STORY
Seymour has arrived in Hollywood seeking fame and fortune. He longs to be a famous film star, and he has arrived at the Studios (by limo, no less) full of hopes and dreams. How exciting! His excitement is short lived, however, as the security guard does not recognise him and won't let him into the Studios. Poor Seymour has to somehow convince the guard to let him past.
Inside the Studio, Seymour starts to explore the place. Everyone must start at the bottom, and Seymour has to start by helping out with other films being made. He visits all the other film sets - Grease, Wizard Of Oz, King Kong etc - determined to sort out problems, find lost props, cheer everybody up, and generally keep everything running smoothly.
But what exactly IS Seymour? Well, he's a white blob of... SOMETHING. He has arms and feet, and he can jump around. All you need to know that he is Seymour, and he is everybody's friend!
GAMEPLAY
Seymour Goes To Hollywood is in the same vein as the Dizzy games, and is controlled entirely by the keyboard. You can walk left or right by using the Left & Right Arrow keys. The Space Bar is used to jump, pick up items, and also to use an item in your inventory. There is a strange Studio Maze, which can be confusing if you don't pay attention to where you are going. Just like the early Dizzy games, you can only carry 3 items at a time. The items you are carrying (if any) are shown at the top left of the screen, and your score is to the right of that. You have 3 lives, which are represented by 3 open clapperboards at the top of the screen. Each life has an energy bar, and that bar is drained slightly if you are hurt. When the bar is empty, then you lose a life, and one of your clapperboards closes up. When you have lost all 3 lives, then the game is over.
GRAPHICS
The graphics are very colourful and cartoony, which makes the game a lot of fun to play. Characters and backgrounds and bright and cheerful, and I loved the expressions that Seymour pulled. Tree huts in the Mgamba Village are fun to explore, and it was amusing watching Seymour cross the Umbabwe river.
MUSIC
There are 2 sound options here, and I enjoyed listening to them both. 'BEEPS' sounds just like the old Spectrum version, and gives a wonderful retro feel to the game. 'ADLIB' lets you hear an amazing pc soundtrack, which is lovely to listen to. They are both very different, and I couldn't decide which one I like best.
SUMMARY
Seymour Goes To Hollywood is an excellent game that I highly recommend. I like the idea that he has to go round all the various film sets and sort out all the problems. The game is very similar to Dizzy, and it is very easy to control. Characters and backgrounds are crisp and clear. I found the Studio Maze slightly confusing at first, but that is only a minor niggle. The different sound options were a nice feature, as they are both very different. If you are feeling nostalgic, then you can play the game with 'Beeps'. If you are feeling more upbeat, then you can hear the 'Adlib' music. I enjoyed playing this game a lot. Why not try it for yourself?