Bumpy's Arcade Fantasy

The Good
I find it odd that MobyGames has very little info on Bumpy (not to mention no reviews, covers etc.) - this game was immensely popular in Israel, to the point where you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who's played computer games in his youth who doesn't know this game...

Bumpy is an arcade puzzle game, in which you control Bumpy (who is, in fact, a bouncing smiley) and, moving from area to area, you most 'solve' each area by collecting all items on the screen and getting Bumpy to the exit portal. This requires a mix of planning, timing and reflexes - the first levels are very easy, but very soon the game becomes devilishly hard. Your task is made even more difficult by the different elements of each area: rotating skewers, various traps, aliens etc.; whenever one of these gets Bumpy you have to restart the level.

Bumpy features mediocre but capable graphics (hardly the point in a a puzzle game) and original gameplay and level design. The variety in Bumpy is huge; it got to the point where I simply wasn't up to the challenge long before the game got repetitive or boring.

The Bad
The sound is really the game's weak point. It is dull, uninspired and can get pretty damn irritating after a very short period of time. Luckily now that you can play the game in DOSBox, you can just put an MP3 in the background and enjoy yourself...

Also, the difficulty level is both a high point and a genuine problem in the game. I've met maybe two people who claim to have finished the game, and honestly I have trouble believing that, as it becomes difficult to the point of frustration pretty damn quick.

The Bottom Line
A nifty early '90s puzzle game which is very fun for a few hours. If you appreciate a challenge it will definitely give you a run for your money - I would rate this as far more challenging than the contemporary Sky Roads.