Jack the Nipper - Newbies corner

[Darran@Retro Gamer]

Never played before. Then post your impressions here.

[the_hawk]

OK I think I'm going to struggle with this one.

I've been jumping about the bedroom for ages now (in the game, not real life!) and I can't even work out how to pick up the pea-shooter (see below..)

[paranoid marvin]

1 and 2 keys are used to pick up

For full info , see WOS , but here's a short-cut

ftp://ftp.worldofspectrum.org/pub/sincl ... Nipper.txt

[the_hawk]

Ace, I knew there's be a simple solution.

I am rubbish at these pick something up & put it somewhere else games. (Dizzy, Magic Knight etc)

Still, I want to persist & I am going to try so hard to make progress without the walkthrough, but no doubt I'll be using it at every turn due to my lack of patience.

[MediaCult]

Is it me, or is this game impossible to controle with a keyboard?

[nokgod]

It took me 20 minutes to work out how to get out the house..... and I only found the pea shooter by accident.......


I think i'm going to be sh!t at this.



I will persevere though.

[MediaCult]

I dont understand why my rash-meter keeps on going down, even though I hit no one? Worst thing is, that you can drop, and destroy items, while trying to use them... Jesus... What an absolute PAIN of a game

[Stack]

I generally dislike games from this collect/use genre and have given Jack a wide berth before but wanted to support this 'Let's all play" forum as it is such a good idea. As it turns out Jack the Nipper is very charming. I'm cheating though.
Back in the day I'd have wandered around forever getting nowhere bar the pea shooting. Now, with the WoS map and the odd squint at the Tipshop walkthrough I'm having fun with it. I even worked out one prank unaided.
I'm playing the Spectrum version and the monochrome suits the game's Beano look admirably. Normally I prefer a bit of colour clash to the boring look of black + 1 colour but in this game the cartoon strip feel is near perfect.

[Sputryk]

I am a Spectrum fan, my first system being the 48+, and believe it to be the best 8-bit available, despite its shortcomings. I have previously played - or tried to - Everyone's A Wally, a game which I think created the genre of 'traipsing around, working out which item to use where', and I disliked it. Three Weeks In Paradise though being more fun, also failed to get much interest, nor did Dizzy. And so to Nipper, for the first time.

I cannot deny that the game looks good: clearly defined graphics and an uncluttered screen, the monochrome choice of colour not being a problem. However, for me at least, the look is deceiving. I got horribly annoyed, and rather bored, flicking from screen to screen trying out different items, that is when I could pick something up. The choice of non-definable keys didn't help matters.

Although other characters appear to move on pre-defined paths, they do sometimes bunch together making it painful getting out of their way, Nappy Rash rapidly increasing. With several lives provided, and the Rash-bar extending each life to a degree, the game does allow for long plays. Howeve,r unless you can get to grips with the item-choosing, it becomes an awfully long slog, dodging nasties and passing through the same screens again and again.

Overall, the look of the game gives promise of a great game, but the choice of genre ruins it. I wouldn't rate it horribly as it isn't a poor game and I can see the enjoyment that some gamers will get from it, I just think something better could have been created, Nipper in its released guise leaving me cold and unloved.

[stulec52]

so, I thought I would get this to try on my PC as I can only just remember playing it back in the day.

I managed a dismal 5% naughtiness rating.
not very naughty at all.
Mind you I did get the pea shooter, but as soon as I tried it I got swarmed ! and that was the end of that.
Off to try being nicer to everyone.

[mika13]

Sadly i couldn't play this game back when it was released, as there was no Atari conversion, bit strange, as monochrome screens doesn't look like they are hard to replicate on any 8-bit. I remember seeing the screenshots in some multiformat computer magazine back in eighties, and i was actually flipping through all the poorly photocopied catalogues that my local Atari dealers provided in search for Jack the Nipper, so imagine my continous dissapointment. Looks like the game appeared on all the formats EXCEPT Atari

I forgot about it over last twenty years, so it's only now i've had quick play, and i have to admit it's still looking impressive. Smart decision to use cartoon style, so it does not look outdated like some space-shooters from the era, supposedly with 'striking visuals'. I love the graphics here, it's like watching the cutest cartoon ever! I needed some time to adjust to controls. For what i understand to jump you have to press up and fire simultaneously, that should grant the programmer 100% naughtiness rating. He could as well assign the H key to pause the game, hahaha. Oh, wait...

I feel sorry for Spectrum owners, that they couldn't fully enjoy such a beatiful game, because control mapping was so awkward. But at least you could tell your mom, that you want the machine for educational purposes, as there is hardly an entertaining value in trying to figure out the keyboard inputs.

I need to try other versions at some point in the future, because it looks like the game is really worth it. And there is even a guy that looks like Inspector Clouseau!

[Rinoa]

After failing to get a working version of the game for some time I've finally had a play through of the C64 version. Unfortunately first impressions are somewhat spoiled by the controls. I think I'd like the game far more playing with a joystick as the keyboard controls are too fiddly for my liking, making the game much harder than it probably should be.

But with that aside it's quite a fun and addictive game. Cute graphics, plenty of places to explore, interesting puzzles (until you drop and break the things in your inventory!), and lots of mischief!