 |
| Title: |
Quest Fantasy Challenge |
| Publisher: |
Sunsoft |
| Features: |
GameBoy / Color GameBoy |
| Available: |
Mega Multimedia
Tampines Mall
Tel: 788-7555
Fax: 788-2555 |
| Reviewer: |
Eric |
|
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|
Introduction
Everyone said that the game was a Dig Dug rip-off. I never played Dig Dug
before, so I didn't know what to expect when I decided to review Quest Fantasy Challenge. In the manual, Sunsoft
says that the game is aimed at elementary school students of all ages. I was delighted, since it probably meant
a nice, colorful game that wasn't too challenging. Boy, was I wrong!
Game Play
QFC is a puzzle challenge game. Don't be mislead by the Quest moniker though, cause' there isn't anything RPG-ish
about it. It's a simple game, one in which you have to collect all the elements (don't ask me why it's called elements
when it darn well looks like diamonds), on the screen to advance to the next stage.
To get the elements, you'll have to do some serious horizontal and vertical digging, and at the same time, some
serious evading, cause' there are monsters around that are more interested in you than the elements.
You aren't totally helpless though, since you will be initially armed with a single shot fire ball that can kill
a monster.
There are also several treasure chests scattered thorough the screen in each stage, and if you dig under them and
make them fall to the ground, you will find some nifty items that will either power-up your weapon or give you
special powers. If you're smart enough, you can also use the treasure chest to kill the monsters by dropping it
on them.
QFC has 20 stages, and each time a player clears 5 stages, the Boss stage will appear. In this stage, it's just
you and the Boss battling it out to the end. All you have to do is avoid it as much as you possible. The best tactic
to use is hit and run, since it takes several attacks to kill a Boss.
Color & Controls
QFC isn't graphically pretty and the controls are rudimentary at best. What
more can I say?
Final Comments
Frustrating Quest Challenge would have been a better title for this game. Or maybe, Quest Boring Challenge.
Although targeted at elementary school students, I suspect that they too would balk at having to play a game as
badly conceived as this.
First off, it's so darn frustrating. The Hero moves so slowly whereas the monsters seemed perpetually pepped on
steroids. In a game where evasion is the key to survival, QFC will have you cursing in no time. As such, don't
even think of out running a monster, or even out maneuvering them, since they are obviously programmed to instantly
home in on your location.
QFC is also boring, since all the stages look exactly the same. There aren't any animated cut-scenes or colorful
stills, and invariably, you'll feel hard pressed to continue the game knowing that there are no eye-candy reward
after a particularly difficult stage.
Worst of all, each stage is played on a single boring screen. A scrolling playing field would have been much more
challenging, and could have saved what is otherwise a rather playable game.
Sad to say, but Quest Fantasy Challenge isn't a game I would recommend, and not just to elementary school students.
Although it fails on many counts, the most unforgiving of all is the fact that it is plain and simply un-fun! |
