How to play Kool-Aid Man online
- Move Kool-Aid Man: arrow keys (the fire button is not used)
- Start a new game: F12 (the console’s Reset switch)
- Pause and resume: F4 toggles the left difficulty switch (A pauses, B resumes)
- Faster Thirsties: F9 toggles the right difficulty switch (A is faster, B is normal)
Gameplay
The game opens with Kool-Aid Man crashing through a brick wall, just as he did on TV. The pool sits at the bottom of the screen, and the Thirsties bounce around above it. Now and then one stops and dips a long straw into the water. That is your chance: you can only catch a Thirstie while it is sitting still and drinking. Each one you catch is worth 100 points.
Bumping into a moving Thirstie knocks you backwards, and touching the walls or the water also makes you lose control for a moment. Every second you spend tumbling is a second the Thirsties spend drinking. Letters float across the screen too: W, S and K, for water, sugar and Kool-Aid. Grab one and Kool-Aid Man grows bigger and, for a short time, Thirsties can no longer push him around.
A round has 30 Thirsties. Catch them all and you get bonus points for the time left, then move on to a harder round. If the pool is drained first, the game is over.
Tips
- Stay low. Thirsties have to come down to the pool to drink, so hovering just above the water keeps you close to your targets.
- Don’t chase moving Thirsties. Hitting them only knocks you back. Wait for them to stop.
- Save the letters for crowds. A power-up is most useful when several Thirsties are drinking at once and you can collect them without being bounced away.
History
The 2600 cartridge came out in September 1983. At first it was only available by mail order, and it reached ordinary shops later. The Intellivision version, released two months later, is a completely different game.
Reviews were not kind. The Video Game Update called it dull even for young players, and in later years it has turned up on lists of the most shameless licensed games.
Similar games to play next
- Tooth Protectors – another cartridge made to promote a household brand
- Lock ‘n’ Chase – an M Network maze game
- Frogs and Flies – a simple M Network catching game
- Kaboom! – fast-paced catching action from Activision