Home Runner

Copyright : Britannia Software | Reviewed by : Ritchardo

Interesting point of note: for a large number of Amstrad users, Home Runner was probably the first game that they saw running on their machine at home, as part of the \'Welcome to Amsoft\' cassette that came with the 464. Despite this exposure, it was never put out as part of the infamous £100 software bundle that Amsoft first lumped in with the 464 in 1985, while the other game featured, \'SultanÂ's Maze\', was. Now ask yourself this question: If a game as poor as SultanÂ's Maze could make the cut but Home Runner couldnÂ'tÂ… how bad must Home Runner be?!!! The answer? Very bad. Very bad indeed.

Looking like a refugee type-in from the instruction manual, Home Runner distilled arcade simplicity down to itÂ's fundamentals, put them to the side and then scraped up all the left over crap off the floor and used that instead. An abomination of a platform game, you have to collect a single flashing object on the screen and then make your way back home, located in the top right hand corner of the screen and handilly labelled as such in plain text. It was never going to be as easy as that though was it? Access to the top of the screen can only be made by jumping through the gaps that appear in the platforms above you. The platforms disappear and reappear on a seemingly random basis making planning an impossibility. Hindering your progress are a squadron of “Astro Spiders” who must be avoided unless you donÂ't mind losing one of your three lives. Oh! And youÂ've a strict time limit within which you are supposed to pull this offÂ…

And thatÂ's it.

Each level is the exact same challenge with only the background colour changing or the addition of more objects to collect. Not that youÂ'll actually see any of the other screens without cheating because itÂ's almost impossible to get out of the first screen! The distance between the platforms is not big enough to allow you to jump over the spiders so unless you run in the opposite direction or are lucky enough to have a gap open above your head then youÂ've had it!

The presentation is exactly what you wouldÂ've expected from a 1984 type-in that failed to get published in any magazines. With a main character who looks like a slightly beefier stickman and straight red-lines for platforms, no corner was left uncut in rushing out this game. The sound consists of a crash noise whenever you run out of time or are killed by a spider and a repetitive dirge of a tune that resembles Woody WoodpeckerÂ's laugh looped after only a few seconds but playing in my head until the end of timeÂ…

Unfortunately, although showing nothing in terms of look or gameplay that would make you think youÂ'd want it anywhere near your machine let alone have official endorsement, Amsoft clearly felt that it was of an acceptable enough standard to slap in a plastic box and market as part of their rangeÂ…

So the next time someone tries to tell you that World Cup Carnival or Count Duckula II are the worst games on the CPC, point them in the direction of Home Runner instead. I donÂ't think IÂ've ever played a worse game than this. And I hope I never do. IÂ'm just thankful that I didnÂ't have to pay £8.95 for it like the poor saps who bought it when it first came outÂ…