Review: SQIJ'D

Review: SQIJ'D

Big is not necessarily beautiful. Where "SQIJ 2018" was a remake of the original C64 version of SQIJ, "SQIJ'D" is a more creative sequel. You are still a bird (a very attractive parrot-like sprite) flying around a hemmed-in system of blue caves, but here the now assembled Ener tree has taken over somewhat. Your task is to gather Dovelets and feed them to this bloody tree, until it can eat no more. You shoot bolts of stomach acid, which you need to recharge on the bubbling ponds.

The graphics are proper smart, and much more detailed than either of the other versions, there are eggs, mushrooms and carcasses scattered around, and the caverns are riddled with the roots of the Ener tree. The Ener tree itself is a treat to behold. The whole thing, supported by the AY music, has a spooky, trippy feel. Like the other versions, it's still quite hard to orientate yourself in the similar looking caverns, despite the more varied graphics. Learning the map is all part of the fun here. The main downside is that the AGD squelchy noise is a regular & annoying racket. If there were any doubts that "SQIJ 2018" failed to exorcise the demon of SQIJ, then SQIJ'D has definitely sent it packing. It's a cassette only release from Monument Microgames, but hopefully at some point it will be available more widely for emulators, because this is a cracking game that deserves to be played.