''Spiky Harold'' is a

platform Platform may refer to: Arts * Platform, an arts centre at The Bridge, Easterhouse, Glasgow * ''Platform'' (1993 film), a 1993 Bollywood action film * ''Platform'' (2000 film), a 2000 film by Jia Zhangke * '' The Platform'' (2019 film) * Pla ...

video game written by Andrew Rogers and published by

Firebird Software Telecomsoft was a British video game publisher and a Division (business), division of British Telecom. The company was founded by Ederyn Williams in 1984 and operated three separate labels: Firebird, Rainbird, and Silverbird. The first employee ...

in 1986. It was released for

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 ...

Atari 8-bit computers The Atari 8-bit computers, formally launched as the Atari Home Computer System, are a series of home computers introduced by Atari, Inc., in 1979 with the Atari 400 and Atari 800. The architecture is designed around the 8-bit MOS Technology 650 ...

Commodore 16 The Commodore 16 is a home computer made by Commodore International with a 6502-compatible 7501 or 8501 CPU, released in 1984 and intended to be an entry-level computer to replace the VIC-20. A cost-reduced version, the Commodore 116, was ...

Plus/4 The Commodore Plus/4 is a home computer released by Commodore International in 1984. It was part of the Commodore 264 series, which also included the Commodore 16 and Commodore 116 models. The Plus/4 was marketed as "the productivity computer wit ...

Commodore 64 The Commodore 64, also known as the C64, is an 8-bit computing, 8-bit home computer introduced in January 1982 by Commodore International (first shown at the Consumer Electronics Show, January 7–10, 1982, in Las Vegas). It has been listed in ...

, and

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. ...

home computers.

Plot

As winter approaches, a hedgehog named Harold must get ready for hibernation by gathering food that is buried beneath the hedgerows.

Gameplay

''Spiky Harold'' is a

flip-screen Since the origin of video games in the early 1970s, the video game industry, the players, and surrounding culture have spawned a wide range of technical and slang terms. 0–9 A ...

platform game in which the player moves the protagonist, Harold, from room to room collecting various objects. The goal of this game is to collect enough food for Harold the hedgehog to survive on while hibernating. The necessities are strewn across and below a big hedgerow. Coins that grant extra lives, wine glasses that change Harold's directions, apples, and other food items are among the numerous things that need to be collected. Unfortunately, all the objects are guarded by wasps, rodents, sulfur clouds, and bouncing balls. All the items have to be collected within the 24 hours displayed on the clock at the bottom of the screen. If the player is successful in gathering all of the required materials within the specified time, they must then deliver Harold back to his pad, where he can sleep the winter away.

Reception

''Spiky Harold'' received mixed reviews. ''

Commodore User ''Commodore User'', (also referred to as ''CU'') later renamed to ''CU Amiga'', is a British magazine initially published by Paradox Group before being acquired by EMAP. Timeline ''Commodore User'' was launched in October 1983 with an initial pr ...

'' reviewer complained about the slow, repetitive gameplay and dire music detracting a lot from what could have been a good game. Stuart Kirkham writing for the

Computer Gamer Argus Press was a British publishing company. It was acquired by British Electric Traction (BET) in 1966, and became the publishing arm of that company. It was the subject of one of the most hotly contested management buyouts of the 1980s when ...

magazine summed up ''Spiky Harold'' as a good platform game that has plenty of entertainment to offer for a small price.

References

External links

* * *{{atarimania, id=4933 1986 video games Amstrad CPC games Atari 8-bit computer games Commodore 16 and Plus/4 games Commodore 64 games Platformers Video games about mammals Video games developed in the United Kingdom ZX Spectrum games