Zzap


Blood Money
By Sizzlers
Commodore 64/128

 
Published in Zzap #76

Blood Money

A bit of a cheek this, methinks, but at least the first game on Psygnosis's new budget label - in no way endorsed or connected with us - actually did earn a Zzap! Sizzler. In fact it did so twice, first on the Amiga, then on the C64 with a truly marvellous conversion of what remains one of the Amiga's best shoot-'em-ups. It's not quite so groundbreaking on 8-bit - four big levels and some imaginative graphics aren't new for the C64 - but it's still pretty special.

The typically insane scenario concerns tourists paying good money to visit four multi-loading planets, inhabited by some of the universe's most fearsome defences. Each planet provides its own vehicle in order, there's a helicopter, submarine, jetpack and spaceship to master. What's more you can being along a friend for simultaneous two-player action. The graphics vary dramatically between worlds but, more impressively, are well thought-out within levels: the machine, undersea, ice planet and biological levels keep solidly with their themes creating a strong sense of atmosphere.

Once you've got used to the stylish graphics, you can begin collecting the blood money deposited by destroyed aliens - often competing with your friend - and then spending it at shops for add-on weapons such as three-way fire, rear fire and bombs. You'll certainly need it with a slick scroll effortlessly switching from horizontal to vertical, reverse-control radio transmitters and some particularly good end-level monsters.

In issue 63, Robin praised the programmers, DMA Design, who "made it fast, made it immensely playable and made it brilliant." Phil liked the "astounding graphics", inevitably found his greedy nature provoked by all the spinning coins and summed up, "Bloody amazing!"

Barely a year later the game still looks and plays extremely well, with the only question being should we increase the original mark of 93%?