''Hydrofool'' is an

isometric The term ''isometric'' comes from the Greek for "having equal measurement". isometric may mean: * Cubic crystal system, also called isometric crystal system * Isometre, a rhythmic technique in music. * "Isometric (Intro)", a song by Madeon from ...

action-adventure An action-adventure game is a video game genre, video game hybrid genre that combines core elements from both the action game and adventure game genres. Definition An action adventure game can be defined as a game with a mix of elements f ...

game released by

FTL FTL may stand for: Science and technology * Faster-than-light communication and travel * Ferritin light chain, encoded by the ''FTL'' gene * Flash Translation Layer * Foot-lambert ft-L, a measure of luminance * Olympus FTL, a camera * FreeMa ...

1987 Events January * January 1 – Bolivia reintroduces the Boliviano currency. * January 2 – Chadian–Libyan conflict – Battle of Fada: The Military of Chad, Chadian army destroys a Libyan armoured brigade. * January 3 – Afghan leader ...

for the

ZX Spectrum The ZX Spectrum () is an 8-bit computing, 8-bit home computer developed and marketed by Sinclair Research. One of the most influential computers ever made and one of the all-time bestselling British computers, over five million units were sold. ...

and

Amstrad CPC The Amstrad CPC (short for "Colour Personal Computer") 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 ZX Spec ...

. It is the sequel to '' Sweevo's World''. The game music was composed by

Rob Hubbard Rob Hubbard (born 1955) is a British composer best known for his musical and programming work for microcomputers of the 1980s, such as the Commodore 64. Biography Early life and career Hubbard was born in 1955 in Kingston upon Hull, England. Hu ...

, with the title track based on

Abe Holzmann Abraham Holzmann (19 August 1874 – 16 January 1939) was an American composer, famous for his American march music, march "Blaze Away!". Life and career Abraham Holzmann was born in New York City on 19 August 1874. His parents were Jacob Ho ...

's "Blaze Away!"

Plot

The gigantic

aquarium An aquarium (: aquariums or aquaria) is a vivarium of any size having at least one transparent side in which aquatic plants or animals are kept and displayed. fishkeeping, Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, aquati ...

known as the "Deathbowl" has become so heavily polluted that the only remedy is to completely drain it by pulling out each of its four plugs. The robot Sweevo has been ordered to perform this task.

Gameplay

Sweevo must swim through the caverns of the Deathbowl finding and pulling the plugs in the correct order. To pull a plug several puzzles must be solved using the objects that scatter the floor of the aquarium. The Deathbowl is populated by creatures which will try to stop Sweevo from carrying out his task. The Deathbowl is constructed of several superimposed levels and Sweevo can travel between them by riding bubbles or diving into

whirlpool A whirlpool is a body of rotating water produced by opposing currents or a current running into an obstacle. Small whirlpools form when a bath or a sink is draining. More powerful ones formed in seas or oceans may be called maelstroms ( ). ''Vo ...

s. Sweevo begins to

rust Rust is an iron oxide, a usually reddish-brown oxide formed by the reaction of iron and oxygen in the catalytic presence of water or air moisture. Rust consists of hydrous iron(III) oxides (Fe2O3·nH2O) and iron(III) oxide-hydroxide (FeO(OH) ...

as soon as he enters the water and must complete his mission before he becomes incapacitated. Contact with dangerous creatures or structures will also cause rusting, while oil cans will remove some rust from him.

Reviews

Sinclair User The ''Sinclair User'' was a magazine dedicated to the Sinclair Research range of home computers, most specifically the ZX Spectrum (while also occasionally covering arcade games). Initially published by ECC Publications, and later EMAP, it was pub ...

:'' "The graphics are superb - particularly if you like fish..." ''

Your Sinclair ''Your Sinclair'', originally ''Your Spectrum'' or ''YS'', is a discontinued British computer magazine for the Sinclair range of computers, mainly the ZX Spectrum. It was commercially published between 1984 and 1993. History The magazine was la ...

:'' "All great fun. The graphics and sprites are all wonderfully clear and well thought out, and as usual with

Gargoyle In architecture, and specifically Gothic architecture, a gargoyle () is a carved or formed Grotesque (architecture), grotesque with a spout designed to convey water from a roof and away from the side of a building, thereby preventing it from ...

, the design's immaculate." '' Crash:'' "The feel of the game relies heavily on the high quality graphics - Sweevo really does seem to be swimming underwater. With the large number of screens, and the intricately woven Greg Follis puzzles, Hydrofool should hold appeal for quite some time."

References

External links

*{{WoS game, id=0002408, name=Hydrofool 1987 video games Action-adventure games Amstrad CPC games Gargoyle Games games Single-player video games Video games developed in the United Kingdom Video games scored by Rob Hubbard Video games with isometric graphics ZX Spectrum games