Frantic Freddie is a 1983

platform game A platform game (often simplified as platformer and sometimes called a jump 'n' run game) is a sub-genre of action game, action video games in which the core objective is to move the player character between points in an environment. Platform game ...

for the Commodore 64 written by Kris Hatlelid and Gregor Larson and published by

Commercial Data Systems Commercial Data Systems, Ltd. (CDS) was a software publisher and technology company based in Emerald Park, Saskatchewan. In the 1980s, CDS was primarily involved in the production of computer games for 8-bit computers such as the Commodore 64. T ...

Gameplay

The player uses a joystick to control the eponymous Frantic Freddie, a

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engineer. Each level takes place on a single screen, each with five full-width platforms connected by

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s. Freddie runs along the platforms; he cannot pass through the telegraph poles but may climb up and down either side of them. The goal of the game is to collect the pots of gold resting on the platforms, as well as optional bonus items which scroll through the playing area. Each level is patrolled by three to five monstrous "Greeblies" that Freddie must avoid, lest he lose a life. The game has a total of sixteen playable levels punctuated by animated intermission sequences. The 17th level has a game breaking bug, as this level mistakenly has all poles removed. This means that Freddie can't reach the platforms above him, making this level impossible to clear. The Greeblies, at the top of the screen, have now taken the form of Freddie, and since they can't reach Freddie, because of the missing poles, this is the end of the game. The player is forced to reset/turn off the system.

Soundtrack

The game's synthesized soundtrack mingles arrangements of popular and ragtime songs: * "

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) * "

Boogie Fever "Boogie Fever" is a song recorded by Los Angeles, California-based R&B group the Sylvers, from their 1975 album ''Showcase''. Their most lucrative single, it reached No. 1 in the US on both the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and Hot Soul Singles charts as ...

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The Sylvers The Sylvers were an American R&B family vocal group from Watts, Los Angeles, California. The Sylvers were a popular act during the 1970s, recording the hit singles "Fool's Paradise", " Boogie Fever", and " Hot Line". Prior to becoming the Sylv ...

) * "

The Easy Winners "The Easy Winners" is a ragtime composition by Scott Joplin. One of his most popular works, it was one of the four that had been recorded as of 1940. Title and cover The title of the composition is a reference to athletes who are expected to ...

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Scott Joplin Scott Joplin ( 1868 – April 1, 1917) was an American composer and pianist. Because of the fame achieved for his ragtime compositions, he was dubbed the "King of Ragtime." During his career, he wrote over 40 original ragtime pieces, one r ...

) * "

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Electric Light Orchestra The Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) are an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1970 by songwriters and multi-instrumentalists Jeff Lynne and Roy Wood with drummer Bev Bevan. Their music is characterised by a fusion of pop, classical ...

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Walter Murphy Walter Anthony Murphy Jr. (born December 19, 1952) is an American composer, keyboardist, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known for the instrumental " A Fifth of Beethoven", a disco adaptation of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony which top ...

) * "Pine Apple Rag" (Scott Joplin) * " Elite Syncopations" (Scott Joplin) * "

Maple Leaf Rag The "Maple Leaf Rag" (copyright registered on September 18, 1899) is an early ragtime musical composition for piano composed by Scott Joplin. It was one of Joplin's early works, and became the model for ragtime compositions by subsequent compose ...

" (Scott Joplin) * "The Sycamore" (Scott Joplin)

Reception

The game was positively received by ''

Your Commodore ''Your Commodore'' was a magazine for Commodore computers, including the Commodore 64, Amiga, and the Commodore PC range. It was published in the UK from October 1984 until late 1989 when the name was shortened to ''YC''. The final issue was i ...

'' who said it was "A stunning graphics and music game worth playing." It was given a 4 out of 5 star rating. Reviewing a budget release of the game in 1988, Pete Connor of ''

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'' described ''Frantic Freddie'' as "a pretty tired game" that promised only "a modicum of fun".

Legacy

An unlicensed

fangame A fangame is a video game that is created by fans. They are usually based on one, or in some cases several, video game entries or franchises. Many fangames attempt to clone or remake the original game's design, gameplay, and characters, but it ...

sequel for the Commodore 64, ''Frantic Freddie II'', was released in 2019.

References

Commodore 64 games Commodore 64-only games Platform games 1983 video games Video games developed in Canada {{platform-videogame-stub