40 Winks (video game)

40 Winks is a platform game developed by Eurocom and published by GT Interactive as for the PlayStation. A version was developed for the Nintendo 64, and reviewed in both Nintendo Official Magazine UK and Nintendo Power[1] (whose January 2000 issue even featured a strategy guide for the game[2]), but was cancelled soon before release.[3]

40 Winks
European PlayStation cover art
Developer(s)Eurocom
Publisher(s)GT Interactive
Piko Interactive (Nintendo 64, Windows)
Producer(s)Mat Sneap
Designer(s)Richard Halliwell
Rob Craven
Writer(s)Martin Pond
Composer(s)Steve Duckworth
Platform(s)PlayStation
Microsoft Windows
Nintendo 64
ReleasePlayStation
  • EU: November 1999
  • NA: 14 November 1999
Microsoft Windows
  • WW: December 21 1999
Nintendo 64
  • WW: June 9 2000
Genre(s)Platform
Mode(s)Single-player

On 12 February 2018, Piko Interactive launched a Kickstarter campaign confirming that the unreleased Nintendo 64 version would be released, and also a Microsoft Windows version through Steam. It was funded on the same day.[4]

Gameplay

The player takes control of either Ruff or Tumble, a brother and sister who are sleeping and trying to free 40 "Winks" from a man named Nitekap and his accomplice, Threadbear. "Winks" are small, white creatures which make dreams, and "Hoodwinks", which are green and of a similar size are what are responsible for any nightmares.

Throughout the game, the player can collect moon-shaped tokens, which are used to scream at dreamy apparitions, and Z-shaped tokens, which stop the player's character from waking up. Floating cogs are also collected to open doors, and in each of the three levels in each world, collect four dream keys to be placed on the clock face, in order to challenge the boss, before moving on to the next world. The character travels through dream worlds (Nightmare, Underwater, Space, Prehistoric, Castle, and Pirate). The player can also transform into various types of beings: Caveman, Robot, Jester (Ruff only), Fairy (Tumble only), and Ninja.

Plot

Nitekap, a bitter man deprived of sleep, decides to rid the world of good dreams by kidnapping small creatures known as "Winks", which are responsible for making good dreams. With the Winks kidnapped, Nitekap's minions known as "Hood-winks" are able to turn all good dreams into nightmares.

Taking the role of Ruff or Tumble, the player must rescue all forty kidnapped Winks, which are imprisoned across six different "dream worlds". The player travels through each world and rescues the Winks along the way. At the end of each world, the player fights and defeats Nitekap's sidekick, an anthropomorphic teddy bear named Threadbear.

After rescuing all forty Winks, Ruff and Tumble proceed to confront Nitekap himself. Nitekap sends Threadbear to stop them, but he is defeated once again. Threadbear accepts defeat and urges Nitekap to do the same, but Nitekap throws him out onto the streets, refusing to surrender. Threadbear tells Ruff and Tumble that Nitekap is unable to sleep due to a loud clock in his home. After Ruff and Tumble destroy the clock, Nitekap finally manages to sleep and feels very happy upon waking up in the morning. The game ends with Nitekap attempting to get rid of a Hood-wink.

Reception

The PlayStation version received "average" reviews according to the review aggregation website GameRankings.[5]

References
  1. "40 Winks". Nintendo Power. Vol. 128. Nintendo of America. January 2000. p. 142.
  2. "40 Winks Strategy Guide". Nintendo Power. Vol. 128. Nintendo of America. January 2000. pp. 26–32.
  3. IGN staff (16 December 1999). "40 Winks Future Uncertain". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  4. "40 Winks - A New Nintendo 64 Game". Kickstarter. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  5. "40 Winks for PlayStation". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 1 May 2019. Retrieved 23 October 2011.
  6. Wigmore, Glenn. "40 Winks - Review". AllGame. All Media Network. Archived from the original on 15 November 2014. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  7. Reppen, Erik (February 2000). "40 Winks". Game Informer. No. 82. FuncoLand. Archived from the original on 9 July 2000. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  8. Weitzner, Jason "Fury" (January 2000). "40 Winks". GameFan. Vol. 8 no. 1. Shinno Media. pp. 36–37. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
  9. Mylonas, Eric "ECM"; Ngo, George "Eggo"; Rodriguez, Tyrone "Cerberus" (January 2000). "40 Winks". GameFan. Vol. 8 no. 1. Shinno Media. p. 16. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
  10. Johnston, Ian (13 June 2000). "40 Winks Review". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 2 August 2003. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  11. Nix, Marc (22 December 1999). "40 Winks". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  12. "40 Winks". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. Ziff Davis. 2000.
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