Name
Pandora
Author
Dr Lancer-X 
Category
Game
Release Date
2002-09-21
Rating
(2.25/5)
Tags
Version
1.0
Requires MegaZeux 2.62 to 2.62b or newer.
Downloads
Pandora
No summary available.
asgromo  said:
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Last modified 2017-07-23 20:05:15
Good game design and a brilliant pre-sprite engine are hampered by a difficulty level that tragically renders the game unplayable.

The game is meant to play like a combination of Metroid and Lander. You fly a "High Tech Earth Explorer ship" through a labrynth of side-view caverns that were built with the purpose of getting in your way. Your objective is a crystal that somehow carries the comprehensive knowledge of an ancient alien-race. On-screen the vehicle is huge and it's movements mostly fluid, a little testament to Lancer-X's programming finesse.

The graphics are generally well-done, until you hit the areas (and, in part, the intro), which are made up mostly with vast expanses of the built-in character set. Sound is sparse, and you won't turn the music off (but it accomplishes little more).

The fatal problems arise with gameplay- your High Tech Earth Explorer ship is instantly destroyed upon coming in contact with the ground, a bullet, a wall, radiation, and water (at first), regardless of velocity. It is then respawned at your entry point into the board and you lose some health. Since the areas are both claustrophobic and casually littered with hazards, you will die incredibly often. In fact, there is a good chance you will give up three boards in, where the hazards quickly become impossible to cross. Given that there is no weapon to fire and no enemies to kill, most players will become bored after the first Game Over.

It's also important to note that if you entered a board very close to the floor, there's a high possibility that upon respawning in that board you will be incapable of lifting the ridiculously heavy Explorer ship up in time for it to not crash into the ground. Then it will respawn into the same place and crash again. It is possible to enter a board low enough that you lose all of your health this way and die. It would have taken time to program scripted respawn points for each of the myriad boards, yes, but it would've improved the game immensely.

It's worth a look anyway, just to see how Lancer-X got by without sprites. The game is in fact complete, and if you lower the speed enough it's nearly playable, but it's doubtful you'll be able to perservere after the first time you get stuck or die.

Tragically flawed.
Dr Lancer-X  said:
Link
Posted date unknown
This game does suck. It's a plan and my plans always suck. I didn't lie about having three years experience. Just wait till I finish this. Then you'll see. All of you will
samtam90  said:
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Posted date unknown
The game concept is VERY good, but unfortunately the execution is very flawled by many bugs in the engine and the game becomes so impossibly hard that you can't stand it for more than 10 minutes. Very good concept, but with the horrendous engine the game becomes unplayable.
Bramble  said:
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Posted date unknown
Tragically flawed, yes, but I think it deserves a better rating, if nothing else to get new MZX users to check out what this program was capable of even back when this game was created.