--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                         "SANTAFLY" by RESERVOIR GODS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

system ... ST, STe, Falcon, TT, STeem 2.4, 1 MB RAM, RGB, VGA

genre .... fast frantic action title

release .. 12/o2

url ...... http://www.reservoir-gods.com

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-information- I suggest you  to read  the "Superfly" article  first if you don't
              know about this game (even if I doubt that).

Nearly right in time for the free christmas days the Reservoir Gods brought some
nice little  gift to the gambling  Atari scene. Therefore they  created a little
special version  out of  their latest release, "Superfly", that  is  reviewed in
here as well... just follow the leader, errr... link:

>---> SUPERFLY review <---<

Of course we hadn't to wait for a completely reworked game, but therefore a nice
little break  filler, that doesn't  contains all the  features from the previous
one but that isn't a real drawback, as everyone can play "Superfly" as well.

The aim of the  game is quite  simple. You have to guide Santa Claus on the hunt
for all the items that  belong to Xmas to  save those cosy days for the kids and
over all, the Atarians. Your dumb kobolds have  spread all the things around and
so you're starting the hunt with your  reindeer sledge to collect items like the
snowflakes, stars, xmas trees and all the gifts.



So there wasn't much changed in view onto "Superfly". On every level you have to
get a special  number of items  to go to the next one... and that's more or less
all about it.

Your  sprite  is this  time Santa Claus  with his  sledge, very well  drawn  and
animated, respect! Your reindeer even has a blinking red nose! Where have I seen
that before, eh? The objects are  well designed  again and  the obstacles on the
screen matching partly to the objects you're  hunting for. For the  Atari Lovers
it must  be a special goal  to reach the  last level  to collect  all the fuji's
there.



If you have played "Superfly" before  you will surely check  out that "Santafly"
is some way easier to play. The reasons  for this are simple. For "Santafly" the
whole experience points system, that was used before and used to unlock advanced
parts of the game for better  players was left out. Ok, you're  still collecting
experience points but they don't  have an effect  on the things you're doing, at
least I didn't found out any.

A little drawback because  of this is the fact that hidden features are left out
you could  have unlocked. Better  in this part  is that you  can play all levels
just by finishing them and  you mustn't collect a special number of points to be
allowed to play the next one. So this  game is quite a lot easier to play and to
examine by not that skilled players.

What else? Some more information? Hum... as mentioned  the sprites are well done
while the break pictures don't  reach the quality of the ones in "Superfly", but
therefore they are quite funny.

On the msx side  there is a nice  chip music  again, but there  aren't that many
different sounds as in "Superfly" and again no sound efx.

The controls with every possible thing  from mouse to jagpad  or keyboard are as
good as before, not that tricky with the same game engine ;) Latest bits are the
saveable highscores as well as  the later  created online  scores that brought a
new competition to the gamblers and rises the motivation a lot.

Ok, here we go for the final words...

"Santafly" is rocking because  its using the same fast game engine like the cool
"Superfly", it is a bit easier to play for not that  skilled players but for the
hardcore ones it  surely is too easy and offers to less depth. The  grafix don't
reach the quality of  its predecessor, except the animations that are again very
well done. The sound department  falls a bit back behind "Superfly" as there are
not that much different musics. But over all the game makes, again, a lot of fun
and this is the ruling point.

___ratings______________________________________________________________________

visuals .....  7o % - very nice animations, ok break grafix
audio .......  7o % - good chip music, but not that various
controls .... 1oo % - can't be solved better
idea ........  5o % - where have we seen it before? ;)
motivation ..  8o % - for hardcore players definitly too short, online scores

___overall_____74_%_____________________________________________________________

"Santafly" solved its job  perfectly as it  was just tought  to be a little xmas
present for the Atari scene, even if it stays a bit back behind "Superfly"...

_eil2k3_________________________________________________________________moondog_