Garfield: A Winter's Tail
Encyclopedia
Garfield: Winter's Tail is a game based on the Jim Davis
comic strip, Garfield
. It was released in 1989 for Atari ST
(will not work on Atari STe computers), Amiga
, ZX Spectrum
and Commodore 64
.
where fast reaction is needed (Skiing & Skating level) and some sort of puzzle
game (Chocolate Factory). The player will encounter some familiar faces from the Garfield comics (like Odie
and Jon Arbuckle
), but the player can control only Garfield. Garfield’s energy meter is pictured with his face from happy to sad, getting sadder by every accident. If he loses too much energy he wakes up (sometimes in fright).
Skiing & Lasagna Factory
Garfield
hits the slopes on a pair of skis, while the player guides him past obstacles like trees, bushes, rocks, and stumps. The player is then joined by Odie who uses, unlike Garfield, a dustbin lid to slide down the hill. There are also spectators on the side of the route, holding food that Garfield and Odie could grab to gain back energy. As he jumps on the big ramp at the end of the hill, Garfield reaches the top of the Lasagna Factory. Once in the Lasagna Factory, Garfield eats as much lasagna as he can until Odie
ends the fun by blowing out the fire from the lasagna oven.
Chocolate Factory
To find the chocolate egg laying chicken, Garfield has to manipulate the indicators on the feeding pipes in the factory. Garfield is losing energy, therefore he has to eat all kinds of food lying on the floor. He is once again joined by Odie who tries to steal the food.
Skating on the frozen lake
Garfield has to reach the other side of the lake to get to the Swiss village in pursuit of the escaped chocolate egg laying chicken, avoiding all obstacles and holes in the ice. Odie is also with him; sporadically sawing a hole into the ice. Garfield can gain energy by eating the chocolate chicken footprints.
Graphics: Jack Wilkes (Amiga & Atari) & Andy Howlet (C64)
Music: David Lowe
The graphics are cute and cuddly and Garfield is his usual canine-punting, lasagna-gobbling self. - 80% - The Games Maschine
The gameplay that is present is also very simple, but Garfield fans will no doubt enjoy this light-hearted, lightweight licence. - 63% - Zzap
Once again though, good presentation is let down by a poor game design. - 43% - Amiga Format
Garfield can only sit and wait, and hope that some talented individual with the patience of job can finish the game and rescue him from this nightmare that "The Edge" created. - 39% - Amiga Computing
Garfield Winter's Tail on LemonAmiga
Jim Davis (cartoonist)
James Robert Davis is an American cartoonist, best known as the creator of the comic strip Garfield, which he signs as Jim Davis. He has also worked on other strips: Tumbleweeds, Gnorm Gnat, U.S. Acres and a strip about Mr...
comic strip, Garfield
Garfield
Garfield is a comic strip created by Jim Davis. Published since June 19, 1978, it chronicles the life of the title character, the cat Garfield ; his owner, Jon Arbuckle; and Arbuckle's dog, Odie...
. It was released in 1989 for Atari ST
Atari ST
The Atari ST is a home/personal computer that was released by Atari Corporation in 1985 and commercially available from that summer into the early 1990s. The "ST" officially stands for "Sixteen/Thirty-two", which referred to the Motorola 68000's 16-bit external bus and 32-bit internals...
(will not work on Atari STe computers), Amiga
Amiga
The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
, ZX Spectrum
ZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd...
and Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
.
Storyline
Garfield has fallen asleep in his bed in front of an open refrigerator, dreaming about his adventures in the northern Italy and Swiss, to find a lasagna factory and the chocolate egg laying chicken.Levels & Gameplay
The game is divided into an Action sports gameAction game
Action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, shooter games, and platform games, which are widely considered the most important action games, though some...
where fast reaction is needed (Skiing & Skating level) and some sort of puzzle
Computer puzzle game
Puzzle video games are a genre of video games that emphasize puzzle solving. The types of puzzles to be solved can test many problem solving skills including logic, strategy, pattern recognition, sequence solving, and word completion....
game (Chocolate Factory). The player will encounter some familiar faces from the Garfield comics (like Odie
Odie
Odie is a fictional character in the Jim Davis comic strip Garfield. He has also appeared in Garfield and Friends, The Garfield Show, two live-action feature films, and 3 CGI films....
and Jon Arbuckle
Jon Arbuckle
Jonathan Q. Arbuckle is a character from the Garfield comic strip by Jim Davis. He has also appeared in the animated television series Garfield and Friends, the computer-animated The Garfield Show, and two live-action feature films....
), but the player can control only Garfield. Garfield’s energy meter is pictured with his face from happy to sad, getting sadder by every accident. If he loses too much energy he wakes up (sometimes in fright).
Skiing & Lasagna Factory
Garfield
Garfield
Garfield is a comic strip created by Jim Davis. Published since June 19, 1978, it chronicles the life of the title character, the cat Garfield ; his owner, Jon Arbuckle; and Arbuckle's dog, Odie...
hits the slopes on a pair of skis, while the player guides him past obstacles like trees, bushes, rocks, and stumps. The player is then joined by Odie who uses, unlike Garfield, a dustbin lid to slide down the hill. There are also spectators on the side of the route, holding food that Garfield and Odie could grab to gain back energy. As he jumps on the big ramp at the end of the hill, Garfield reaches the top of the Lasagna Factory. Once in the Lasagna Factory, Garfield eats as much lasagna as he can until Odie
Odie
Odie is a fictional character in the Jim Davis comic strip Garfield. He has also appeared in Garfield and Friends, The Garfield Show, two live-action feature films, and 3 CGI films....
ends the fun by blowing out the fire from the lasagna oven.
Chocolate Factory
To find the chocolate egg laying chicken, Garfield has to manipulate the indicators on the feeding pipes in the factory. Garfield is losing energy, therefore he has to eat all kinds of food lying on the floor. He is once again joined by Odie who tries to steal the food.
Skating on the frozen lake
Garfield has to reach the other side of the lake to get to the Swiss village in pursuit of the escaped chocolate egg laying chicken, avoiding all obstacles and holes in the ice. Odie is also with him; sporadically sawing a hole into the ice. Garfield can gain energy by eating the chocolate chicken footprints.
Development Credits
Coding: Steve Cargill (Amiga & Atari) & David Kirby (C64)Graphics: Jack Wilkes (Amiga & Atari) & Andy Howlet (C64)
Music: David Lowe
David Lowe (video game music composer)
David Lowe also known as "Uncle Art" is a British composer known for his work on computer games from 1985 to 1995.Lowe got attention by making music with professional synthesizers for an additional cassette tape distributed with the games Starglider 2 and Carrier Command.His Starglider soundtrack...
Reception & Quotes
The reviews were mixed, despite it's good presentation, it was heavy critzied for the bad design and controls.The graphics are cute and cuddly and Garfield is his usual canine-punting, lasagna-gobbling self. - 80% - The Games Maschine
The gameplay that is present is also very simple, but Garfield fans will no doubt enjoy this light-hearted, lightweight licence. - 63% - Zzap
Zzap!64
Zzap!64 was a computer games magazine covering games on the Commodore International series of computers, especially the Commodore 64 . It was published in the UK by Newsfield Publications Ltd and later by Europress Impact....
Once again though, good presentation is let down by a poor game design. - 43% - Amiga Format
Amiga Format
Amiga Format was a British computer magazine for Amiga computers, published by Future Publishing. The magazine lasted 136 issues from 1989 to 2000. The magazine was formed when, in the wake of selling ACE to EMAP, Future split the dual-format title ST/Amiga Format into two separate publications...
Garfield can only sit and wait, and hope that some talented individual with the patience of job can finish the game and rescue him from this nightmare that "The Edge" created. - 39% - Amiga Computing
Amiga Computing
Amiga Computing was a monthly computer magazine of a serious nature, published by Europress and IDG in both the UK and USA. A total of 117 issues came out. The games section was called Gamer, although later Amiga Action was incorporated into the magazine and became the games section.- External...
External links
Garfield Winter's Tail on MobygamesGarfield Winter's Tail on LemonAmiga