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Zool
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Zool is a British computer game originally produced for the Amiga by Gremlin Graphics as a rival to Segas 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.Gremlin said that the name Zool did not refer to the supernatural entity Zuul from the film Ghostbusters.Zool is "a ninja from the nth dimension" who is forced to land on Earth. In order to gain ninja ranking he has to pass seven lands. 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.Zool contains a number of embedded games, 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.Reviews were extremely positive, possibly partly because the need was felt for the Amiga to have a flagship game to rival Sonic. However some criticism was aimed at the blatant and pervasive advertisements in the game for Chupa Chups, the lollipop company, displayed in the first four levels (known as Sweet Zone). In-game advertising was quite fashionable on some 16-bit games though, for example Penguin biscuits in Robocod and Lucozade in Superfrog.
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If there is a criticism that can be levelled to the original Zool, it is lack of depth to the gameplay. Zool) simply is not a platform puzzler. It is a straight ahead romp. Start at the beginning of the level and rush to the end, bopping baddies and gathering goodies on the way. Beat the clock, do not lose a life and you are laughing. So what has changed?
Both Zool and Zooz have similar movement capabilities. The characters can jump, climp, flip, and fire bullets. A power jump function allows the characters to break through certain floors or ceilings. Each character ... has a special function: Zool has a power jump and Zooz carries a whip.
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A sub game really is another game, subsidiary to the main game, but contained within it. And Zool has two. The first is level seven, or Shoot-em-up World as Gremlin have imaginatively called it. but, rather than being an arcade action game it's a shoot-em-up.
Zool 2 marks Atari's first foray into action/platform genre (Bubsy sucks cat-tail). After paying this game for many days straight, there is only one word to describe it: "FUN." Don't be discouraged by other mags calling it "too hard," it isn't that hard at all. Zool 2 is a speedy, sword weilding alien that could trounce Sonic any day. The object of each stage is to collect 99% of the items and find the exit. In each world there are three levels; at the end of the third level you will have to fight the main baddie ("Mental Block") in one of the many forms he assumes.
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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.
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