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


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