Head over Heels (video game)

Head Over Heels is an action-adventure video game released by Ocean Software in 1987 for several 8-bit home computers. It uses an isometric engine that is similar to the Filmation technique first developed by Ultimate Play the Game.

Head Over Heels
Developer(s)Ocean Software, Retrospec (Modern remakes)
Publisher(s)Ocean Software,
Piko Interactive (Atari Jaguar, Steam),
QUByte Interactive (Nintendo Switch)
Producer(s)D. C. Ward
Programmer(s)Jon Ritman
Artist(s)Bernie Drummond
Composer(s)Guy Stevens
Platform(s)Amstrad CPC, Amstrad PCW, Atari 8-bit, Atari ST, Commodore 64, Amiga, MSX, ZX Spectrum, Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, BeOS, Linux, Jaguar, Nintendo Switch
Release1987, 2003, 2019, 2021
Genre(s)Action-adventure
Mode(s)Single-player

Head Over Heels is the second isometric game by Jon Ritman and Bernie Drummond, after their earlier Batman computer game was released in 1986. The game received very favourable reviews and was described as an all time classic.

In 2003, Retrospec released a remake of Head Over Heels for Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, BeOS, and Linux. In 2019, Piko Interactive released an Atari ST port of Head Over Heels for Atari Jaguar. A Nintendo Switch port was released on October 28, 2021.[1]

Gameplay
Heels tries to catch a ride. (Amstrad CPC)

The player controls two characters instead of just one, each with different abilities.

Head can jump higher than Heels, control himself in the air, and fire doughnuts from a hooter to paralyze enemies.

Heels can run twice as fast as Head, climb certain staircases that Head cannot, and carry objects around a room in a bag.

These abilities become complementary when the player combines them after completing roughly a sixth of the game. Compared to its predecessors, the game offers unique and revolutionary gameplay, complex puzzles, and more than 300 rooms to explore.

Drummond contributed some famously surreal touches, including robots (controlled by push switches) that bore a remarkable resemblance to the head of Charles III (then Prince of Wales) on the body of a Dalek. Other surreal touches include enemies with the heads of elephants and staircases made of dogs that teleport themselves away as soon as Head enters the room.

Plot

Headus Mouthion (Head) and Footus Underium (Heels) are two spies from the planet Freedom. They are sent to Blacktooth to liberate the enslaved planets of Penitentiary, Safari, Book World and Egyptus, and then to defeat the Emperor to prevent further planets from falling under his rule.

Captured and separated, the spies are placed in the prison headquarters of Castle Blacktooth. They must first escape, then break through the market to the orbiting Moonbase. From there they can teleport down to each planet and locate and reclaim the stolen crowns. Liberating the planets and defeating the Emperor will allow Head and Heels to return to Freedom as heroes.

Development

Jon Ritman re-used and modified the isometric engine he created for Batman to support the control of 2 players instead of just 1. Modifications were made to the code for the C64 version to lower processor load, but in the end there was very little difference between the versions.[2]

Reception

Your Sinclair awarded Head over Heels 9/10 in the June 1987 issue and the game was placed at number 5 in the Your Sinclair official top 100. Sinclair User also awarded 9/10.[9] It was chosen by Your Sinclair editors and readers as the ZX Spectrum's 1987 Game of the Year.[15]

Crash magazine gave Head over Heels 97% and called the game "The best fun you are likely to have with a Spectrum for quite some time".[4]

Zzap!64 gave the Commodore 64 conversion of the game 98%: enough for its coveted Gold Medal Award; the joint highest score in the magazine's history; and the first Gold Medal of the year - in its August 1987 issue. It was described as "An all time classic - not to be missed for any reason".[13]

References
  1. Whitehead, Thomas (October 29, 2021). "Round Up: 18 Intriguing Switch Games Shown In QUByte Connect 2021 — Prepare your virtual wallet". Nintendo Life. Nlife Media. Retrieved 2021-10-29.
  2. "Head over Heels". 2011-07-10. Archived from the original on 2011-07-10. Retrieved 2019-06-02.
  3. Wade, Bob; Monteiro, Richard (May 1987). "Action Test - Head over Heels". Amstrad Action. No. 20. Future Publishing. pp. 46–47. ISSN 0954-8068.
  4. Sumner, Paul; Dunn, Mike; Stone, Ben (April 1987). "Head over Heels". Crash. No. 39. Newsfield. pp. 20–21. ISSN 0954-8661.
  5. Brooker, Will (April 1988). "Looking for an Old Angle - Run it Again! - Head over Heels". Crash. No. 51. Newsfield. p. 84. ISSN 0954-8661.
  6. Roberts, Nick (August 1990). "Big Budget Bonanza - Head over Heels". Crash. No. 79. Newsfield. p. 48. ISSN 0954-8661.
  7. Boughton, Paul (May 1987). "C+VG Reviews 8 - Head over Heels". Computer + Video Games. No. 67. EMAP. p. 28. ISSN 0261-3697.
  8. "Budget - Head over Heels". Computer + Video Games. No. 104. EMAP. July 1990. pp. 66–67. ISSN 0261-3697.
  9. Jenkins, Chris (July 1990). "Review - Head over Heels". Sinclair User. No. 101. EMAP Images. pp. 62–63. ISSN 0262-5458.
  10. Douglas, Jim (May 1987). "Head over Heels". Sinclair User. No. 62. EMAP Business & Computer Publications. pp. 28–29. ISSN 0262-5458.
  11. Berkmann, Marcus (June 1987). "Head over Heels". Your Sinclair. No. 18. Dennis Publishing. pp. 68–69. ISSN 0269-6983.
  12. Berkmann, Marcus (August 1990). "Bargain Basement - Head over Heels". Your Sinclair. No. 56. Future Publishing. pp. 76–77. ISSN 0269-6983.
  13. Rignall, Julian; Jarratt, Steve (August 1987). "Zzap! Test - Head over Heels". Zzap!64. No. 28. Newsfield. pp. 14–16. ISSN 0954-867X.
  14. "The Amiga Power All-Time Top 100". Amiga Power. No. 49. Future Publishing. May 1995. p. 14. ISSN 0961-7310.
  15. "Game of the Year". Your Sinclair. No. 28 (April 1988). 10 March 1988. pp. 64–5.
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