Frenzy (Micro Power video game)
Encyclopedia
Frenzy is an 8-bit
computer game published in the UK by Micro Power
in 1984.
It is a version of the arcade game Qix
.
The game was released for the Acorn Electron
and BBC Micro
in 1984 and for the Commodore 64
in 1985.
s from inside a scientific research centre.
In Frenzy, a Lepton is captured if it is trapped in an area enclosed by the player's robot craft or if 95% of the screen area has been filled. The robot craft has two speeds and the score for filling in an area using only the slower speed is subject to a 2x multiplier. Chasers appear in higher levels which can collide with the player's robot craft, causing a life to be lost. The number of Leptons and Chasers increase as the levels progress, up to a maximum of five of each on the most difficult screens -- except for Levels 12 and 14, which have a smaller number of Leptons (and no Chasers) but the Leptons move much faster. The player obtains an extra craft on completing the third, sixth and ninth screens. It has been found that after level 14, the last two screens repeat indefinitely.
It is stated in the instructions that a good strategy is to build narrow filled blocks using the faster speed across the centre of an unfilled area, and then finally seal the area off by using only the slower mode. This maximises the score while reducing the risk of using "slow mode" to a minimum. It can be seen that players of the game tend to stick to this strategy.
Some players remark that Frenzy is not an exact Qix clone. Although the game is clearly derived from Qix,
there are crucial differences. In Qix, completing a line fills in the area not containing the Qix regardless of size, whereas in Frenzy, the smaller area is always coloured, allowing Leptons to be trapped (which kills them). In Qix, filling a set percentage is the only way to complete levels; in Frenzy it is more common to complete levels by killing all the Leptons. Also, in Frenzy, the Leptons move in a regular, completely deterministic pattern, and the player's robot craft is permitted to hesitate, making Frenzy a different playing experience to Qix.
Frenzy was reviewed in the August 1984 edition of Acorn User
(Issue 25)
and also in issue 2.06 of Electron User
.
Adam Young in his review entitled "Simplicity Makes a Winner" described the game as "one of the most amusing and compulsive games on the market" and "excellent".
Oliver Robinson stated "I always enjoyed playing Frenzy by Micropower". Comparing the game to another similar game called Kix he wrote, "Although, Kix arguably had better music, Frenzy had better gameplay". (The music to Kix is Scarborough Fair
and House of the Rising Sun; Frenzy actually has no music at all!)
Other players have described the game as "a great family favourite", a "favourite game" and
"Simple, but Addictive".
8-bit
The first widely adopted 8-bit microprocessor was the Intel 8080, being used in many hobbyist computers of the late 1970s and early 1980s, often running the CP/M operating system. The Zilog Z80 and the Motorola 6800 were also used in similar computers...
computer game published in the UK by 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...
in 1984.
It is a version of the arcade game Qix
Qix
Qix is an arcade game, released by Taito America Corporation in 1981.-Gameplay:The objective of Qix is to fence off, or “claim”, a supermajority of the playfield...
.
The game was released for 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....
and 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...
in 1984 and for the 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...
in 1985.
Description
Although the gameplay is similar to Qix, the backstory for Frenzy involves the player controlling a robot craft, attempting to capture deadly sub-atomic LeptonLepton
A lepton is an elementary particle and a fundamental constituent of matter. The best known of all leptons is the electron which governs nearly all of chemistry as it is found in atoms and is directly tied to all chemical properties. Two main classes of leptons exist: charged leptons , and neutral...
s from inside a scientific research centre.
In Frenzy, a Lepton is captured if it is trapped in an area enclosed by the player's robot craft or if 95% of the screen area has been filled. The robot craft has two speeds and the score for filling in an area using only the slower speed is subject to a 2x multiplier. Chasers appear in higher levels which can collide with the player's robot craft, causing a life to be lost. The number of Leptons and Chasers increase as the levels progress, up to a maximum of five of each on the most difficult screens -- except for Levels 12 and 14, which have a smaller number of Leptons (and no Chasers) but the Leptons move much faster. The player obtains an extra craft on completing the third, sixth and ninth screens. It has been found that after level 14, the last two screens repeat indefinitely.
It is stated in the instructions that a good strategy is to build narrow filled blocks using the faster speed across the centre of an unfilled area, and then finally seal the area off by using only the slower mode. This maximises the score while reducing the risk of using "slow mode" to a minimum. It can be seen that players of the game tend to stick to this strategy.
Some players remark that Frenzy is not an exact Qix clone. Although the game is clearly derived from Qix,
there are crucial differences. In Qix, completing a line fills in the area not containing the Qix regardless of size, whereas in Frenzy, the smaller area is always coloured, allowing Leptons to be trapped (which kills them). In Qix, filling a set percentage is the only way to complete levels; in Frenzy it is more common to complete levels by killing all the Leptons. Also, in Frenzy, the Leptons move in a regular, completely deterministic pattern, and the player's robot craft is permitted to hesitate, making Frenzy a different playing experience to Qix.
Critical reception
Generally, the game has received a positive response from both players and reviewers.Frenzy was reviewed in the August 1984 edition of Acorn User
Acorn User
Acorn User magazine was founded by Acorn Computers in 1982, contract-published by Addison-Wesley, to coincide with the launch of the BBC Micro. It covered the range of Acorn home computers, the BBC Micro and Atom at first and later the Electron, Archimedes and Risc PC.The first issue was dated...
(Issue 25)
and also in issue 2.06 of Electron User
Electron User
Electron User was a magazine targeted at owners of the Acorn Electron microcomputer. It was published by Database Publications of Stockport, starting in October 1983 and ending after 82 issues in July 1990....
.
Adam Young in his review entitled "Simplicity Makes a Winner" described the game as "one of the most amusing and compulsive games on the market" and "excellent".
Oliver Robinson stated "I always enjoyed playing Frenzy by Micropower". Comparing the game to another similar game called Kix he wrote, "Although, Kix arguably had better music, Frenzy had better gameplay". (The music to Kix is Scarborough Fair
Scarborough Fair
"Scarborough Fair" is a traditional ballad of the United Kingdom.The song tells the tale of a young man, who tells the listener to ask his former lover to perform for him a series of impossible tasks, such as making him a shirt without a seam and then washing it in a dry well, adding that if she...
and House of the Rising Sun; Frenzy actually has no music at all!)
Other players have described the game as "a great family favourite", a "favourite game" and
"Simple, but Addictive".