Actually, Splash Lake is a PC Engine CD game, and was released in 1991 on CD-ROM only. Which is a pity because it’s so much fun to play – it deserves more attention.

You play an ostrich who must bounce around a series of maze-like platforms, pecking key tiles, and sending all the meanies to their doom by falling into the water. It’s simple, devious, addictive, and fun, with a jolly soundtrack to keep things moving along at pace.

There is no Wikipedia page for the game (at the time of writing), and not much (useful) information about it on the internet, but it does deserve tracking down. There are, however, a few disc images floating around, if you can find them. The image I found worked perfectly in Magic Engine.

Splash Lake could do with a re-release. Not a re-make, but a re-release of the original game. If I ever saw one, I’d buy it.

More: Splash Lake on YouTube

Title screen for NEC Avenue’s Splash Lake.

Peck the right tile and the floor will disappear from beneath your enemies.

You can even bounce over some of the baddies. Which is what is needed here.

Most levels are introduced with humorous animated title cards.

The early levels are all quite easy to complete. It does get more difficult though!

What you don’t want to do is make the floor disappear from under YOU. Just your enemies.

You can’t jump over that caterpillar. But you can the single enemies.