Felix and the Fruit Monsters
Encyclopedia
Felix and the Fruit Monsters is a video game released by Micro Power
for the BBC Micro
and Acorn Electron
in 1983. It is a sequel to the earlier game Felix in the Factory
. The game is a sort of Pac-Man
clone, in which the player moves around a maze collecting fruit and avoiding the fruit monsters. It was not as successful as the earlier Felix game. It was followed by another sequel, Felix Meets the Evil Weevils.
, instead taking the form of a maze game. The game is set out like a typical Pac-Man clone but plays very differently. The maze design is very similar with the four monsters emerging from a central cave and four power cells in the corners but there are no dots in the maze. There are pieces of fruit that float freely around the maze (except for the first level on the BBC Micro version where the fruit is static). The object of the game is to stop the monsters eating all of the fruit until the timer (shown as a bar at the top of the screen) runs out.
As well as moving around the maze, the player can pick up and drop fruit (to move it away from the monsters), drop pools of ether
that stop the monsters for a short time (only two pools are allowed on screen at a time) and trigger a magnetic pad that sends all of the monsters back to their cave (which can only be done 3 times per game). Dropping pools, monsters being held in the pools and triggering the pad reduce Felix's energy bar (shown under the monsters' cave). Energy can be replenished by eating one of the power cells.
If a monster runs into a piece of fruit, it pauses while it absorbs the fruit then mutates into a more dangerous monster. If Felix runs into a monster or his energy is fully depleted, a life is lost. If the last piece of fruit is eaten by a monster, it is game over
. If there is still fruit left when the timer runs out, the level is complete and a new level begins with increased difficulty as there is more fruit to protect and some of the monsters are already mutated.
The score increases gradually as the time runs down and much more quickly if a monster is being held in a pool. Points are also awarded for picking up a power cell and, on completing a level, a bonus is awarded for the fruit remaining and the amount of energy remaining. An extra life is awarded at 10,000 points.
as a follow-up to the platform game Felix in the Factory
in 1983. It was also ported to the Acorn Electron
as one of Micro Power
's launch titles for that machine (along with the first Felix game), also in 1983. Unlike the original game, it was not released on floppy disk
for the BBC (as a stand alone release) or converted to any other systems.
The game was later included on the Micro Power Magic 2 compilation (BBC and Electron) and the PRES Games Disc 2 (Electron).
A third Felix game was released in 1984, Felix Meets the Evil Weevils, but this reverts to being a factory-set platform game, not continuing any themes from this game.
, as used in the first game, but claimed the game "lacks any 'oomph'".
Micro Power
Micro Power was a British company established in the early 1980s, best known as a video game publisher but they also produced and sold many types of computer hardware and software through their Leeds...
for the BBC Micro
BBC Micro
The BBC Microcomputer System, or BBC Micro, was a series of microcomputers and associated peripherals designed and built by Acorn Computers for the BBC Computer Literacy Project, operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation...
and Acorn Electron
Acorn Electron
The Acorn Electron is a budget version of the BBC Micro educational/home computer made by Acorn Computers Ltd. It has 32 kilobytes of RAM, and its ROM includes BBC BASIC along with its operating system....
in 1983. It is a sequel to the earlier game Felix in the Factory
Felix in the Factory
Felix in the Factory is a platform game for home computers published by Micro Power . The game was first released in 1982 for the BBC Micro. It was ported to the Acorn Electron , Commodore 64 and Memotech MTX...
. The game is a sort of Pac-Man
Pac-Man
is an arcade game developed by Namco and licensed for distribution in the United States by Midway, first released in Japan on May 22, 1980. Immensely popular from its original release to the present day, Pac-Man is considered one of the classics of the medium, virtually synonymous with video games,...
clone, in which the player moves around a maze collecting fruit and avoiding the fruit monsters. It was not as successful as the earlier Felix game. It was followed by another sequel, Felix Meets the Evil Weevils.
Gameplay
While using the same character as Felix in the Factory, the gameplay bears no relation to that platformerPlatform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
, instead taking the form of a maze game. The game is set out like a typical Pac-Man clone but plays very differently. The maze design is very similar with the four monsters emerging from a central cave and four power cells in the corners but there are no dots in the maze. There are pieces of fruit that float freely around the maze (except for the first level on the BBC Micro version where the fruit is static). The object of the game is to stop the monsters eating all of the fruit until the timer (shown as a bar at the top of the screen) runs out.
As well as moving around the maze, the player can pick up and drop fruit (to move it away from the monsters), drop pools of ether
Ether
Ethers are a class of organic compounds that contain an ether group — an oxygen atom connected to two alkyl or aryl groups — of general formula R–O–R'. A typical example is the solvent and anesthetic diethyl ether, commonly referred to simply as "ether"...
that stop the monsters for a short time (only two pools are allowed on screen at a time) and trigger a magnetic pad that sends all of the monsters back to their cave (which can only be done 3 times per game). Dropping pools, monsters being held in the pools and triggering the pad reduce Felix's energy bar (shown under the monsters' cave). Energy can be replenished by eating one of the power cells.
If a monster runs into a piece of fruit, it pauses while it absorbs the fruit then mutates into a more dangerous monster. If Felix runs into a monster or his energy is fully depleted, a life is lost. If the last piece of fruit is eaten by a monster, it is game over
Game over
Game Over is a message in video games which signals that the game has ended, often due to a negative outcome - although the phrase sometimes follows the end credits after successful completion of a game...
. If there is still fruit left when the timer runs out, the level is complete and a new level begins with increased difficulty as there is more fruit to protect and some of the monsters are already mutated.
The score increases gradually as the time runs down and much more quickly if a monster is being held in a pool. Points are also awarded for picking up a power cell and, on completing a level, a bonus is awarded for the fruit remaining and the amount of energy remaining. An extra life is awarded at 10,000 points.
Release and legacy
The game was released for the BBC MicroBBC Micro
The BBC Microcomputer System, or BBC Micro, was a series of microcomputers and associated peripherals designed and built by Acorn Computers for the BBC Computer Literacy Project, operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation...
as a follow-up to the platform game Felix in the Factory
Felix in the Factory
Felix in the Factory is a platform game for home computers published by Micro Power . The game was first released in 1982 for the BBC Micro. It was ported to the Acorn Electron , Commodore 64 and Memotech MTX...
in 1983. It was also ported to the Acorn Electron
Acorn Electron
The Acorn Electron is a budget version of the BBC Micro educational/home computer made by Acorn Computers Ltd. It has 32 kilobytes of RAM, and its ROM includes BBC BASIC along with its operating system....
as one of Micro Power
Micro Power
Micro Power was a British company established in the early 1980s, best known as a video game publisher but they also produced and sold many types of computer hardware and software through their Leeds...
's launch titles for that machine (along with the first Felix game), also in 1983. Unlike the original game, it was not released on floppy disk
Floppy disk
A floppy disk is a disk storage medium composed of a disk of thin and flexible magnetic storage medium, sealed in a rectangular plastic carrier lined with fabric that removes dust particles...
for the BBC (as a stand alone release) or converted to any other systems.
The game was later included on the Micro Power Magic 2 compilation (BBC and Electron) and the PRES Games Disc 2 (Electron).
A third Felix game was released in 1984, Felix Meets the Evil Weevils, but this reverts to being a factory-set platform game, not continuing any themes from this game.
Critical reception
The game was not as well received as the first Felix game with complaints including the odd choice of keys, such as using the down cursor key to move right (although this layout was also used in the first game), and the difficulty of actually keeping the fruit from the monsters, who move quickly around the maze. Dave E of the Electron User Group praised the spritesSprite (computer graphics)
In computer graphics, a sprite is a two-dimensional image or animation that is integrated into a larger scene...
, as used in the first game, but claimed the game "lacks any 'oomph'".
External links
- Felix and the Fruit Monsters at Acorn Electron World
- Video of gameplay of the BBC Micro version running under emulation