Frank 'n' Stein
Website: None
Original: Frank 'n' Stein - PSS - 1985
It was a dark and stormy night...
Well, actually it wasn’t but as its 11pm I think I’m allowed some artistic licence while writing this review. For some reason though “The Monster Mash” is running through my brain at the same time…
He did the mash...
He did the monster mash...
Firing up Gilby’s remake of Frank N Stein brings up a fairly sparse & incomplete but well presented menu screen. Nice readable, sufficiently spooky font which highlights in a putrid green when selected. Start game and off we go...
The monster mash...
It was a graveyard smash...
At first glance looks like traditional platform fayre, the graphics aren’t anything to write home about being the originals, but they’ve been spruced up a bit and are nicely detailed & animated, colourful and easy on the eye. A quick look at the level layout and off we go collecting the various body parts.
He did the mash...
It caught on in a flash...
Gameplay is pretty smooth, and directing your mad scientist around the level while avoiding the various nasties and traps is well handled and quite responsive, with only one minor exception – using the springs to bounce up to platforms and the poles to drop down platforms. If you decide to use a single keypress to jump or drop then you have to be pixel perfect in the centre to activate it. After five minutes getting annoyed with this I notice if you hold the jump/drop button down as you run onto the spring or pole – its fine and activates straight away. That little issue solved I went merrily away collecting body parts in order, and throwing the switch at the end while yelling “ITS ALIVE” and laughing maniacally, I bring my creation to life. The mood is somewhat spoiled by the wife shouting at me down the stairs..
He did the mash...
Onto the next screen, which is a “Donkey Kong” sort of affair where you have to get to the top of the screen to kill/deactivate the monster again. Then you get to start all over again by collecting the parts in a different room/layout. Until you die.
He did the monster mash...
Overall this a great little game and everything a remake should aspire to. Simple, enjoyable, fun and well executed. It would really benefit from fully updated graphics, but this doesn’t detract from what's there already. The only thing which lets this down is the lack of sound effects – but it didn’t stop me coming back for more.
80%
