http://www.zhell.co.uk
http://zhell.atari.org
Amstrad
Atari
Sinclair
Atari and Atari logo is copyright of Atari/Infogrames.
All other copyrights recognised.
Pepsi Challenge
Toposoft 1988. Conversion by Salvador Casamiquela. Graphics by Roberto P. Acebes. Sound by Eugenio L. Barahona. Music by Gominolas.
I sometimes can't believe what
software publishers got away with in the eighties and nineties,
with titles like this and McDonald Land somehow being released in an orgy
of corporate advertising. I can barely conceive of how these games were
even dreamt up. Who approached who? Did the developers, knowing they'd
just spent several months developing a turkey, decide to make their cash
back they'd con some mega corporation into using their game. Or did the
mega corporations actually decide that any game, no matter how bad, would
be good advertising for their decidedly unhealthy products. Fortunately
for Pepsi in this case, the game itself isn't quite as bad as it could
have been. The link with the brand is incredibly tenuous as you'd expect.
It's more like Pepsi sponsored the game rather than anything else. So
what amazing game did they come up with to represent the Pepsi brand then?
'Er.. howabout Pacman, Mr Pepsi executive?' This one's more like Pacmania
however in that the levels scroll about. The graphics are bland and the
scrolling is pretty dire and the game often feels it clonking about in
ten ton boots. The music is also fairly atrocious and the less said about
the sound the better. Your Pacman is surprisingly slow and once a ghost
is on his tale there is little chance of outrunning them. There are a
few twists in this one, which just about save it from complete crapness
however. In addition to the usual power pills there is a power up which
turns you into a giant Guinea Pig, which you can use to stomp all over
the ghosts, though you can't collect any pills when your like this. There
are also gun emplacements you can climb into and zap any nearby ghosts
with. Other twists are flipping blockades, which flip over when you walk
on them and one way pads, which when you collect them force you to walk
in one direction.
The levels in this one feel too big and the slightly clunky gameplay means
you are unlikely to play it for long. It could be a whole lot worse however.
Hhhmm just imagine if Pepsi and McDonalds still did release coporate games..
Pepsi Halo anyone?
Zogging Hell Rating: 6/10
Cheats
