40 Winks (video game)

Lore & Background

40 Winks was the first original video game from Eurocom Entertainment Software, following their work on licensed products and arcade ports. The project spent six months in pre-production and 16 months in production. Eurocom focused on developing new graphical techniques, diverse character skillsets, and a child-friendly perspective on frightening creatures. They referenced titles like Croc: Legend of the Gobbos, Spyro the Dragon, and Banjo-Kazooie, and used focus groups of inexperienced young gamers to refine controls and the help system. The Jack-in-the-Box power-ups were added to incorporate diverse gameplay styles, and areas accessible only to Ruff or Tumble were meant to add replay value. A planned costume called ZeeMan The Superhero was replaced by a robot because his 'massive build' looked too 'adult' for the kid-friendly aesthetic.

Reader's Guide

The game's significance lies in its revival of a cancelled Nintendo 64 title through a successful Kickstarter campaign in 2018, funded on the same day it launched. Critics praised its visuals, particularly the attention to detail and level settings, with comparisons to Banjo-Kazooie. AllGame writer Glenn Wigmore noted the fluid character animation and voice acting, while Martin Kitts of N64 Magazine highlighted its technical prowess. However, reviewers found the gameplay basic compared to genre leaders like Banjo-Kazooie, with linear levels and excessive backtracking. The Nintendo 64 version featured a two-player co-op mode and supported the Expansion Pak for higher resolutions. A cancelled Game Boy Color port was discovered in 2021. The game's legacy includes its status as a late-era PlayStation platformer that was later made available on Steam, preserving a title that might otherwise have remained unreleased.

Did You Know?

• The Nintendo 64 version was reviewed in Nintendo Official Magazine UK and Nintendo Power, whose January 2000 issue featured a strategy guide, but was cancelled before release.
• The Nintendo 64 version has a two-player co-op mode where players can propel each other's movements through kicks and punches.
• The Expansion Pak allows for two additional screen resolutions: Medium and Hicol, the latter adding lighting effects but with a choppier frame rate.