Fido Dido

Fido Dido

Overview & History

Originally conceived in 1985 by Sue Rose and Joanna Ferrone as a nonchalant, doodle-esque mascot later popularized by 7 Up commercials, Fido Dido finally made his way to the 16-bit console arena via a cancelled Atari Lynx project that was later resurrected and heavily retooled for the Sega Genesis by Teeny Weeny Games and Kaneko. Published in 1994, this platformer breaks the fourth wall immediately: the storyline kicks off when Fido’s own comic book creator traps him inside the very pages of his sketchpad. To escape back to the real world, Fido must leap across panels of ink, dodge erase-happy eraser monsters, and defeat bizarre sketched antagonists.

Gameplay Features & Mechanics

Unlike standard platformers where characters rely on traditional weapons, Fido’s arsenal relies entirely on his cool demeanor and artistic reality-bending abilities. Gameplay mechanics revolve around drawing and erasing the environment. Fido can collect pencils to use as projectile weapons or paintbrushes to temporarily sketch platforms and hazards out of existence. The visual design brilliantly mimics a comic book grid, with screen transitions acting as page turns. Players must master momentum-based jumping, avoid pooling ink pits that act as bottomless chasms, and solve environmental puzzles by altering the very black-and-white line art that constructs the levels. Secret areas are hidden behind sketched seams, rewarding thorough exploration.

Keyboard Controls

• Arrow Keys / D-Pad: Move
• Action Keys: Attack / Jump
• Enter: Start / Pause