Blues Brothers : The

Copyright : Titus | Reviewed by : Ritchardo

Join Jake and Elwood Blues on their Mission From God to put the band back together and perform a concert to raise cash to save their childhood orphanage from being closed down.

Collect as many records as possible on your journey to pick up the instruments you need for the concert over five levels.

Graphics

Upon loading youâ??ll be greeted with a fantastic cartoon interpretation of Jake and Elwood that sets the tone of the game from the very outset.

Unfortunately, the range of colours is sadly limited to the title screen and Titus logo as the entire game is played in various shades of blue (and a hint of black). This sacrifice of colour does allow the game to play at a faster pace than would otherwise be possible.

Speed, as has been mentioned, is not a problem although there are occasional slowdowns when there are a number of enemies on screen. Never enough to spoil your enjoyment, it can cause frustration and ultimately a loss of life.

Another frustrating element to the graphics is the flick screen presentation of the game which can often lead to a loss of life or being thrown back to a much earlier part of the level, forcing you to make the treacherous journey all over again.

Well animated lead characters (watch for Jake and Elwood clutching their hats as they jump) and a wide range of bizarre enemies make up for these pitfalls, however, and there is always something new and different to look at as you progress.

Sound

Breathtaking. Itâ??s as simple as that. No CPC game before it or after it has ever came close to the fantastic soundtrack of this game. Each level has its own music taken from the film of the same name. Each version is instantly recognisable and sounds fantastic. If theyâ??d managed to make a passable version of one of the filmâ??s songs â?? Iâ??d have been impressed to make six very good translations is impossible to praise enough. This is it. The greatest CPC soundtrack of all time. Ohâ?¦ and thereâ??s no sound effects but wont give a damn!

Gameplay

Initially fun to play, The Blues Brothers is a challenging platform with plenty of replay value thanks to the neat sense of humour, generally excellent graphics and extraordinary soundtrack. Scrape away the veneer though and you find that the game is actually quite limited in terms of task and scope.

Before too long, the reality of what is a simplistic platform game hits home. There are few moments that will leave you wondering what to do next or challenge a more accomplished playerâ??s platforming skills.

Iâ??m perhaps being a little harsh on the game because it is fun in the short term but the sound and, to a certain extent the graphics, raise the bar on this title so much that the game canâ??t help but be a little disappointing when it isnâ??t up to the same standards as other Amstrad platform games.