Ludography
Toy Bizarre cover

1984 · Arcade · Platformer

Toy Bizarre

Atari console exclusive

As a worker at a toy store, you must stop the toy robots from taking over the store, before they take over you. Stop the valves that are getting these toys released in order to control where they land on the floor. Make sure you are ready for those safety checks, turn off the valves before you are hit by hefty Hilda. Stop the toys by jumping over them, or by stunning them. Once you finish doing this, next hour, things start up again.

Released
1984
Platforms
Atari 5200Commodore 64Commodore C64/128/MAXZX Spectrum
Genres
ArcadePlatformer
Developers
—
Publishers
—
Perspective
Side view
Themes
ActionFantasy
Languages
English

About

Toy Bizarre is a platform game written by Mark Turmell for the Commodore 64 and published by Activision in 1984. A port to the ZX Spectrum was released in 1985.

Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Gameplay

Players control Merton, a maintenance man who works at a toy factory, represented by a series of platforms and valves. During one of his shifts, the toys come to life and rebel. Merton has to capture all the toys while avoiding a life-sized doll named Hefty Hilda. Hilda and Merton can freely travel through the factory, jumping on to the various platforms and toggling the valves on or off.

While turned on, the valves create balloons. If Merton does not pop the balloon in time, it hatches a toy. Merton can not ordinarily touch the toys or Hilda; doing so causes him to lose one of his five lives.

Reception

Reviewing the Commodore 64 version, Peter Worlock of Personal Computer News wrote that it "looks like standard platform game" but adds many complications. Worlock praised the animation and soundtrack, calling it "enjoyable for all the family". Your Commodore's reviewer called it an addictive game with good graphics and sound, recommending it to players who enjoy difficult games.

Reviewing the Spectrum version, John Minson of Popular Computing Weekly called it "enjoyable for a while" but criticized the graphics and gameplay, which he said "lacks finesse". Your Computer also criticized the Spectrum version's gameplay, calling it repetitive and unoriginal. Your Sinclair had three authors review the game; one mentioned the platform game format was becoming played out by that point but said Toy Bizarre had "reasonable entertainment value"; the other two criticized it for having poor controls and being boring. Sinclair Programs called it "fun, but not very professionally presented".

Releases by platformdates and regions as published

PlatformReleasedRegions
Commodore C64/128/MAX31 December 1984North America
ZX Spectrum31 December 1985North America

Editions and related releases

Included in
Activision's Commodore 64 15 Pack

Games like this

Collections3 collections

Description adapted from its source, CC BY-SA 4.0.