Introduction
Only one show on television has captured my interest enough to make it must see TV. The show is History Channel’s Axmen. Where the men of J.M. Browing, Stump-Branch, Pihl and Gustafson logging risk life and limb in the forests of Oregon all to make a living.
These are not the men of myth that have grown out of the logging industry. The nostalgic images of big burly bearded men as tough as their axe's handle is quickly shattered by the buzz of a chainsaw. These are just men just like any other. They curse, booze and their bodies have been worn down by one of the most difficult jobs in America. Through all the trials and tribulations of the logging industry these men maintain their dignity and individualism. Not only do I respect these men I want to be these men.
Fortunately for me I don’t have to venture into the vast wilderness/ I can vicariously live the life of a lumberjack thanks to Midway Arcade Treasures 2 and more specifically the game Timber.
Timber originally launched in 1984 by Bally Midway is a mad dash race to chop down your quota of trees before time runs out. All the while the angry foreman is breathing down your neck because the lumber mill needed the logs an hour ago! If that weren’t enough you have angry grizzlies hurling beehives in your direction. (Somewhere Pooh Bear sheds a tear.)
Graphics & Presentation: 7
The graphics are your standard arcade fair. That being said there are some humorous moments that occur. The best example of this is when you’re hit by a flying beehive the bees behave like moths and eat your clothes off. Leaving you with nothing on but your skibbies and blushing cheeks.
The presentation of the game is good. There’s everything you need here for a fun arcade experience with no clutter. The background is sparse. The foreman is constantly checking his watch as he stands in the door of a log cabin. The Evergreens that sprout from the ground are a vibrant green and you can feel the chunk of the lumber splitting with the each swing of your ax. The simple animations and sounds give you the feeling of being in the forest. While not spectacular the games spartanesuqe nature gives it a certain charm that is tough to put your finger on.
Gameplay: 8
Never having played this at the arcade I have to judge it solely on its merits using the PS2 version for which the gameplay is simple and fun. The only things you need to use are the X to chop left, the O button to chop right, and the direction pad to move your player around the various obstacles such as fallen trees, the aforementioned flying beehives, and the stumps lying on the ground.
The obstacles add a nice touch of difficulty to the game and can slow you down. You’re not able to simply just walk over a tree stump. If you attempt to you’ll trip and fall flat on your face losing valuable time. The limited amount of wild life also adds to the game as well as to the players score.
Birds will oftentimes appear in the treetops. Once you fall the tree containing the bird, the bird will frantically run around the forest. If you’re able lay your hands on the bird you’ll gain an additional 1,000 points. Likewise if you’re able to chop a beehive in mid-flight you’ll gain yourself another 500 pointts. Where the game really shines is in the 2-player mode.
In the 2-player mode you can either cooperate with each other to gain higher point totals or you can compete and try to sabotage each other at every turn. I find it’s more fun to try and sabotage your opponent. To thwart your opponent by using the directional pads you can push trees over into his path slowing him down. What’s even more fun is when you’re able to push a tree right on top of your opponent crushing him and gaining you 1,000 additional points.
The difficulty gets progressively harder as the game goes on. There will be more trees to fall in every level, less time, and more flying beehives. To me however the most difficult part of the game comes in the BONUS levels where you participate in the old lumberjack tradition of burling better known as logrolling. I just could not get the hang of this part of the game. In order to get the bonus points you must stay on the log for 20 seconds. My record was four seconds! So if any of you readers have some advice for me my ears are open.
Overall: 7
This is not an excellent game by any stretch. It wouldn’t be worth purchasing Midway Arcade Treasures 2 for this game alone but it is a fun quirky little game that is worth playing with a friend for 15 or 20 minutes every now and again.
