''Netherworld'' is a
shoot 'em up
Shoot 'em ups (also known as shmups or STGs
) are a sub-genre of action games. There is no consensus as to which design elements compose a shoot 'em up; some restrict the definition to games featuring spacecraft and certain types of chara ...
video game
Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device to gener ...
published by Hewson in 1988. It was originally developed by
Jukka Tapanimäki for the
Commodore 64, and original music was composed by Jori Olkkonen.
Summary
The object is to fly a small spacecraft and collect the required number of diamonds in each level. Once enough diamonds are collected, the craft must reach a teleporter to go to the next level before the time runs out. Aside from the time limit, there are various obstacles, ranging from monsters to items which can damage the craft or block the path. The ship can destroy some obstacles by shooting, sometimes turning them to diamonds as well.
The cover image, which features Tapanimäki's face,
was produced from a photograph of the programmer without his knowledge and approval.
The original design, depicting a dwarf at the
gates of hell
''The Gates of Hell'' (french: La Porte de l'Enfer) is a monumental bronze sculptural group work by French artist Auguste Rodin that depicts a scene from the '' Inferno'', the first section of Dante Alighieri's ''Divine Comedy''. It stands at ...
, had been shelved following a dispute between Hewson and the original cover artist.
Tapanimäki did not see the final version produced by Hewson's local artist, Steve Weston,
until the press conference in London when the game was released.
Cheat codes
Cheating in video games involves a video game player using various methods to create an advantage beyond normal gameplay, usually in order to make the game easier. Cheats may be activated from within the game itself (a cheat code implemented by ...
published in gaming magazines that only worked in an earlier version of the code indicated that a development version of the game had leaked to pirates some six months before the release.
Reception
The Spanish magazine Microhobby awarded the game the following scores:
[(Spanish]
Netherworld - ZX Spectrum (1988)
- article on Soloretro Originality: 80% Graphics: 80% Motion: 80% Sound: 80% Difficulty: 100% Addiction: 100%
References
External links
*
''Netherworld''at the Amiga Hall of Light
at Atari Mania
*
{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060513093835/http://www.tdubel.com/emulaattorit/sc64pelit/netherworld.html , date=2006-05-13 , Tec Dubelin Xbox
1988 video games
Amiga games
Amstrad CPC games
Atari ST games
Commodore 64 games
DOS games
Hewson Consultants games
Single-player video games
Video games developed in Finland
ZX Spectrum games