Todd's Adventures in Slime World

Did You Know?

• In the multiplayer scenario, there is one single seater escape capsule, and the players must fight each other to get to it first.
• Todd is a galactic explorer who discovered a starship in the Andromeda sector and downloaded part of the captain's log about Slime World.

Gameplay

Players control Todd the explorer, who enters Slime World to search for gems. He begins with a water pistol and a computer-generated map, and can fire a water cannon at many angles, kill most enemies in one hit, cling to and climb walls, and perform high and long jumps. Though nominally an action game, many rooms require knowledge of the player's abilities and can only be navigated in certain ways, giving it a puzzle-like feel. Todd can sustain ordinary damage, but invulnerability shields and pools of water remove all damage when used. Red enemies release a spray of red slime when shot that can instantly kill even a shielded player, so it is sometimes best not to shoot. Players usually have infinite lives but lose all inventory items upon death and are sent back to the last checkpoint arrow.

Variations

The game contains seven levels that are more akin to game variations, each with its own map and rule changes. Easy mode has little red slime or snapjaws, good for learning. Exploration gives a huge map with many secret passages and enemies. Action is the hardest in terms of enemy opposition. Logic is a slower, solo-only mode where the water gun does not work; players must avoid, dodge, or outrun foes, or use mega bombs. Checkpoint arrows work, but everything else resets on death. Suspense imposes a severe time limit starting at three minutes, extendable by one minute per mushroom collected; the route is mostly linear with false routes. Combat is competitive, giving each player five lives; players can find slime guns that harm others, plus other weapons including room-destroying mega bombs, and the map is packed with environmental dangers. Arcade is the greatest challenge: the map is almost as dangerous as Action, checkpoint arrows do not work, and the player must restart from the beginning each time a life is lost. In the Lynx version, multiple exits exist; continuing past the first few reveals the floor layout spells 'GREEN TODD: OPT 1', a hint for an Easter egg called the 'Zit popping game', where players repeatedly press the A button to make a slime bubble grow and explode.

Reception

Clayton Walnum, in a capsule review for STart, called the Lynx version 'Wonderfully gross' and 'a guaranteed hit.' CVG Magazine reviewed it in January 1991 as a 'superb exploration game,' 'highly original,' with 'plenty of long-lasting appeal.' Robert A. Jung of IGN gave the Lynx version 7 out of 10, stating it appeals mostly to players who enjoy exploring every nook and cranny, but for others the value varies significantly. Marshal Rosenthal of Raze Magazine gave a score of 92%. N. Somniac of GamePro characterized the Genesis version as a faithful translation benefiting from the large screen, impressed that multiplayer was adapted to split-screen without significant slowdown or graphic loss, and praised the restart/password feature and variety of gameplay possibilities. Most of the four Electronic Gaming Monthly reviewers agreed the Genesis version improved presentation, though Martin Alessi contended the controls are not as good; Steve Harris found the gameplay concept 'awkward and flat,' while Ed Semrad and Sushi-X praised the long levels and challenge. Mega Action gave a negative review, writing 'The sound is poor and the graphics are small and untidy' and citing lack of variety between levels. In a 2006 retrospective, Benjamin Galway of Sega-16 stated the Genesis version's reduction to two-player and addition of an ever-present map took away most of the game's appeal, and that background graphics, animations, and color palette are inferior to the Lynx version's, while the play control is the same but clunky and unnatural; he gave it 7 out of 10.