Previous Next

Action Reflex is the first game published under Mirrorsoft's new Medusa label.

The object of the game is simple. Guide a ball through four 25-screen courses while avoiding the many aliens and traps set in your way.

The display takes a 2D perspective and surprisingly the game isn't the Marble Madness clone that the game blurb suggests. Instead, it's a horribly infuriating, addictive game that will drive you mad well into the night.

The secret to the game's success lies in the variety of traps that you have to negotiate. These range from simple pools and flames in which you will sink or burn, aliens (my favourite is the giant frog), random firing lasers and magnets that trap you until a missile ends your misery.

Every time you fall foul of one of these traps you are returned to your last safe haven (usually just behind a wall you struggled to get over) and you lose a time penalty. Run out of time and the game ends with a report of your meagre score and the percentage of game you've completed.

Points are scarce and gained by rolling over 100, 200 and 500 symbols which, unfortunately are usually highly guarded. Get enough points and you may find an object that will help you through a trap.

The ball (which has more than a passing resemblance to the Amiga ball) can be rolled left and right and bounced, with each bounce adding to the height until you decide to leap.

Action Reflex is a tricky game to perfect as a misjudged bounce will no doubt rebound onto a flame or ball crusher.

I can't help feeling that Action Reflex has borrowed ideas from other games such as the bouncing action from Cauldron II and the traps from Bounder. It won't set the world alight with its originality but it will be played.