Sleepwalker (video game) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sleepwalker |
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European cover art
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| Developer(s) | CTA Developments |
| Publisher(s) | Ocean Software |
| Composer(s) | Dave Newman, James Veal (Amiga) Barry Leitch, Keith Tinman (SNES) |
| Platform(s) | Amiga, Amiga CD32, C64, Atari ST, MS-DOS Super NES (As "Eek! The Cat") |
| Release date(s) | 1993, 1994 (As "Eek! The Cat") |
| Genre(s) | Platform, Strategy |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
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Sleepwalker is an exciting platform game that came out in 1993. It was made by CTA Developments and published by Ocean Software. You could play it on computers like the Amiga, Amiga CD32, Commodore 64, and Atari ST. Later, it also came out for MS-DOS. In 1994, the game was re-released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. This version was called Eek! The Cat and was based on the cartoon show.
Contents
About the Game: Sleepwalking Adventures
This game is all about a boy named Lee and his loyal dog, Ralph. One night, Ralph wakes up to find Lee sleepwalking right out of his bedroom window! Ralph quickly jumps after him. That's where you, the player, take control.
Your Mission: Keep Lee Asleep
Lee just keeps walking in one direction, no matter what. But there are lots of dangers in his path. He could fall into holes or hit objects that would wake him up. If Lee wakes up, you lose a life. You can see Lee's "sleep level" on a bar at the top of the screen. If this bar reaches zero, he wakes up. If you lose three (or sometimes five) lives, the game is over.
How to Play: Control Ralph the Dog
You control Ralph the dog. Your job is to help Lee stay safe and sound. You can move Ralph to change Lee's path or move objects in his way. As you play through the levels, there are more and more dangers. This means you need to think ahead. You have to plan how to keep Lee safe long before he reaches a tricky spot.
Ralph's Special Abilities
Even though Lee can get hurt and lose a life, Ralph is super tough! He can survive almost anything. This often leads to funny moments when Ralph bounces back from a dangerous situation. If you manage to complete all the levels, Lee finally makes it back to his bed and crawls in safely.
Helping Others: Comic Relief
This game was made for a special reason: to help the charity Comic Relief. All the money made from selling the game went to this charity.
Fun References to Charity
The game included many fun nods to Comic Relief:
- Lenny Henry, a famous comedian who works closely with Comic Relief, was the voice of Ralph in the game's animated introductions.
- The Ocean Software logo at the start of the game was animated. A red tomato was thrown at it, matching the theme of that year's Comic Relief event. The charity's logo then appeared on the messy splat. You would also hear comedian Harry Enfield say, "Comic Relief or som'ing."
- In the game's opening title, Lee and Ralph move inside the letters of "Sleepwalker." When they move from right to left, they wear red noses. These are the famous red noses sold for Comic Relief. (They even turn green if you use a cheat code!)
- You can collect letters that spell out "COMIC" at the top of the screen. If you get all five letters, you earn an extra life. (On the Commodore 64 version, collecting "COMIC" lets you play a bonus level. In this level, you collect tomatoes for extra points.)
- A whoopee cushion, another item sold to raise money for the charity, appears in the game. Picking it up makes Ralph invincible for a short time.
