Bath Time

The Good
Personal Software Services (PSS) was not a company I was familiar with when I still had my Commodore 64 back in the day; it was only through emulation that I discovered their many classic gems. One of these is Bath Time, an unusual game set around a huge bath. The game is for 1-2 players, with each player controlling a fairy who can move left and right operating six valves which control the flow of water.

Swimming in the pool is a swan and fish, both of which the lower player is keeping in for as long as they can (about forty seconds). The player on the opposite side is trying to prevent this from happening, trying to fill or empty the pool. When it gets full, the chutes will also fill with water, allowing the swan to escape. But emptying the pool increases the chance of the fish perishing. If either one of these happen, the lower player loses. Occasionally, a boy emerges from the right side, bucket in hand, and fills up the pool. His pet elephant also appears from the opposite side to drain it. Both characters are there to work for or against the players.

Timing also plays a crucial role in the game; there is no point in the lower player releasing water if the swan is past the center of the screen, making its way toward the chutes filled with water, especially since you move at the same pace. Before the game, you can select the number of players, the speed of the water, and the skill level. The game will go on forever, but pressing the [Run/Stop] key brings you back to the title screen and allows you to select different options.

Snippets of Tchaikovsky’s ‘Dying Swan’ and Schubert’s ‘Trout Quartet’ help deliver a relaxing mood, and these pieces fade in and out depending on what is happening on the screen. The characters are drawn nicely, and their animations are smooth. I think the overall appearance of the pool is impressive; as well as its three layers, there are fountains on each side, in which water spits out of. The appearance of the boy and elephant add to the tension, and the way the swan just drifts along the chutes makes me laugh every time. The one-player option is useful not only for practice runs, but ideal for anyone who can’t find somebody to play with.

The Bad
Since the valves are quite small, I found it easy to miss hitting them.

The Bottom Line
Bath Time is an unusual game in which two players are working against each other. One player prevents the other from keeping the swan and fish in the pool. Two more characters appear from the sides of the screen to help out. The graphics are excellent, the music delivers a relaxing mood, and there is some customization that occurs before the start of the game. Excellent, overall.