Lynx Reviews D-K

Dracula: The Undead (not to be confused with Dracula the Florist) is like one of those point-and-click adventures, except you walk around instead moving a cursor. You need to examine everything and solve problems by combining items in the most unlikely ways. The intro features Bram Stoker sitting in his easy chair reciting some background story as a storm rages outside. I believe that's James Cameron playing the role of Bram. I thought this game was based on the movie Bram Stoker's Dracula (1993) but the character likenesses are much different. Instead of Gary Oldman's over-the-top Dracula you get the traditional Bela Lugosi model. The black-and-white graphics add atmosphere along with some pretty creepy music. The visual detail is good as you explore shadowy rooms with flickering light provided by a lantern. Doors and windows tend to blend into the surroundings and some are not even visible! You often need to press against the side of the screen to find them! The text descriptions are weak. The first thing I examined was the cupboard in the bedroom, only to read "It's just an old cupboard." A thoughtful description would have made exploration a lot more interesting. Likewise when I accidentally asked Dracula the same question twice he responded with "You already said that" which kind of took me out of the moment. The menu interface is far too specific so simply trying to use an iron key on an iron door can take five minutes. I would still be stuck in the first room if not for the FAQ. Most of the puzzles make no sense! It would never occur to me to combine twine with a fishing hook to create a fishing line. Even less obvious is using that to lower yourself down a well! But the worst part of the game is climbing the castle walls to reach various windows. Performing the climb once is a chore, yet the game expects you to repeat the process about 10 times! It is not worth it - especially when you see the crap ending. I wish I could say Dracula: The Undead is so bad it's good, but I'm afraid this one is so bad it's just bad. © Copyright 2018 The Video Game Critic.

Judging by the name alone I would have pegged Gordo 106 as a futuristic fighting game starring a fat cyborg. The title screen however reveals the full name to be "Gordo #106: The Mutated Lab Monkey." Say what? According to the intro you play a "brutally exploited lab monkey who lives in lonely misery in cage #106". Gee, what an uplifting theme for a kid's game! It stands in stark contrast to the game's wacky hijinks and funky music. Gordo is a sharp platformer with impressively large characters. Some of these people are screen-sized. Gordo is well animated, and I especially like how he unlocks cages to release bunnies. He looks hilarious when running with his arms over his head or celebrating at the end of a stage. Gordo hurls apples at lab doctors who look like Larry David. The stages feature all the normal elements - conveyor belts, lights to swing on, and timed flame traps. The problem is, our poor little monkey is constantly bumping his head, triggering a brief but annoying "dizzy" animation. This makes sense when positioned in a tight space, but more often than not he bumps his head on the top of the screen! If there's a ceiling up there, they really should show it! Many areas call for a long jump, but the platforms are too narrow for a running start. Even when you do have some room the running controls are erratic. And then there are the obligatory "leaps of faith". When you fall, you'll find yourself in an underground level, where you think you have a new lease on life. Then you are suddenly incinerated. Occasionally you'll fall into a bonus room with all sorts of items to collect and cages to unlock. I never said Gordo 106 made a lot of sense. After losing all your lives you get a game over screen, but you have to turn the system off and on to play again. Gordo is average platformer, but if it brings people's attention to the inhumane treatment of animals I guess it served its purpose. © Copyright 2018 The Video Game Critic.