Computer Gamer


Amazon Warrior

Categories: Review: Software
Publisher: New Generation
Machine: Commodore 64

 
Published in Computer Gamer #3

Amazon Warrior

A blowpipe and forty darts are all you have between you and a grisly death in the new fantasy action game from New Generation.

The game is played in a series of screens in which an assortment of nasties attempt to eat or drain you of your blood.

The first threat lies in a forest and comes from deadly red snakes complete with sinister black and yellow spots. These snakes usually attack in pairs and so you should ensure that you don't get trapped between them.

Amazon Warrior

Your main problem is that, when you've fired a dart you have to stop to re-load but while you're doing this your perfecting your sitting duck impressions.

Hours of practice have developed the load and run technique which involves a lot of running away whenever a snake's fangs come to close. Then a well-timed turn and fire often results in a hit. Enough of these hits and you're on to the next level.

This is in fact easier as the foes are giant scorpions that are larger than the snakes and crawl towards you along the ground. A few well aimed shots will soon despatch these. However, if you're caught you will be stung and then eaten in full gory graphics!

Amazon Warrior

Next on the agenda are the head hunters which are a particularly violent bunch that not only attack you with swords but also throw spears at you.

You then leave the forest behind you and enter the caves. This is a particularly silly idea as you are immediately swamped by vampire bats that are then replace by wraiths. The wraiths are undoubtedly the hardest to kill as a hit will only score if it is on the wraith's head. Darts aimed at the body will only pass through it as it carries you away screaming.

Your troubles are still far from over as you have yet to face spiders and blocks that drop on you and then a rather large dragon. This plummets to the ground with a satisfying thump when you finally manage to kill it. Your reward for completing all this is to be transported back into the woods with the snakes, but this time they're really mad.

It will take most people many months to complete this cycle as you only have three lives. I was also provided with an unlimited lives cheat option which allowed me to complete the game using only 87 amazon warriors.

The game's graphics are superb and create some interesting 3D displays but I would imagine that most people will be too busy trying to stay alive to look at the scenery. They will, however, notice the sound which consists of eerie tunes and realistic sound effects. For example, if you run away from the bats in the cave, the sound of their flapping wings will die away, but if you stop they will return.

Excellent graphics, great sound, impossible game, need I say more...? Buy it as soon as it is released on June 20th.