Frak!

Last updated

Frak!
Frak! Cover.jpg
Developer(s) Aardvark Software
Publisher(s) Aardvark Software
State Soft (C64)
Designer(s) Nick Pelling
Platform(s) Acorn Electron, BBC Micro, Commodore 64
Release1984: BBC, Electron
1985: C64
Genre(s) Platform
Mode(s) Single-player

Frak! is a scrolling platform video game programmed by Nick Pelling for the BBC Micro and Acorn Electron and published by his own Aardvark Software in 1984. It was ported to the Commodore 64 the following year by "The B Team" (Jason Perkins, Anthony Clarke, and Mark Rodgers). The BBC and Electron versions were included on the Superior Software compilation Play It Again Sam 4 in 1987 and re-issued in budget form by Alternative Software in 1989.

Contents

Gameplay

First level on the BBC micro Frak screen.png
First level on the BBC micro
First level on the Acorn Electron Acorn-Electron-Frak!-gameplay-level-1.png
First level on the Acorn Electron
First level on the Commodore 64 Frak Screenshot.png
First level on the Commodore 64

Frak! is a side scrolling platform game in which the player controls a caveman named Trogg. In each level, Trogg's object is to find three keys located on the level. The platforms and ladders (replaced by logs, ropes and chains on later levels) constituting the level are laid out in a very tricky form. When Trogg steps off a platform, he does not fall straight down, but instead slides diagonally downwards. Added to the fact that long falls will kill Trogg, this calls for very skilful jumping among the platforms. Trogg exclaims "Frak!" (presumably an expletive) each time he dies. When the user manages to complete the three levels, they are returned to the first level with the screen display upside down. [1] The game then repeats the same three stage sequence, following which it rotates 90 degrees and repeats again. Subsequent loops consist of video being displayed in black and white and rotated, and also the display being flashed on and off in three second intervals.

Enemies in Frak! come in three forms: the large, hairy Scrubbly, pig-like Poglet and large-nosed Hooter (each static, as "statues"), balloons and daggers. The statues obviously stay still, whereas the balloons fly straight upwards and the daggers fly diagonally downwards. Contact with any enemy will kill Trogg. To combat the enemies, Trogg is armed with a yo-yo that he can launch straight horizontally. The yo-yo will kill any enemy it comes into contact with, even those off-screen and a side scroll away.

Each level also has a time-limit, which can be topped up by the occasionally found light bulbs, but if the time runs out, the level does not end - instead, the game continues in the dark. [2] After this point, the yo-yo can still be used to remove the static enemies from the level but will not affect balloons and daggers.

Frak! encodes high scores as nonsensical secret messages, such as Hairy gonks kiss green Buddhas slowly.

Ports

When the original BBC Micro version was converted for the Acorn Electron, the screen mode was changed from the four-colour, 20  KB, mode 1 to the two-colour, 10 KB, mode 4 due to the Electron's reduced performance in the larger, high bandwidth screen modes. Due to other restrictions related to the Electron's video hardware, scrolling of the play area occurred as the main character approached the edge of the screen, being "more like a jump than a scroll". However, it was observed that despite the loss of colour, "the graphics actually seem better" and the game appeared to be "slightly faster and less flickery". The extra RAM freed up by the smaller frame buffer made it possible to add a screen designer which was not in the BBC original, [3] and to include extra levels (bringing the total to nine against the BBC's three). The C64 version [4] was written by MicroProjects Limited (Jason Perkins, Anthony Clarke & Mark Rogers) who were subcontracted by Statesoft to do the conversion. It has six levels. The BBC version has a higher resolution than the C64 and so some of the active playing is off the screen. [5]

In 1998, a version of Frak! was released by RComp Interactive for Acorn's ARM-based series of computers running RISC OS. Although regarded as "an institution" and having "some of the elusive quality of the original", this new version was criticised for not having been updated to compete with more recent platform games, with the background remaining blank and with the non-player characters remaining unanimated just as in the original. This release did, however, reintroduce a level designer, albeit operating as a separate program from the game itself. [6]

In October 2020 a version for Microsoft Windows was released on Steam. This version stays close to the graphics and sound of the original BBC Micro version, but adds extra levels and gameplay features.

Reception

Acorn User remarked on the "outstanding" graphics and compared its characters to early Disney cartoons. [7]

Reviewing the Commodore 64 version, Zzap!64 also praised the graphics and said it was a challenging game. It was rated 71%. [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Acorn Electron</span> Personal computer sold in Britain

The Acorn Electron was a lower-cost alternative to the BBC Micro educational/home computer, also developed by Acorn Computers Ltd, to provide many of the features of that more expensive machine at a price more competitive with that of the ZX Spectrum. It had 32 kilobytes of RAM, and its ROM included BBC BASIC II together with the operating system. Announced in 1982 for a possible release the same year, it was eventually introduced on 25 August 1983 priced at £199.

<i>Exile</i> (1988 video game) Single-player action-adventure video game first published in 1988

Exile is a single-player action-adventure video game originally published for the BBC Micro and Acorn Electron in 1988 by Superior Software and later ported to the Commodore 64, Amiga, CD32 and Atari ST, all published by Audiogenic. The game was designed and programmed by Peter Irvin and Jeremy Smith. It is often cited as one of the earliest examples of a Metroidvania game and featured "realistic gravity, inertia and object mass years before players understood the concept of a physics engine... an astounding level of AI, stealth-based gameplay, a logical ecosystem governing the world's creatures and a teleportation mechanic that feels startlingly like a predecessor to Portal".

<i>Repton</i> (video game) Video game series

Repton is a video game originally developed by 16-year-old Briton Tim Tyler for the BBC Micro and Acorn Electron and released by Superior Software in 1985. The game spawned a series of follow up games which were released throughout the 1980s. The series sold around 125,000 copies between 1985 and 1990 with Repton 2 selling 35,000 itself. The games have since been remade for several modern systems, including iRepton for the iPhone / iPod Touch in 2010, and Android Repton 1, Android Repton 2 and Android Repton 3 from 2016 to 2018.

<i>Last Ninja</i> Series of video games

Last Ninja is a series of video games published by System 3. The first game in the series titled The Last Ninja, was released in 1987 for the Commodore 64 and was one of the most successful games for the system. In 1988, System 3 released Last Ninja 2, and in 1991 the third game in the series, Last Ninja 3. In 1990, Last Ninja Remix was released for 8-bit systems. This was Last Ninja 2 with new music, a new introductory sequence, slightly changed graphics and fixed bugs. Confusingly, the 16-bit versions of the original The Last Ninja game were also released in 1990 as Ninja Remix.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Micro Power</span>

Micro Power was a British company established in the early 1980s by former accountant Bob Simpson. The company was best known as a video game publisher, originally under the name Program Power. It also sold many types of computer hardware and software through its Leeds 'showroom' or via mail order.

<i>Bone Cruncher</i> 1987 video game

Bone Cruncher is a puzzle video game for the Acorn Electron, BBC Micro, and Commodore 64 first published by Superior Software in 1987. It uses the "rocks and diamonds" mechanics of Boulder Dash. An Amiga version was released in 1988.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Acorn MOS</span> Computer operating system

The Machine Operating System (MOS) or OS is a discontinued computer operating system (OS) used in Acorn Computers' BBC computer range. It included support for four-channel sound, graphics, file system abstraction, and digital and analogue input/output (I/O) including a daisy-chained expansion bus. The system was single-tasking, monolithic and non-reentrant.

<i>Boffin</i> (video game) 1985 video game

Boffin is a platform game published in 1985 by Addictive Games for the Acorn Electron and BBC Micro. It was written by 17-year-old Paul Julian O'Malley, who at the time was a resident of Romsey, Hampshire, UK.

<i>Firetrack</i> 1987 video game

Firetrack is a vertically-scrolling shooter programmed by Nick Pelling and released for the BBC Micro and Commodore 64 platforms in 1987 by Electric Dreams Software. It was also ported to the Acorn Electron by Superior Software in 1989 as part of the Play It Again Sam 7 compilation. It resembles the 1984 arcade game Star Force in style and gameplay. The game was technically advanced and very well received by critics.

<i>Palace of Magic</i> 1987 video game

Palace of Magic is a platform game released on 1 November 1987 for the Acorn Electron and BBC Micro by Superior Software. Combining platform elements with problem solving, it similar gameplay to the earlier Citadel. Both are early examples of the Metroidvania genre.

<i>Kane</i> (video game) 1986 action video game

Kane is a multi-section action game published by Mastertronic for the Commodore 64 in 1986. It was ported to the Acorn Electron, Amstrad CPC, BBC Micro, ZX Spectrum, and the Commodore 16 and Plus/4. The game is set in the Wild West, and its name is a reference to the main character of the film High Noon. It consists of four distinct scenes, although some versions only contain two. A sequel was released in 1988.

<i>Grand Prix Construction Set</i> 1987 video game

Grand Prix Construction Set is a racing video game for the BBC Micro released in 1987 by Superior Software. It is a simulation of Formula One coupled with a track editor. It can be played in full screen single-player or two-player split screen modes.

<i>Strykers Run</i> 1986 video game

Stryker's Run is a video game designed by Chris Roberts and Philip Meller for the BBC Micro and BBC Master which was published by Superior Software in 1986. It was also later converted to the Acorn Electron. It is a 2D side-scrolling action game. It was well received, particularly for its graphics.

Alligata Software Ltd. was a computer games developer and publisher based in Sheffield in the UK in the 1980s.

<i>Pipeline</i> (video game) 1988 video game

Pipeline is a video game for the BBC Micro and Acorn Electron, originally published by Superior Software in 1988. It is an overhead view action role-playing game set on a mining platform. It was remade for Microsoft Windows as Pipeline Plus (2004).

<i>Hercules</i> (1984 video game) 1984 video game

Hercules is a platform video game written by Steve Bak for the Commodore 64 and published by Interdisc in 1984. It was reissued in 1986 by Alpha Omega and ported to the Acorn Electron, BBC Micro, Commodore 16, Plus/4, and ZX Spectrum. Alpha Omega changed its name to The Power House shortly after publishing the game.

<i>Superman: The Man of Steel</i> (1989 video game) 1989 video game

Superman: The Man of Steel is a 1989 video game featuring the DC Comics character Superman. It was developed and published by UK software company Tynesoft under license from First Star Software.

<i>Dunjunz</i> 1987 video game

Dunjunz is an action game made for the BBC Micro and Acorn Electron home computers and released by Bug-Byte in 1987. It is essentially a clone of the popular video game Gauntlet where players controlled fantasy characters from a top down view. Unlike Gauntlet, each of the characters is given their own viewport onto the dungeon and can explore independently.

<i>Jet-Boot Jack</i> 1983 video game

Jet-Boot Jack is a platform game written by Jon Williams for the Atari 8-bit family and published by English Software in 1983. It was ported to the Acorn Electron, Amstrad CPC, BBC Micro, and Commodore 64. A C64-only sequel, Legend of the Knucker-Hole, was released in 1984.

<i>Ballistix</i> 1989 video game

Ballistix is a video game created by Martin Edmondson for the Amiga and Atari ST and published by Psyclapse in 1989. It was also converted to a number of other home computers in the same year and the PC Engine/TurboGrafx-16 console in 1991. It is a fictional futuristic sport involving directing a puck to a goal by shooting small balls at it.

References

  1. "Frak! | Retro Gamer". 18 August 2008.
  2. "Impossible to Display Scan".
  3. Waddilove, Roland (April 1986). "Frak - it's sure to be another classic". Electron User. Vol. 3, no. 7. p. 13. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  4. Ivan Paduano (2 March 2015), Game of the day 159 Frak! ( フラク!) State Soft 1985, archived from the original on 21 December 2021, retrieved 21 June 2017
  5. Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine : [c64] Frak! (1985). YouTube .
  6. Paul, Teri (October 1998). "A blast from the past". Acorn User. p. 44. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
  7. Quinn, Tony (September 1984). "Rock with the caveman". Acorn User . p. 155. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  8. "Impossible to Display Scan".