The struggle to put a sensible story line to arcade type games goes on - Beatcha certainly has pushed the limits in the sense that you won't get any idea of what the game looks like from either the title, inlay card or loading screen, with its similar look to that of Skool Daze. According to the scenario Beatcha is set in Quange Hill Comprehensive school on Sirius B. Putting it on an alien planet allows poetic licence in the look of the pupils and teachers!
The objective of the game is to negotiate the maze of crazy classrooms and collect all the keys so you can get out of the front door. This is Romik's first game for the Spectrum for a year, and to celebrate the fact, they are giving you 26 fives in this game, one for each letter of the alphabet. And you'll need them!!
Each screen represents corridors and classrooms, actually quite simple mazes made from character blocks in various diagonal shapes. Teachers come in blue, red and white, some slow, some very fast. tf you get hit, you leave a skull behind which blocks your progress next life, or kills if you hit it. Collecting keys arms your stun gun, which can be used to momentarily stun the teachers.
Access from screen to screen is via small doors, which may lead you to a totally different screen, or just to the next door one.