Apidya is a side-scrolling shoot-em-up with an Anime theme, developed by Kaiko and released by Play Byte in 1992 for the Amiga. The player controls a bee and has to destroy all the enemies, completing five levels. He can use several power-ups to unlock new weapons and use the special attack triggered by pressing fire for some seconds. There are also two possible co-op modes for two players.
The game received many positive reviews, and it was elected Best Action Game of 1992 by the readers of Amiga Joker. Apidya's soundtrack, composed by Chris Hülsbeck, was released as a CD album with a high-quality arrangement. It has also been performed in several concerts.
Ah, Apidya! For me this was one of the very best shoot-em-ups ever to grace the Amiga. It had everything and took it all to another level. What made Apidya really stand out at the time was the decision to have the user control a flying wasp, and the initial setting being in the depths of nature – gardens, ponds, sewers.
Blasting your way through swarms of flies and enraged slugs and snails was great fun, and brought a really distinctive slant to the genre. The graphics are vivid and beautifully drawn, with the added bonus of one of Chris Hüelsbeck’s best in-game scores (certainly a close second to Turrican), Apidya is really a feast for the eyes and ears.
Although the style of the sideways-scrolling shooter was pretty much a given – what Blue Byte did with Apidya was throw in lots of secrets. For example, if you catch the little angel at the end of level 1, you find yourself in a bonus level catching angels to build up your points. You'll also find underground labyrinths and other mysterious bonus levels – part of the fun was trying to find these.
Apidya’s difficulty level, even on easy mode is quite a challenge. The sprite collision is absolutely spot on, so you need to be fast and nimble on your fingers in this very busy and action packed game. The biggest frustration is losing a life with only one hit – an energy bar would have made a big difference. Plus you’re not instantly back on the screen; the level reloads and when you return, your weaponry has been downgraded. The weaponry selection itself can be fiddly – unless you select auto mode – plus you only need glance to the bottom of the screen to see which choice is highlighted too miss an incoming bullet. Apidya remains a challenge, but with enough persistence, a possible and very rewarding one.
Apidya also boasts one of the most impressive end-of-game bosses – a huge hornet, the height of the screen – and she puts up quite a fight. Once you’ve disposed of the hornet, you can enjoy a beautifully animated end sequence, that is equal to the game's intro. So many games were let down by poor or minimal end sequences, after so much effort, and in this regard, Apidya does not disappoint.
Review by: theLightDreams
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