Game Review: The Blues Brothers

Posted on the 11 September 2013 by Donnambr @_mrs_b

Review: The Blues Brothers (Amiga)

Released in the early nineties, this adaptation of John Landis’ classic film from 1980 gives you the choice of playing either Jake or Elwood. Your mission, probably from God, is to negotiate five levels beginning with a shopping centre, a chemical plant, a prison, a sewer network and finally a building site. On each level our two heroes must locate an item to be used at an upcoming concert such as a guitar and a speaker. Not that your course is ever smooth. There are many threats awaiting the Blues Brothers.

Each level contains police officers eager to stop you in your tracks but there are also weird and wonderful adversaries such as grannies let loose in charging trolleys and tunneling prisoners whose handiwork facilitates your progress through one particular level. Along the way you can collect rotating records as well as ? symbols which have a variety of effects, the best being causing our heroes to halt and do what may be interpreted as a provocative dance. You will also have to utilise the likes of umbrellas and balloons to help you advance, while items such as boxes can be lifted to hurl at your foes. After all that you have great background music lifted from the film which makes for a more entertaining experience.

The Blues Brothers can be approached with either one or two players. There is little difference between the brothers if you decide to go for the one player option. After clearing five levels you have one brief but final set-piece to negotiate before taking to the stage and performing in a money-raising concert as per the film. As an experience this one is a fun little platformer but as with many games from this time it is painfully short and you could easily clear this within an hour which is a shame.

The Blues Brothers is one of the better platform games from the Amiga days. It does suffer with the brevity but that was not unusual for games back then. What is there is quirky and fun with a great soundtrack. This is a good way to pass an hour though it doesn’t quite have the same magic as the 1980 film.

Verdict: 4/5

About the Author:

I was born in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England and have always been a bookworm and enjoyed creative writing at school. In 1999 I created the Elencheran Chronicles and have been writing ever since. My first novel, Fezariu's Epiphany, was published in May 2011. When not writing I'm a lover of films, games, books and blogging. I now live in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, with my wife, Donna, and our six cats - Kain, Razz, Buggles, Charlie, Bilbo and Frodo.

David M. Brown – who has written 843 posts on Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave.