Benefactor

Benefactor is an Amiga original game created by the Swedish studio Digital Illusions and published by Psygnosis for the Amiga and Amiga CD32 in 1994.

Digital Illusions was famous for the pinball series Pinball Dreams/Pinball Fantasies, but they created something completely different and totally innovative with Benefactor. Many defined this game as a mix between Lemmings and Prince of Persia, but it's much more than this. At first sight, you will notice a classic platformer screen, but at minimum zoom level.

Your hero is, in fact, tiny, but you will notice that he's very well animated. He's capable of running, jumping, double-jumping, climbing, use ladders and other objects. This will help you reach the platforms and collect the keys required to open the doors and free your small friends. The merry men that you will release won't escape the level, but they will stay to help. For example, if you give them axes or cogs, they can fix ladders and other mechanisms required to reach other platforms. You can also take in your arms and launch them to the platforms you cannot reach. Sometimes you will have to launch them so that they can escape from the end-of-level door. Of course, there are also enemies, like slugs, rock men, dragon worms, and more, so pay attention!

The graphics are one of the strongest points of the game. The backgrounds, different for each level, are beautifully painted. They include ancient Egypt, caves, pipes, medieval castles, and more. As I said, the sprites are small, but they are incredibly refined, and most importantly, perfectly animated. Watching them is a real joy. An energizing soundtrack is present during the intro and in all the levels, which is an excellent addition.

To be honest, more than the titles mentioned above, this game reminds me of D/Generation: cute graphics, clever puzzles, beautiful animations. Since Benefactor was an Amiga exclusive released in 1994, when Commodore was at the end of its career, you might have missed this brilliant title. If this is the case, now it's time to fix this terrible mistake.