Having featured the main games of the series back in July last year, this week Antstream Arcade takes a look back at the spin-offs inspired by the adventures of that brave explorer, Dizzy. So, together with an egg-fact and an egg-tip, here’s a roundup of five egg-stra curricular Dizzy games available to play on Antstream Arcade right now
Fast Food – Codemasters
Keen to capitalize on the popularity of Dizzy, it wasn’t long before Codemasters and the Olivers began releasing arcade spin-off games, of which this Pac-Man/Boulderdash/BurgerTime hybrid is the first. As manically rapid as its title suggests, Dizzy must dash around the maze collecting wayward food and avoiding monsters. Inevitably, there is none of the depth of the main games, but Fast Food is quaint arcade fun nonetheless.
Egg-Fact: Commodore Amiga magazine, Amiga Action, released a cut-down version of Fast Food as a cover disc for its Easter issue in 1993. Completion yielded a code which could then be used to enter a competition in the magazine.
Egg-tip: There are a number of items to help Dizzy negotiate each level: shields turn the tables on the enemies, the purple medal gives him invulnerability while the red tomato ketchup bottle gets rid of the enemies completely.
Kwik Snax – Codemasters
More food-based hi-jinks, but this time even superior to Fast Food and probably Antstream’s favourite of the Dizzy spin-offs. Another maze game, this time it recalls the arcade classic Pengo, as Dizzy stomps around each screen, collecting snacks (sorry, snax) and avoiding or crushing enemies with the numerous blocks. And that tune…be warned, you’ll be whistling it for days.
Egg-Fact: Kwik Snax scored 92% in Crash magazine, collecting a rare Crash Smash award for a budget game.
Egg-tip: As with Fast Food, there are items to collect, but beware, some of them are not so helpful, including one that makes Dizzy move slower.
Dizzy Panic/Panic Dizzy – Codemasters
Puzzle games were big business in the early Nineties thanks in the main to the astounding success of Tetris. Dizzy Panic takes a dash of Alexey Pajitnov’s classic to create an odd game in which Dizzy controls a series of holes through which the correct corresponding shape must fall. More of the series’ above-par presentation is on show, and this is a fun and entertaining game for puzzle fans.
Egg-Fact: There are two versions of this game, the original described above, and a console version released on the Sega Game Gear. Another version of the latter, on the NES, was discovered by the Oliver Twins earlier this year and a Kickstarter campaign by Fusion Retro Books finally saw it released.
Egg-tip: Avoid falling blocks landing on the wrong shape holder as they will make the pipes go lower.
Bubble Dizzy – Codemasters
Bubble Dizzy originally started life as a mini-game housed within the 16-bit game, the Fantastic Adventures Of Dizzy. The aim is to escape the depths of the sea by progressing vertically upwards, bouncing from one helpful bubble to another before they burst. Unfortunately, Dizzy has a limited air supply given he can only hold his breath for so long, plus there are plenty of enemies looking to ensure he enjoys a watery demise. Challenging, for sure, and an interesting precursor to the popular raft of mobile phone games such as Doodle Jump.
Egg-Fact: Your Sinclair magazine reported an unusual cheat mode/bug in the Spectrum version. Leave Dizzy at the bottom of the screen, in the middle and then go away for an hour. Come back and the little egg has played happily on his own, giving you loads of extra lives.
Egg-tip: Air is vital for Dizzy so avoid contact with the nasties which saps his supply.
Dizzy Down The Rapids – Codemasters
Another full game derived from the Fantastic Adventures Of Dizzy, this Toobin’ clone features the first non-Dizzy playable character – his girlfriend, Daisy. Perhaps inevitably Dizzy Down The Rapids lacks variation both in terms of gameplay and graphics, but the basic premise of the arcade game (two dudes bombing merrily down the river) is enough to provide plenty of amusement.
Egg-Fact: Along with Spellbound Dizzy, Prince Of The Yolkfolk, Panic Dizzy and Kwik Snax, this game appeared on a 1991 compilation from Codemasters, Dizzy’s Excellent Adventures.
Egg-tip: Enemies vary from flies (hard to hit), trolls (slower but take two hits) and crocodiles, the toughest enemy, taking three hits.