Big K


Bandits At 3 O' Clock

Publisher: Micro Power
Machine: Acorn Electron

 
Published in Big K #2

Bandits At 3 O' Clock

From the moment the go button is thumbed, Bandits At 3 O'Clock shows its class. Two figures break from Flight HQ and race for their biplanes which leap into the air (at a touch of the 'climb' key) after a short take-off run. Then it's each player for himself (or herself) as the two planes engage in deadly dogfights.

Only a shot to the propeller will down your enemy convincingly. As the loser ploughs into the soil, a gravestone marks his demise. Accumulate enough of these and your opponent's runway length if reduced making takeoffs decidedly tricky. Nice touch. Seven kills and you're the victor.

To this already good mix you can add tasty ingredients like flak, clouds, airship obstacles and night or day modes, all easily called up from an options menu. There's also a useful single player practice mode. I would have liked a full single player option but Bandits is designed for and best played by two people.

Bandits is one of those rare games that can be classed as sheer fun. It looks good on the screen (graphics limitations of the Electron aside), is professionally presented and has a very high level of play value. An absolutely wizard game, chaps.