MazeCraze Review

Program Requirements:
Device:
Compatible with SH3 and MIPS Palm size PCs. Needs 98k of RAM.

Feeling nostalgic for the days when you would cut class, run down to the arcade and
feed the coin-ops your allowance in quarters? Remember playing those great games like
Centipede, DigDug and PacMan?  If so, MazeCraze for the PSPC by Field Software Products will bring back all those
old memories. This is the old familiar PacMan game but this time our hero has glasses and
is named Nerdly! The ghosts are now government agents and the powerup dots are gold bars.
Other than that, the object of the game is basically the same: run around the
screen, grabbing all the $’s that you can while avoiding the government agents (hmmm,
sounds like real life). Just like in the original PacMan game, you can get a powerup by
grabbing a gold bar in each of the four corners of the screen.

When you do this, you get 7 seconds to grab the government agents. Once in awhile a cherry will appear that you can grab as well. Once the screen is cleared, you progress to the next level (maze) and do it all over again. You have 5 lives per game, and there are 15 different levels.Options for game include speed settings and the ability to turn the sound effects on or off. Is the game fun?  Well…. it could be better.  To move Nerdly around the screen, you must use your stylus. This is the main problem with the game on a screen as small as a PSPC screen. Because you have to use your stylus, you’re always obstructing the screen with your hand. There needs to be some type of alternative navigating method. Maybe have little arrow keys at the bottom of the display that you can tap on to move in the 4 separate directions. Or, use the hardware buttons (this would work ok for the Casio E10 and Everex units since they have buttons on the front of the case but it wouldn’t be that helpful on the Nino which only has buttons on the sides).

A demo version is available that will let you play one level. This version
will not let your save high scores.  I suggest trying the game out before you plunk
down your $20.

Price: $19.95

Pros:
Good sound effects.
Fun time waster.

Cons:
Only way to move character around the screen is with your stylus which
blocks the display.