Personal Computer Games


Birds Of Prey

Author: SC
Publisher: Romik
Machine: BBC Model A & B

 
Published in Personal Computer Games #3

Birds Of Prey

Birds Of Prey features 'swoopers' and kamikaze birds, both of which belong to the Galaxian family.

For those of you unfamiliar with the genre, this game is essentially Space Invaders with the added thrill of tumbling aliens, who break ranks to swoop down, and across, the screen in the hope of bombing or ramming you.

Romik's game is fast and furious, with ten levels of play, but there are one or two drawbacks. The speed has been achieved at the expense of the graphics, which flicker annoyingly and, sometimes, misleadingly.

Birds Of Prey

There is a high-score table to which you can add your name, but if you go down fighting, the use of the 'S' key as the firing button means you often end up entering 'SSSS' before you know what's hit you!

Movement is accomplished using the 'A' and 'D' keys, which means the control keys are rather cramped. However, if both keys are pressed the 'D' key is ignored, so by keeping your finger on the latter, you need use only the 'A' key to control movement about the screen. Work that out in your head if you can, but, in fact, it works rather well.

Birds Of Prey is fast and challenging, but the display is poor and Galaxian addicts will find they can do better elsewhere.

SC

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