Amstrad Action
1st March 1988
You're sitting at the controls of the X12 fighter about to undertake your final test in the Stellar Imperium's pilot academy. This test will either pass or fail you.
Initially this looks to be standard vertically scrolling shoot-'em-up with hordes of aliens for you to destroy. An unusual feature is the number of players option because there are three settings: one player, two player and dual play. The first two are fairly standard, but it's the dual play that makes this game a little different, because there can be simultaneous two player action. Fortunately, you can't harm each other, but if you bump into the other player he bounces away a little. Normally this is ok, but sometimes he ends up ploughing uncontrollably into some oncoming aliens.
The game is split into 16 sections with a special bonus stage at 17. There is also a bonus stage every fourth stage - a mother ship appears that has to be destroyed before you can continue. Mother ships take several hits to be killed. The various sections have basically the same features and aliens, but their formations vary.
As well as the aliens and the gun batteries, there are some objects that you can collect. They are shields and hearts to give you invulnerability for a limited time and an extra life respectively. Either cooperation or greed will determine who gets what in dual play mode. A shield is also given if a formation is completely destroyed. The player that killed the last alien gets the shield.
There's no title tune and the sound effects are pretty diabolical. The vertical scrolling is well done and the graphics are nicely drawn and colourful.
The one thing that it has going for it is the dual play option, because it gives you something to compete against, other than just a high score.
First Day Target Score
45,000 points.
Second Opinion
Simultaneous two player action hasn't been exploited much in shoot-'em-ups but I'm sure a better job can be made of it than this. Just throwing in a dual player option doesn't make an ordinary game anything other than that. We've seen it all before and unfortunately we'll probably see it all again.
Green Screen View
No problems zapping in green.
The Verdict
Graphics 67% P. Smooth vertical scrolling. P. Sprites are large, colourful and well animated.
Sonics 32% N. No tunes and mediocre sound effects.
Grab Factor 61% P. Duel play option is a fun feature. N. Not very original.
Staying Power 48% P. 17 levels of increasing difficulty. N. Little variation from level to level.
Overall 53% Apart from dual play, it's just another mediocre shoot-'em-up.
Screenshots
