Hi,

Welcome to a new game review here on Gaming on AmigaOS 4! 🙂 Thanks for visiting my blog.

A Blast from the Past

Do you remember the classic Atari 2600 games console? Maybe you used to own one yourself back in the day? If you answered yes to one (or both) of those questions, there is a chance you might be familiar with the game Entombed from U.S. Games.

Entombed was originally released in 1982 for the Atari 2600. An SDL version was created by Bill Kendrick and New Breed Software many years later. It is this version that was ported to AmigaOS 4 by Kjell Breding (Sharakmir) in 2005. The port contains music by Mortimer Twang, which is a well known musician from the Demoscene. I have not played the original Entombed myself, but I have noticed that the graphics are much better in the SDL edition.

The AmigaOS 4 Version

Installation is straight-forward. Download the game from OS4Depot, unpack the archive to your wanted destination, and then double-click the icon to run the game. If you would like to set parameters, you can run it from CLI with options such as fullscreen, no sound and so forth. You can find more information about this in the docs. Don’t worry about requirements, as this game should run on all configurations, including emulation.

You can play in either one- or two-player mode.

The main story behind the game is as follows:

“You and your team of archeologists have fallen into the “catacombs of the zombies.” There’s no time for research, though; the walls are closing in, and the zombies have sprung to life!”

Basically, the aim of the game is to guide the player through a maze, avoiding enemies along the way. If you get stuck, you’ll have to try again.

You move your character around by using the arrow keys. Press space to use the special.

The screen is continously scrolling upwards towards you, so you don’t have much time to think about which direction to choose. There is a chance, like mentioned above, that you’ll find yourself stuck or at the mercy of a monster.

Fortunately, you start with a limited amount of a brick busting powers, which can be used to break walls if you get stuck. Potions are scattered around, so best grab these while you can.

It is worth mentioning that the speed of scrolling increases the longer you stay alive.

So, how does it play?

Entombed runs very well on AmigaOS 4. The game is easy to get into, such as learning the controls and how the game works. The audio is good all the way, creating a fitting atmosphere. The tune on the opening screen lifts up the mood, while the one in-game is a bit spooky, as it is combined with noises from wolves and monsters. Great stuff! I found Entombed fun and challenging, but must admit to not getting very far on my attemps. 🙂 Practice makes master I guess! If you enjoy games like these, I recommend you give it a try. If you most like other kinds of games, give it a try nonethless, it is free and you might enjoy it.

All in all, Entombed gets a thumb up from me! 🙂

Thanks for reading and see you in another post here on Gaming on AmigaOS 4!