Everyone needs a pal don't they? Subbuteo was always a much better game with two - crawling across the carpet on your hands and knees trying to perform for both teams of mini-men became a bind after a while, particularly when attempted to avoid the floodlights. However, I digress.

Bubble (the one who squeaks) has a pal - a very stupid one, but a pal nonetheless, and for that he must be grateful, though perhaps not eternally.

Bubble and sidekick Squeak (the one who is too stupid to squeak) never get to play Subbuteo. No sir, for their task is to (oh no, it's daft plot time) rid the formerly joyous planet of Grool of the heinous villain, Kat Of Nine Tails and his accompanying band of cronies.

The title screen warms the very cockles of your heart, delightfully portraying Squeak providing a comforting, protectively pally arm across the shoulders of Bubble, yet this glowing image couldn't be further from the truth.

Let me explain further. You don the cloak of Bubble, a short, balding young fellow while Squeak is the sidekick. You have to do all the work while Squeak, your bemasked, red-nosed chum follows automatically, a short distance behind.
And now the dilemma. In order to complete a level, you must usher Squeak to the top of the platform giving him a firm handshake upon realisation of the task - there are two ways this can be accomplished.

You either let the blue chap come along for the whole ride, in which case extreme care must be taken when dealing with the nasties, or you can leave him on his own (risking baleful glances from your plump pal) while you clear the level of any obstacles before returning to escort him to the summit. Every time you pull down on the joystick, Bubble makes one of two squeaky remarks: "come on", or "wait here".

Now as you can imagine, playing a platform game involves waggling the stick in all directions and at times you find yourself wandering across ledges, shooting fowl and the like, with the squeaky remarks ringing in your ears - poor Squeak doesn't know whether he's coming or going and you often have to backtrack and check he's OK.

Even with Squeak at heel, there's no guarantee that he can perform the manoeuvre you've just finished, which leads to moments of hair-tearing frustration. Imagine you're close to the summit, one more ledge to scale, Squeak but inches behind.
You hop triumphantly skyward with consummate ease while your red-nosed pal missed the ledge completely and drops half-way down the level. He can be very stupid.

But we shall let it lie. We shall also let the fact that the levels gradually fill with water lie. It's not a problem early on but in the trickier, later levels it can be a mite disheartening as you attempt to get Squeak above water before seeing him drown horribly. Sob.

Bubble And Squeak also recognises joypads, which eliminates the problem of making Squeak stop and start by accident. So gripes aside, let us celebrate what is essentially a jolly platform romp.

The 30 levels divide between five worlds and at the end of each one there's a shoot-em-up section to add flavour - the craft in which our pals travel is a Stingrayesque delight. And 10 bonus levels are also crammed in.

As is the tradition, the levels are by no means bereft of pick-ups. Collect the coins and you can buy Squeak gumballs which gives him a superpower - he becomes a tad more useful after consuming his favourite confectionery.

The worlds are reasonably varied, the puzzles are solvable and the levels organised - you never find yourself jumping on a wing and a prayer. Bubble And Squeak can frustrate but its endearing qualities pull you round and you end up grinning, albeit with one lip slightly curled.

The mightiest beings ever to produce a computer games magazine as we are, it is appropriate that software publishers take note of our criticisms and act upon them.
Take Lionheart, for example. AMIGA POWER intoned, "The main character - he runs like a mincing jessie," and, lo, Thalion did enbutch their hero. Or Super Stardust. "it is too easy," concluded AMIGA POWER, and, lo, Team 17 did get Bloodhouse to put back in all the difficult parts they'd made them take out two weeks before.

To this properly acquiescent company we must welcome Audiogenic. "Stupid Blue Thing is far too stupid," AMIGA POWER ululated. "It is most annoying."
So, for the (until now cunningly kept secret) A500 release of Bubble and Squeak, the programmers have adjusted Stupid Blue Thing so he no longer falls off a platform if you turn around, nor leaps to his death because you sneezed. This is a Good Thing,

It's jolly interesting to see what a difference is made by changing the line of code governing how closely you have to get to Blue Thing to make him run around behind you to maintain his distance. (As I'm guessing is what's happened here.) Whereas before a single tap on the joystick as you adjusted your stance on a lift made Blue Thing leap into the air as if attacked nasally with a cattle prod, now the fool at least is prevented from destroying your careful plans by your inadvertently walking towards him.

FLASHBACK
(For people who missed the original review in AP40, you play a small child remarkably similar to Charlie Brown who has to guide a stupid blue thing through some attractively clever platform levels broken up by welcome shoot-'em-up sections.

Blue Thing can be used as a convenient platform, spring, or high-jumping mount-that-blows-bubbles depending on whether you destroy enough villains and loot their bodies to feed a bubble-gum machine.

The subsidiary aim to each screen beyond reaching the exit (something that may involve kicking Blue Thing though pipes so he knocks down blocks you can use to climb up to a previously unreachable ledge and the like) is to rack up enough carelessly mislaid gems to pay the ransom of a kidnapped Blue Thing Junior.

Smiled upon by AMIGA POWER to the tune of 77%, the main failing of Bubble and Squeak A1200 was the annoying imbecility of your fatuous companion and the bizarre time limit feature which gradually filled the level with water so that a tumble from a high ledge inevitably led to a drowning death.)

The game now 'flows' much better, with the challenge coming from solving the level rather than solving the level and keeping Blue Thing on track. I'm still not convinced about the water time limit (on the later levels there are so many traps and dead ends you have to spend time scouting out the screen, bu you're not given enough time to compose a solution and then go back and carry it out) but the fact Blue Thing no longer takes it into his head to plunge to his doom for no acceptable reason lends it a more exciting, less annoying air.

And nothing's been lost in the translation to the humbler machine; the backgrounds are plainer, but I could detect no other appreciate differences. Further, in a move designed to please scheming Celt turncoat Steve McGill, the game supports the CD32 joypad on a non-AGA machine, buttons and all (it's a world's first, apparently.)

Yes, I think Bubble and Squeak has indeed benefited from a bit of a rejig. And have adjusted its mark accordingly.

CUE TITLES: Fast-cutting establishing shots of medieval town. Professional-style music. Words spin in from side of screen to crash together in centre as title: Cadfael and God. Screen splits into three panels, displaying Cadfael turning to look into camera and smiling. Cadfael bringing down a fleeing suspect with a rosary lasso and Cadfael hurling a communion plate like a discus.

CAPTION: Starring Derek Jacobi as Cadfael. (Another set of three panels, displaying God turning to look into camera and smiling. God destroying a castle with an earthquake, and God squatting down to show a flower to a little girl.)

CAPTION: With Brian Blesses as God (More fast cuts, showing God slapping Cadfael heartily on the back, Cadfael and God running off in opposite directions, both characters leaping back flat against a wall, huge argument with Cadfael and God shouting nose-to-nose, and a monastic chant with Cadfael and God, black-eyed and bruised, bellowing lustily. Close-up of handshake between characters.)

CAPTION:Cadfael and God.

CAPTION:Tonight's Episode - Uneasy Rest the Spirits.
(Streets of mediaeval town. Sheriff strides past, followed by Cadfael.)

SHERIFF: Dammit, Cadfael, you know I can't do that.
CADFAEL: C'mon, Bill. You haven't got a chance of solving this without us.
SHERIFF: No, no, no, Cadfael. No. The last time you helped out we had a village burned to the ground and forty seven casualties including an archbishop.
CADFAEL: C'mon, Bill... you know we can do it.

(Sheriff stops suddenly.)
SHERIFF: Dammit, Cadfael. (World-weary sigh.) Okay. Okay, you've got 24 hours. Just 24 hours, Cadfael - and I want to see results.
CADFAEL: Okay, Sheriff. God.
God: It was him.

(They capture the criminal after an exciting chase.)
CADFAEL: Now that's what I call a deus ex machine.
SHERIFF: Oh, you guys.
ALL: Ha ha ha.
But anyway.

FACTS
No wait, listen. To justify the title, the characters are called Bubble and Squeak. You see? Bubble's the small bloke who looks like Charlie Brown undergoing a course of chemotherapy (and squeaks) and Squeak is the blue thing in the bathing cap (who blows bubbles). So basically it's Charlie Brown and Blue Thing. And it's by these names we shall refer to the characters from hereon. Nobody tells AMIGA POWER what to think.

You control Charlie Brown in the usual manner, with Blue Thing following moments behind. The idea, typically, is to leap around a lot and rescue some things by virtue of collecting gems. Blue Thing can help Charlie Brown reach otherwise inaccessible areas by throwing him in the air or, with the aid of some magic bubble-gum bought with coins dropped by destroyed monsters, piggy-backing him to success using powerful ankles.

Truly, it proves the interconnectedness of all things. After freeing three hostages there's a bonus game where you swipe gems in return for extra lives, and at the end of a level there's a horizontally-scrolling shoot-'em-up bit.

BASIC THINGS
Blue Thing is programmed to stay at your heels, with hilarious consequences. If you stop and change direction, he scuttles behind you to retain the distance. So if you're standing on a small platform (for example, one of the many lifts connection sections of a level) or at the cusp of a cliff, he plunges to the ground.

The slight delay before he reacts to your movements also leads to moments of high comedy, as he misses the perfectly ordinary jump you've just performed without a second thought and falls three-quarters of the way back to the beginning of the level.

Yes, fine, he's supposed to be your patently stupid sidekick, and you have to shepherd him to a point where he can be useful, and there's a button to make him stop dead (accompanied by a sampled "Wait here!" delivered in a horrible cheery bratty whine; why Horrible cheery bratty whines equal Macauley Culkin, and therefore incite violence) but nevertheless it disrupts the flow of the game.

Instead of zipping around and kicking Blue Thing through pipes and finding springs and Having Fun (and there's a lot of fun to be had, because the platform sections are scrupulously fair. Lovely and big they are, with lots of monsters, no leaps into the unknown, no slippy-slidey bits and no unavoidable traps) you have to take things slowly and carefully, or else equally pointlessly rush off on your own, spy out the land and then retrace your steps to fetch Blue Thing and do it all again. Bah.

The other problem with the platform levels, and one which is enormously silly, is that by way of a time limit, they fill with water. It's one of those ideas that almost (but not quite) makes it - when you're near the end of a level, and consequently most of it's underwater, if you mistake and fall off a platform, you will drown helplessly. Tcha.

NICE THINGS
But I'm still playing it. And have been for some time. It hangs together far better than most platform games, and the puzzles, usually involving getting Blue Thing to some frighteningly high ledge, are reasonably involved and satisfying.

The shoot-'em-up bits (a sort of underwater Nemesis with our heroes in a ship remarkably similar to Palitoy's bath time favourite, Glug-a-Tug) add variety in a pleasantly laid back fashion.

And remember how ("Matthew Squires" - Uncle Joe Stalin) got all excited about attention to detail? Bubble and Squeak pays attention to detail. There's a look-ahead feature, so you can scroll the screen around to check the lie of the land. The game recognises the CD32 joypad, using a button to jump. (Cheers.) The monsters are neatly characterised - the best are the fowl with baseball bats who thwack your bullets back at you.
And, heart-breakingly, when Blue Thing is standing still, his eyes follow you about the level, so if you're miles away, and have a look around, there he is in the corner, watching plaintively for his best friend. Sob.

END
"What the Lord giveth, the Lord taketh away," said TV's famous The Bible, and, do you know, I like to think those words could have been written about Bubble and Squeak. It's a game which pummels you with frustration and stupidity, then (that important bit more successfully) strokes your fevered brow with the other.

Let us take as an analogy the game itself. Charlie Brown (the fun of the game) grimaces at Blue Thing (the annoyingly foolish flaws) after the hapless creature just has fallen to the ground. Then his brow clears and he shakes his head amusedly, tutting in a kindly manner before umping down to help his sidekick. Clouds pass from the face of the sun, birds sing and everything is substantially sort of rightish.

There have been numerous successful double acts in the past: Abbot and Costello, Morecomb and Wise, Little and Large etc. All have been funny (with the exception of Little and Large perhaps, unless you happen to like Deputy Dawg impersonations ten years after their program has ceased being broadcast), yet this double act scenario has never really been as popular in the games market as it has on TV.

Of course there have been partnerships in the past - Mario and Luigi, or Bub and Bob for instance - but the sad thing is that these characters have always been pairs, not partners. It is one of the golden rules of comedy that if you are going to have two people interacting, one of them has to be the straight man.

Two wacky and amusing characters just don't work. And this is perhaps the key to Bubble & Squeak's appeal. Not only are the characters interesting and fun to watch, you'll also find that they are, in fact, a true comedy double act. Add that to the fact that it's also an immensely playable game, with tons of puzzles and extra curriculum platform fare and you've got something special.

But before I tell you any more, let me introduce you to the two heroes of the show: Bubble is a small boy, who looks a bit like Charlie Brown and seems quite normal in every respect, apart from the fact that he's premature bald and has a pet monster called Squeak. Squeak is a mini dinosaur/dragon in the Flintstones 'Dino' mould - very loyal, but not quite as mad (or smart) as Fred and Wilma's 'little' pet.

However, the big question is, how does it all work? On the back of the box (always a good place to start) the game describes itself as a combination of platform game, puzzler and shoot 'em up, all rolled in one, and I'd have to agree with them.

Even though there are two main characters, Bubble and Squeak isn't actually a two-player game. Instead, you control Bubble as he runs around the thirty enormous levels, while he, in turn, controls Squeak. Confused? Don't worry, it will all become clear in a moment.

Squeak, who has his own individual personality, follows Bubble around the screen, helping out wherever possible. However, he can't run as fast or jump as high as his master, so you'll have to let him catch up and find ways around various high obstacles. This is where the puzzle element of the game comes into play.

To be fair to Squeak, he does have a few tricks up his sleeve that make him more than just a useful friend. For a start, if you stand in front of him and push up, he will grab you under the armpits and throw you high in the air - at least twice as high as you can normally jump. Or, stand next to him and give him a kick, and he will roll into a ball and fly around the screen like Sonic The Hedgehog until he hits a wall.

Then there's bubble gum mode. The name comes from the bubble gum machines that are scattered around each level. When you get close to one of these, Squeak starts getting excited. If you drop a coin in the slot (coins are collected by shooting bad guys, as usual), then step back and kick the machine, a gum ball flies through the air into the greedy clutches of Squeak, who then bends over, allowing you to jump on his back. From this point on, you can run faster than normal, jump higher than ever and fire bubbles at the enemy, which are faster than the stars that Bubble normally fires across the screen.

Travelling around on Squeak's back is not only a very useful way to get around the various screens, it is also the only way you are going to be able to solve many of the puzzles the game throws at you.

Bubble and Squeak is a real treat to watch, with some of the most eyecatching and crisp sprites ever seen in an Amiga game. As mentioned earlier these sprites make for a funny comedy duo combination, with expressive faces and cute in-depth detail.

Developed for the AGA chipset, the game is only available on A1200 at the moment, with a CD32 version coming soon. And, believe me, the graphic artists have made extremely good use of the 256 colour chipset.

Glorious backdrops and smooth animation obviously can't be clearly illustrated in still screenshots, but you have to admit, the game sure does have a lot of character.

This flows over into the aural side of Bubble and Squeak too. Some simple but effective tunes play along behind the amusing sound effects, which include some wonderful samples of Bubble ordering Squeak around: "Wait here", he cries, "Come on", he shouts impatiently.

This is a very, very playable game. The controls, even on a three button pad, are logically worked out, and you'll have no trouble at all completing a couple of levels on your first attempt. Things get pretty hard as the game goes on, but you will be having so much fun you won't even notice.

Bubble & Squeak is one of the most playable and original platform games to ever hit the Amiga. If you're an A1200 owner and you don't buy this, then you probably just don't like games, do you?

Take a small man who, undeniably, resembles a certain Charles Brown Esq and give him a cuddly, dumb, caped sidekick. Call them Bubble And Squeak (Audiogenic, 081-424 2244, £29.99) and ask them to rid the planet of a heinous bunch of villains.

Five worlds and 30 levels of platform action (including bonus shoot-em-up sections) lie in their path before parity can be restored, and these can be tackled in one o f two ways. Either you (that's Bubble) can head off and clear the level of baddies before returning to collect Squeak and escorting him to the exit, or you can drag him along for the ride. Unfortunately, the colourful and varied levels fill with water, so you can't leave him for too long.

Anyway, as you can imagine, all kinds of cosmic shenanigans occur along the way. Squeak is quite useful at times - he can chuck you in the air and if you collect gumballs, you can give your pal superpowers.

Bubble And Squeak is a better-than-average platformer although your masked chum occasionally drives you to distraction, particularly if you've made it to the top of the level, the exit beckoning and you successfully make that final ledge - then Squeak follows your moves to a tee, yet he just misses that final platform and falls to the bottom of the level. Doh!

Ganz neu ist die Idee mit dem Heldendoppel freilich nicht, denn schon bei "Sleepwalker" übernahm der Spieler einen Charakter und damit gleichzeitig die Verantwortung für einen Zweiten. Hier besteht die Konstellation nun aus dem Knaben Bubble und dem Mini-Dino Squeak, der seinem Herrchen schön brav computergesteuert hinterhermarschiert - wenn's sein mu&slzig;, auch in das Verderben, denn per putzigen Ur-Waldi kann weder so schnell laufen noch so hoch hüpfen wie Bubble.

Insgesamt 30 Levels lang mu&slzig; die Freundschaft der ungleichen Partner halten, was in erster Linie eine Menge Arbeit für den Dino-Dompteur bedeutet: Man tüftelt den Pad aus, setzt Aufzüge in Betrieb, funktioniert Blumenvasen zu Treppen um oder baut zuvor eingesammelte Sprungfedern sinnreich auf.

Wenn das alles nix hilft, wird der Pfadfinder eben rabiat und lä&slzig;t Squeak vorübergehend sitzen, um die Gegend alleine auszukundschaften - oder er kickt das Vieh gar wie einen Ball über weite Schluchten hinweg!

Andererseits ist unser Jurassic-Baby nicht nur Klotz am Bein, denn es katapultiert seinen Meister auch mal in ungeahnte Höhen oder stellt sich für ein paar Sü&slzig;igkeiten aus dem kaugummiautomaten als Reittier zur Verfügung. Dann erweisen sich Ro&slzig; & Reiter als besonders lauf- und sprungstarkes Gespann, das seinen Feinden zudem in typischer Genremanier auf den Kopf hüpfen kann.

Tatsächlich entwickelt sich aus der Zusammenarbeit beider Figuren bald ein ausgesprochen reizvoller Spielablauf voll cleverer Puzzles und launiger Kämpfe gegen Schlangen, Pinguine und Flugelefanten.

Normalerweise wirft Bubble dabei mit Glitzersternchen um sich, während bei den Ausritten die Kaugummiblasen von Squeak zum Einsatz kommen. Unterwegs finden sich Zusatzleben und frische Energie sowie vor allem viele, viele Diamanten, mit denen in Türmen gefangene Freunde freigekauft werden, während ein ständig steigender Wasserpegel zur Eile treibt.

Zudem sind ein paar reinrassige Ballersequenzen im Stil von "R-Type" zu überstehen, und nach Auseinandersetzungen mit gro&slzig;en Endgegnern warten Bonusspiele wie z.B. eine hübsche Hüpfburg.

Erfreulicherweise wird das stets faire Gameplay adäquat präsentiert: Zur abwechslungsreichen CD-Musik gesellen sich FX sowie etwas Sprachausgabe, und die bonbonbunte Optik besticht durch detaillierte Phantasie-Landschaften, witzig animierte Sprites und ein astreines Parallax-Scrolling, das nur selten etwas ruckelt.

Zu monieren wären hier eigentlich nur die fehlenden Rücksetzpunkte, im übrigen ist Bubble & Squeak eines der innovativsten und spielbarsten Jump & Runs seit langem.

Auf Diskette wird man sich davon übrigens anhand der bereits geplanten Versionen für Standard- und AGA-Amigas überzeugen können. (rl)

In the words of Tony Dillon eight months ago when it was first released on AGA machines, Bubble and Squeak "redefined platform games". The graphics, sound, and most of all playability had people raving up and down the country. But how has it carried over to CD32? Is it just another tired old port, not taking advantage of the capabilities of the CD32? Or is is a real tre blue stormer?

First the plot. You control a boy named Bubble. Bubble is an everyday lad who, one night finds a small gentle creature called Squeak in his cupboard, who explains that he is the only one of his race who has escaped the evil Kat Of Nine Tails.

So, the basic idea is that you have to save Squeak's friends who have been forced by the evil Kat Of Nine Tails to work in the porridge mines of the planet Grool Along the way you will have to kill the Kats' evil henchman (ranging from robots to snakes to pink, flying elephants) and negotiate some puzzles. The idea behind each level in the main game is to get Bubble and Squeak to the end of each section, a goal post where they are ported to the next level.

The player only gets to control Bubble and, on your command, Squeak will remain still or follow you. At first I thought this would be a hindrance, but it turns out that you couldn't complete the game without each other, and is no hindrance at all.

You can move about in different ways. First of all there is the bubble gum mode, which allows you to jump onto Squeak's back, and then you can either blow bubble gum to ill aliens, run super fast or even fly.

Squeak has even more to him than that though. When he is standing still, he can fling you into the air so you can reach those hard-to-get places. Also, when Squeak is standing still you can kick him. This sends Squeak flying across the screen, so he doesn't have to walk everywhere.

MORE THAN MOST
It is in essence a platform game, but there are other distractions too. If you pick up a submarine token you get to play the end of level shoot 'em -up. This is great fun, and is a welcome break from the main game.

There is also a sub plot where you can collect diamonds and with fifty diamonds you collect you can free one of Squeak's friends from a dome. To do this you stand beside the dome and the diamonds are automatically thrown in. The dome explodes and the creature escapes. All of these distractions are nice, but not essential.

GOOD GAMEPLAY?
This game is great to play. The scrolling is smooth, and the controls are fairly instinctive. However, in the heat of the moment it is easy to press the wrong button, especially when you have a choice of four. This can result in you having to start the level, perhaps the game again.

The levels are very well designed, and there is always an urge to go one level further. Unfortunately, some of the jumps can be a bit too tight, which can be frustrating if you constantly fail to make it.

The puzzles aren't real brain teasers, and usually involve combinations of the different moves with Squeak, and stacking springs and flowerpots to get to places that are usually beyond your reach. This is essential and it is possible to get stuck if you make a mistake.

If you do get stuck there is a code system which enables you to go to the level you reached. Unfortunately this code system can be a bit annoying though. Because there is no keyboard available you have to choose each letter at a time. This doesn't take long but if you are trying to get back into a game quickly it can be frustrating. And if you press the wrong button you go straight to level one, so it takes even longer. However, this type of frustration only illustrates how much you want to get back into the game.

The sound and graphics are impeccable, and the animation is fast and smooth. Some might say the lack of an animated introduction takes away from the presentation, but it can't take away from the game. The characters really give the game a lot of atmosphere too. And small touches like when Bubble kicks Squeak around a maze of corners, and Squeak ends up flying around the screen at a hundred miles an hour are nice touches.

This is a highly polished, well presented game with cuteness and ultra playability. I love it, but why don't you see for yourself.