Fire and Ice Download (1992 Amiga Game)

This is not just another pretty platform game. Although the idea of jumping and dodging is the same - the special features of this game make it one of a kind. In a nutshell, the evil wizard Sutan has escaped from his interstellar prison, and is attempting to enslave the entire human population of the planet Earth.

Glemm his eternal enemy has followed Sutan for twelve light years and has tracked him to his hiding place on Earth, but is reluctant to engage Sutan in a head-on fight. The last time that they fought an entire solar system was fried to a crisp by their powerful exchange of elemental forces. To avoid direct confrontation and it's costs Glemm has decided to search for an unassuming but worthy champion. After dismissing simple human beings as being too stupid, he chances upon Cool Coyote in the northernmost regions of the planet. He secretly gives Cool Coyote certain elemental powers and promises to aid him whenever he can in his battle against Sutan.

Cool Coyote's main elemental weapon is ice. He can temporarily freeze his enemies, but must shatter them before he can seize their possesions. Unfortunately, they don't stay frozen for long and frequently re-freezing them doesn't help. So Cool Coyote had better be on target the first time! Sutan's helpers are many and can be mistaken for innocent local inhabitants such as Eskimos, Amazon Indians, birds or snowmen. But don't let appearances fool you! They also have special weapons and know how to use them. Some enemies appear to be immune from Cool Coyote's weapons, but persistence always pays off!

There are seven unique worlds in this game ranging from: the frozen wasteland of the north to sizzling deserts; from Scottish castles to Inca Temples; from floating islands to rainforest. All this, plus high sea and underwater adventure. Each land is painstakingly designed and is a joy to watch on an Amiga. Though it is not necessary to visit all seven lands in order to complete the game, you'll probably want to explore them just for the fun of it. Some lands are secret locations whilst others can be passed over by means of a secret door. Normally to exit a land, you must use a proper exit which needs to be located. Finding the exits is only half the problem! To properly exit most doors the exact key must be found; but clever Sutan has divided each key into six parts and distributed them amongst his most faithful followers at each level. You must defeat the holder of each key piece before you can use the exit to next land.

Luckily. Cool Coyote is not alone in his crusade. On several occasions, he will be able to free little puppies. Again don't let appearances fool you! Man's best friend (or should I say Cool Coyote's best friend?) also fires ice pellets to freeze and shatter Cool Coyote's enemies. If you can collect enough of them they can act as a firing barrier between you and your foes. If led properly, they can earn extra needed lives for Cool Coyote. But don't forget that little puppies are easily distracted and if left alone for a long period of time will wander off on their own. When tending to little puppies please remember that they can't jump large gaps and are afraid of moving platforms. If you take good care of them they will always be around to help. Since they are so small and cute. Sutan and company underestimate them an therefore don't attack them. To help him in his battle against the minions of Sutan, the benevolent Glemm has also scattered special secret weapons along the way. Such as: airbombs, snow clouds, shields and the all powerful sonic bark. These need to be collected in typical platform fashion, and some weapons actually replace others. For example, by pelting rain clouds with his elemental powers Cool Coyote can force the clouds to snow and therefore collect snow bombs for this armoury. But be careful, too much ice will create dangerous storm clouds!

Additionally, there are magical switches to be found around the different landscapes. Some take the form of ice bridges or ice steps that lead to otherwise inaccessible locations. However, these will eventually melt so don't dilly dally on your date with Sutan. Not all magic switches are so obvious and sometimes just firing at walls will open secret passageways or reveal hidden platforms for our hero. Remember that the closer you get to Sutan's lair, the quicker Cool Coyote's ice powers will melt. To make things worse, you only have seven days and nights to confront Sutan, otherwise he will track you down and really make things hot for Cool Coyote. So keep an eye on the day/night emblem.

Naturally using all that elemental power has it's costs, especially when approaching the secret desert lair of Sutan. Luckily. Glemm has anticipated this and has provided ample opportunities throughout the game to power up and earn extra lives. Unlike other platform games, the terrain itself offers a challenge in almost 3D colour. You'll experience running up icy ski slides and avoiding avalanches all at the same time.

All things considered Fire and Ice gets my vote for Game of the Month. Renegade and Andy Braybrook should take pride in the packaging and design of this programme. The graphics are fantastic, despite the unbelievability of their cute canine character. Fire and Ice distinguishes itself from other platform games by it's way of accumulating points by having to freeze your opponents first. Any previous attempt to jump or stomp a foe will kill your character.

You don't need to be a joystick jockey to play this one, simply fire your ice pellets in the general direction of the enemy and chill them out! The puppies will always follow your direction of fire. This is one of the few new platform games that allows both beginners and experts to start on an equal footing. The instructions are easy to follow, but bear in mind that you have to earn the respect of Sutan and his friends.

How to run this game on modern Windows PC?

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