Percy the Potty Pigeon

Personal Computer News

Overall 5/10

Karen Isaac 5/10

PRICE: £6.95 PUBLISHER: Gremlin Graphics [redacted] Potty Pigeon is an average arcade game which uses a good variety of colours, but unfortunately hasn't the graphics to go with them. Percy, dad of three very hungry chicks, has to keep his greedy family supplied with worms which are scattered at random around the screen. But alas, there are dangers involved, for although Percy is blessed with three lives he has to face horrific obstacles. He has to avoid speedy cars, noisy planes, paratroopers, dogs, cats, creepy spiders, killer Venus snapdragons, frogs, Unidentified Flying Objects and humans - all of which may prevent him from performing his paternal duties. Doing the worm rounds saps Percy's energy and to restore his fading strength he has to eat a Mayfly which hovers at the top of the screen. With all these dangers it's lucky that Percy is equipped with exploding eggs which he may utilise in several ways. As he ploughs through the eleven sheets, he may bomb a Red Bird (which, incidentally, steals worms from Percy at every opportunity) or he may confuse drivers by dropping these eggs and dirtying the car Windscreen. This effect makes them crash and enable Percy to snatch up the wriggling worm and rush back (carefully) to feed his young chicks. Compared with the Commodore 64 version this is, I'm afraid, a decidedly poor substitute.

Sinclair User

Gilbert Factor 6/10

Colette McDermott 6/10

PERCY THE POTTY PIGEON Gremlin Graphics Memory: 48K Price: £6.95 Joystick: Kempston, Sinclair Colourful scenes and excellent graphics ensure that Potty Percy is not just another flying pigeon pie in the sky. Potty Pigeon is a proud papa, but his hungry young brood keep him busy searching for food. There are 11 locations where Percy will find big juicy wriggling worms. His baby feeding missions are hampered by lots of nasties determined to stop Percy including a big fat spider who swings from the tree where the chicks are nesting, a red bird that will steal the worms from Percy, giant killer Venus snapdragons, speeding traffic, helicopters and many more. Percy is also in constant danger of flying out of energy, which can only be replenished by resting on the ground or eating the mayflies. Percy is no ordinary pigeon. He can perform counter-attack raids on the enemy by dropping deadly exploding eggs, which will score him points. Progress is slower on the first level, but percy vere! There are a total of five levels and as you score points you will move into the higher levels, of which they are five. The game is a delight to play. Although not as graphically complex as other games it will hold your interest with its gently addictive quality. Beware though, this game is not for crawlers.

Read it at Sinclair User Magazine Online

Crash

Use of Computer 72%

Graphics 77%

Playability 69%

Getting Started 73%

Addictive Qualities 63%

Value For Money 63%

Overall 70%

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Producer: Gremlin Graphics Memory Required: 48K Retail Price: £6.95 Language: Machine code Author: S. Hollingworth This is Gremlin Graphic's Spectrum follow up to Monty Mole. Originally released first on the CBM64, Potty Pigeon on the Spectrum is quite a different game and in a way more complex. The pigeon owns a nest in a tree with three ever-hungry chicks in it. What they want is worms and loads of them. Here and there across the linked screens there are heads up above ground, worms sticking their silly heads up above ground. Potty has to go around and collect them, one at a time, and fly them back to the nest. This costs him a lot of energy, which is replenished by catching the mayflies, not an easy task as dart about. Although if he walks his energy level also goes up. Life would be just too easy for Potty if it weren't for those little hazards that make life interesting. In this case these include a busy helicopter, snap dragons, frogs, angry red birds, spiders and cars on the road in some screens (it was the cars that made up all of the CBM64 version). The landscape itself also poses problems as objects cut up the playing space, forcing Potty to fly dangerously close to some hazards. His sole means of defence is a natural function which pigeons have a habit of using all the while. It stuns the nasty for a few moments! COMMENTS Control keys: Q/W left/right, P/L up/down, N to SYM SHIFT to fire Joystick: Kempston, Sinclair 2 Keyboard play: responsive, well laid out Use of colour: good Graphics: quite good, smooth and detailed Sound: above average Skill levels: 1 Lives: 3 Screens: 11