Summary

Release Year: 1992
Genres: Fighting, Platform, Puzzle, Sport
Platforms: Acorn Archimedes, Amiga, Amiga CD32, Atari ST/STE, BlackBerry OS, DOS, Sega Game Gear, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, Super Famicom, Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Developers: Gremlin Graphics Software Ltd.
Publishers: Amiga, GameTek, Inc., Nissho Iwai Infocom Systems Co., Ltd.

Zool: A Ninja’s Revenge

Released in 1992, Zool is a fast-paced side-scrolling platformer developed by Gremlin Graphics and published by Gremlin Interactive. The game follows the titular Zool, a ninja who must rescue his kidnapped girlfriend, Luna, from the evil sorcerer Krool.

Zool is armed with a variety of weapons and abilities, including a sword, shurikens, and the ability to jump, climb walls, and glide. He can also collect power-ups that give him temporary invincibility, increased speed, or the ability to shoot fireballs.

The game is set across six different worlds, each with its own unique enemies and challenges. Zool must battle his way through hordes of ninjas, robots, and other creatures, all while avoiding traps and obstacles.

Zool was a critical and commercial success, praised for its fast-paced gameplay, colorful graphics, and catchy music. It was ported to a number of different platforms, including the Amiga, Atari ST, Commodore 64, and ZX Spectrum.

Gameplay

Zool is a side-scrolling platformer in which the player controls the titular character as he runs, jumps, and shoots his way through six different worlds. Zool can also climb walls and glide, which allows him to reach otherwise inaccessible areas.

The game is divided into a number of levels, each with its own unique enemies and challenges. Zool must defeat all of the enemies in a level in order to progress to the next one.

Zool is armed with a variety of weapons and abilities, including a sword, shurikens, and the ability to shoot fireballs. He can also collect power-ups that give him temporary invincibility, increased speed, or the ability to shoot fireballs.

Development

Zool was developed by Gremlin Graphics, a British video game developer founded in 1984. The game was designed by Oliver Twins, a duo of brothers who had previously worked on a number of other successful platformers, including RoboCop and Platoon.

Zool was one of the first games to use a “rotoscoping” technique to create its character animations. This technique involved filming live actors and then tracing over the footage to create the game’s sprites. This gave the game’s characters a smooth and fluid look that was uncommon at the time.

Release

Zool was released in 1992 for the Amiga, Atari ST, Commodore 64, and ZX Spectrum. The game was a critical and commercial success, and it was ported to a number of other platforms, including the Sega Genesis, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and Game Boy.

Reception

Zool was praised for its fast-paced gameplay, colorful graphics, and catchy music. It was also one of the first games to use a “rotoscoping” technique to create its character animations, which gave the game a smooth and fluid look that was uncommon at the time.

The game was a commercial success, selling over one million copies worldwide. It was also nominated for a number of awards, including the Golden Joystick Award for Best Platform Game.

Legacy

Zool is considered to be one of the best platformers of its era. It is still fondly remembered by many gamers today for its fast-paced gameplay, colorful graphics, and catchy music.

The game has been re-released a number of times over the years, including on the PlayStation Network, Xbox Live Arcade, and Steam. It is also available as part of the Zool Collection, a compilation of all three Zool games.

Zool II

A sequel to Zool, titled Zool II, was released in 1993. The game featured similar gameplay to the original, but it also introduced a number of new features, such as the ability to play as Luna, Zool’s girlfriend.

Zool II was not as well-received as the original game, but it still sold well and was praised for its improved graphics and gameplay.

Zool: Ninja Zone

A third Zool game, titled Zool: Ninja Zone, was released in 1995. The game was a departure from the previous two games, as it was a 3D fighting game.

Zool: Ninja Zone was not as well-received as the previous two games, and it was the last Zool game to be released.

Conclusion

Zool is a classic platformer that is still enjoyed by many gamers today. It is a fast-paced, challenging, and rewarding game that offers a lot of replay value. If you are a fan of platformers, then you owe it to yourself to check out Zool.