Lost Classics: The Fantastic Adventures of Dizzy (NES, Genesis, Master System, PC, Game Gear)

Based on the popular British platformer series of the same name, The Fantastic Adventures of Dizzy is one of those games where it’s difficult to place in one genre. Playing as the title character, a walking, talking egg who is a member of the Yolkfolk, you set out to stop the evil wizard Zaks, who has kidnapped your girlfriend Daisy and cast spells upon your fellow Yolkfolk. At first glance, it appears to be yet another me-too platforming collect-a-thon. However, the game instantly becomes much more, as you seek out items to progress and help the various NPCs., not unlike an adventure game You’ll even come across a few minigames on your quest. There were a few issues with the game, not the least of which is the the lack of a save system (on the NES at least), and game-killing bugs that get players stuck in a place and have to reset the game. Even so, Dizzy was a fun mashup of platforming, puzzle, and adventure gaming. Maybe one day, we can see a current-gen console update. Until then, this cartridge is a rare find,