Now that you’ve run yourself ragged with the one-button masher that was last week’s free internet game, I’m going to keep things simple for you. This week’s waste of time is Don’t Look Back. Maybe I’m crazy, but the game plays like a supernatural CW drama for the Atari 2800: Spooky, romantic, simple, and 8-bit.
Terry Cavanagh of Distractionware created this little gem and features a battle against the minions of the underworld to save the spirit of your wife or perhaps sister, it’s unclear. A ghost-damsel needs your help; I’ll leave it at that. Run, jump, and shoot your way to her only to return her to the grave. You win if you can get all the way to the starting point without looking back at her as she follows you.
You have unlimited lives and some challenges will have you losing many in rapid succession. Figure out the patterns of the enemies and take them out. The music and minimal story give the game an impressive amount of atmosphere, especially since the limited graphics make your character look like the guy from Berzerk. It’s hard to look sad when you have no features. Perseverance pays off with a surprise (if fleeting) ending.
Having problems? E-mail gaming@austinchronicle.com and I’ll see what I can do for you.
Till then, click here to play.
Enjoy.
This article appears in September 4 • 2009.
