Previous Next

Just as Buffalo Bill's real shows were a hapless nostalgia exercise, so this game is a throwback to the sporting games of a couple of years back.

There are six 'events' - trick shooting, knife throwing, calf roping, bronco riding, steer wrestling and the inevitable stage coach rescue.

Each event is loaded separately (which makes the tape version a tedious game indeed) and introduced with a rather nice olde western picture.

The trick shooting and knife throwing are standard enough games. For shooting, you get both goody and baddy targets and a local cowhand lobbing bottles (you can't shoot the cowhand!). For the knife throwing there's a squaw on a rotating wheel (you can squewer the squaw!).

The Calf roping and Steer wrestling both involve chasing potential burgers across the arena on horseback, then leaping aboard or lassoing them and grapling the resulting tangle. The problem here is timing the leap or the lasso. I just fell off my horse.

Bronco riding must be the most difficult sport of all to simulate on a micro. Tynesoft accompany an animated bucking bronco with four meter scales which you have to counteract with the keyboard. It makes a game but has little relevance to bronco riding.

The stage coach rescue is the finale. You leap aboard (easy this time) and proceed to fist-fight the lone Indian on top of the coach.

Overall, the graphics are good and the sounds entertaining. The whole game certainly provides something for everyone, but not that much for anyone.

Sharyn Bains