Flaschbier
| Developer: Level Four | Graphics: |
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| Publisher: Advanced Software Design | Sound: |
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| Year: 1989 | Difficulty: |
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| Genre: Boulder Dash | Lastability: |
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| Number of players: 1 | Rating: |
5/10 | |
An amateur remake of the game Werner Flasch Bier (Commodore 64, 1985), featuring the comic book character Werner from German artist Brösel.
It’s one of those titles I stumbled upon thanks to IFA, a French company that specialised in selling Amiga games and software by mail order. Their “catalogue” was essentially a bundle of black-and-white photocopies listing completely obscure games, often public domain (and frankly dreadful), accompanied by outrageously enticing descriptions. Naturally, I fell for it every single time. That said, I must admit they had a decent stock of Boulder Dash clones (my favourite genre), and their prices were low enough to soften the blow. These days, I can’t find a trace of this company online. Does anyone else remember them?
In any case, Flaschbier stands out as one of my most regrettable purchases from the IFA catalogue. In fact, I’d go so far as to call it the most infuriating game I’ve ever encountered!
You control our friend Werner in a tiny cave reminiscent of Boulder Dash (complete with hay, bricks, and rocks), constrained to the screen’s dimensions (no scrolling, naturally). The goal is to reach the beer bottle without getting crushed by a boulder, while also dodging the villains dashing about chaotically. The catch? The gameplay is absurdly fast and jerky, making controls a matter of blind luck—putting it mildly.
Unlike Boulder Dash, the enemies don’t hug the walls. They always move straight ahead if possible and turn right whenever they hit an obstacle. Plus, they won’t kill you just for being on an adjacent “tile”.
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