Zool
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For the Ghostbusters character, see Zuul.
| Zool | |
|---|---|
 Zool cover for Sega Game Gear |
|
| Developer(s) | Gremlin Graphics |
| Publisher(s) | Gremlin Graphics |
| Platform(s) | Amiga, Atari ST, Game Boy, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, SNES, Master System, Sega Game Gear, Amiga CD32, PC, Acorn Archimedes, Jaguar, Arcade |
| Release date(s) | October 1992 |
| Genre(s) | Platformer |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
Zool is a British computer game originally produced for the Amiga by Gremlin Graphics as a rival to Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog. It was heavily hyped upon its initial release in 1992, including being bundled with the newly launched Amiga 1200, although not the AGA version with enhanced graphics which followed later.
[edit] Overview
Zool is a "Ninja Of The "Nth" Dimension" who is forced to land on Earth. In order to gain ninja ranking he has to pass six lands. Gremlin has asserted that the name "Zool" did not refer to the supernatural entity Zuul from the film Ghostbusters.
The game is a pure arcade platform game, relying on smooth, fast moving gameplay, colorful graphics and a popular soundtrack by Patrick Phelan which overlaps with the Lotus 3 soundtrack and has inspired several modern electro/techno remixes. The game also contains a number of embedded minigames, including several arcade games, a scrolling space shooter and a game accessible only by making Zool play a certain tune on an in-game piano.
Zool was also ported to the Atari ST, Game Boy, Sega Mega Drive, SNES, Master System, Sega Game Gear, Amiga CD32, PC, Acorn Archimedes and Jaguar. A Zool coin-op was released in 1993 to cash in on the hype surrounding the Amiga release, but was not well distributed and is now not widely remembered. Zool was also ported to the RISC OS platform.
Reviews for the Amiga version of the game were extremely positive. However some criticism was aimed at the blatant and pervasive product placement in the game for lollipop company Chupa Chups, in the first three levels (known as 'Sweet Zone'). Another frequent criticism of the game was that it was allegedly excessively difficult. Some contemporary reviewers complained of not being able to get further than the second level (Music Zone).
[edit] Zool 2
The sequel, entitled Zool 2, was very similar gameplay-wise, but with more cartoonish and detailed graphics and an attempt at a plot. The nemesis in the game was named Mental Block, and his goal was to stifle the world's imagination, causing rampant boredom.
Zool 2 added the option to play as Zool's female counterpart, Zooz. The two characters played similarly, although there were some subtle differences in their abilities. Most notably, Zool could destroy parts of the scenery that Zooz couldn't, and vice versa, resulting in a slightly different route through the level. Zool 2, like the original, also featured several mini games. The most common was a version of Breakout which used Zool's two-headed pet dog as a paddle.
Zool 2 also received generally high review scores, but did not make an impact the way its predecessor had despite arguably being the better game as the difficulty level had been curbed and the controls were more responsive. A possible reason for the game's relative lack of attention was that by this stage the system that Zool was most associated with, the Amiga, was in decline as a gaming format.[original research?]
[edit] External links
- A picture of the little-known Zool coin-op
- Zool Amiga version info page
- Zool 1 Reviews from Amiga Format, Amiga Joker and CU Amiga
- Zool 2 Reviews from Amiga Format, Amiga Joker, Amiga Power and CU Amiga
