Wizball longplay (C64) [QHD]

Game Info
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Developer: Sensible Software
Publisher: Ocean Software
Year of Release: 1987
Coding: Chris Yates
Graphics: Jon Hare
Music: Martin Galway

Game Review & Impressions
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Regarded as the game which earned Sensible Software its reputation as one of the best and most innovative UK developers of the 80s and 90s, Wizball is a quirky hybrid of shoot 'em up and puzzle game. Players must help Wiz and his cat restore colour and vibrancy to Wizworld, now reduced to a drab and uninspiring place of misery by the dastardly Zark.

At a very basic level, the game operates as a Gradius-inspired shooter. Defeated enemies will occasionally drop a token, which can be used to earn power-ups. Collecting more tokens will change the power-up to be awarded, and players can lock in their choice by performing a quick waggle of the joystick. This is mechanism is surprisingly slick, meaning that players can control the game entirely through use of the joystick.

There is an optimal order to selecting these power-ups, however. You'll definitely want to prioritise the anti-gravity and stabilisers, which stop your ball bouncing around and enables it to hover in mid-air. You'll also want to get Catelite, for you'll need this to collect mystic chemicals required to complete each level. Other abilities include more powerful lasers, force-fields, as well as shield of invulnerability, rendering Wiz and Catelite impervious to damage for a short duration.

Actually beating the game is more complicated than just blasting enemies at random. You'll need Catelite to harvest chemical droplets from coloured blobs that spawn in each of the levels. Each level will spawn blobs of a specific colour only, so you'll need to navigate between zones using various warp holes to locate enemies of the correct colour type. Collecting droplets will fill three of the flasks located to the bottom left and centre of the screen, but you'll need to collect droplets in the correct colour and quantity to match the colour of fluid shown in the far right flask. Once the flask on the far right is filled, the zone is complete, and you're whisked away to a bonus stage, where it's possible to earn extra power-up points, as well as bestow Wiz with a permanent upgrade, even if he happens to lose a life.

There's no denying that Wizball is a very clever game. The overall concept was quite unlike anything else available for the C64 at this time, and the level of polish and presentation is exemplary. I don't think the game is likely to appeal to everyone, but it's still possible to appreciate what Sensible put together here, even if it's not your cup of tea.

Information & Trivia
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Has no ending; game loops after completing the final level

Video Notes
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Related Longplays & Videos
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Chapters
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00:00 Main menu music & Wiztips
03:40 Gameplay
1:18:18 Ending

#wizball
#c64
#retrogaming