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Bailout! review

Bailout! harks back to the days of the 8bit era with its retro styled graphics and music. The aim of the game is to get rich, you do this by collecting money and gold bars while avoiding obstacles. The game is a simple idea, but can it stand the test of time up against more modern game designs?

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As mentioned the graphics are very retro, in the Atari 2600 style with chunky sprites. The graphics do the job although the coin could be a little better drawn as I though it was a rock at first and would keep avoiding it. The music is also retro styled with single beats making up the tune, it sounds OK and works well with the game theme.

There is no storyline to the game, we do not know who the character you play is called so I called him Bob. You control Bob who can move left to right at the bottom of the screen. Coins, Notes and Gold bars fall down the screen and you must collect them before they hit the ground. You have a wallet with a number of spaces, three to start of with, which each collected item fills, you must then bank your earnings before the time runs out by going to the safe on the left of the screen. Occasional multiplier boxes also fall which can multiply your current wallet value from 1x up to 9x.

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While you are collecting money, you must avoid falling suicidal stock brokers and attack the homeless that wander the streets can be dispatched with a swift kick to the nether regions. Contact with the stock brokers result in a game over and the homeless will steal your money.

Each round lasts for a number of seconds and when the round is over you are taken to a store where you can buy upgrades. Upgrades can be purchased with the money you banked and there are four to choose from. A larger wallet adds an extra slot to the amount of money you can carry at any time, Mo Time increases the round time, Mo Speed increases the speed boost which allows you to move faster across the screen for a short amount of time and finally a Shield gives you an extra chance to survive if you get hit.

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At first glance the game does appear to be very basic, but if you play for a while you will start to see there is more to the game than meets the eye. The upgrade system is a great idea as it gives you something to work towards on each level. Do you risk not taking a shield in return for a larger wallet or more time? Or should you play it safe and buy a Shield but not have extra time to collect money. This works really well and you will be carefully planning your next purchase if you do not have enough cash for what you want.

I like simple games with good honest gameplay, I guess being a certain age and growing up in the Atari 2600 era makes you appreciate this style of game that many of the younger game playing generation overlook because there are no fancy 3D graphics and online multiplayer.The trial version of the game is a bit annoying as it only gives you two chances to play the game before bringing up a nag screen, but please do play this game a few times as you will either love it or loathe it, I hope the former. Bailout! gets a thumbs up from me, if you want a simple yet addictive ‘one more go game’ that costs just 80 :MSPoints: look no further!

You can find out more about Bailout! and download the trial or purchase the full version here.

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