The Zzap ratings
Ratings are probably the most studied part of a review. We've adopted what may at first seem a strange system, but we think you'll get to like it.
Firstly, all ratings are marked as percentages. The advantage of this is one of extra flexibility and precision. There is a real difference between a rating of 86% and 94% - If we were marking out of 10, both would have to be rounded to 9. Certainly it would be impossible to resolve some of our arguments over ratings if we didn't have individual percentage points to play around with.
As to the ratings themselves, we've settled on seven different labels which we think cover all of a game's good and bad points.
PRESENTATION. This is the woolliest. Basically it covers all aspects of a program other than the actual game itself. For example:
- the way the game is packaged. Does it impress you right from when you first pick it up?
- the quality of the printed instructions. Some games offer a superbly-printed booklet packed with all you need to know. Others leave you in the dark, or even worse, mislead you.
- the way the game loads. Is it fast and reliable? Is there a good loading screen?
- the way the program is presented on screen. This is the most important factor. Is there an appealing introductory sequence? Is the player offered enough playing options? Is there a two-player game? A high-score feature? Are there any annoying enforced delays between games? Is the overall FEEL of the program slick or shoddy?
GRAPHICS. Fairly straightforward. How impressive are the pictures on screen? Are they large? Colourful? Detailed? Original? Is the animation good? Is movement smooth? How much variety is there to the graphics? Note: only some of these points can be judged by looking at a screen photograph.
SOUND. Again, straightforward. Is the sound impressive, exciting, effective, varied? Or is it simple, uninteresting, annoying, repetitive? Is there good multi-channel music? Is there effective speech?
ORIGINALITY. Controversial, this one, since a game can be very good without being original. Indeed there are some games where originality is very hard to award, in particular where you have a conversion from the arcades or another micro by the company licensed to make the conversion.
However, we think it is still a crucial rating, because there are many games whose originality is what makes them (or vice versa).
We shall use the term to mean this: how similar is this game to titles already available on the 64? In other words a company which makes a brilliantly original game on another computer and then converts it to the 64 some months later, will still get a high originality rating for the game.
Bear in mind also that what makes a game original is not so much an original scenario, but an original approach to gameplay itself.
HOOKABILITY. This word has been invented by us because we couldn't find another one which said what we wanted to convey. It's kind of a cross between 'playability', 'addictiveness', and 'game-feel'. When awarding it we ask:
- How difficult is the game to get into?
- How strongly does it grab you?
- How good does the control feel?
- Is the action fun, attractive, compulsive?
- How much do you want to keep playing?
Clearly this is a key rating. A low Hookability rating means either that the game isn't addictive, or that it just takes ages to get into.
LASTABILITY. Another key rating. This one measures the depth of a game. How many screens are there? How many playing levels? How much long-term challenge? Will you still be playing it a month after buying it?
Clearly the rating also has to take into account the Hookability rating. Here are some examples:
- A game with a thousand screens but which is completely unaddictive scores low on both hookability and lastability. (If it's not addictive you won't keep playing it.)
- A game which is difficult to get into, but has plenty of depth and interest once you're into it could score low on Hookability and high on Lastability.
- A game which is incredibly compulsive but only has two screens to solve could score high on Hookability and low on Lastability.
OVERALL. With all the above ratings in, this is IT! -- what the reviewers think in general.
The Zzap Labels
