thewombles-sok Commodore 64 game

The Wombles is a video game released in 1990 for Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, and ZX Spectrum by the British budget publisher Alternative Software. It is based on the British children's characters The Wombles, which are anthropomorphic furry creatures, specifically referencing the puppet television series The Wombles featured on the packaging.

Gameplay The player controls the womble Orinoco with the goal of finding specific items, such as a suitcase, a telephone, or The Times newspaper, which are requested one at a time by other wombles. The setting consists of the wombles' furnished den and the nearby, much larger but visually limited public park. The scenario is a relatively simple maze, primarily horizontal, with a maximum of three parallel roads connected by transverse passages. The view is a side-scrolling static screen showing the current stretch of road, where Orinoco can only move horizontally and jump. The action occupies less than half of the screen, with a minimap of the surroundings and various status indicators available below.

In the park, players may encounter mice, squirrels, and wasps; the game can be played in easy or difficult mode, with animals being harmless in the former and requiring avoidance in the latter, or else a life is lost. According to the manual, it is also possible to encounter humans, marked on the minimap, which should be avoided.

The womble Wellington also roams the scenario, acting as an opponent in the game. Wellington also tries to retrieve items, and if successful in delivering one to the requester before the player does, a life is lost. If the player delivers the item first, points and a bonus life are earned. If the assigned time for the item elapses without delivery, it's an immediate game over in the difficult mode. Wellington and the items are also highlighted on the minimap. If Orinoco comes into contact with Wellington, half of the player's score is lost, but the points can be regained in subsequent contacts.

In each screen of the park, moving litter, such as rolling papers or bouncing Coca-Cola cans, may pass by. These can be collected and thrown into one of the public bins to earn points. To collect them, however, the fire button/key must be pressed at the precise moment they intersect with Orinoco, with only one attempt allowed for each passage.