SkyRoads

The Good
Despite the minimalistic approach it might seem to have, this puzzle-racer of sorts is a truly an engrossing game.

Whether swerving to avoid oncoming obstacles, ducking your agile craft through a narrow tunnel, or hopping over the gaping maws in the abyss of space, this is one game that doesn't disappoint in the gameplay department.

The effect tiles also provide an entertaining spin to this already amazing title. Be it the devious charm of the oil-colored "slippery" tiles, the flaming menace of the red "burning" tiles, or the desperate grab for that elusive blue "supply" tile, these are the little twists that can take a modestly amusing game and turn it into a reach for the stars (quite literally too).

Now combine that reach for your inner speedster with a hypnotically inducing soundtrack and some of the most fabulous sights this side of the Milky Way and you know that you're going to be hooked a long, long time.

The Bad
At first glance, the game itself can feel a bit shallow and more like a special obstacle arena of sorts than a full game. However, once you get past that notion and actually start playing through the various tracks, you'll find yourself embroiled in the search for gaming zen in order to beat the more harrowing tracks.

A level/track editor would've been a nice edition to the lineup, as the game still does feel somewhat lacking in the features department. Of course, given the era that this game came out in, this is easily a forgivable offense.

Last but not least, the difficulty of the tracks themselves seems a bit inconsistent. Although the game doesn't seem too chafing from the get-go - and on the most of the track sets progress well enough in terms of difficulty - it sometimes appears as if the reverse true. You also might find yourself breezing right through a host of relatively easy tracks later in the game where you might normally expect some much harder ones. Perhaps Bluemoon Interactive (the developer) really intended that these provide the player with a much needed break in the pacing from time to time, but the timing of it is odd enough that it's really more confusing than it is anything else. It would have made much more sense to have the difficulty curve escalate more progressively on the whole, but at least it does relieve some of the tension once in a while.

The Bottom Line
Aside from the observation that marrying the puzzle game and racer genres is a winning scenario from the get-go, this game provides a virtual feast of stunning cosmic scenery and both amazing and harrowing experiences in the race to achieve gaming zen.

That's not to mention that the sheer volume of tracks will themselves keep you busy for what seems like a near-eternity as you cheat death and zone in to the game's mesmerizing soundtrack. If you're looking for a finger-twitcher to satiate your desires, this is one game that will keep you hooked for a astoundingly good time.

The Good
SkyRoads is a great game in all respects, and one of the most popular too - everyone knows this game, and everyone played it at one time or another. SkyRoads has good graphics, reasonable music and great, addictive and clever gameplay, with dozens of levels.

The Bad
Somewhat annoying background music (simply because it's not very varied), and occasionally frustrating gameplay.

The Bottom Line
A great and addictive "oldskool" game.

The Good
Skyroads is definitely an interesting game. I first played a game similar to this on the internet. I thought it was awesome. Then I found skyroads, and it was even more amazing. There's a ton of levels! I don't know exactly how many but there's between 50 and 100. In skyroads, you control a car that can jump and you have to travel roads in space that have gaps, burning tiles, and all sorts of outrageous stuff! There's a ton of action and you have to focus the whole time. If you even stop to blink, you might miss something. Some of the other things you have to travel across in skyroads are, platforms, tunnels, sticky pads, and slick pads. The radically changing environment is constantly throwing something new into the game. You'll think you have it and then you're hit by a series of platforms to jump over. This game is a lot of fun and will keep anyone occupied for hours. I don't know what kind of genre you would put this in but it's totally awesome.

The Bad
Skyroads is a great game, though it does have it's flaws. They aren't really big things but they are flaws nonetheless. One of the things I would have liked to see in Skyroads is a level editor. That would be so cool. The game is fine without it but it could've earned some extra credit. Another thing I would like to see in this game is a high score table. I have no clue how you would decide what the scores are in this game but I still think it would be cool. And the only other thing that bothered me was that the music starts to get annoying after a while and there's no way to turn it off. It's not even that annoying but after listening to anything too long, it gets annoying.

The Bottom Line
Skyroads is a wonderful game. It has tons of action packed levels for you to go through. It will keep anyone busy for a long time. You have to have skill to traverse the levels in this game. Avoid sticky, slick, and burning pads and head for the exit. I give this game my official six stars and three thumbs up salute!

The Good
This game has lots going for it. Like most great games, it's concept is simple yet addictive, the controls are versatile yet simple, and the gameplay is spot-on. It also harbours the elusive "just one more go" factor in it's level design, something fuelled by the bold move of giving the user unlimited lives and the ability to play the levels in any order. The varied factors to take into account (fuel, oxygen, velocity, special tiles, gravity...) makes it a bit of a "thinking man's jumper". Overall, it's a great classic of genre-defining proportions, yet fun and simple all the same. Sadly, this gem seems to have passed over by many.

The Bad
Although most of the 30 levels included in the game (and the 30 in the add-on pack) are great, some of them end up lacking variety and are not as fun. It would also be nice to have a few more options, for example turning off the music (which is another low point).

The Bottom Line
A 3d-racing game cross-bred with a platform game. You really have to see it to believe it. Trust me.

The Good
It's fun. Thirty roads, ranging from simple dexterity games (do a combination of eighteen keys in three seconds, or you die) to maps that require thinking, innovation and a bit of intuition. You always know that when you're bored you can activate good ol' SkyRoads and play one of the levels you already finished a dozen times.

The Bad
About four of the puzzles are VERY frustrating, and the above combination of eighteen keys in three seconds becomes a tiresome reality. You don't HAVE to finish all of the levels... Or maybe you do? :)

The Bottom Line
You can download it for free from Bluemoon Interactive's site, takes about three minutes. Why not doing so right now?

The Good
As the title says, this game is something different. The music's satisfactory and the backdrops are very well done - it is a game of good replay value and is, excuse the poor example, similar to newspaper crosswords; something you just HAVE to keep trying until you get right. This makes the game addictive - and that is usually a good thing!

The Bad
Although it has plenty of levels, I would have liked to have seen more - more expansion packs should have been released to allow a higher variety; perhaps even the ability to create tracks!

The Bottom Line
A nice little game which can provide you with amusement (and gritted teeth on the later levels) - Give it a go!

The Good
The graphics are very good for an MS-DOS game. The gameplay is average on the keyboard, but is great on the gamepad and joystick. The sounds are the average of an MS-DOS game.

Somehow you have landed up driving on roads in space inside a small automobile that has a machine called Jump-o’-Master (used to jump, the height of your jump will be decided by your Gravity Meter). Drive through over 30 levels of outrageous jumps and amazing colors, that’s exactly what Skyroads is!!!

The Bad
You might find some levels very annoying after you have died at the same jump 500 times.

The Bottom Line
Skyroads is a really good game with several flaws, but is worth playing if you are a Drive-o’-Master :-)