Smurf Rescue in Gargamel's Castle

"The Smurfiest Smurfy Game! Did I mention how Smurfy it is?"

The Smurfs have always had a power over me. Maybe it's the fact that they're 2 inches tall, or that they're blue, or that they only have one female Smurf, and she was created by Gargamel to destroy the Smurfs. Whatever it is led me to this game. Perhaps it's the fact that they all live in mushrooms.

In The Smurfs, you star as a Smurf, which for the purposes of this review, we'll call Hero Smurf. You must lead Hero Smurf over all manner of obstacles, such as branches, or he will die. Yes, die. On a branch. If he walks into ANYTHING, he gets killed. So, obviously, you want to jump over things. But, if you land on that branch, you'll die that way too.

So what smurfy plot does this smurfy game have? Well it seems that Gargamel has done something naughty, he's kidnapped Smurfette. With her out of the way, the Smurfs are left to their own devices, without any female presence. So, obviously she must be rescued, and who better, than our Smurfy Hero, Hero Smurf. (His actual name is far more Generic, Smurf) So Hero Smurf sets out on his smurfy adventure to smurf smurfette out of the non-smurfy hands of Gargamel in his anti-smurfy castle. How smurfy of our Smurf, Hero Smurf!

To do these things, Hero must wander across a few stages to win. Mostly all he has to do is avoid everything, and he'll be fine.

As far as gameplay goes, there isn't much to do. Wander to the right, and jump over things. When you reach Smurfette, stop. That's about it.

Graphically this game looks about like what you'd expect a Coleco Smurf game to look like. You know, bad. Although they are better than if this had been an Atari game...

This game took me about 10 minutes to beat when I was 5 years old. (or was that 4?) And, yes, it was the very first game I ever played. Yes, that does explain a lot about me.

This game gets a 6 because it's just too Smurfy for words.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 04/06/00, Updated 04/06/00