Some games are instantly impressive. I’m sure you know the kind of thing. When you first sat down to play the likes of The Chaos Engine, Cannon Fodder, The Settlers or Speedball 2, you knew very quickly that you wouldn’t be disappointed. These were games put together with love and panache, carrying a veneer of quality that is simply unmistakable. You may be dazzled by technical wizardry, wowed by sumptuous graphics, delighted by stellar sound or drawn in by beautifully fashioned atmosphere.
Mean Arenas has none of these things. This is certainly a game that hides its light under a bushel. And that bushel is wrapped up in a towel hidden at the bottom of a box. In the cupboard under the stairs. So first impressions aren’t great, but luckily it does have that one secret ingredient that is essential for any game. Gameplay. It has gameplay in spades and that makes all the difference.
Mean Arenas is a Pac-Man clone. Except there is no Pac-Man and there are no ghosts. But despite the lack of the main participants from the 1980 arcade classic, there are still clear similarities between the games. To start, it is a 2-D top-down maze game. The premise is that you are appearing on a television show, with the ‘arena’ being a labyrinth, filled with gold coins that you have to collect, while avoiding the attentions of various monsters determined to thwart your efforts. Complete a level and you progress to a new arena in true Pacman style and you are rewarded with a level code. There are twenty-two arenas spread across four zones: Robo Zone, Dungeon Zone, Rainbow Zone and Starship Zone. There is more to do than just collect coins and avoid baddies though. There are lasers, bombs, teleports, switches, keys, secret passages and more. You can also collect bonus letters which, when complete, award extra lives. This is Pacman on steroids and it is actually a lot of fun.
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There is a small on-screen map, that can be toggled using the function keys to show either the location of the remaining coins, or the bad guys, both or just the arena. In truth you probably won't look at it until you need to locate the final coin that is preventing you from completing a level, but at that point it is dead handy.
Each attempt is introduced by two TV presenters, one a large brash American, the other a small nerdy character, but their attempt at a slick link is always interrupted by something going wrong, such as the studio falling apart behind them or the ‘nerd’ presenter breaking wind or wiggling his ears. It sounds a bit rubbish and in truth it is a fairly crass attempt at humour, but to be fair when I first played this as a much younger and (arguably) less mature human being I found them hilarious!
The graphics are adequate rather than impressive. The sound for the most part does what is necessary but mention should go to Chris Barrie (of Red Dwarf fame) who I am absolutely convinced provides the voiceovers (but I can find no reference to this online). The elongated: “Maaaaarvellous” when you complete a level always makes you smile!
There isn’t much more to say. It’s a fairly average looking maze game which doesn’t impress in any particular technical department. But here’s the thing. I have played technically impressive games that get boring very quickly. This doesn’t get boring quickly at all, because it is fun. Fun is the key. That, by and large, is why I load a game up; I want to enjoy myself. I enjoyed myself playing Mean Arenas. There are far more technically impressive games out there so it won’t blow you away, but you will find yourself coming back to it long after some of the more polished titles have been put away.
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Graphics - 80%
Solid but unspectacular.
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Sounds - 78%
In game sounds do what you would expect but don't stand out. Bonus marks for voice samples that genuinely make you smile though.
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Grab-Factor - 90%
Instant pick up and play appeal, anyone that has played Pac-Man will feel completely at home.
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Gameplay - 85%
Simple in concept but surprisingly fun to play. Stacks of replay value.
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Verdict - 83%
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AG 24/05/2018
Featured in Amiga Addict magazine, issue 11.
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© Words and pictures copyright grapeswriting.com
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Mean Arenas - Review
(I.C.E., Commodore Amiga Game, 1994)
None of Us - Review
(Electric Black Sheep Demo, Commodore Amiga, 2022)
I find it both wonderful and remarkable that developers continue to support the Amiga, a machine that apparently died around 1997 (of course we know better!) Twenty-five years later a whole new generation of programmers are testing their talents and are continuing to squeeze the maximum they can from our beloved machine. I have had a little look at None of Us, one of the latest offerings from the new breed of developers.
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None of Us is a release for the Amiga from Electric Black Sheep, with the game’s design aesthetic tipping more than a casual nod towards Among Us – the 2018 multi-platform and multiplayer deduction sensation. In particular the graphical style and a limited field of view effect (which the developers claim is innovative for the Amiga) do draw heavy comparison to the 2018 release from Innersloth.
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When is a game not a game?
Now the first thing I should emphasise is that None of Us is not a full game. And that’s not my opinion, in fact that’s the very first thing we are told when we visit the developer's website. It has been produced as a mini-game and was used by the developers to test visuals and gameplay for their forthcoming full release Project Quest. Consequently it can be downloaded for free, although donations towards production costs are encouraged. A kind of shareware then, and I’m all for that.
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Kill everyone
The similarities to Among Us end with the graphical style being used though. While Among Us is a multiplayer Cluedo type who-done-it game, None of Us is a straightforward single-player top-down shooter. The easiest way to describe it is to imagine a cartoony and simplified incarnation of Alien Breed, where you shoot other people rather than aliens. The sound is basic with just a couple of effects being used.
Pressing ‘M’ brings up a map (the play area is surprisingly large) and the limited field of view can at times make things a little more tricky with some enemies hiding unseen, though it isn’t too restrictive. There are some vents and other portals that act as shortcuts to different rooms, and there are health and weapon power-ups to collect. Although you retain the same gun throughout, you can collect and throw dynamite (using a second fire button; top marks for that!) And that is pretty much the game.
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When playing, everything is smooth and works as you would expect. In true Amiga style, eight-way direction is used for both character movement and your gunfire. This means that to hit an enemy you have to do lots of dodging in and out of their line of fire to dispatch them, any players that have spent time playing The Chaos Engine will be familiar with the required tactic.
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Verdict
I am not going to offer a full scoring summary as it would be unfair, this is not being marketed as a full game and, had it been, it would not stand comparison well. It is far more appropriate to compare it to other Public Domain and Shareware software and that is far more favourable. While a little basic, it works well and is a fun little time killer. You won’t be playing it in three months’ time, but it works great for a short term quick load-up and blast. Considering you only pay what you think it is worth there is little to complain about.
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Give it a go and chuck these guys a few quid for their efforts in keeping the Amiga alive in 2022. It’s the least they deserve.
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None of Us can be downloaded from: https://electricblacksheep.itch.io/none-of-us
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AG 08/11/2022
Featured in Amiga Addict magazine, issue 17.
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© Words and pictures copyright grapeswriting.com
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