Astérix: Rescue Obélix / Astérix and the Vikings / Astérix and Cleopatra

This entry is part 29 of 28 in the series Asterix

Cell phone games have been big business since the days when phones came packaged with the classic Snake, catching the pixel dot as it grew longer per bite. As technology and space became better with the advent of the camera phones, these devices started making use of the Java programming language which allowed for somewhat impressive graphics in a relatively small compressed file. These were the days before the iPhone introduced their App Store, so games were often downloaded using WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) with text codes often being featured in tabloid magazines. In 2005, In Fusio released Astérix: Rescue Obélix.

Obélix has managed to do the one thing he was told to never do – he has taken a sip of the magic potion. This has resulted in him turning into a solid rock, the known side effect after falling into the cauldron as a child. Due to Obélix being stoned quite literally, the Romans have managed to capture him and hold him captive at the camp. Panoramix asks Astérix to save his lifelong friend, and off he goes.

The game is a simple platformer using the graphics from Astérix & Obélix on the SNES and goes through the Gaulish forests, bashing Romans and picking up treasures. Across the levels you will find gold coins, Roman helmets and coin bags. Picking up all these will give you a 1-up at the end of the level which is reached when you find Idéfix. Hearts can be picked up for energy refills and Astérix heads for 1-ups. There are also bottles of magic potions around that will make you invincible.

Being a cell phone game, there’s not much to find. There are only seven levels, all which are about a minute in length and the controls are very stiff and restricted due to being controlled by a numerical pad, which can be quite small depending on the size of the phone itself. The graphics are quite colorful and surprisingly detailed, looking much like they did on the SNES though with less animation. Being only five minutes in total length, it’s probably not worth the money through the cell phone services, and too short and uneventful for fans to truly care in the end.

Astérix et les Vikings / Astérix and the Vikings – Mobile (2006)

To tie in with the all-new cartoon movie released in 2006, In Fusio released a new cell phone platformer, Astérix et les Vikings (Astérix and the Vikings). The movie was a Danish/French co-production based on Astérix et les Normands (Astérix and the Normans).

The Vikings have kidnapped Goudurix, the cousin of village chief Abraracourcix. Astérix then sets out through a snowy land to save him from the vile barbarians and bring him back safe and sound to continue his Gaul training.

The game is just a simple reskin of the prior cell phone title, bearing only aesthetic differences with all the same functions. Rocks have become barrels or snowballs, coins have become skulls and Romans are now Vikings. The only new addition is the danger of seagulls crashing into Astérix, and trampolines. There is also an end boss to this game, Olaf the Viking. It’s still a barely controllable affair, though maybe with a bit more novelty by being the only game adaptation of the animated movie.

Astérix et Cléopâtre / Astérix and Cleopatra The Game – Mobile (2007)

In Fusio’s last portable adventure featuring Astérix went in a different route and offered a board game layout. The story is now based on Astérix et Cléopâtre, maybe the most famous of the French mini-hulkster’s many adventures.

Over the board, you can land on either mystery squares or mission squares. The mystery squares will bring you either setbacks or rewards, with the rewards being magic potions that send you directly to your goal, or extra turns. The mission squares will make the player do one of many different deeds to help the Egyptians building their pyramid, like shooting, fighting Romans, chopping stones or jigsaw puzzling. Once you use up your 30 turns, the game is over, while winning missions will award you more turns.

Like the other In Fusio games, it’s a clunky, slow and uneventful game. It works a bit better as a cell phone release than their sidescrollers, but it will hardly hold your attention for long.

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