Lollypop Game Sample - PC/DOS

Lollypop is a wonderful, deceptively challenging slow-paced platformer that was originally published in 1994 by Softgold on a CD for the DOS format, and was later released for the Amiga (which is basically the same game but with the inability to play Music & SFX at the same time, and seems to be missing a few extras). It was developed by Brain Bug with the music being provided by Vibrants, a mostly Danish group of programmers and music composers, and the copyright belonging to Rainbow Arts.

The game stars Lolly, a wind-up girl in a decaying Toy Factory who becomes self-aware when she is struck by lightning one fateful day (move over, Clockwork Knight!) and, as per her design, she is armed with Lollipops and has a penchant for sweets. However, many other toys that day have also come to life and the world in which Lolly lives is dangerous in general, with dangerous contraptions, weirdos, and unfriendly toys in spades. All Lolly wants is to be free and go to a magical place where she can have all the candy she wants, and she's willing to do what it takes to make her dream come true. This starts her journey as she escapes the factory, journeys through underground catacombs, and makes her way to the outside world where she'll grow ever closer to Candy Land.

Lollypop features wonderful character animations, detailed environments with nice color usage and shading on background/foreground elements, and a diverse soundtrack where just about every scene has a different theme. The folks at Vibrants, who are particularly known for their music compositions, have done an outstanding job with the soundtrack and challenge the boundaries of Adlib sound with many deep, rich, atmospheric tunes and great sounds, and sometimes surprisingly moody or brooding compositions. It really feels like you're playing with a toy who is in a strange and unfamiliar world and doesn't just look like it. If you enjoy the Adlib tracks, you'll really enjoy the enhanced CD Roland version of the tracks.

Gameplay wise, the game has everything you'd come to expect from a good old-school platformer: challenging but well-designed levels, various items for points and score-challenges, attack upgrades, a camera that has a flash which can destroy all enemies, large and detailed bosses who require different tactics to defeat, good (but not perfect) play control, multiple secret areas which can be accessed to improve your attack power or just grant you extra points, and optional bad items which can take health or inflict some other kind of ailment. There are also some other subtleties such as only being able to play the first few levels if you increase your lives from the default and an amusing Bonus Game resembling one of the many old-school Nintendo "Game & Watch" handhelds. It's all quite nice.

Downsides? The game might be a little too tough for some. While you don't die in one hit (though you can if you fall from too high up), the game has many tricks and some obstructions can get in the way of enemies you want to attack. You also have to race against the clock and deaths that aren't time-related won't actually replenish your time (and you die when time runs out too). You lose half your weapon power when you die too. Some knowledge of the levels through repeated plays may be necessary in order to advance through the game. Overall however, it's a great game. A sequel was meant to be released, but as Lollypop was a commercial flop, it never saw the light of day and lives in relative obscurity.

Enjoy.

Category:

Gaming

Tags:

• Lolly
• Pop
• Lollypop
• Softgold
• Vibrants
• Brain
• Bug
• Toy
• PC
• DOS

[QwoPhasaArius]

I really enjoy your write-ups for the videos you post. You've posted so many videos of old games at this stage; do you ever plan and making an archive site for such games, for historic reasons as much as anything? The kinds that would otherwise be lost.

Seems a little undeserving to just have them on an obscure youtube account.

[Vysethedetermined2]

@QwoPhasaArius Yup. I keep my notes backed up on my computer and at one point I worked exclusively on my main site, which basically has write-ups like these accompanied by dozens (if not hundreds) of screenshots from the start to finish of games, along with a lot of other obscure content, trivia, and references. I've been renovating my main website for a few months now, so the info won't just disappear. My main page also provides box/manual/cart/extras scans and a variety of other things.

[FishyHatGuy]

Even though is for DOS, it's sounds so much like a Mega Drive game :U

[Vysethedetermined2]

@FishyHatGuy It's funny that you say that, as the Mega Drive was the 16-bit cart system of choice for many old PC games and Amiga titles.

[FishyHatGuy]

@Vysethedetermined2 I know, but this one didn't make it. This game deserved to have a Gen/MD version though.

[Highretrogamelord89]

Oh, I now the AMIGA version of this, which is also quite fun. :D

[ValisHD]

yeah lolly pops are deadly weapons

[schoolfilmer]

I'd love to see a remake of that!