Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
If there is one forgotten video game character who deserves a solid comeback (besides Alex Kidd), it has to be Dizzy. The main protagonist of an excellent series that saw its greatest success in the home computer market. Each and every title is an enduring classic — as challenging as it is an absolute blast to play through. Developed by The Oliver Twins and published by Codemasters in their humble early years, the Dizzy series was one of Europe's most well-known and profitable properties. As is the case with all great video game series, it took a couple of titles to get the format right and establish the blueprint for subsequent installments. Fantasy World Dizzy — the third entry in the series — was that template-defining title upon which most future Dizzy games were built.
A sleeper hit upon its release in 1989, the C64, Amstrad CPC and ZX Spectrum versions of Fantasy World Dizzy quickly became popular among gamers. Although the Spectrum version is the most well-known (and the first result that comes up when you search for it), the slightly lesser-known MS-DOS version is perhaps the prettiest and most robust iteration of the game. To justify that claim with a direct comparison: the Dizzy that appears in the MS-DOS version has far more detail than his Speccy counterpart. Rather than a plain oval white shape with round limbs, this Dizzy is clad in a fedora hat, red boots and red gloves — all of which give him a distinct personality. The rest of the cast is equally detailed and better animated. Speaking of which, the rat that greets you in the opening level has an actual walking animation that is decidedly superior to its Speccy equivalent, which — in all honesty — moves and looks like a Roomba.
The comparisons don't begin and end with animations and sprite detail: the graphics are also superior in the MS-DOS version. The colours are brighter, the game looks vibrant, and even the background — black in all other versions — receives a pleasant makeover in a nice shade of blue. The only fault this version is guilty of is its complete lack of music. Playing without any music at all makes for a lonely experience, but at least the few sound effects that are present — a jump here, a coin pickup there — are quite memorable and keep you from dwelling on the absence for too long.
The story of Fantasy World Dizzy follows Daisy — the protagonist's beloved — who has been "eggnapped" (as Dizzy puts it) by the evil King Troll. Naturally, you set off on an adventure to rescue her, braving peril and puzzles along the way, meeting the Yolkfolk, and collecting 30 coins that later play a crucial role in the gameplay. This game marked the debut of Dizzy's kin: the Yolkfolk — namely Daisy, Denzil, Dozy, Dylan and Grand-Dizzy — whose names allude to their respective personalities. Dylan, for instance, is a hippie clearly inspired — as evidenced by his name, his ever-present headband and his off-kilter trance — by the typical Flower Power participant of the 1960s. Dozy's naming, on the other hand, is far less subtle and probably needs no explanation. The distinct personalities given to each character, greatly accentuated by the never-failing British humour and the detailed sprites, lend the game a unique flavour that sets it apart from most of its contemporaries. Even today, more than two decades on, Fantasy World Dizzy feels alive and active — despite its minimal dialogue and small cast.
The gameplay strikes a wonderful balance between puzzle-solving and hazard-evading. Most games of this type tip the scales in one direction and gradually downplay the other — sometimes neglecting both by the time the credits roll. This game does neither, balancing things perfectly to deliver the best of both worlds. The puzzles aren't always logical, but they do require strategy if you're to solve them successfully. For example, the game initially allows you to carry three items at once. You must decide which items to bring in order to progress through a current puzzle, and which to leave behind for use in later ones. Since you can drop an item anywhere, thoughtful placement allows for easy retrieval when the time comes. An upgrade midway through the game increases your carrying capacity to four items — but by that point, you're so accustomed to managing your inventory strategically that the upgrade actually undermines a neat game mechanic. That said, this is a fairly minor gripe and not everyone will share it. On the whole, the inventory system is solid and well-implemented, with everything working as it should and no ambiguity whatsoever.
That is, until you collect the four golden keys. A rather interesting elevator puzzle near the end of the game requires you to locate the keys and use them on controls to activate several elevators. On paper, this sounds laughably straightforward — and it is. What makes it irritating in practice, however, is that each key corresponds to a specific control and cannot be used arbitrarily. Since neither the controls nor the keys have any distinguishing markings, you are left trying every key on every control until you land on the right combination, which quickly becomes frustrating. The remaining puzzles, thankfully, are well-designed and easy to understand.
Now we come to the difficulty. Make no mistake: Fantasy World Dizzy is one of the most unforgiving games ever made. It employs a one-hit kill system, which means you'll be dying often if you're not exceptionally careful. With only three lives at your disposal, losing all of them sends you back to the very start — so vigilance is strongly advised. If the difficulty proves too much, there is a handy trick to ease the burden: accumulate at least 10,000 points (which is simple enough) and then lose all your lives. When prompted to enter your name, type IMMORTAL, and unlimited lives are yours.
In conclusion, Fantasy World Dizzy — despite its difficulty and lack of music — is a game remarkably free of major faults. I would go as far as to call it one of the most complete games ever made. It offers great, addictive gameplay that encourages you to return to it time and again. While the game and its character may not be as fondly remembered by the casual public as Mario or Sonic, its distinct humour and fiendishly addictive gameplay make for a very eggcellent — pardon the pun — alternative.
Note: Screenshots from all platforms that were available at the time can be found here at Moby Games.
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