In Depth Feature Hi-Tec Software
From Sheffield they came, armed with several Hanna Barbera cartoon licenses. Atom Ant started the ball rolling, a simple addictive arcade romp up the side of sky-scrapers disarming bombs; a little bit Bomb Jackish in fact. Three platform type collecting games followed in the shape of Hong Kong Phooey, Ruff and Reddy and Yogis Great Escape. All of these games featured crisp sprite graphics and a fair bit of gameplay for your 3.99. Overall these programs were ho-hummed as being OK but not as good as people imagined they should be. The problem was taking on such cartoon characters in the first place, or more properly so MANY of them. Inspecter Hectic, Top Cat and another Yogi game followed to much the same response and the programs were now starting to look painfully similiar. We don't have copies of Quick Draw McGraw or the excellently named Auggie Doggie Doggie Daddy but one should assume they broke no new ground.
It wasn't until '92 that Hi-Tec started to hit the targets with Jonny Quest, a superb platform roam around, Turbo the Tortoise, a tounge in cheek Sonic impersonator and the Premier range which retailed at 6.99. Two games were released, The Jetsons and Potsworth and Co. The former got unfair reviews in the Speccy mags as being too difficult and frustrating to play- points we disagree with Linda Barker on. Potsworth however got excellent reviews and this game is well worth seeking out as being the best that Hi-Tec put out under their frankly below par Hanna Barbera series. Two more games released in '92 were further disappointments, Wile E Coyote was a tedious and badly programmed arcade game but the biggest flop of all was Wacky Races. What a game this could have been as the cartoon was excellent.
Instead the program was rushed out, probably due to Hi-Tecs impending financial collapse, and a possible Megagame was instead no more than a bland platform racer bereft of charm and ideas. And whatever happened to Daffy Duck? Check out the blinding screen shots in Crash March 92... or were they simply mock ups from a doomed company? All these games are worth picking up second hand as the graphics are on the whole quite impressive and you will have fun with them.... just not as much as you could have had.
Hi-Tec should be remembered and respected for releasing full priced quality games at 6.99, it was a brave and positive move.
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