The BBC and Master Computer Public Domain Library

WONGO

Professional, Originally Released On Cassette Only

Game Type          : Arcade; HUNCHBACK Clone

Authors            : R. Brown and Gary Partis

Standalone Release(s)   : 1984: WONGO, Icon, £7.95

Compilation Release(s)   : 1987: ELECTRON POWER PACK, Audiogenic, £9.95

Stated compatibility    : Electron

Actual compatibility    : Electron. Plays too fast on BBC machines.

Supplier            : ICON, 65 High Street, Gosforth, TYNE & WEAR

Disc compatibility     : CDFS E00, DFS E00

Instructions

"It's early evening in the mysterious orient. The Great Wall of China is badly in need of repair and, to make matters worse, factions opposing the Emperor have just invented gunpowder and have left bombs at various points along the wall. You are Wongo, the bomb disposal expert, and your job is to travel along the wall by pogo stick, defusing the bombs. But you will be under attack from the opposition who hurl arrows and rocks at you, and also the crumbling wall has numerous holes that you will have to negotiate. And if you don't defuse a bomb within the time limit, it will explode!"

It's early evening in China. The birds have gone to roost and everyone has gone home - except you! You are Wongo, the bomb disposal expert. It's a busy time for you as factions opposing the Emperor have been planting bombs along that most ancient of monuments - the Great Wall.

It's your job to go and defuse these bombs by travelling along the Great Wall on your official form of transport - a pogo stick! But the Wall is in need of repair, and gaping holes have appeared over the years, some containing deadly creatures. You'll have to get past these to defuse the bombs.

There are twelve bombs to defuse altogether, and if you manage all these you get another twelve that require a higher skill level. Every time you defuse five bombs in succession without losing a life, a 25,000 point bonus is awarded. Plus an extra life is awarded every 20,000 points (but you can have no more than seven lives at any one time). There are three skill levels that can be set during the high score sheet.

Game Controls

A - Left,   S - Right,   <RETURN> - Jump

P/O - Pause/Restart,   Y/N - Sound On/Off

Instructions' Source   : ELECTRON POWER PACK (Audiogenic) Inner Inlay

Review (Electron User)

If you want a game with superb colour graphics and reasonable sound effects with an almost irritating addictive quality thrown in, then WONGO is the game for you.

Some grovelling nasties have planted bombs along the length of the Great Wall of China and it's up to bouncing little Wongo the Chinaman to defuse them. However, it's not as simple as all that, as poor dutiful Wongo also has to avoid a constant barrage of rocks, arrows and a particularly nasty kind of creature, the jumping gremlin.

Not only does he have to face all this, but the Great Wall itself, being a little older than most of use here (except possibly the editor) is in a sorry state. Parts of it have crumbled away. This leaves a gaping gap which can only be crossed by a rather bloody-minded flying ferry which simply doesn't want to wait for you. Timing is of the essence.

It's a fast-moving game with three levels of difficulty and a pause facility should you develop finger cramp. The keys are easy to use, the instructions clear and you have the option of having the sound on or off.

If you defuse five bombs without losing a life (you have three) you get a bonus score. There's also an extra life after every 20,000 points. A Hall of Fame is available for good scores.

Keith Young, ELECTRON USER 2.10