Amazing Penguin

1990 was a simpler time for penguins. All those cute little guys had to do was waddle around in packs along the slippery ice and people were impressed. Oh how things have changed. These days you wouldn't even bat an eye unless the penguin was singing and dancing, and even that might not be special enough for today's demanding consumers. I guess it's a good thing Amazing Penguin was released 22 years ago.

So what makes this little penguin so damn amazing? It turns out that he knows a thing or two about outsmarting enemies and breaking off big chunks of ice. That may not sound like much to people who grew up will well-choreographed penguins, but for the sake of this video game it's a good skill to have.


Amazing Penguin plays out like a Qix rip-off. You play an adorable little penguin that destroys objects on the map in order to remove tiles. Once our amazing hero has removed all of the sections of ice, he's free to move on to the next level. As you progress through the game, the maps will become larger and decidedly more complicated.

While the goal of the game is nearly identical to Qix, the actual gameplay is slightly different. Amazing Penguin can only walk on set paths, which means that enemies can trap him if he isn't careful. To kill the enemies, our hero can kick the various rocks that litter the play field. This is handy, but also limited.


Amazing Penguin is able to build on the theme by offering increasingly difficult stages, something that Qix always had trouble with. Before long you'll be walking across patches of ice that are several screens tall. The level designs keep the action interesting from start to finish. That's about all you can ask for from an action/puzzle game.

Qix fans disappointed by the Game Boy port need not look further than Amazing Penguin. This addictive action game offers a compelling character and cool stage designs. Best of all, it's the kind of puzzler that you can pick up and play for a few minutes at a time. He may not sing or dance, but the Amazing Penguin is a must-play Game Boy game.