Auch Zwerge haben mal klein angefangen

Globulus logo

Die Jungs von Innerprise Software verdanken ihren guten Ruf aufwendigen Actionspektakeln wie "Battle Squadron" und "The Plague". Geschicklichkeitsspiele scheinen ihnen aber weniger zu liegen...

In Globulus hüpft man mit einem kleinen Giftzwerg über 3D-Plattformen und sammelt Kristalle – ganz ähnlich wie beim Klassiker "Q-Bert". Dabei stören entzückende Fantasy-Monster, wer seine Bildschirmleben beisammen haltn weill, sollte den Viechern ausweichen und fleißig Waffen sammeln.

Per Space-Taste sucht man sich dann eine aus (z.B. Sprengstoff oder Smart-Bomb), und schon geht es den Plagegeistern an den kragen. Aber auch einige Plattformfelder enthalten tückische Gefahren: rutschige Eisflächen, spitze Speere oder abgrundtiefe Löcher.

Große Probleme bereitet auch die Tatsache, daß unser Zwerg nicht bergauf laufen kann, hier helfen nur sogenannte "Flipswitches". Diese praktischen Dinger stellen den Screen wortwörtlich auf den Kopf, so daß aus aufsteigenden Rampen plötzlich Rutschbahnen werden. Am Ende eines Levels darf man dann noch seine Kristalle gegen Extraleben, Flipswitches, Bomben, etc. eintauschen.

Die Grafik ist putzig, das Scrolling butterweich, die Sprites sind keck animiert, und über Sound und Steuerung läßt sich ebenfalls nichts Böses sagen. Technisch ist also alles in Ordnung, spielerisch wird leider nur Mittelmaß geboten. Die Monster sind oftmals unfair, und sehr abwechslungsreich ist das Game auch nicht gerade. Aber für ein paar Stunden macht die Hüpferei schon Laune.


Globulus logo CU Amiga Screenstar logo

Do you ever get the feeling that the room is spinning and flipping around you? Globby does, only in his situation he’s in control. Quite what his situation is, I’m not sure, but it entails flipping a room upside down, laying dynamite and jumping down rainbow coloured holes in the floor.

Globby is a viscious alien warrior with a killer instinct and a hunger for blood. He also has a journey to make, far more dangerous than even the most perilous trip to Safeway. Twenty five levels of digital hell await.

Of course, like any good game, there are a multitude of things to hinder your progress. First and by far the most common, are spiky tiles. Found on every level, tread on these, and you instantly lose one of your three lives. Then there are the moving spikes that, just like the witch in Chorlton and the Wheelies, pop up all over the place, so watch where you tread. There are also a variety of roaming creatures that bounce, roll, jump and slide around in pre-set patterns.

To combat these elements you have some dynamite to take out barriers and cartain nasties, and a smart bomb to clear the screen of all roaming fiends. At the end of each level, you are allotted a certain amount of bonus points depending on the length of time it took to do the level, plus any extra bit and bobs you may have picked up along the way. With these you can buy extra smart bombs and dynamite to top up flagging supplies.

Playing Globulus, I soon realised that there is a lot more strategy involved than you would assume from the screenshots. Fifteen minutes may seem like a very lenient time limit for a level, but believe me, you’ll need every second, especially on the later levels. Sometimes even seeing any clear route through a level requires multiple flips, so a fair deal of thought is necessary.

Innerprise have managed to attain the perfect balance. The right blend of arcade action and mind straining strategy to appeal to almost everyone and the sort of hookability arcade manufacturers dream of. This is one heck of a game. Do not miss on your chance to play this addictive treat.


Each level is made up of a collection of tiles placed together to form a maze. Some labelled "tiles", when jumped on, cause unusual effects, such as jumping you forward another suare, jumping you two squares, sliding you along until you reach a barrier or die, jumping and turning you nintey degrees in a given direction, or even gicing you extra weapons or lives.

There are also various ramps and steps placed in precarious positions. These can only be walked down. To walk back up, you have to use a little gadget called a flipper to turn the screen upside down, inverting everything including the ramps. Flipping the screen also changes the orientation of some of the direction tiles, causing you to jump in a different trajectory. The key is to find the right path through the maze to take you to the multicoloured wormhole to the next level.