A Journey to the Centre of the Earth

A Journey to the Centre of the Earth
Game No.	28
Voting	7.00 points, 18 votes
Publisher	OziSoft
HVSC-File	GAMES/G-L/ Journey_to_Centre_of_Earth.sid
Release	1984
Platform	Amstrad CPC, C64
Genre	Action-Adventure, Arcade, Platformer (Srolling Screen)
Gamemode	Single player
Operation
Media
Language
Information	There are games with the same name (e.g. by "Chip Software"), but they have nothing to do with this one.

Description

A Journey to the Centre of the Earth is a wonderful action adventure where you -as Prof. Lidenbrock in the story of the same name by Jules Verne- travel to the middle point of the earth. There are 11 treasures to be brought to the surface. The cave system is BIG and there is a lot to discover, many riddles to solve, a lot to worry about and to hope - you fear that the game doesn't crash and you hope that it works fine until the end :-D , because the mistakes in the quick graphic get worse during the proceeding game.

Design

... a short animation from the game ...

... The introduction ...

One might especially like the humor, which -maybe also unintentionally- found its way into the game during the design. The graphics are relatively simple but quick, added with a nice pushing sound which aids the play instinct.

Hints

Controls

Key F1  or F3	- Start game (AND RESTART, ANY TIME DURING THE GAME!!)
Key F5	- Music off/on
Key H	- Help
Key I	- Inventory
Key R	- Return to the game
go left/right	- joystick left/right
jump	- short press of fire button (only with empty hands !!)
jump in viewing direction	- long press of fire button (only with empty hands !!)
climb up/down	- go to wall and push joystick forwards/backwards (only with empty hands !!)
use item	- fire button
pick up item	- stand over item until is appears in the list, press key for free slot, denn push joystick forward
drop item	- press key for desired slot, then pull joystick backward
Key 1   - 8	- take item from the corresponding slot into hands (1 = empty hands)

The controls are very important, especially the fire button:

• Tipping the fire button: vertical jump upwards
• Holding the fire button: long jump sidewards in direction of view

• If you carry more than 5 items, you cannot jump any more!

• The individual objects can be picked by the number keys. If you want to pick up something, you just press the number of the blank box and then you can pick up or lay down the item by moving the joystick up and down.

End rating for the player

The player gets rated in text form:

1. A BRAINLESS SNAIL
2. A VERY CLEVER SNAIL
3. CAPTAIN COOKS CABIN BOY
4. A VERY CLEVER PERSON
5. AN INDIAN SCOUT
6. AN ABORIGINE TRACKER
7. JULE VERNE
8. A MASTER ADVENTURER
9. A SUPERHUMAN GENIUS
10. THE MAN WHO MADE THIS GAME

Solution

Map

• Without a map the game is almost impossible to finish:

• If you get stuck with the riddles and you know a little bit about graphic programs, you can find the hidden solutions in the map. Experience with Paint is enough.

• With full hands you cannot climb or jump. You need to choose item 1 or an empty position. Your possessions remain.

• Vampire bats are dangerous, but you can trick or shoot them.

• Equipment with the shape of an egg can be used as teleport.

• Oxygen pills contain - as the name implies - oxygen. With it you can stay underwater for a longer time.

• A pot can be filled with water.

• With water you can make grass or a flower grow but also extinguish fire.

• You can climb on flowers or grass.

• To ignite dynamite you need a detonator.

• An umbrella can also protect you from falling rocks.

Cheats

• The version by "Hokuto Force" contains the option for unlimited lives as cheat mode.

Voting

Voting of the C64-Wiki users (10=the best vote):
7.00 points at 18 votes (rank 442). You need to be logged in to cast a vote.
C64Games	7	5th April 2007 - "very good" 5097 downs
Lemon64	7,4	5th April 2007 - 5 votes

Reviews

Worf: "The game receives the title "educational specially valuable", because you can make it without the use of the weapons."

Robotron2084: "The games receives the title "gaming value technically specially questionable", because it comes along like a wondrous mixture of a scrolling Jet Set Willy and another, not more closely definable, but definitely not very good title. This expedition to the underworld leaves me strangely confused; "A Journey to the center of Strangeness" would have been a rather tested title. 5 points out of 10 points for this comic something, but only because I am feeling generous toady."

H.T.W: "The game receives the title "programming technically specially interesting" from me, because it constantly wants to make the player believe that it crashes now, but the program code is so tough, that it only ends in graphic mistakes. Despite all the inconsistencies as e.g. the "end rating" there is a kind of "I-want-to-play-it-again-factor" due to the many puzzles. . ."

Miscellaneous

Bug

There is one problem: most of the time the program counts only 10 treasures, although you brought all the 11 treasures to the surface. But you can also set the counter up manually in address $B7E9 to be able to view the great ;-) end screen.

Cover

• As far as it is known, there was no official cover, (but see: cover uploaded by Nomad0168).

Highscore

• A highscore is due to the aforementioned bug not really reasonable.

Links

Websites

• C64Games.de - Game No. 3619
• Lemon64 - Game No. 4079
• Gamebase64.com - Game No. 3972
• CultofGames.com Review

Videos

• Review: Video at YouTube
• Gameplay: Video at YouTube