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FantaVision Review
Jon Lenaway
00/12/0000
Sometimes you get the feeling that the game designers are given an effect before an actual game concept arises.
Youâve got a machine that can throw particles on the screen like nobodyâs business. What could they put into a game to show this off? I can see the discussion around the table right now.
Developer A: âLetâs see⦠particles⦠particles⦠How about snow?â
Developer B: âNah, Maybe we can add that later.â
Developer A âHow about stuff that blows up?â
Developer B: âHmmm, Iâm listening.â
Developer A: âDynamite? Grenades? Fireworks?â
Developer B: âFireworks! Yeah, Fireworks would be sweet but how do we make a game from them?â Developer A: âHmmm⦠Give a firework a shield and a sword, and set him against oodles of monstersâ¦â
Developer B: âDo you still want to work here?â
Developer A: âIâve got it! We do this sorta puzzle, quasi-action, retro kinda thingamajig.â
Developer B: âYeah, that could work. Letâs do that one.â
The result, my friends, is a fairly addictive little game with mega eye-candy. The gameplay is simple. Flares rise up from the ground in three different colors (orange, green, and blue), and you must detonate them into fireworks by linking three or more of them together with your cursor before they fizzle. With the use of multi-colored flares, you can chain several different color sets together on the same blast (they call this daisy-chaining). If you let too many flares fizzle out, you take a hit on your energy bar. If your energy bar runs out: Game Over. Along the way there are various power-ups to your energy bar afloat.
Fantavision has been compared to Missile Command in the past, and that comparison really isnât that far off. The control is a bit different, however. Instead of moving around a pointer around freely, your cursor must jump from flare to flare. While this is an awkward concept to put into text, there is a tutorial in the game that will make it all clear for you. Once you get accustomed to the game (should only take a few minutes), it can really tend to grow on you.
Graphically, Fantavision is amazing. The firework effects are simply stunning, and this is easily one of the best-looking puzzle games I have ever played. Backgrounds consist of beautiful cityscapes, outer space, a moon base, and some wormholes. In order to let you truly appreciate the graphics, an extensive replay mode has been included. Once you record your gameplay, you can strip off the scores and text and make your own fireworks show. You can change the camera angles, add effects like rain and snow, change the lighting, and even turn on a psychedelic blur.
In a true retro fashion, high scores are the focus of this game. There is nothing to rescue and no real story to speak of, but instead youâre fighting for the good old fashioned highest score. Fantavision would be a natural fit in an arcade right next to games like Missile Command, Tempest, Robotron, and Centipede where games are boiled down to just a simple concepts. Even the opening movie is done in a 1950s picture-perfect family style.
Comments
Fantavision is a simple concept executed quite well. This simplicity is also one of the gameâs few drawbacks. Once youâve played a few rounds, youâve played most everything the game has to offer. The new versus mode adds a bit of variety, and is quite addicting with another player. Still, Fantavision is priced similarly to other games on the shelves that might keep your attention longer. This game would be the perfect choice if it were about $25, but instead it is fully priced at $50 making this game more attractive as a rental. Donât get me wrong, I think the game itself is excellent, but I wouldnât see myself plunking down fifty bucks to own it.
