| Frenzy | |
|---|---|
 Acorn Electron cassette cover | |
| Publisher(s) | Micro Power |
| Platform(s) | Acorn Electron BBC Micro Commodore 64 |
| Release | 1984 (BBC Micro, Acorn Electron), 1985 (Commodore 64) |
| Genre(s) | Arcade, Qix clone |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Frenzy is an 8-bit computer game published in the UK by Micro Power in 1984. [1] It is a version of the arcade game Qix . [2] The game was released for the Acorn Electron [3] and BBC Micro [4] in 1984 and for the Commodore 64 [5] in 1985.
Although the gameplay is similar to Qix , the backstory for Frenzy involves the player controlling a robot craft, attempting to capture deadly sub-atomic Leptons from inside a scientific research centre. [1]
In Frenzy, a Lepton is captured if it is trapped in an area enclosed by the player's robot craft or if 95% of the screen area has been filled. The robot craft has two speeds and the score for filling in an area using only the slower speed is subject to a 2x multiplier. Chasers appear in higher levels which can collide with the player's robot craft, causing a life to be lost. The number of Leptons and Chasers increase as the levels progress, up to a maximum of five of each on the most difficult screens—except for Levels 12 and 14, which have a smaller number of Leptons (and no Chasers) but the Leptons move much faster. The player obtains an extra craft on completing the third, sixth and ninth screens. [1] It has been found [6] that after level 14, the last two screens repeat indefinitely.
It is stated in the instructions that a good strategy is to build narrow filled blocks using the faster speed across the centre of an unfilled area, and then finally seal the area off by using only the slower mode. [1] This maximises the score while reducing the risk of using "slow mode" to a minimum. It can be seen that players of the game tend to stick to this strategy. [6] [7]
Some players [6] remark that Frenzy is not an exact Qix clone. Although the game is clearly derived from Qix, there are crucial differences. In Qix, completing a line fills in the area not containing the Qix regardless of size, whereas in Frenzy, the smaller area is always coloured, allowing Leptons to be trapped (which kills them). In Qix, filling a set percentage is the only way to complete levels; in Frenzy it is more common to complete levels by killing all the Leptons. Also, in Frenzy, the Leptons move in a regular, completely deterministic pattern, and the player's robot craft is permitted to hesitate, making Frenzy a different playing experience to Qix. [7]
Generally, the game has received a positive response from both players and reviewers.
Frenzy was reviewed in the August 1984 edition of Acorn User [8] and also in issue of Electron User . [9] Adam Young in his review entitled "Simplicity Makes a Winner" described the game as "one of the most amusing and compulsive games on the market" and "excellent".
Oliver Robinson enjoyed playing Frenzy by Micropower. Comparing the game to another similar game called Kix he wrote that Kix had better music, while Frenzy had better gameplay. [2] The music to Kix is "Scarborough Fair" and "House of the Rising Sun"; Frenzy has no music at all.
Other players have described the game as "a great family favourite", [6] a "favourite game" and "simple, but addictive". [7]
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.
Acornsoft was the software arm of Acorn Computers, and a major publisher of software for the BBC Micro and Acorn Electron. As well as games, it also produced a large number of educational titles, extra computer languages and business and utility packages – these included word processor VIEW and the spreadsheet ViewSheet supplied on ROM and cartridge for the BBC Micro/Acorn Electron and included as standard in the BBC Master and Acorn Business Computer.
Qix is a 1981 puzzle video game developed by husband and wife team Randy and Sandy Pfeiffer and published in arcades by Taito America. Qix is one of a handful of games made by Taito's American division. At the start of each level, the playing field is a large, empty rectangle, containing the Qix, an abstract stick-like entity that performs graceful but unpredictable motions within the confines of the rectangle. The objective is to draw lines that close off parts of the rectangle to fill in a set amount of the playfield.
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.
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". 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.
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.
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.
Eddie Kidd Jump Challenge is a stunt bike video game released for the Acorn Electron, BBC Micro, Commodore 64, MSX and ZX Spectrum first released in 1984, licensed by British stunt performer, Eddie Kidd.
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.
Snapper is a clone of the Namco arcade game Pac-Man programmed by Jonathan Griffiths for the BBC Micro and released as one of the launch titles for Acornsoft in 1982. It was also one of Acornsoft's launch titles for the Acorn Electron in 1983.
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.
Hyperball is a clone of the 1986 arcade game Arkanoid created for the Acorn Electron and BBC Micro. It was released as part of the compilation Play It Again Sam 13 in 1990.
Killer Gorilla is a Donkey Kong clone written by Adrian Stephens and published by Micro Power for the BBC Micro in 1983. It was ported to the Acorn Electron and Amstrad CPC computers in 1984.
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.
Gauntlet is a clone of Defender written by Chris Terran published in the UK by Micro Power. Described as "a very competent implementation of one of the most popular arcade games", it was initially released for the Acorn Electron, and later made available for the BBC Micro, with an Amstrad CPC version arriving in 1985.
Ghouls is a platform game written by David Hoskins and published in the UK by Micro Power. It was released on the Acorn Electron, BBC Micro, Commodore 64 and Amstrad CPC in 1984.
Stock Car is an overhead-view racing video game written by A. W. Halse and published in the UK by Micro Power. It was released in 1984 for the BBC Micro, Acorn Electron, and Commodore 64 computers. Although the cassette inlay gives the release date as 1984, some sources state the release date as 1983, and the game is also known as Stock Car Racer.
Deathstar is multidirectional shooter for the Acorn Electron and BBC Micro developed by Peter Johnson and originally published in the UK by Superior Software in 1985. It is a clone of the arcade game Sinistar.
Galaforce is a fixed shooter video game for the BBC Micro and Acorn Electron, written by Kevin Edwards and published by Superior Software in 1986. It spawned a sequel, Galaforce 2 (1988), and later, Galaforce Worlds (2003).
Deadly sub-atomic particles are running free in a scientific research centre
Frenzy, and Kix were both versions of an arcade game called 'Qix', which unfortunately, is hard to come by these days.
1984 Arcade action game. For Acorn Electron Computers.
Publisher: Micro Power[ dead link ]
Genre: Arcade, Miscellaneous Players: 1 Only
In this video I take a break from Repton and revisit another childhood memory by completing all fourteen unique levels of the game Frenzy. (It turns out that after Level 14, the last two levels repeat indefinitely.)
Simple, but addictive.
Hopper from Acornsoft, Frenzy from Micropower.
A cool head, a steady hand and nerves of steel should ensure you a top score in this excellent game.