C64 Game Memories - Revisited 30+ Years later : B.C. II Grogs Revenge

The Sequel to BC's Quest for Tires arrived a year later in the form of B.C II Grogs Revenge.

Again released by Sierra online in the US, this time it was licensed by U.S Gold in the UK instead of Software Projects who had the rights to the original. This was an early license for U.S Gold, who were actually a UK company who made their name on bringing many US releases over to Europe. At the time this always seemed to be on display in a computer shop so must have been quite the in thing in gaming upon release.

Again, like its predecessor you guide the caveman Thor using his trusty stone unicycle. This time on his quest for the meaning of life ( a bit of an upgrade from his previous quest if you ask me!).

This time for some reason the meaning of life is apparently to be found at the top of a mountain. The trouble for Thor is you have to collect clams along the way to pay a toll to other cavemen to make it up the mountain.

Unlike Quest for Tires which is on rails, in Grogs Revenge you can actually move in 4 directions on the mountainside to collect the clams, your only danger being that you crash into the mountain, fall off,hit a rock or get nudged off by the games named nemesis 'Grog'. There is a second part to the game when you go through a cave and the screen turns dark but somehow your caveman has a headlamp to see and you must avoid stalagmites to get through to the next ledge. It always bugged me how the caveman had headlights on his unicycle, I mean really?

The graphics in Grogs Revenge are similar cartoony style to the first game, but sadly the sound fx is not really much of an improvement on the first game so my complaint about poor fx in early C64 games continues! Gameplay is a little better though, in my opinion as there is more to do and it is frustratingly simple yet hard. Nothing worse than just clipping a stone or the ledge of the cliff, its as annoying as those games where you must guide a hoop and avoid an electrified wire.

This game has a very bizarre ending which i'll not spoil, but lets just say the meaning of life is a bit of a let down in the end.