Boppin'

Infobox VG| title = Boppin'


developer = Accursed Toys
publisher = KarmaSoft (Amiga)
Apogee Software (DOS)
released = 15th May, 1992 (Amiga)
15th November, 1994 (DOS)
genre = puzzle
ratings = OFLC: G
modes = Single Player
platforms = Amiga, MS-DOS
input = Keyboard or Joystick

Boppin' is a puzzle game developed by Accursed Toys (Jennifer Diane Reitz and Stephen Lepisto), originally published for the Amiga by KarmaSoft. The Amiga version only sold 284 copies, according to the developers, and so it was ported to DOS and released as shareware, published by Apogee Software.

The primary differences between the Amiga and DOS versions are that the graphics of the Amiga version only had 32 colours compared to the 256 colours of the DOS version, the Amiga version had different music and sound (considered by Accursed Toys to be superior to the DOS version), and the DOS version had a different plot to make way for an increased number of levels. The plot below is from the DOS version.

Accursed Toys have since re-released a Windows version of Boppin', based on the DOS version but with the Amiga music and sound included, and have given permission for older versions of Boppin' to be freely distributed. See also list of commercial games released as freeware.

Plot

The two heroes are "Yeet" and "Boik", computer game characters, inhabitants of an alternate universe (Arcapaedia) created and maintained by the dreams and belief of their fans. Each episode has a plot, the first involving the pure and sweet "Hunnybunz" trapping the monsters of computer games inside specially-shaped blocks in an attempt to 'clean up' the world of computer games, and the rest repeating this plot with slight changes - with the antagonist being a meaner version of "Hunnybunz", or a family member. The heroes must rescue the monsters by "bopping" these shaped blocks, as explained below. There are multiple endings to the game, depending on the player's actions.

Gameplay

Levels are made up of blocks, elevators, refractors, prizes and two starting points. The game involves throwing blocks picked up from the starting point (one for each player in two-player games, only one is used in one-player) at blocks of the same type which are already in the levels. The blocks are thrown at 45 degree angles, and can be bounced off refractors placed in strategic parts of the levels. The blocks already in the level can be pushed around, and of course the prizes can be collected.

If a thrown block hits a wall/floor, flies off the level or hits a block of another type, then the block is destroyed and the player loses a life. If a thrown block goes through a randomly-chosen space on the level called the mystery spot, then the player gains bonuses. If a thrown block, when it collides with the blocks of the same type, makes a special shape - a square or a cross - then a monster is freed from the blocks. At the end of a level, bonus points are handed out for freed monsters. A two-player mode is available, which is simply the same as the one-player mode except the other starting position is used, and you're competing for points, which makes the game a lot more fast-paced.

Levels

There are 150 levels in the Amiga version, and 160 levels in the DOS registered version, most of which have completely different graphics. Most levels generally require new tactics to be conquered. The editor used to create all of the levels is included, and can be used to edit any level that came with the game, or to create original levels.

The first episode, which was released freely as shareware, is called "Bothersome Hunnybunz!". The other three episodes, which were only available with the registered version, are called "Significant Other of Hunnybunz!", "Love Child of Hunnybunz!" and "Hunnybunz Defrocked!". The last episode listed ingame is "Aleph-Zero Hunnybunz!", but is actually just the option to play custom levels created using the editor.

Censorship

The game originally featured an Accursed Toys logo which depicted the "Deady Bear", a teddy bear with a knife in its chest, with blood dripping from the wound. When Yeet and Boik would lose their last life, they would graphically commit suicide. Concern from Apogee Software about the violent content led them to include an option to turn off the depictions of suicide in v1.0. Version 1.1 censored the depictions of suicide by default and replaced the Deady Bear with a new splash screen with a note claiming it to be a "politically corrected version". It could, however, be uncensored with the command-line option "blood". All censorship was removed the re-released version for Windows.

References

*Information present in the menus of the DOS version of the game.
* [http://jenniverse.com/boppin%20main.html Boppin' site] . Accessed March 11th, 2006.
* [http://wuarchive.wustl.edu/pub/aminet/game/demo/Boppin.readme Boppin' Amiga demo readme] . Accessed March 14th, 2005.

External links

* [http://www.classicdosgames.com/publisher/apogee.html#Boppin' Classic DOS Games] has the DOS version available for download.
*moby game|id=/boppin|name=Boppin'