Hover Bovver

The Good
Hovver Bovver is a nice game from Llamasoft. It is unusual for programmer Jeff Minter to create a game that doesn’t involve shooting aliens, given that his previous games were shoot-em-ups, but then again he didn’t develop it with someone else.

I like the challenge the game offers. You have to watch out for the flower beds with your lawnmower, and make sure it doesn’t overheat. You can also sick your dog onto your neighbor, but it will get fed up if you overdo it, and will even bite your mower also causing it to overheat.

Aside from the gameplay, what sets the game apart from other Minter titles is the inclusion of cinematics and dialogue, and the nice rendition of “A Country Garden” that serves as its background music. You are also given the option before the game to start from the first eight gardens, a godsend to anyone like me who can’t even complete the first two.

The Bad
The cinematics themselves get a little boring. They show the same house complete with similar color scheme and green garage door, and there is no way to skip them.

The Bottom Line
When it comes to Minter titles, I don’t like Hovver Bovver as much as his shoot-em-ups. The title does not even make sense, and do you know how silly “Llamasoft Software” is? But enough complaints from me. Minter’s lawnmower game is good, but much difficult than his previous offerings. You have to keep an eye on three indicators during the game, making sure that they don’t run low. Features that make it stand out include the use of dialogue and background music that blends in with the overall theme. Keep mowing those lawns!