Rockstar : Ate My Hamster

Copyright : Codemasters | Reviewed by : Malc Jennings

There are two reasons why I bought this game when it was released, one is because of the very funny Michael Jackson picture on the front cover and the other is because it was the first Amstrad CPC game to contain the following warning: WARNING: This game contains material which some people may find offensive.

Work your way to the top in the crazy Rock business! pick your group, get shock-horror publicity, go out and perfom gigs, release your own records and albums, make stunning videos - get a chart hit and go platinum!!!

This is the funniest business simulation you are ever likely to play and should not be confused with the serious simulation games out there. You take the roll of Cecil the owner of the smallest and most run down talent agency in the business and you are looking for the next big band, so you decide to look through the available rockstars and enrol those you can afford into your new band. How your band progresses depends on how well you market them, how many songs you release and how much you charge the punters at your gigs, it?s very very funny indeed.

Graphics

Rockstar, as well as being the first game to contain a warning is also the first business simulation for the Amstrad CPC and my god is it great! The publicity stunts are hillarious, the sponsors you get are often dodgy and the amount of bad luck you have is amazing - move over Del boy and Rodney.
The graphics in this game are very funny indeed, it?s all well drawn and coloured but the artists that are having the piss taken out of them just look spot on. Artists that have been given the Rockstar treatment include Michael Jackson, Madonna, Elton John, Tina Turner, Kylie Minogue and George Michael - you can easily tell who the characters are modelled on. Cecil and Clive (the two people you control) also look very cool as do the publicity stunts and different locations the game takes you on.

Sound

Sound is also great, you get to hear the band practice and slowly get better, the telephone rings and people speak (although it?s jibber jabber style speach) and the cut scene/dramatic music is just perfect. For the style of game this is I don?t think Codemasters could have done much better, it?s spot on.

Gameplay

Gameplay is superb also. Although it?s a fairly simple game to play it?s not easy to get your rock band/pop star to the top of the charts and keep track of your money (remember that you are on a budget and when the cash runs out so does your star). Even the cover that came with the original game had jokes and piss takes on the reverse side, it almost read like a newspaper and made you laugh at least once. You?ll want to play the game again and again because it?s so funny and very very addictive indeed, this goes down as one of CPC Zones all time classic titles but beware, it?s not aimed at younger gamers.