a gamer's point of view,
this makes the control system appear incredibly responsive
but it's far from imaginative and is yet another aspect
in Zapper that will have you scratching your head and
wondering the point of it all.
Graphics
Visually, Zapper is a mixed bag. The majority of
the game doesn't even come close to exploiting the GBA's
graphic prowess, although to be fair, there are some
scenes which are quite brilliant. The main game though
can best be described as 'plain' with everything being
viewed from overhead and constructed of boxes. The 'Tower
Toppler' section, in which you gradually rise through
the platforms around a tower like structure, is a little
more impressive.
The real visual feast though is the runaway mine
cart section, but this can only be sampled if you manage
to open up the hidden bonus sections. There is also
a mixture of sprite animation and some seamless FMV
like those from 'Iridion II' from Shin'en. Overall,
Zapper has little merit in the visual department and
a little more attention to detail would have gone a
long way to improve the overall presentation.
Sound & Music
Zapper is dominated by some rather bland 80's synch
soundtracks which were probably lying around the studios
for some time looking for a home. The sound effects
are a little better although the developers appear to
have completely ignored the importance of audio in enhancing
a game. The end result is a game that you'd rather play
on mute while listening to your favourite CD.
Final Comments
Despite an "original" character, the main
problem with Zapper is that it's basically a 'Frogger'
clone. There are already more than a few of these type
of games in the GBA library, and sad to say, Zapper
just doesn't have the qualities to rise above the rest.
Still, it is an enjoyable game but not addictive enough
to make you want to continue playing until the very
last level. The single cart multi player option is a
bonus, but this assumes that you enjoy the game in the
first place to want to play it with someone else. Although
Atari should be applauded for trying something somewhat
"original", platform puzzle fans would be
advised to try before they buy.
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