''Hydrofool'' is an

isometric The term ''isometric'' comes from the Greek for "having equal measurement". isometric may mean: * Cubic crystal system, also called isometric crystal system * Isometre, a rhythmic technique in music. * "Isometric (Intro)", a song by Madeon from ...

3D action-adventure game released by FTL in

1987 File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, k ...

for the

ZX Spectrum The ZX Spectrum () is an 8-bit computing, 8-bit home computer that was developed by Sinclair Research. It was released in the United Kingdom on 23 April 1982, and became Britain's best-selling microcomputer. Referred to during development as t ...

and Amstrad CPC. It is the sequel to '' Sweevo's World''. The game music was composed by Rob Hubbard, with the title track based on Abe Holzmann's "Blaze Away!"

Plot

The gigantic

aquarium An aquarium (plural: ''aquariums'' or ''aquaria'') is a vivarium of any size having at least one transparent side in which aquatic plants or animals are kept and displayed. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, aq ...

known as the "Deathbowl" has become so heavily polluted that the only remedy is to completely drain it by pulling out each of its four plugs. The robot Sweevo has been ordered to perform this task.

Gameplay

Sweevo must swim through the caverns of the Deathbowl finding and pulling the plugs in the correct order. To pull a plug several puzzles must be solved using the objects that scatter the floor of the aquarium. The Deathbowl is populated by creatures which will try to stop Sweevo from carrying out his task. The Deathbowl is constructed of several superimposed levels and Sweevo can travel between them by riding bubbles or diving into whirlpools. Sweevo begins to

rust Rust is an iron oxide, a usually reddish-brown oxide formed by the reaction of iron and oxygen in the catalytic presence of water or air moisture. Rust consists of hydrous iron(III) oxides (Fe2O3·nH2O) and iron(III) oxide-hydroxide (FeO(OH ...

as soon as he enters the water and must complete his mission before he becomes incapacitated. Contact with dangerous creatures or structures will also cause rusting, while oil cans will remove some rust from him.

Reviews

Sinclair User ''Sinclair User'' was a magazine dedicated to the Sinclair Research range of home computers, most specifically the ZX Spectrum (while also occasionally covering arcade games). Initially published by ECC Publications, and later EMAP, it was publi ...

:'' "The graphics are superb - particularly if you like fish..." ''

Your Sinclair ''Your Sinclair'', or ''YS'' as it was commonly abbreviated, was a commercially published and printed British computer magazine for the Sinclair range of computers, mainly the ZX Spectrum. It was in circulation between 1984 and 1993. History The ...

:'' "All great fun. The graphics and sprites are all wonderfully clear and well thought out, and as usual with

Gargoyle In architecture, and specifically Gothic architecture, a gargoyle () is a carved or formed grotesque with a spout designed to convey water from a roof and away from the side of a building, thereby preventing it from running down masonry walls ...

/ FTL, the design's immaculate." ''

Crash Crash or CRASH may refer to: Common meanings * Collision, an impact between two or more objects * Crash (computing), a condition where a program ceases to respond * Cardiac arrest, a medical condition in which the heart stops beating * Couch su ...

:'' "The feel of the game relies heavily on the high quality graphics - Sweevo really does seem to be swimming underwater. With the large number of screens, and the intricately woven Greg Follis puzzles, Hydrofool should hold appeal for quite some time."

References

External links

*{{WoS game, id=0002408, name=Hydrofool 1987 video games Action-adventure games Amstrad CPC games Gargoyle Games games Single-player video games Video games developed in the United Kingdom Video games scored by Rob Hubbard Video games with isometric graphics ZX Spectrum games