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Mikro-Gen (of Pyjamarama fame) released Frost Byte for the ZX Spectrum in 1986.

I've got to spring this on you, the hero of Frost Byte resembled one of those Slinky toys that walks down the stairs by constantly coiling and uncoiling itself. Do you see what I did there?

In this classic game a heroic spring was the thing, and the game was set during the onset of winter to match the season in which it was released.

This flick screen platform game/arcade game was nicely styled with icicles and igloos for you to explore. You being the hero of the game 'Hickey' (a Kreezer), had to slinkabout to rescue his race from the monsters that now inhabited the planet.

Okay, so you played the part of a slinky (a first maybe?) and in another slight difference from the norm sweets also played their part in the game. These tempting morsels gave Hickey extra powers such as jump higher, slink faster or fall further. Being a slinky means he had no teeth - so there was no toothache to worry about either.

The gameplay was based on brains and puzzle solving rather than fast paced arcade action.

Negotiating the screens took a test of timing and positioning. You ended up spending more time waiting for the right moment to move than blasting away at the nasties.

It was not so easy to time a step when Hickey had to arch up and over. Dodging baddies could be difficult until you got the 'slink' of the game.

Slinking in Frost Byte on the ZX Spectrum
With perseverance you could learn how to judge the jumps though, and then it was all a question of finding out what you needed to get through to the next screen. Plenty of shocks that lay ahead as you searched for the five imprisoned Kreezers - your buddies.

You could pick up items (such as bullets) and then use them to take out some of the bad guys. Different items could be picked up - you had to know when best to use them and how.

On Release:
This wasn't the sort of game that was raved about but if you did get into it then you ended up being sucked in. It was certainly a bit different from other platform games (the slinky main character was superbly animated too) and it did have that one-more-go factor. It was not a blockbuster game, but for fans of arcade adventures it was certainly something worth playing.

The test of time:
This classic ZX Spectrum game is not bad at all. It is quite difficult (it took me a few goes to get past the 2nd screen!) but it is quite compelling. The graphics are nice enough and the main character is pretty cool and well animated. Not bad - and definately worth a shot.

Stay cool and give Frost Byte a go - the gameplay will spring forth!

We recommend getting hold of the real Sinclair hardware but if not then download a ZX Spectrum emulator. Alternatively you could try and play it online.

Please see our other ZX Spectrum retro game reviews - all links are listed in alphabetical order. Cheers guys.

GENRE: Arcade puzzle Game (arcade adventure)
RELEASE DATE: Winter of 1986
RELEASED BY: Mikro-Gen
DEVELOPER(S): Nick Jones, Chris Hinsley
PRICE: £8.95