Label: Code Masters
Memory: 48K/128K
Price: £3.99 Tape
Reviewer: Philip Lindey
That little fire breathing cutie from Code Masters has returned... And he's in just as much trouble as the last time he graced our screens in 'Little Puff. Poor lad, it seems to be his unhappy lot in life to incessantly wander platforms searching for fruit and records while toasting tons of baddies on his way. What a drag (on). Aggh!!!
Puff has come of age and somewhere along the line made a name for himself as a top notch Disk Jockey. Well, well, wonders will never cease! Unfortunately however, Puffs island home has recently been invaded by a marauding bunch of villains who've made off with Puffs pride and joy - his chillin' record collection. Now, with you at the keyboard (or joystick) he must set off armed with boomerangs (I think), bad breath and, occasionally, a sackload of bombs to recover them.
D.J. Puff isn't the most impressive game I've seen recently. Some of the sprites are a little difficult to make out especially when in front of more colourful backgrounds. Having said that, what the game lacks in clarity it makes up for with quite a challenging and interesting layout. The big question though is: Does D.J. Puff throw bananas or boomerangs? Well, whatever they are, they seem to do the job nicely.
Control is somewhat unresponsive so it takes a little while to get used to. However, bear with it, and apart from some guaranteed frustration the game does play better with time. It is a good idea to draw yourself a map. D.J.'s records are hidden all over the gaff so it helps if you know your way around the levels.
At the start of the game you have five lives and five records to collect. Dying can be all too easy however because of the control faults and some suspect sprite collisions. On each of the game's five levels Puff will eventually run into a an end of level guardian. And it's jolly jumping and firing japes from there on in.
I have to say that D.J Puffs Volcanic Capers did not win me over. Maybe I've just got a really short attention span, but I got frustrated far too easily. It's not that our reptilian friend didn't present enough of a challenge, it simply that he doesn't fire the imagination. And that, after all, is what a good dragon should do.
ALAN:
One of the best things about D.J. Puff is the way his stumpy little wings flap about when he jumps from platform to platform -It's a really nice touch. I must admit though that Philip had to restrain me once or twice from banging my head on the table out of frustration with this game's controls and playability. A nice enough title, but treat it with caution.
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