Boppin'
| Company type | Video game |
|---|---|
| Industry | Video games |
| Founded | 1991 |
| Founder | Jennifer Diane Reitz |
Key people | Jennifer Diane Reitz |
| Products | Boppin' |
| Owner | Accursed Toys (original), Apogee Software (republisher) |
Boppin' is a puzzle game developed by Jennifer Diane Reitz in 1991, produced by Accursed Toys and distributed by Karmasoft for the Amiga. Following disappointing sales of just 284 copies, Apogee Software (currently known as 3D Realms) republished the title with upgraded visuals supporting up to 256 colors. Due to its mature themes, including graphic blood imagery and seppuku, Apogee added a manual disclaimer cautioning players about potentially disturbing content and indicated the game was intended for an adult audience, primarily those aged 25 and above.
Plot
The storyline unfolds within a multiverse of imagined realms created by human creativity. The primary setting is Arcapaedia, home to video game characters such as Yeet and Boik—two neutral stick figures. In this arcade universe, villains have been eradicated by the puritanical Hunnybunz Family, leaving the worlds without antagonists. Consequently, Yeet and Boik embark on a quest to thwart Hunnybunz and his family’s schemes.
Gameplay
Players progress through levels made up of blocks, elevators, refractors, prizes, and starting points. The main gameplay involves launching blocks at matching blocks present in the level at 45-degree angles, using refractors tactically to redirect shots. Players can also push blocks and gather bonuses that provide points, extra lives, and credits; each credit grants five lives with a maximum cap of ten lives. The game ends when all lives and credits are exhausted.
Blocks thrown are destroyed if they collide with walls, floors, unmatched blocks, or exit the level boundaries, resulting in the loss of a life. Passing through mystery spots increases score gains by 10%. Forming specific patterns—such as a 3x2 rectangle, a 3x3 cross, hollow squares, or complete squares—releases monsters trapped inside blocks and rewards bonus points upon completing the level. The two-player mode operates similarly to single-player but emphasizes competitive scoring.
Every 40th level features a boss battle against Hunnybunz, where players attack using weaponized blocks; the damage inflicted is influenced by the player’s high score. Contact with the boss costs a life.
Boppin' stands out for its distinctive style: the original version included graphic elements like the "Deady Bear" logo—a bleeding teddy bear impaled by a knife—and characters that commit suicide upon losing lives. These graphic features were removed in version 1.1 but can be reactivated using a "blood" command-line option. The credits also contain detailed author manifestos outlining their creative vision.
Release
The Amiga edition included 150 levels, a level editor, an enhanced in-game menu system, unique copy protection measures, and three difficulty settings.
The DOS version launched on November 15, 1994, featuring updated sound, new levels, and improved graphics across four editions. The first shareware release contained 26 levels from the initial episode. The second release, titled Basic Boppin, offered two episodes with a total of 80 levels (different from those in the shareware). The third edition, Super Boppin, was released on December 9, 1994, on CD-ROM and included all four episodes (160 levels), a level editor, and censored violent content. The final version was made freeware on August 19, 2005 under the name Boppin, incorporating all features from Super Boppin and ported to Windows.
Reception
Amazing Computing highlighted the game's extensive incorporation of video game allusions, notably referencing Super Mario.