Sheep, Dog 'n' Wolf

Based on a series of Roadrunner spin off cartoons from the 1950's, the role of the Coyote is now filled by a scraggy old wolf called Ralph (basically just Wile E. with a red nose) and day after day Ralph's life consists of nothing more than trying to get a decent meal by nicking Sheep from the nearby flock. The only problem is, the flock is guarded day and night by Sam, the meanest Sheepdog ever to appear in a 'toon and it is now your job to use all your wolf like cunning to get Ralph past Sam and lead him to a plump Sheep and a hearty dinner.

The first thing to strike you about this game is the sheer originality of it all. Straddling several game formats including platform, strategy and 3D adventure, there are no neat little boxes to catagorise it under without making some up yourself (a 'Sheep 'em up' perhaps?). Secondly you notice what an amazingly simple concept the whole game revolves around - steal one Sheep per level and get it to the goal. However as soon as you have started into the first level it soon becomes clear that this cute fluffy facade hides a real brainteaser of a game and you can certainly expect more than a few late nights to come.

In the great tradition of all Road Runner cartoons, in order to aid your quest against all things Sheepdog like you have a veritable wealth of bizarre items at your disposal, all provided to you by that legendary company - ACME (if you don't know, ask your parents). They are all here. Dynamite, rockets, metal detectors, Sheep costumes and even Sheep perfume can be obtained by placing your order in the handy mail boxes. Once you've got your hands on these items however, that is where the task really begins.

Each level is basically a huge puzzle. You must use your items to solve each part in turn, in order to progress successfully onto the next section with the ultimate objective of grabbing the Sheep and getting the hell out of there. Time and time again you will sit there scratching your head trying to figure out what the heck to do next without getting a pasting from the Sheepdog and then all of a sudden it will click and you will be onto the next mind-boggling task. At some points items need to be used together and at others you have to think three steps ahead in order to have your getaway path ready and cleared for when you grab your Sheep and make your escape.

Thankfully though, there is more than enough cartoon humour and lush colourful backdrops to keep this whole procedure very entertaining. In fact part of the fun of this game is to actually get yourself 'killed' in order to see the various ways that Ralph can be taken out. There are mines to step on, freezing water to fall in and of course that old cartoon mainstay, falling off a cliff. Anyone that does not laugh when Ralph runs off a cliff and stands there for a second, poking his toes underneath him to look for the ground is really taking life too seriously.

I truly cannot recommend this game enough, because there is something here for everyone. Whether you are into platformers, strategy games or are simply looking for a breath of fresh air in an industry filled with copycat titles, this game will fulfill your needs. Of course there are certain criticisms that arise, such as it can sometimes be a little repetitive in places and also the fact that the very set and unchangeable paths of clearing each level means that you will maybe not be returning to this game again and again over the month to come. However, with these minor points aside, this game is still a true success in terms of producing an original title and Infogrames and Black Sheep deserve a pat on the back for taking the plunge and introducing us to a new category of gaming.

If more developers showed this much initiative and decided to push the boundaries, rather than churning out endless sequels and sub standard copies, the world of gaming would be even more fun than it already is. For now though, 'Sheep, Dog 'n' Wolf' has surely earned its place among the other pioneering titles of the past and we can only enjoy it and wait to see what will come next. 'Sheep, Dog 'n' Wolf 2' perhaps.