MIKIE
Professional, Originally Released On Cassette Only
Game Type : Arcade; Run Around A School!
Authors : Jon Woods and Peter Johnson
Standalone Release(s) : 1986: MIKIE, Imagine, £9.95
Compilation Release(s) : None
Stated compatibility : Electron
Actual compatibility : Electron
Supplier : IMAGINE,
Disc compatibility : Unknown
Instructions
Move Mikie through school by collecting all the hearts in each section (Classroom, locker room, canteen, gymnasium and finally in the schoolyard). Each heart collected represent a letter in Mikie's message to his girlfriend at the top of the screen and when the message is complete, he can move on to the next area.
There are two types of hearts to collect:
(1) Single Hearts - To be found on the floor and under stools. To collect these you must walk over them. (You can bump your classmates off their seats to obtain the hearts with "hip-zap".)
(2) Triple Hearts - Placed inside lockers and on the top of tables. To collect these, face the fearts and press "shout" three times. N.B. Flashing hearts give bonus points.
When the message is complete and the bell rings, Mikie can move on through the door marked "OUT".
Now you must negotiate the hallway which is full of doors and surprises and find the right entrance marked "IN" to continue. You have three lives to begin, but be careful as you are constantly hassled by those in charge, the Teachers, the Chef and Maniac Janitor who get very annoyed when they can't catch you!
Game Controls
Z - Left, X - Right, * - Up, ? - Down
<RETURN> - Hip-Zap/Unlock Door/Throw Objects, <SHIFT> - Shout/Take Objects
For hip-zapping a schoolmate, stand either to the left or right facing the stool and press <RETURN>. Kissing is automatic!
For getting the hearts out of the vending machine or picking up objects stand in front facing the machine or receptacle and press SHIFT.
<COPY>/<DELETE> - Unpause/Pause, S/Q - Unpause With Music/Without Music
<ESCAPE> - Return To High Scores (When Paused)
Status And Scoring
On-screen scoring shows current score, lives, message status and High-score.
Hearts .................................... 200 points
Hip-Zap ................................... 600 points
Chicken/Ball throw ........................ 200 points
Bonus hearts ............................. 1000 points
Kissing ................................... 100 points
Door-Trap ................................. 100 points
Playing Hints
* You can stun your pursuer by taking Chickens or Basket Balls and throwing them (in the appropriate screens).
* You may become "stunned" by kissing the dancing girls.
* Watch out for the teacher. If he gets really mad, he might throw his false teeth at you!
* On the fifth screen in the schoolyard, you finally catch up with your girlfriend and deliver the message. OK.
* You can pause for breath in the classroom by sitting on a vacant stool...but not for too long!
Good luck!
Instructions' Source : MIKIE (Imagine) Back and Inner Inlay
Review (Electron User)
This game, set in an American high school, stars an all-American schoolboy Mikie who is trying desperately to get a message to his sweetheart. You have just volunteered to help him.
The first screen provides an aerial view of a classroom. There are nine desks
with pupils sat at each one, and beneath five of their stools are little red
hearts. As you collect each one, they change into letters to form a message to
his girlfriend. When you collect the fifth heart, the classroom door opens,
allowing
you on to the next level.
Collecting the hearts isn't quite as easy as it could be as your fellow pupils won't stand up to let you at them so you have to bump them off their seats using your hip-zap technique. On top of this you receive a great deal of hassle from the teacher who doesn't like you disturbing the class. If things begin to get too hairy you can always find yourself a vacant stool and sit down for a while - but not for too long, otherwise the teacher's false teeth will fly towards you.
Having escaped the classroom you must negotiate the hallway to reach the next
room. The hall is patrolled by a teacher and a mad janitor, so nimble footwork
is required.
Screen two is set in the locker room with several lockers containing three
hearts. You stand in front of the locker and press the "shout" key
three times to release the hearts. This time you are being chased by the
teacher, janitor and chef. The same sort of thing is repeated in the canteen,
gymnasium and schoolyard.
I found survival has a high random factor. Sometimes the teacher will plod
around in a corner and you sail through the screen. On other occasions he will
be hot on your heels and you will lose all three lives on the first screen.
The graphics are crude and the animation not much better. MIKIE was never
destined to be a blockbuster, but a little more care on the graphics side would
have been greatly appreciated.
Sound
........................... 5
Graphics ........................ 6
Playability ..................... 6
Value for money ................. 7
Overall ......................... 6
John Revis, ELECTRON USER 4. 1