Recently I got into a debate with a fellow gamer regarding the length of Call of Duty 4’s single player campaign.  Though the title received critical acclaim on its release, the speed in which you could complete the SP mode (between 4 - 10 hours worth) was a cause of irritation to some.  Personally I fall into the “Short but sweet” camp.  I’d rather play a solid, highly entertaining single player than have it padded out and watered down for the sake of a couple more hours’ play time.  However, when you’re setting down anything from thirty to fifty quid for a game of your choice, it’s easy to see why some don’t think a short game is good value for money.

The debate had me harkening back to the days of the Amstrad CPC 464.  What did Treasure Island Dizzy, Yogi Bear, Oh Mummy and Bomb Jack have in common?  They were all virtually impossible to complete – at least, they were for me.

Take Treasure Island Dizzy for example, a platformer where you play the part of a bizarre looking egg trying to find his way off a desert island.  First of all, you had only one life.  No energy bar.  No handy tips.  No room for error.  Plus you had an addition quest to find thirty gold coins.  Without these coins, you couldn’t complete the game.  I remember sitting down and playing this game for days, perhaps YEARS, and I never managed to complete it.  My little hero was either killed by fish, drowned, or plunged to his eggy death.  Sure, I got a lot of play time out of it, as did I with many of my Amstrad games.  But the feeling of completion, of achieving something, often eluded me.  With some Amstrad games, I never even EXPECTED to complete them.  In games such as Bomb Jack, the levels seemed to go on forever. 

Maybe I’m just grumpy because, as I go through life, I find less and less time to dedicate to gaming.  Maybe games like Treasure Island Dizzy WERE easy to complete, but I was a rubbish gamer.  Check out this Treasure Island Dizzy video walkthrough to make up your own mind.  I’d never seen the ending until today!  Who knew Dizzy got captured by a greasy spoon café owner and turned into a part of a Full English Breakfast? 

HA HA!  Only joking!

... Or am I?