The Last Eichhof

The Last Eichhof is a freeware and open-source vertically scrolling shooter released for MS-DOS in 1993 by independent Swiss developer Alpha Helix. The game is similar to Xenon 2, but the player controls a beer bottle and destroys bottles belonging to rival beer companies.

The Last Eichhof
Developer(s)Alpha Helix (Tritone, Tweety, Zynax)
Initial release1993 (1993)
Stable release
Allegro version / 2014 (2014)
Repositorylasteichhof (Allegro) on SourceForge.net
PlatformMS-DOS, Windows Phone, Windows
TypeScrolling shooter
LicensePublic domain like license[1]
Allegro version: GPLv3
WebsiteOriginal homepage (archived by archive.org)

History

Development

In the 1990s some students of the ETH Zürich formed a game development group called "Alpha Helix" and developed "The last Eichhof" as comment against the concentration of the Swiss beer market which led to the decline of smaller and independent breweries like "Eichhof".[2][3] The Last Eichhof's code and levels were created by Daniel "Tritone" Schoch, graphics and fonts were credited to "Tweety". Additional programming and music was provided by "Zynax". Much of the music in "The Last Eichhof" comes from the songs "Schnaps Bonus" and "Bring me Edelweiss" by the pop band Edelweiss.[4] The instrumental from the Pink Floyd song, "Money" plays during this stage where you can sell beer bottles. Many sound effects were samples taken from the TV sitcom Parker Lewis Can't Lose. The source code was later released under a "Do what ever you want with this code"-license, a Public domain like license, similar to the WTFPL.[1]

Releases and ports

Ports to other platforms and OSes were later created by the game's community with the available source code, for instance for Linux (with Allegro), Windows XP, Windows 8 and Windows Phones.[5][6][7]

Gameplay

The object of the game is for the player to shoot cork projectiles out of the beer bottle/s and destroy as many enemies to gain as many litres of brew as possible (the game's score is tallied in terms of litres, instead of the usual points). Not only does the amount of brew collected boost the player's score but it also provides money needed to buy supplies from the pub. In most of the levels, waves of mugs, bottles and tankards will attack the player followed by minibosses (usually crates and rival beer logos) and occasionally big bosses. In one of the levels, the player is faced by hostile champagne bottles, Daiquiris, tequilas, martinis, Jack Daniel's, and Bourbon. Most of the enemies have an alcohol theme. In one of the levels, the enemies are items associated with hangovers: alarm clocks, coffee pots, toilets, Alka-Seltzer, Aspirin. However, there are a few enemies in the game which do not have any alcohol-related theme (Windows logo, Pac-Man, MacIntosh Apple logo, toaster screensaver).

The main beer bottle must be protected and avoid enemies, otherwise a life is lost. If all lives are lost the game is over. Bottles that accompany the main beer bottle cannot ever be destroyed. Once a level has been completed, the player stops by at the pub to buy extra bottles of beer to assist the main beer bottle. Four standard bottles (Stange, Pony, Barbara Braeu and Dunkel) can be purchased from the counter and many others (Can 33CL, Chuebeli, Pokal, Xenon 2 Cannon, plus Bonus Guttere for lives and Speed) can be purchased from the Menu Card. Up to six bottles can accompany the main beer bottle. After each level, the player has the choice of selling the bottles for a small reduction of what they first cost.

There are 5 levels; between each level, the player is given a chance to buy extra bottles, each with their own shooting projectiles. Note that the second to fifth level have checkpoints. So if the main beer bottle is hit, the player restarts at the last checkpoint successfully passed instead of restarting at the beginning of the level.

Reception

The Abandonware webpage Home of the Underdogs awarded the game the title "TopDog" and described it as a "rare freeware gem"[8] and MobyGames considered it as "one of the most "original" games of all time".[9]

In 2002 Czech newspaper IDNES.cz reviewed the game in detail.[10]

In 2004 Swiss computer magazine PCtipp called "The Last Eichhof" in a review "small, but the humor makes it unique".[3]

An article about "The Last Eichhof" was in German-language printed video game magazine Games, Entertainment, Education 2005.[11]

In 2012 Eurogamer described in an article The Last Eichhof as "awesome".[2] The Italian edition of The Game Machine referred to "The Last Eichhof" in an article in February 2012.[12]

See also

References
  1. beersrc.zip - readme "Do whatever you want" license
  2. Christof Zurschmitten (2012). "Über die gesprengte Hirnschale zum Herz: Paragaming (erschienen in WASD - Texte über Games 1: Tasty Trash)". Eurogamer.de (in German). eurogamer. "The Last Eichhof ist ein Zwitterwesen: ein hartes, dabei aber erstaunlich kompetentes und komplettes Shoot 'em up. Zugleich aber ist es auch ein bewusst schräges Sammelsurium des Merkwürdigen, pure Reizüberflutung, ein undisziplinierter Mindfuck. Und es ist großartig."
  3. Christian Bütikofer (2004-01-27). "The Last Eichhof". PCtipp. International Data Group. Einige unverbesserliche Eichhof-Bier-Liebhaber programmierten dieses Spiel: Zeigen Sie als kleines, unschuldiges Innerschweizer-Bier den Grossen der Branche, wo Hopfen und Malz hängen!
  4. "EDELWEISS - Schnaps Bonus - 1988". YouTube. Retrieved 2011-10-10.
  5. The Last Eichhof for XP, Vista, 7 - Version that works again on Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7 based on DOSBox
  6. The Last Eichhof app for Windows in the Windows Store - Windows 8 port
  7. The Last Eichhof Windows Phone App - Windows Phone
  8. HotU entry
  9. The Last Eichhof on Mobygames
  10. The Last Eichhof - opilá hra by Jakub Skočdopole on IDNES.cz (4f2 April 2002)
  11. "The last Eichhof". Games, Entertainment, Education. GEE Media & Marketing GmbH (14–17): 8. 2005.
  12. the-games-machine-italia-281 in The Game Machine (February 2012)
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