Demolition Herby for the Atari 2600

The lesson to learn from Herbie the Love Bug movies is that if a product has an adorable Volkswagon in it, you should maybe give it a closer inspection. That is exactly what I decided to do with the similarly named, but for legal reasons completely different, “Demolition Herby”. At first glance, it looks like an Amidar clone but looks a little closer and you will find a fun game, that right from the start is challenging.

In the game, you control a green Volkswagon (that looks more like an AMC Gremlin) that is being pursued around a grid of roads by some trucks. The idea is to drive down every stretch of road, as you drive over a section you claim it and thereby clear it. So the object is simple, finish this oversized grid (yes it scrolls) and avoid or take out the enemy. Taking out the enemy is where the fun starts and it doesn’t require a magical pill to do it. All you need to do is rear-end them from behind, and they will blow up (much like the AMC Gremlin).

The challenge is that the enemies’ movements are very random. They will turn on a dime to face you and you will die. So you need to get the timing down and watch the direction they are going and hit them at just the right moment. But you do have one weapon in your arsenal to help you, overdrive. Hit the button and you will speed up, but be mindful, you only have a certain amount of fuel to clear a level, and overdrive burns it up.

An Amidar clone? Sort of, but the overdrive and fuel consumption adds a much welcome level of complexity to the gameplay. “Demolition Herby” is not an amazing game, but it is a solid title that for Amidar fans will be a welcome change of pace, but at the same time it will be satisfying to those who are new to the style. “Demolition Herby” gets a solid 3 out 5 stars.

Gameplay Video