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"Slinky - aging yet memorable classic."

Slinky - a game remembered by anyone ancient enough to have played it for its exciting gameplay. Released for the Commodore 64 in its heyday, Cosmi's action masterpiece was a beloved favourite of many gamers. Hailed by many as a Q*bert clone, its gameplay nevertheless had many unique aspects. Slinky was a great, addicting game, and even more fun to play with friends around.

Gameplay 9/10
Anyone who has played with a Slinky before knows that you can't just send it toppling downstairs once. You have to do it over and over again, observing from different angles and being hypnotized by its movement. The same held true with Slinky for C64; somehow players never tired of watching the simple metal spring coil its way up and down the stairs. The point of the game was simple - try to reach the illuminated stair while avoiding the blackened ones. The era's trademark High-score board sat at the top of the screen; it was flanked by its loyal companions, the Level indicator and the Lives meter (or in this case 'Plays'). Gameplay became increasingly difficult as the Slinky progressed in its quest. Hammering the controls furiously was not uncommon once the last set of levels was reached. Slinky was fast-paced and easy-to-learn.

Graphics - 6/10
At a time when game companies were pushing the feeble C64 to its graphical limit, Slinky's graphics were suprisingly bland. It consisted of a 24-colour palette illustrating a number of staircases; a major drawback was (as with many C64 games) the generic black background using up 30% of the screen. However, its pseudo-3D square sprites were intriguing and held the eye's attention. The movements of the Slinky were fluid enough, and meticulous attention was payed to make its motion seem just like that of a real Slinky. Slinky's graphics weren't bad per se, but provided what seemed like the bare minimum.

Sound 6/10
Much akin to the graphics, the C64's potential was being pushed harder and harder with each game release. Slinky's sound was by no means amazing; however it wouldn't annoy players even after their thousandth play-through. Sound effects were persistent and memorable.

Overall 7/10
Slinky was a very enjoyable title that stayed true to the definition of 'game', in that it was 'an amusement or pastime'. At first glance this seems obvious, but compare it to many games of today - could one call them truly amusing? Consider today's PC dominator, WoW; requiring weeks of playtime to access end-game content. This is just another example of how gaming has become more and more complex as time inches its way forward. Slinky is a throwback to the bygone days of small, fun games that didn't make any sense plot-wise (who would care about a Slinky on a staircase, and why was it there in the first place?) but was just an entertaining way to hang out with friends or kill some time. Slinky is a true classic and should never be forgotten by gamers today.


Reviewer's Score: 7/10 | Originally Posted: 06/08/07