Here is the countdown to my favourite games on the Oliver Twins Collection. As usual you can watch the video here, or just beneath are my thoughts on each of the titles:
11: Professional BMX Simulator - 1993 - 8Bit - Simulator
This is a tricky game which is not helped with difficult to master controls. It is fun though, even in failure - well, the first 10 times anyway! Outside of the difficulty there is just not much to this compared to the other games on the set.
10: Panic Dizzy - 2019 - 8Bit - Puzzler
This game should be fun, a selection of Dizzy themed puzzle games sounds brilliant, but whereas a few of the mini games are fun, the rest are annoying or confusing and take a little time to get your head around. Once you finally get it (thank gods for tinternet!) then the game opens up, but considering the other stellar Dizzy games in this collection, once I moved on, I never came back.
09: Firehawk - Firehawk - 1991 - 8Bit - Air Combat
I had a lot of fun with this game once I got the hang of the controls and top down view. I loved how the game switched to a side on 2D view when you tired to rescue a target. Great fun if a little tricky, and a game to come back to often when playing through this set as the games ahead are mostly quite similar in style.
08: Dreamworld Pogie - 2017 - 8Bit - Platformer
An enjoyable fast paced horizontal platform game. Nice sharp graphics, good controls, though a little slippery when trying to land on small platforms. Again, though no where near as enjoyable as the other games in this set, it helped to jump back to it now and then to get a break from the style of most of Dizzy games in this collection.
07: Dizzy the Adventurer - 1993 - 8Bit - Adventure
The first 'proper' Dizzy game on my list. I loved this game so much so that I played it to completion in one sitting. Its fun and perfectly formed and can be done in an afternoon if you can get your head around how Dizzy games work. I can't fault this game, it was fun; short; and sweet.
06: Wonderland Dizzy -
While all Dizzy games are extremely similar they all have one or two additions that make them stand out from each other. Wonderland includes the gimmick of controlling both Dizzy and Daisy. The trick is you can only change between them when the character you are controlling gets knocked out or loses a life.
Item management is also a little easier in this game, whilst you can still only hold three items, you can select which item to use instead of having to cycle through each one. And there is an option at the start which gives you infinite lives, but with the Evercade save states that was never going to be an issue.
05: Super Robin Hood - 1993 - 8Bit - Adventure
I vividly remember the cassette cover for my Spectrum for this game, the loading screen and pouring hours into the game and failing miserably. Well, now I can do that all again, although this time its the more advanced NES version - And a damn fine version it is too. It looks and plays great, is tricky but heaps of fun. And dare I say I've actually made some decent progress.
Super Robin Hood may also have my favourite soundtrack of all the Evercade collection to date. I even used it's title music for the opening of my video. I also adore the music for the first stage of the level which is why I included it in the video.
04: Mystery World Dizzy -
As I adore all the Dizzy games in this collection it has been hard to rank them. To a degree they can be interchangeable. Mystery World Dizzy is definitely the most polished of Dizzy games on the collection. It's the best looking and includes scrolling and text.
03: Go! Dizzy! Go!- 1992 - 8Bit - Puzzler
I adored Kwik Snaks on both my Spectrum and Amiga growing up, in fact it was always one of my favourite Dizzy games and the one I went back to the most often. Go! Dizzy Go! is a sort of enhanced version of that game, and certainly captures that same simple but addictive vibe. What makes Go! Dizzy Go! more interesting than Kwik Snaks is the amount of items, power ups and secrets scattered through out. This game is an absolute joy, and the perfect pick up and play for the Evercade Handheld.
02: Treasure Island Dizzy - 1993 - 8Bit - Adventure
This is the Dizzy game I remember most fondly on my Spectrum, it was also the first Dizzy game I ever played. Thankfully the game has aged well, looks great, and controls absolutely fine when you get used to the jump and item management system.
Quite small compared to the others on the set, and most of the item puzzles are simple enough to work out. Just remember: DO NOT DROP THE SNORKEL UNDERWATER! and you should be fine. You only have a single life in this game so remember to use the save states often!
01: The Fantastic Adventures of Dizzy - 19 - 8Bit - Adventure
The main reason for Fantastic adventures ranking at my number one spot is due to the scale of the adventure. This world feels so much bigger and alive, with more locations to explore and a number of fun side games like a slide jigsaw puzzle; a minecart stage; and controlling a barrel down the rapids. Though it still retains the original item management of having to cycle through and use each item to you get to the one you want.
Final Thoughts on The Oliver Twins Collection
I can honestly say I have had the most fun playing through this collection than probably any Evercade Cartridge before this. I wasn't sure how well the Dizzy games would have aged since it's been so long since I last delved into the world. But, I shouldn't have feared. They've aged well and play brilliantly, the save states should negate anyone's worry over the one life situation in games like Treasure Island.
I cannot praise this wonderful cartridge enough, and yes it is partially nostalgia talking, but the games have aged well regardless of that. If you have an Evercade - Buy this collection, no arguments!
Next time we are in for a treat, we are back with Atari, but this time a selection of games from their legendary handheld The Atari Lynx. I never had a Lynx, but my friend did and let me play on it quite a bit, mostly to show off of course, as mates often do. It will be interesting to see if I recognize any games when I begin playing as I cannot for the life of me remember the names of any actual titles.
Until next time my friends, be seeing you x
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