Cool Spot
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| Cool Spot | |
|---|---|
 Cover art for the European Mega Drive version | |
| Developer(s) | Virgin Games |
| Publisher(s) | Virgin Interactive |
| Producer(s) | Cathie A. Bartz-Todd |
| Designer(s) | David Bishop Bill Anderson |
| Programmer(s) | David Perry |
| Artist(s) | Christian Laursen Roger Hardy Willis Wong |
| Composer(s) | Tommy Tallarico |
| Platform(s) | Mega Drive/Genesis, Sega Master System, Game Gear, Amiga, Super NES, Game Boy, DOS |
| Release | |
| Genre(s) | Platform |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Cool Spot is a 1993 platformer video game developed by Virgin Games and published by Virgin Interactive for the Mega Drive/Genesis and Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The game was later ported by other teams to Sega Master System, Sega Game Gear, Game Boy, Amiga and DOS in 1994.[1] The title character is Cool Spot, a mascot for the soft drink brand 7 Up.
Gameplay
The title is a single-player platformer in which the player controls Cool Spot, who can jump, and attack by throwing soda bubbles in any direction. Cool Spot can also cling to and climb various things by jumping up in front of them. In each level the player must rescue other cool spots, who look exactly alike, from their cages. In order to do so, the player is required to collect a certain number of "spots" that changes (usually increasing) as the game progresses. "Spots" are placed around the level in large quantities. The player's health is monitored by a humorous Cool Spot face that gradually bends forward and eventually falls from its position as damage occurs. Damage is taken by touching enemies and their projectiles and certain other obstacles. There is also a time limit for each level. The game has no save feature but does include checkpoints in the form of flagpoles.
If the player successfully collects enough Spots to enter the Bonus Stage after defeating a level, it is possible to collect Continues by grabbing a letter hidden within the stage. Depending on the version of the game, all letters either spell "UNCOLA" (7 Up's slogan), or "VIRGIN" (the game's developer). If a Continue letter is collected, Spot will be able to restart on the level he was on at the time of losing his last life, although his total points will be reset.
Regional differences
In the European release, the 7 Up bottle was removed from the intro and replaced by a generic soda bottle of similar color. The decision was made to avoid associating the 7 Up Spot with the 7 Up brand, in a region where Fido Dido has been considered the brand's official mascot since the 1980s.
Sequel
While Cool Spot was a side-scrolling platform game, its sequel, Spot Goes To Hollywood, was more 3D in orientation and featured gameplay inside various movies. Despite excellent visuals, its isometric perspective and unusual controls made it an exceedingly difficult game. This game, published once again by Virgin Interactive, was developed by Eurocom. It was released for Mega Drive/Genesis in 1995, Sega Saturn in 1996, and Sony PlayStation in 1997, with the 32-bit versions featuring revamped graphics and different levels than those of the Mega Drive/Genesis version.
See also
References
External links
- Spot at MobyGames
- Seven Up Spot at Commodore Scene Database
- See Spot Go. In 1987, 7UP introduced Spot, a character derived from the red dot in the 7UP trademark.
- 1993 video games
- Advergames
- Amiga games
- Drink advertising characters
- Commodore 64 games
- DOS games
- Game Boy games
- Game Boy platform games
- Sega Game Gear games
- Platform games
- Master System games
- Sega Genesis games
- Super Nintendo Entertainment System games
- Video games developed in the United Kingdom
- Video games featuring anthropomorphic characters
- Virgin Interactive games
- Fictional characters introduced in 1987
- Video games composed by Tommy Tallarico