Paperboy Review

Updated Gameplay
Good Control
Bike Stunts
Great For All Ages

A Little on the Easy Side
Low on Replay Value

I never had a paper route so I can't tell you if this game is authentic or not. Looks pretty real though; dogs, angry old ladies, drivers who don't look when coming out of their driveways, tornadoes, satanic rollerskating goats... all of that kooky stuff you had to put up with just to deliver the morning news. This time out, you can also be a Papergirl, so even the chicks can get in on some news-slinging action.

The idea behind Paperboy is simple enough; get on your bike, pick up some papers and huck them at the subsribers porches or mailboxes, and avoid anything that moves. You have to deliver a set quota of papers to move on to the next level, so don't screw this up! Here's the one moral dillemna I have with this game. Yes, I have a moral dillemna with Paperboy 64. Honest. Here it is. If the level says that there are 8 subscribers, why do you only need to deliver 6 to beat the level? What is that teaching the youth of today? "Do what you can Johnny, I know it's tough delivering papers, so if you don't get to all the houses that's okay. We still love you and remember it's not you that we are angry at if Mr. Allison doesn't get his paper; we are mad at the behavior! The behavior is bad, not you Johnny. Now can I get you some more cupcakes, you LAZY PIECE OF CRAP!" Ah, the felt good to get that out. Anytime I can knock the youth of today and their seemingly endless amount of low-energy, do-nothing bad attitudes, I try to embrace it. Adult power! Take that, 15 year olds!

The graphics in Paperboy are not going to win any awards, but they have a cool retro look to them, almost bordering on the old Warner Bros. cartoons. As mentioned earlier, the control had to be redesigned for the new 3D environments. Your guy or gal can now deliver papers using a fancy-pants guided arrow, which makes getting something that is black and white and read all over, into mailboxes very easy. You can also use the paper to take out the various neighborhood menaces. Doing so not only feels godd, but nets you points as well. Along with the delivery enhancements, your Vehicular Information Agent can do some pretty mean bike tricks; flips, jumps, wheelies etc. Sure some of it ain't all that useful but it's fun to pull tricks off while waiting for the next house to appear. Another new addition to this installment are the Boss battles. If you are good enough you will eventually take on some big end level dudes.

The sounds in Paperboy sound like the ones taken from the original arcade game, although I can't be sure. They tend to have that very distinct sampled sound from the 80's, so I'm gonna go with that. It's always a toss-up when revamping a clasic. Do you put in things from the original for nostalgic value or ignore it's past? Some people like old, some like new; you can't please everyone. Personally I like the old sampled sounds. Musically the game is an updated version of the classic theme. Aside from being welldone, it get's annoying after awhile. Anything with quirky, circus music is eventually going to drive you nuts. Why do you think circus clowns are all really unhappy underneath that cheery pancake makeup? It's because they have to listen to that insane music for years at a time.

Paperboy is not a bad game, but it's fairly low on replay value and will probably wear out it's welcome quickly. I'd say a weekend rental would do the trick. You don't have to worry about control issues; Paperboy is solid. It's also a fairly easy game so don't expect hundreds of hours of gameplay time either. Fans of the original may definitely want to purchase it as it will bring back good memories of a simpler gaming time. It's also a great non-violent title for the under 12 set.

Screen Shot 1
Screen Shot 2
Screen Shot 3
Screen Shot 4
Screen Shot 5