Pengo explained

For some reason, it occurred to me that at least some of the readers of this blog might not have a good grasp of the game of Pengo.

And presumably there are more than just a handful of you (316 page hits actually, as of a few minutes ago - I’m waiting anxiously for the moment when I’ll have to decide whether or not to accept an extremely lucrative offer from an airline, or a car company, or maybe even a maker of old men’s health products, to advertise on this thing).

Sure, you’ve probably picked up a few things along the way in reading these various entries, but I realised I haven’t actually explained the basics.

Having thought about it, I really can’t go past the Wikipedia entry for Pengo. When I grow up, I want to be able to write just like those guys.

Anyway, a slightly edited version of their explanation - fully endorsed by the author of this blog! - follows. I hope it makes sense:

Pengo is an arcade game developed by Coreland and published by Sega in 1982. The player controls Pengo, a red penguin that resides in the Antarctic. The game takes place in an overhead maze made of ice blocks, where Pengo fights the patrolling, blob-like Sno-Bees. The objective of the game is for Pengo to survive a series of rounds by eliminating all Sno-Bees, while amassing bonuses by bringing together the three diamonds dispersed in the maze.

The player uses a joystick and a single button as controls. Pressing the button while pushing the joystick will cause Pengo to push forward the ice block he is facing, which will slide until it hits a wall or another ice block, crushing any intervening Sno-Bees. Crushing more than one Sno-Bee at once will increase the number of points awarded. There are a total of sixteen levels, which repeat in order starting on the seventeenth round.

As the player crushes those on patrol, new Sno-Bees hatch from eggs located within ice blocks. At the start of each level, blocks that contain these eggs are briefly identified by flashing the color of that level's Sno-Bees. Eggs can be eliminated by crushing the ice blocks that contain them. If Pengo pushes a side wall the water "vibrates", any adjacent Sno-Bees will be briefly stunned, and are eliminated (for 100 points) if Pengo walks over them in this state. Eliminating all Sno-Bees in a round will progress the player to the next.

Diamond blocks are unbreakable; when connected in a horizontal or vertical line the player earns bonus points: 10,000 points if aligned without being against a wall or if only one diamond block is touching a wall, 5,000 points if all three are against the wall. Alignment will also temporarily stun all Sno-Bees.

After 60 seconds elapse in a round without a death, the game enters into sudden death mode; the music tempo and movement of the Sno-Bees accelerates. If a single Sno-Bee remains in the round, a jingle plays and the Sno-Bee accelerates in an attempt to reach a corner where it safely fades away.

The game will always start with the same maze on power up. Once the game has gone through the attract mode, the maze will change.

The point award for crushing Sno-Bees depends on the number crushed in one push of an ice block:

• 400 for 1 Sno-Bee
• 1,600 for 2 Sno-Bees
• 3,200 for 3 Sno-Bees
• 6,400 for 4 Sno-Bees

Walking over a stunned Sno-Bee awards 100 points.

 

10,000 points are awarded for aligning the three diamond blocks together if at least one is not touching a wall, but only 5,000 if all are against the walls.

 

Crushing an ice block will award 30 points, or 500 points if it contains a Sno-Bee egg.

 

A bonus is awarded upon round completion, depending on time elapsed:
 

• 5,000 points for under 20 seconds
• 2,000 points for between 20–29 seconds
• 1,000 points for between 30–39 seconds
• 500 points for between 40–49 seconds
• 10 points for between 50–59 seconds
• 0 points for 60 seconds or more

By default, Pengo begins with three lives and a bonus life is awarded at 30,000 points; these numbers can be changed (anywhere from 2 to 5 lives, and the bonus life can be awarded at 50,000 instead) through DIP switch settings.

 

In a manner similar to Pac-Man, one of six brief intermissions plays on even-numbered rounds after the bonus is awarded. The intermissions feature six penguins performing various routines. In the first the penguins perform a small marching routine. In the second they "shake their booty". In the third each penguin stops and salutes the player. In the fourth the penguins turn to face the player and then exit the screen in a line, reminiscent of the aliens in Space Invaders. In the fifth the source of the game's background music is revealed: Pengo himself, playing piano. In the sixth intermission, Pengo appears from behind the piano to play "peek-a-boo" with the player. These intermissions then repeat in order throughout the remainder of the game.

And if you want to see a game being played, there are a few recordings on youtube. This one only goes for a couple of minutes but is well worth a look for first timers - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6OsalAZX_A