Fiendish Freddy’s Big Top O’ Fun (1989)

by Nish
written by Nish 8 minutes read

Summary

Fiendish Freddy’s Big Top O’ Fun: A C64 Circus Classic

Released in 1989, Fiendish Freddy’s Big Top O’ Fun is a unique and entertaining platformer/puzzle game for the Commodore 64. It’s a game that’s full of charm and personality, with a great sense of humor and a surprising amount of depth.

The game’s story is simple: the evil Fiendish Freddy is trying to sabotage a circus, and it’s up to you to stop him. You play as one of six different circus animals, and you must compete in a series of events in order to raise money to save the circus.

The events are varied and challenging, and they each require a different set of skills. In one event, you must jump off diving boards of increasing height into containers of water of decreasing size. In another, you must juggle balls, babies, and bombs. In a third, you must walk across tightropes while avoiding razor blades and jet-propelled Freddy.

Freddy is a constant thorn in your side throughout the game. He’ll blow you off course with a hair dryer, throw smoke grenades to hinder your vision, and even try to cut you in half with razor blades. But you can’t let him stop you. You must keep going, and you must save the circus.

Fiendish Freddy’s Big Top O’ Fun is a challenging game, but it’s also a fair one. The controls are responsive, and the difficulty curve is well-balanced. The game is also very rewarding, and it’s always satisfying to complete an event and earn money for the circus.

The graphics in Fiendish Freddy’s Big Top O’ Fun are colorful and detailed. The characters are expressive and the backgrounds are full of life. The game’s music is also excellent, with a catchy circus-themed tune that will get stuck in your head for days.

Overall, Fiendish Freddy’s Big Top O’ Fun is a great game. It’s challenging, rewarding, and full of charm. If you’re a fan of the Commodore 64 or classic gaming in general, then you owe it to yourself to check out Fiendish Freddy’s Big Top O’ Fun.

Gameplay

Fiendish Freddy’s Big Top O’ Fun is a platformer/puzzle game in which you play as one of six different circus animals. You must compete in a series of events in order to raise money to save the circus from the evil Fiendish Freddy.

The events are:

  • Diving: Jump off four diving boards of increasing height into containers of water of decreasing size.
  • Juggling: Juggle balls, babies, and bombs.
  • Trapeze: Swing from rope to rope while avoiding rings of fire and moving targets.
  • Knife throwing: Throw knives at balloons on a rotating wheel with a female assistant strapped to it.
  • Tightrope: Walk across three tightropes while avoiding razor blades and jet-propelled Freddy.
  • Human cannonball: Launch yourself into a target from a cannon.

Each event is more difficult than the last, and you must complete all six events in order to save the circus.

Characters

You can play as one of six different circus animals in Fiendish Freddy’s Big Top O’ Fun:

  • Tiger: The tiger is the fastest and most agile character.
  • Lion: The lion is the strongest character.
  • Bear: The bear is the slowest character, but he can take the most hits.
  • Elephant: The elephant is the largest character, and he can crush Freddy with his trunk.
  • Monkey: The monkey is the most acrobatic character.
  • Seal: The seal is the most slippery character.

Each character has their own unique strengths and weaknesses, so you must choose the character that best suits your playing style.

Enemies

The main enemy in Fiendish Freddy’s Big Top O’ Fun is Fiendish Freddy himself. Freddy is a short, green-skinned imp with a mischievous grin. He’ll do everything he can to stop you from saving the circus, so you must be careful not to let him get the best of you.

In addition to Freddy, there are a number of other enemies in the game, including:

  • Clowns: The clowns will throw pies and custard at you.
  • Acrobats: The acrobats will try to knock you off the tightrope.
  • Strongmen: The strongmen will try to crush you with their weights.
  • Fire breathers: The fire breathers will try to burn you with their flames.

You must be careful to avoid all of these enemies, or you will lose your life.

Items

There are a number of items that you can collect in Fiendish Freddy’s Big Top O’ Fun to help you on your quest. These items include:

  • Money: Money is used to buy items from the shop.
  • Hearts: Hearts restore your health.
  • Stars: Stars make you invincible for a short period of time.
  • Bombs: Bombs can be thrown at enemies to damage them.
  • Missiles: Missiles can be thrown at enemies to damage them.
  • Trampolines: Trampolines can be used to jump over obstacles.
  • Jet packs: Jet packs can be used to fly over obstacles.

You must use these items wisely in order to survive and save the circus.

Shop

There is a shop in Fiendish Freddy’s Big Top O’ Fun where you can buy items to help you on your quest. The items that are available for sale include:

  • Extra lives: Extra lives give you an extra chance to complete the game.
  • Health: Health restores your health.
  • Stars: Stars make you invincible for a short period of time.
  • Bombs: Bombs can be thrown at enemies to damage them.
  • Missiles: Missiles can be thrown at enemies to damage them.
  • Trampolines: Trampolines can be used to jump over obstacles.
  • Jet packs: Jet packs can be used to fly over obstacles.

You must use your money wisely in order to buy the items that you need to survive and save the circus.

Tips

Here are a few tips to help you survive and save the circus in Fiendish Freddy’s Big Top O’ Fun:

  • Be careful not to fall off the platforms.
  • Avoid the enemies and their attacks.
  • Collect items to help you on your quest.
  • Use the shop to buy items that you need.
  • Don’t give up!

With a little patience and skill, you can save the circus from Fiendish Freddy.

Review Score

8/10

Art

Cover Art

Screenshots

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Nish is a software engineer by day and avid gamer who loves to play video games after he puts his two boys to bed. His insights delve into the mechanics, and storytelling of the games he plays with the aim to share his passion with the audience. He loves to travel back to his native India and travel the country on his restored Royal Enfield Bullet 350, a relic from a simpler time, like some of the games he plays.

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