Croc

"Who said Croc was a crock?"

///////CROC///////

INTRODUCTION:
I first bought Croc just before I was about to go on vacation, so I'd have something to play with on the plane. What I got was a slightly frustrating game, but it was somewhat addictive, so I kept at it. Not the best game I've ever played, but not the worst, either.

GAMEPLAY: (7/10)
You're a one-toothed crocodile called ''Croc,'' and the object of the game is to save the Gobbos from the evil Baron Dante, who has cast a powerful spell over the animals and turned them against the Gobbos, in order to imprison them.

The first major element of the game that mildly annoyed me was the ''password'' gameplay. Every time you finish a stage, it gives you a password that you must write down in order to not forget it. I have always despised this form of ''saving'' because somehow I always manage to lose the stupid piece of paper I write all the passwords on.

Also, the sub-game at the end of the first stage that you must beat to receive the fourth Gobbo is hard; I've never been too great at those 9-pieced puzzles with a piece missing, the type where you must move around the pieces to complete a picture. The timer makes it even more difficult. THQ shouldn't have put such a hard sub-game at the end of the first stage.

Otherwise, I love the gameplay. The stages are not straight-forward; they all have different routes you can take. Throughout the stages you must collect 4 Gobbos (the fourth is collected if you beat the sub-game at the end of a stage,) as well as 5 letters to spell out the word B-O-N-U-S. Collect all the letters, and you'll be taken to the sub-game before the end of the stage.

The controls are a little screwy, Croc jumps faster than he runs: as soon as you press the A button, he's up and leaping far higher than you'd think.

AUDIO/GRAPHICS: (6/10)
The background music on Croc is okay, not annoying, but not extremely catchy, either.

The graphics are also somewhat lacking. The Gobbos are merely one color, and the enemies are also mostly one color, making it hard to distinguish which enemy is which.

FUN FACTOR: (6/10)
This game is basically average. Croc has just enough to make you keep playing, but it's not as great as I'd expected it to be.

CHALLENGE: (9/10)
Croc is definetly challenging. It seems I always miss a Gobbo or two at the end of a stage, and I usually have to go back and try again. The sub-games are somewhat challenging, (except for the first one, which is REALLY hard to do within the time limit.)

CONCLUSION:
Croc turned out to be a mediocre game, but it was enough to occupy me throughout the long flight hours. Croc is certainly no crock.

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PROS:
~ It's challenging.
~ 30 environments to explore.

CONS:
~ The ''password'' saving system.
~ The controls are a little messed up.
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~ and that's the opinion of a female gamer!
by Steph

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 08/08/00, Updated 08/08/00