Sleepwalker (game)
Encyclopedia
Sleepwalker is a platform game
developed by CTA Developments and published by Ocean Software
for the Amiga
, Amiga CD32
, C64
and Atari ST
in 1993. It was later ported to DOS
. Sleepwalker was later re-released in 1994 using the Eek! The Cat
license for the Super Nintendo.
Throughout the game Lee will relentlessly walk in the direction he is facing, the problem is there are objects and pitfalls in his path that can ultimately wake him up or even kill him. The player can monitor Lee's sleep level with a bar at the top of the screen. If the bar reaches zero, Lee wakes up and the player loses a life. If this happens three (or five depending on settings) times the game is lost.
The player controls Ralph the dog in order to manipulate either Lee, or the objects he is likely to walk into, to see him safely to the end of a level. The frequency of these pitfalls increases as each level progresses and, as it does, the player has to spend more time strategically neutralising threats, far in advance of Lee's actual position in the level.
Although it is possible for Lee to die, resulting in a loss of life and restart of the level for the player, Ralph is invincible, surviving otherwise fatal incidents with comedic effect.
If all the levels are successfully completed Lee finally returns to his bed and crawls back in.
Many references to Comic Relief were made.
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
developed by CTA Developments and published by Ocean Software
Ocean Software
The British company Ocean Software was one of the biggest European video game developers/publishers of the 1980s and 90s...
for the Amiga
Amiga
The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
, Amiga CD32
Amiga CD32
The Amiga CD32, styled "CD32" , was the first 32-bit CD-ROM based video game console released in western Europe, Australia, Canada and Brazil. It was first announced at the Science Museum in London, United Kingdom on 16 July 1993, and was released in September of the same year...
, C64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
and Atari ST
Atari ST
The Atari ST is a home/personal computer that was released by Atari Corporation in 1985 and commercially available from that summer into the early 1990s. The "ST" officially stands for "Sixteen/Thirty-two", which referred to the Motorola 68000's 16-bit external bus and 32-bit internals...
in 1993. It was later ported to DOS
DOS
DOS, short for "Disk Operating System", is an acronym for several closely related operating systems that dominated the IBM PC compatible market between 1981 and 1995, or until about 2000 if one includes the partially DOS-based Microsoft Windows versions 95, 98, and Millennium Edition.Related...
. Sleepwalker was later re-released in 1994 using the Eek! The Cat
Eek! The Cat
Eek! The Cat is an American and Canadian animated series, created by Savage Steve Holland and Bill Kopp and produced by Fox Kids and Savage Studios with animation by Nelvana, that ran from September 11, 1992, to August 1, 1997.-Premise:Eek! the Cat is about a purple cat named Eek whose motto is...
license for the Super Nintendo.
Summary
The game centres on a boy called Lee and his faithful dog Ralph. We're introduced to Lee from the dog's perspective after waking up to find his owner sleepwalking through his bedroom window. Ralph leaps after him and the player then takes control of what happens next.Throughout the game Lee will relentlessly walk in the direction he is facing, the problem is there are objects and pitfalls in his path that can ultimately wake him up or even kill him. The player can monitor Lee's sleep level with a bar at the top of the screen. If the bar reaches zero, Lee wakes up and the player loses a life. If this happens three (or five depending on settings) times the game is lost.
The player controls Ralph the dog in order to manipulate either Lee, or the objects he is likely to walk into, to see him safely to the end of a level. The frequency of these pitfalls increases as each level progresses and, as it does, the player has to spend more time strategically neutralising threats, far in advance of Lee's actual position in the level.
Although it is possible for Lee to die, resulting in a loss of life and restart of the level for the player, Ralph is invincible, surviving otherwise fatal incidents with comedic effect.
If all the levels are successfully completed Lee finally returns to his bed and crawls back in.
Comic Relief
The game was made to promote the charity Comic Relief. All profits from sales of the game went to the charity.Many references to Comic Relief were made.
- Lenny HenryLenny HenryLenworth George "Lenny" Henry, is a British actor, writer, comedian and occasional television presenter.- Early life :...
, who is heavily connected with the charity was cast as Ralphs voice in the games animated introductions. - The Ocean Software logo was animated to include a red tomato being thrown at it (tomatoes were the theme of that year's Comic Relief event) with the charity logo stamped on top of the resulting mess. The phrase "Comic Relief or som'ing" voiced by comedian Harry EnfieldHarry EnfieldHenry Richard "Harry" Enfield is a BAFTA-winning English comedian, actor, writer and director.-Early life:...
was then heard. - The opening title of the game features, Lee and Ralph moving from left to right and then right to left inside the letters of the word 'Sleepwalker', each time they move from right to left, they are seen wearing red noses (these noses turn green when a cheat is activated).
- Letters can be collected that spelled out the word 'COMIC' at the top of the screen. An extra life was awarded for successfully collecting all five letters. (On the Commodore 64 version, collecting COMIC gives access to the bonus level once the end of the current main level is reached; here the player has to collect as many tomatoes as possible to earn bonus points).
- A whoopee cushion (another product sold to raise money for the charity) features in the game as a bonus object, and picking it up gives Ralph a limited period of invulnerability.