Oxyd
| Developer: Dongleware | Graphics: |
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| Publisher: Dongleware | Sound: |
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| Year: 1992 | Difficulty: |
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| Genre: Puzzle | Lastability: |
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| Number of players: 2 by modem | Rating: |
7/10 | |
A port of a classic Atari ST game, combining elements from several puzzle titles like Deflektor, Bombuzal, Sokoban, and a dash of Memory; all blended with a dexterity challenge reminiscent of Marble Madness (and yes, it’s the “dexterity” part that gets me!).
In plain terms, you control a ball using the mouse, and your task is to “activate” pairs of designated blocks (the Oxyds) by touching them one after the other. Naturally, the levels are packed with mechanisms, switches, holes, and bombs, all cunningly arranged to foil your efforts.
The levels are varied and imaginative (there are 100 of them, plus another 100 for two-player simultaneous mode, which required two Amigas linked by a network cable). Some levels even span multiple screens (without scrolling).
One distinctive feature of Oxyd was its distribution model, referred to as Dongleware by the developer: the disks were given away for free, but unlocking the game beyond level 11 required a 170-page codebook, sold for $39. Don’t worry, the game was cracked like everything else back then and now runs freely on emulators.
Note: After its sequel, Oxyd Magnum! (1993), a fan developed a freeware version called Enigma for PC/Mac in 2002. It features over a thousand levels, a level editor, and still receives updates (as of 2013).
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