Push-Over - SNES

ESRB Rating:
Release Date: 1992
Moby Score (1-10): 7.3
Genre(s): Action, Side view, Platform, Licensed, Puzzle, Fixed / flip-screen
Media Type(s): Physical

Help G.I. Ant to gain access to the crazy world of Captain Rat's Treasure Caves.

The game consists of 100 levels of increasing complexity over nine different themed worlds. Each level features several interconnected platforms holding a number of "dominoes". The aim is to rearrange the dominoes, such that with a single push, all of the dominoes are toppled, thus opening the exit to the next level. There are 11 different types of domino, identified by red and yellow patterns, each with different actions. The player controls G.I. Ant, who can move certain dominoes by carrying them one at a time.

Various factors can result in failure to complete a level. As well as toppling all of the dominoes, the player must be able to access the exit door once the dominoes have fallen. For instance, the player will be unable to reach the exit if a ledge leading to the exit has been destroyed, or if a gap leading to the exit has not been bridged, or if a line of dominoes lie across the exit. G.I. Ant may die by falling from a large height, by falling off the bottom of the screen, or by being crushed under a falling domino. The player is then greeted with the message "You Failed, You Died" and has to restart the level. Also, the level will be failed if any dominoes are destroyed by landing one domino on top of another.

Each level has a time limit during which it must be completed. However, if the time runs out the player is still able to continue with the puzzle if they wish. By pausing the game once the time has run out, a small hint will be displayed, giving advice on how to complete the level. As a side note, the hint for level 98 informs the player that the game's designer cannot remember how to complete the level without trickery ("Use a drop! There is a way to make it work with a push, but I can't find it!").

You're playing a small ant that is willing to help a friend in a rather inconvenient situation. Apparently, the Quavers mascot Colin Curly likes his Quavers so much he lost balance and dropped them down a giant ant-hill. It's now your job to go in, in a mission to solve puzzles and retrieve the snacks for your friend.

Now, this ant-hill is a bit different from the ones you saw, and especially from the one you live in. Its path is filled with domino-like tiles and closed gates that must get through to find the snacks. You'll have to traverse different themed worlds in order to retrieve Colin's precious Quavers.

The main game consists in controlling the ant from a standard third-person platformer perspective and moving dominoes to place them in a well imagined line, so that when you push the correct one, all of them fall with a specifically marked tile falling last. The door will otherwise stay shut and you will be unable to progress. In addition to that, your ant can't fall from too high or it will die and make you restart the level.

Every domino tile has its own marking. For example, yellow ones are the ones you simply push in a direction so they push the one next to them, most often in a chain reaction. Red ones, on the contrary, can't be pushed at all (but can be moved) and tiles that hit it will fall back in the opposite direction. Other types of tiles include one that explodes when being pushed or hit by another tile, clearing the way for other tiles; one that keeps moving ahead until it hits another tile; one that creates a bridge over a gap; or one that moves straight up and stick to the ceiling, pushing a tile next to it.

Each level is timed and requires quick thinking in order to be completed successfully. Upon completion of a level, the player is given a password that can be used to resume the game at the level they last left off.

The SNES version doesn't have the Quavers branding and involves retrieving drops of cash for a rat character instead.

*** Data by MobyGames.com ***

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