CarVup

Did You Know?

• The One gave the Atari ST version an overall score of 90%, praising its arcade-style presentation and cute graphics.
• The One praised the level design and enemy AI for creating a challenge requiring skill.
• The One described the graphics as wonderfully colourful and the music as jolly.

Gameplay

The player controls a cartoon car named Arnie, jumping between platforms while avoiding enemies. Each level has a time limit; when it expires, a demon-like creature called Turbo appears and homes in on the player within 15 seconds, costing a life. The goal is to drive over every platform, which changes them—for example, in the construction zone, driving over girders with holes causes rivets to appear. Once all platforms are covered, a helicopter picks up Arnie and takes him to the next level. After three levels, Arnie rescues an animal friend. Themed levels include a construction site, Halloween, and a garden.

Development

Development of both the Amiga and Atari ST versions began in May 1990, with release in November. The protagonist was initially named Carl. The plot was conceived before the team settled on a car; designer and programmer Robert Toon stated that an automotive aesthetic was chosen because people can associate with cars and, having no brakes, it is easy to explain why it never stops moving. CarVup was inspired by the colorful, cartoony platformers Rainbow Islands and Rod Land. Graphic artist Terry Lloyd wanted cartoon visuals without making them too simplistic. Toon said the game was made to look like it came from a console or arcade game. Most graphics were created in OCP Art Studio on an Atari ST, with larger works like the title screen in DEGAS Elite. Memory limitations restricted animation frames and prevented planned facial expressions for Arnie. Parallax scrolling is unique to the Amiga version.