Pharaoh's Pyramid

To be worthy of my time and money, a Q*bert clone has got to offer something the original didn't have such as a stronger plot, more and/or weirder enemies, and tougher reflex and strategy tests. Pharaoh's Pyramid manages to succeed on all three counts, and does so with some of the most colorful and well animated 48K Atari computer graphics I've ever seen.

The basic Pyramid plot casts you as Digger Dan, a solitary grave robber who has been dragooned by the restless ghost of Ramses into completing that monarch's last great pyramid. With the help of his old flame Isis, Ramses transports you back to his heyday, where you become Little Achmed - a trusted slave who must run up and down a long pyramidal staircase, dragging bricks back up to the top during each trip. Once you've fetched enough to complete one of the six courses of a pyramid, you've then got to go back and finish turning each of the steps to a target color shown in the lower right corner of the screen. Once that's over, you face a challenge from Isis' jealous mate Osiris which, if successfully met, will raise you a level and bring you closer to the goal of completing the whole pyramid and winning Ramses' treasure.

All that would be fairly standard Q*bert revisionism, except that Pyramid comes packed with extra features and twists on Q*bert tricks - enough to make this game ten times tougher than its ancestor. For instance: changing the step colors in Pyramid takes the most difficult task in Q*bert (completing those screens where the blocks change color every time you step on them) and makes that the standard problem throughout the game. You're also pursued by a veritable host of enemies - nine in all, some of whom are similar to Coily, Sam and the other bozos from Q*bert, and others who are like nothing you've ever met before. There are also no easy outs: Isis does show up every now and then with a magic diamond that'll clear the board for you temporarily, but it doesn't work for long and always brings out Osiris, who'll undo all your careful color change work. There's a lot more, including a cup of life that will add to Achmed's lifespan and a secret message that could win you a T-shirt and poster from Master Control.

More than anything else, though, I can't compliment the Pyramid graphics work enough. The colors are wonderfully bright and clear, Little Achmed's jumps are smooth and realistic (including falling off the steps), and the intermission screens featuring Isis and Achmed are quite amusing. If any designers out there are looking for a model Atari computer game, this is it.

If the Plagues and Moses' Snake are just too much for you, hang out on the brick level for awhile until they disappear. They can't get you there.

Pharaoh's Pyramid - the right spelling despite the logo on the rulebook and package - shows that pattern-changing programs are moving into the mainstream. This disk shares features like its pyramid-of-blocks playfield with Q*bert, but its original elements give it a special flavor all its own.
Helping Little Achmed build Ramses' tomb is the main goal. Achmed hops from block to block, changing their colors each time he lands, while ferrying bricks from the river's edge to the apex of the construction. He finishes off a round by turning all blocks the same color.
Achmed starts as a slave and gradually progresses through the ranks to builder, architect, wizard, prince and pharaoh. Each level consists of six rounds, plus a seventh during which Osiris, god of the underworld, chases Achmed relentlessly. It seems that Osiris and Achmed are both vying for the love of Isis, goddess of beauty, and the deity grows increasingly trouble-some as the little Egyptian gets closer to winning his immortal heartthrob.
Other perils include a Moses Snake that follows Achmed around the playfield with its deadly touch, and a series of five plagues that start bedeviling him at level two. Other nasties include Artemis the evil alligator (level two) and Osiris' brother Set (level three), who can even push Achmed off the usually safe top step. Touching Isis endows Achmed with her magic, and he can then drive Osiris and the plagues from the screen at least for a while.
The visual treatment is exceptional. Each block looks as though it is completely outlined in small footlights, the characters are all attractively rendered, and even the background is a subtle masterpiece that slowly shifts from day to night as Achmed races up and down the sides of the tomb.
Like most games of this type, Pharaoh's Pyramid requires the player to orient the joystick in a special way, with the action button pointing directly at the display terminal. As long as the home arcader remembers to hold the command device that way, Achmed can really zip around the playfield at any of the five available speeds. Incidentally, the "just for fun" option should be attempted only by star athletes and the hyperactive. It's fast.
So if you enjoy the pattern-changers, climb onto Pharaoh's Pyramid. You'll really dig it.