Helter Skelter
| Developer: The Assembly Line | Graphics: |
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| Publisher: Audiogenic | Sound: |
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| Year: 1990 | Difficulty: |
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| Genre: Arcade | Lastability: |
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| Number of players: 2 simultaneous | Rating: |
6/10 | |
I quite like the title screen (both the image and the music) and the goofy faces of the enemies. That’s about it.
Oh, I’m sure the game has its fans—people who are nimble and quick. I’m clumsy and slow, so I hope you’ll forgive me.
You control a bouncing ball named Billy (or Bobby, if you’re player two), and the goal is to crash into critters to make them disappear—but only one at a time, the one marked by an arrow. Hit a different enemy, and instead of vanishing, it’ll split into two.
The ball’s movement is unique and takes practice to master. The controller button affects its speed differently depending on whether it’s ascending or descending. It’s tricky at first but rewarding once you get the hang of it. That said, the very short time limit leaves no room for error.
Technically, the game is simple but polished, filled with small animations worthy of an arcade title. There’s even a password system and a level editor.
Two versions of the game exist: the first, released in 1988, is slightly less refined (the title screen is ugly, and the sound effects and some enemies are different). The images here refer to the second version, which came out in 1990.
I would’ve liked to take more screenshots, but my mouse … well, it fell … through the window…
Wikipedia has a bit more to add:
Helter Skelter is a song by the Beatles, written by Paul McCartney but credited to Lennon/McCartney, and featured on the album The Beatles. The track is often cited as a precursor to heavy metal.
In the United Kingdom, A helter skelter, or helter-skelter lighthouse, is an amusement ride resembling a lighthouse with a spiral shaped slide built around the tower.
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