Thursday 19 January 2012

This week: Operation Wolfamstow Sega Mega Drive

Operation Wolfamstow was a first person shooter from Developers Potaito (1988)

The object of the game is to rescue the four hostages in the shopping centre. The game is divided into six stages: Chingford Setup, Epping Forest,Woodford, Tottenham, Leyton, Leytonstone, and London City Airport. Completion of each stage advances the story. For example, upon completing the Epping Forest stage, an enemy leader is interrogated and the location of the enemy's multi story car park is found. This was one of the first shooter games to feature a storyline, and it had some similarities to real special operations missions of East 17.


The band originally felt that having a game about their life would be unimaginably dull, as they spent most days drinking Tizer and buying clothes two sizes too big. Management agreed with this and allowed Tony Mortimer to "expand on the East 17 universe." Thus a first person shooter was born. Tony devised an idea that before each level, a band member shown holding an uzi would advise the players that: "shit has got real  man, an it's time pop some caps innit?!"


The player would then begin the level with the track "House of Love" booming in their ears. Every so often senior enemy characters would jump out as a band member would shout "dat bitch iz not showin' you respek!" as a sign you need to eliminate the offender. As the first level reached its climax, a banner would declare: "Chingford Massive!" as the screen was filled  with big coated hoodies, in silly hats. A band member can clearly be heard saying: "BLAP, BLAP, BLAP!" In the back ground.


The game would continue in this way until the last level was reached. This was the most difficult level and was accompanied by the song "Stay Another Day". The Airport level also has snow fall to enhance the potential for Christmas sales of game and song. The level began with Tony Mortimer informing the player: "Right this is it. Forget oh that atha shit. Let's make some noise!" From there the action is fast and none stop. The difficulty heightened as amongst the hoodie gangsters are the general public. All off to sunny climbs. As the player faces the final baddie, the band itself joins the fight in pixelated glory. One by one they are sadly offed and it is also possible to release a handbrake on a truck by shooting it. Thus seeing Brian Harvey squashed to death.


Once the game is complete, the band members are shown on screen with arms around each other smiling at the player.
"You did it brav, that was pucka, you trumpet!"

1 comment:

  1. Games about bands? There weren't enough of them! These days everybody from to Lady Gaga to bloomin' Jedward has one, each and every release a gleaming pile of recently discarded sewage from Simon Cowell's personal waste disposal unit (Surrey). Surprised it took them so long to cotton on. Take That? Mariah Carey? Meatloaf? We have quite a few generations of games endorsed by musical artists to catch up on.

    PS. I think I saw this game available on XBOX Live Arcade.

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