B.C.'s Quest for Tires

B.C.'s Quest for Tires is a home video game designed by Rick Banks and Michael Bate and published by Sierra On-Line in 1983.[1] Versions were released for the Commodore 64, Atari 8-bit family, ColecoVision, ZX Spectrum, MSX, and Apple II. Based on the comic strip B.C. by Johnny Hart, BC's Quest for Tires is a scrolling game similar to Irem's Moon Patrol from the previous year.[2] The title is a play on the title of the contemporaneous film Quest for Fire.

B.C.'s Quest for Tires
Developer(s)Sydney Development
Publisher(s)Sierra On-Line
Designer(s)Rick Banks
Michael Bate[1]
Programmer(s)Chuck Benton (C64, Atari)
Platform(s)Apple II, Atari 8-bit, ColecoVision, Commodore 64, IBM PC, MSX, ZX Spectrum
Release1983
Genre(s)Action
Mode(s)Single-player

A sequel, Grog's Revenge, was released in 1984.

Plot

The player takes the role of the caveman Thor, who has to rescue his girlfriend, "Cute Chick", who has been kidnapped by a dinosaur. To do this, he must travel on his stone unicycle (actually an impossible wheel) through several levels. Each level has Thor moving from the left to the right, avoiding various dangers.

Gameplay
Commodore 64 screenshot

B.C.'s Quest for Tires is an action game taking place on several consecutive levels. The levels start out simple, with Thor having to jump over potholes or duck under tree branches. Later levels become more complex, for example requiring Thor to jump on turtles in order to cross a lake, or to be carried over a lava pit by a "Dooky Bird".[3] Other B.C. characters, such as the Fat Broad, also appear on some levels.

Reception

Softline stated that, given the conventional gameplay ("it's that get-from-point-A-to-point-B kind of game"), the use of the familiar comic characters made "the player feel like finishing the game is worthwhile ... [Otherwise] it's just not the same". The magazine concluded that "B.C.'s Quest for Tires isn't so much a computer game as it is an interactive cartoon. This cartoon has its limits, but it does provide some challenge".[4] Antic approved of the game not being another "'shoot the aliens and save the world' scenario", and the "first rate" animation, but predicted that most players would "enjoy the game for a day or two, then relegate it to the shelf".[2] Compute! praised the game's "excellent graphics" and animation, which "approach cartoon standards".[5]

David Stone reviewed the game for Computer Gaming World, and stated that "QFT requires far more timing than strategy and, rather than levels of play, it offers new obstacles to overcome on the way to the rescue. Still, it is fun to play."[6]

Awards
  • Critic's Choice Awards: Best Game For Youngsters (awarded by Family Computing).[3]
  • Arkie Award: Most Humorous Video/Computer Game (awarded by Electronic Games).[3]
  • Colecovision Game of the Year (awarded by Video Game Update).[3]
  • Best use of Graphics and Sound in a Video Game (awarded by Billboard (magazine)).[3]
  • 1984 Golden Floppy Award for Excellence: Funniest Game of the Year, Video Games Category (Computer Games magazine).[7]

References
  1. Hague, James. "The Giant List of Classic Game Programmers".
  2. Bernstein, Harvey (March 1984). "Product Reviews". Antic.
  3. ""JUMP! SUCKER" A review of B. C.'s Quest for Tires for the Commodore 64". Rarity Guide. 3 December 2008.
  4. Yuen, Matt (November–December 1983). "B.C.'s Quest for Tires". Softline. pp. 21–22. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  5. Trunzo, James V. (April 1984). "B.C.'s Quest for Tires". Compute!. pp. 99–100. Retrieved 8 January 2015.
  6. Stone, David (October 1984). "Atari Playfield". Computer Gaming World. 1 (18): 25.
  7. "1984 Golden Floppy Award for Excellence". Computer Games: 19. July–August 1984.

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