Everyone's A Wally
Encyclopedia
Everyone's a Wally is a computer game released in 1985 by Mikro-Gen for the ZX Spectrum
, Amstrad CPC
and Commodore 64
. The effective sequel to Pyjamarama
, it featured the same hero character, Wally Week, and used an upgraded version of the same game engine. It was authored by Chris Hinsley, formerly Director of Technology at Tao Group
. As of 31 May 2007, Tao Group is in administration.
mechanic), Dick (a plumber) and Harry (a hippie
electrician) - these last three names drawn from the placeholder phrase Tom, Dick and Harry
. Herbert (their baby son) also appeared in the game as a mobile hazard NPC. The player cannot freely change character; the player begins in control of Wally and, in order to switch to another character, must first locate them. Characters not being controlled by the player wander randomly around the map controlled by extremely simple AI - another feature that, at the time, had never been seen before. Lives and health (called "endurance") were tracked independently for each character, but the game ended if any character died.
The aim of the game is to complete a day's worth of work for each character; each character has a job to do stereotypical of their skill - for instance, Wally has to build a wall, Wilma has to take back three Books to the Library, etc. Completing the job awards the character with a letter, which spells out a password to open a safe holding everyone's wages. (The eventual password is "BREAK" - knowing this doesn't spoil the game since most of the letters can be seen before jobs are complete; the game requires them to be actually collected before allowing the safe to open)
ZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd...
, Amstrad CPC
Amstrad CPC
The Amstrad CPC is a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad between 1984 and 1990. It was designed to compete in the mid-1980s home computer market dominated by the Commodore 64 and the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, where it successfully established itself primarily in the United Kingdom,...
and Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
. The effective sequel to Pyjamarama
Pyjamarama
Pyjamarama is a computer game for the ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC and Commodore 64. It features Wally Week as the central character and is the second of a series of games featuring Wally and/or members of his family. It was published by Mikro-Gen...
, it featured the same hero character, Wally Week, and used an upgraded version of the same game engine. It was authored by Chris Hinsley, formerly Director of Technology at Tao Group
Tao Group
Tao Group was a software company headquartered in Reading, Berkshire, UK. It developed intent, a software platform. intent enabled content portability by delivering services in a platform independent format called Virtual Processor...
. As of 31 May 2007, Tao Group is in administration.
Gameplay
Everyone's a Wally was the first arcade adventure game to feature multiple playable characters - a revolutionary feature at the time. Players began in control of Wally (a builder), but could switch to Wilma (his wife), and their friends Tom (a punkPunk subculture
The punk subculture includes a diverse array of ideologies, and forms of expression, including fashion, visual art, dance, literature, and film, which grew out of punk rock.-History:...
mechanic), Dick (a plumber) and Harry (a hippie
Hippie
The hippie subculture was originally a youth movement that arose in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread to other countries around the world. The etymology of the term 'hippie' is from hipster, and was initially used to describe beatniks who had moved into San Francisco's...
electrician) - these last three names drawn from the placeholder phrase Tom, Dick and Harry
Tom, Dick and Harry
The phrase "Tom, Dick and Harry" is a placeholder for multiple unspecified people; "Tom, Dick or Harry" plays the same role for one unspecified person. The phrase most commonly occurs as "every Tom, Dick and Harry", meaning everyone, and "any Tom, Dick or Harry", meaning anyone, although Brewer...
. Herbert (their baby son) also appeared in the game as a mobile hazard NPC. The player cannot freely change character; the player begins in control of Wally and, in order to switch to another character, must first locate them. Characters not being controlled by the player wander randomly around the map controlled by extremely simple AI - another feature that, at the time, had never been seen before. Lives and health (called "endurance") were tracked independently for each character, but the game ended if any character died.
The aim of the game is to complete a day's worth of work for each character; each character has a job to do stereotypical of their skill - for instance, Wally has to build a wall, Wilma has to take back three Books to the Library, etc. Completing the job awards the character with a letter, which spells out a password to open a safe holding everyone's wages. (The eventual password is "BREAK" - knowing this doesn't spoil the game since most of the letters can be seen before jobs are complete; the game requires them to be actually collected before allowing the safe to open)
Song
The original tape cassette version of Everyone's a Wally featured a Mike Berry song about the game recorded as an audio track on the B side.External links
- Game of the Week from Zzap!64Zzap!64Zzap!64 was a computer games magazine covering games on the Commodore International series of computers, especially the Commodore 64 . It was published in the UK by Newsfield Publications Ltd and later by Europress Impact....
- Game review from CRASHCRASH (magazine)Crash was a magazine dedicated to the ZX Spectrum home computer. It was published from 1984 to 1991 by Newsfield Publications Ltd until their liquidation, and then until 1992 by Europress.-Development:...