MediaWiki:Sitenotice:
2024-03-02: The wiki ran out of disk space, so things were not working. This has been resolved by adding another 5GB of quota ;-) Thanks to Tim Lindner for reporting the issues.
2020-05-17: If a page gives you an error about some revision not being found, just EDIT the page and the old page should appear in the editor. If it does, just SAVE that and the page should be restored. OS-9 Al (talk) 12:22, 17 May 2020 (CDT)
Blochead
| WELCOME |
|---|
| Looking for CoCo help? If you are trying to do something with your old Color Computer, read this quick reference. Want to contribute to this wiki? Be sure to read this first. This CoCo wiki project was started on October 29, 2004. --OS-9 Al |
See Recent Changes. | About this site. | Join the E-Mail List or Facebook Group. | Contact me with updates/questions.
This page was last updated on 09/30/2024. Total Pages: 744. Total Files: 994.
| Blochead | |
|---|---|
| |
| Year | 1983 |
| Publisher | Computerware |
| Author | B. J. Chambless |
| Media | Disk/Tape |
| Requires | Joystick, 16K RAM |
| Optional | |
| Graphic mode | PMODE4 256x192x2 |
Bloc Head is a Q*Bert clone, although it differs from both the original arcade game and most other CoCo Q*Bert clones in that the playing field is not in the form of a triangle. Like the arcade, you have to jump onto squares to change their color, and on later levels you must do so several times to get the right color to be able to go to the next screen.
Review
Bloc Head Requires Skill, Concentration
by Jutta Kapfhammer (Rainbow August 1983 p. 120)
After pumping more quarters .than I care to mention into the arcade game, Q-Bert, I came across a Color Computer version called Bloc Head. After CLOADMing the game into my computer, I realized that it was very similar to the popular game that I had been enjoying for the past couple of months, spending lots of time and money on in the local arcade. Perhaps I was the "Bloc Head" for not discovering the home version sooner, but, at any rate, the game is addictive.
Bloc Head is a little, black, egg-shaped character with extended arms and legs. He sort of looks like Humpty Dumpty with bright green eyes and a glowing smile. The objective for this cute iittle creature is to change the color of the 27 cubes to the color indicated in the upper right corner of the screen. This is done simply by jumping from cube to cube, without going off the edge, in order to score as many points as possible. Each cube the Bloc Head successfully jumps on scores 25 points. Sounds easy, right? -Wrong!
Aside from the problem of getting accustomed to the direction of the joystick, there are also a number of strange monsters destined to destroy you as you are jumping on the cubes. Skill and concentration are required in order to achieve the objective.
The monsters of the game can either be rewarding or dangerous. The "Blue Egg" or the "Oops" monsters can be destroyed by jumping on them for 100 points. The additional colored monsters are deadly and should be avoided whenever possible. When the black monster reaches the bottom of the screen, he changes into "the Spring" which is the deadliest monster of all. You must then try to persuade him to chase you towards the "blinking bus stops," which are located at the bottom of the screen. If"Spring"is following close. enough behind you, as you jump on the bus stop, he will try to follow you, but will instead fa ll to his death, as the bus stop transports you back to the top of the screen. If this is done successfully, it is worth 500 points. Although I killed "Spring," at the same time, another monster was coming out of the top of the cubes, setting out to destroy me all over again. When all the cubes are changed , the award is 2500 bonus points and a new wave begins.
I found that it is a good idea to get familiar with the playing screen during the first two screens because the third screen is invisible at the beginning. The 27 blocks are unseen, and, when you jump on them the color and the block appear. A box in the upper right corner tells you how many blocks you have changed-if you have time to notice. This was the toughest and most challenging level of the game. I have only been able to play the invisible screen twice, because my skills did not allow me to go further than the first two screens.
Bloc Head has two skill levels, either EASY or TUFF. The only difference I found is that the TUFF level has extra monsters chasing you. You start the game with four Bloc Heads and an extra one is provided for every 10,000 points you accumulate. The game is over when you lose your last Bloc Head.
The instruction sheet is very informative and easy to understand. Bloc Head features good quality graphics and sound effects. The visual effects are great, too. I really fe lt as if the monsters were chasing me, so I became determined to "trick them off the edge." It takes a lot of practice for one to get used to the joystick. I "committed suicide" a number of times by making just one wrong move and falling off the edge, but after playing several times, I finally got the maneuvering of the joystick down pat.
Bloc Head requires 16K and one joystick, although you may need two-just in case the first one wears out. I highly recommend this game for both children and adults who want to put their skills to a test. Personally, there is no other computer game I have become more addicted to. Bloc Head is a very enjoyable game-and best of all-you don't need quarters!
(Computerware, Box 668, Encinitas, CA 92024, tape $26.95, disk $29.95 + $2 S&H)
External Links
- All Bloc Head resources at the Color Computer Archive
- Listing at L. Curtis Boyle's CoCo games page (Archived version)
- Universal VideoGame List page
- Moby Games page
- Also in VHD NitrOS-9 L2 V3.2.8 Disk 2
See Also
Other Q*Bert clones for the Coco include: