Computer Gamer


Critical Mass

Publisher: Durell
Machine: Spectrum 48K

 
Published in Computer Gamer #9

Critical Mass

Those aliens are causing trouble again! This time they've seized control of an anti-matter conversion plant and are demanding your surrender otherwise they will self destruct it, creating a black hole that will destroy the popular end of the galaxy. Your mission is to stop them.

Your jet-propelled hovercraft is dropped to the west of the planet as they start the countdown to critical mass.

Your aim is simple. Get to the planet as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, this isn't going to be very easy as they are throwing everything at you.

Critical Mass

You begin five zones away from the plant where you only meet their long distance raiders that are hardly a match for your high density light phasor. However, as you travel through the later zones you are attacked by their own strike craft, as well as mines and curious energy clouds.

All this will soon be too much for your energy banks to handle. They will explode taking your ship with them leaving you floating on your jetpack over the debris.

Now are are at the mercy of some Dune-like worms that suddenly appear to grab you. If you're lucky, you might be able to find a pod and in it a replacement attack craft.

The craft is remarkably difficult to control considering you only have to worry about rotate left or right, thrust and fire keys. Indeed, most novice pilot deaths will be caused by crashing into rocks and rather evil-looking spikes than at the hands of the aliens themselves.

Once you manage to get through all five zones you will come to the wall which you have to open by blasting a hole in it. Getting through is another problem as soon as the wall is breached the alien defences pile on you, which at best, push you away long enough for the wall to regenerate.

Should you manage to get through the wall and complete the game (I'm not saying any more as it's the subject of a competition on the game pack) you can always try the mission at a higher level.

An excellent arcade game that will challenge the best.