|
Sega/US
Gold
48k
disk £14.95
48k
cassette £9.95
1/2
players
1/2 joysticks
keyboard
|
 |
Most
people would agree that, with few exceptions, the Americans still
lead the field in top quality software with Lucasfilm, Synapse,
First Star and, lately, Activision and Broderbund showing everyone
else how it should be done. Some way below this elite group come the
likes of Sega.
Sega are a
company who baffle me. Despite years of Atari experience they have
yet to produce a game which can be classed as even moderately
exceptional. True, they make great arcade games but their Atari
computer conversions are invariably sub-standard due to the fact, no
doubt, that they persist in cramming them into 16K Rom cartridges -
but then again Activision, Parker Bros and even Atari themselves
have produced some brilliant Roms in their time, so where does that
leave Sega?
Anyway,
SPY HUNTER is yet another arcade conversion which initially found
it's way onto the Atari via a 16K Rom and has subsequently been
downloaded onto cassette so that it now masquerades as a 48K
program. Surprisingly enough, it's actually quite good.
SPY HUNTER
is a driving game with a 'James Bond' type spy theme. The life of a
world class master spy is not a cushy one as any budding James Bond
will tell you and, in this game, you must endeavour to drive your
spymobile down a busy highway, chased by an endless string of
psychopathic killers with equally psychopathic names such as
the Switch Blade, the Enforcer, Doctor Torpedo and the Mad Bomber.
Your
spy-mobile is equipped with an arsenal of deadly weapons to help you
dispose of your enemies and extra weapons are gained by driving your
car, Knight Rider style, into the backs of various moving trucks
which appear at strategic points along the highway. As far as I can
gather, the sole aim of the game is to survive for as long as
possible. This largely consists of destroying all your enemies by
shooting them or driving them off the road, whilst trying to prevent
them doing likewise to you!
The screen shows a plan view of the proceedings with the action
taking place over a constantly scrolling landscape, featuring some
fast vertical scrolling of ultra-smooth proportions, which should be
more than enough to turn owners of the jerky BBC Micro green with
envy (if you've ever seen C.V.J. -'Coarse Vertical jerking' - on the
BBC then you'll know what I'm talking about). And if that's not a
bit of Atari one-upmanship then I don't know what is!!
As if you didn't have enough trouble to contend with - what with
raving lunatics dropping bombs on you from passing helicopters or
trying to shred your tyres with their buzz-saw hubcaps - the terrain
changes at regular intervals and throws up forks in the road and icy
conditions just to keep you on your toes. Mind you, if you don't
like it you can always abandon the road and take to the water.
Simply drive through any boathouse and your car immediately becomes
amphibious. I wouldn't recommend it though - the water is teeming
with enemy agents.
Control is
best via two joysticks. One can be used at a push but a couple of
keyboard inputs are then necessary in order to use your full quota
of weapons. This doesn't exactly make life simple but it does give
you the chance to practise your one-handed driving technique!
SPY HUNTER isn't going to top the Atari software charts but it is an
enjoyable game for all that. Well worth investigating.
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