Take Your Best Shot

From 7th Level

Brief Description

This CDROM is an odd assortment of screen savers, icons, sounds, silly bits, and three arcade games. I discovered the CD because of a demo version of one of the arcade games in CD-ROM Today.

Head Shot

One game is a delightfully strange version of that *very* old arcade game Breakout. Instead of taking out bricks, you are hitting heads with a cannonball. The heads do a variety of weird things; disappear from electrical shock, develop a hole in the middle and the second ball takes it out, and expand until bursting after 3 hits. Each has its own distinctive sound. In later rounds, heads sometimes throw lightning at you, which you must dodge while still striking the cannonball. There are periodic bonus rounds where you must hit mice with the cannonball. There are a maximum number of mice to hit, and a time limit.

Hot Shot

Another arcade game is based on a Pong-type of game. You can have two or four paddles (protect either the left and right sides or all sides). You have one or more heads in the middle you can bounce the ball off of, and there are also bumpers that appear from the second round onwards. The noises as the ball hits the bumper are quite entertaining, and the bonus round consists of trying to keep the ball going in the centre after all the protective walls have disappeared.

Baseball

Arcade baseball game. The pitches can do some very odd things - loop the loop, for one - but I find this game is dull unless you have a human opponent. Once you get the timing of when to hit down, it is very simple to have a pretty high score. They do have a few random events like bad calls to make it harder but I rarely played this.

How to treat your enemies

Take Your Best Shot is a contest to see which of the two contenders can most rapidly do weird things to his opponent. It's fun to play with from time to time, but you have a limited number of things you can do here. So it is another one that you probably would rarely use. At times of peak stress in the office, this game could well save your sanity though. Nothing like putting a mouse, cat and dog into your adversary (who just happens to have the same name as the person you like least at work) and watch the show.

Conclusion

Ok, these one is definitely for those with a bizarre sense of humour. Monty Python fans and Bill Plympton fans will enjoy it. Others may like it if you still remember with fondness the old Pong and BreakOut games. My husband, my sister and her two children spent one afternoon just checking out all of the silliness that you can find in the "Living Wallpaper" part of the CD.

Actually, my sister enjoyed her brief time with this CD so much that she has acquired her own copy. It is very entertaining.