Amstrad Action


Captain Dynamo

Author: Adam Peters
Publisher: Codemasters
Machine: Amstrad CPC464

 
Published in Amstrad Action #83

Captain Dynamo

What do you get if you cross a series of vertical levels strewn with hazards with an old duffer in a catsuit? A horrible mess to clear up? No, what you actually get is a reasonably good platform game.

The plot involves some equally decrepit villain nicking your mate's diamonds and flying off to the moon (to buy cheese?) with them, but we'll just ignore that and concentrate on the game itself.

It's difficult. The puzzles are all old style well-timed jump affairs (cf Manic Miner, Technician Ted and recently The Addams Family), which take a lot of practice and just as much patience. You get the standard three lives and no continues, so you've got to be prepared to slog real hard if you want to progress at all.

Captain Dynamo

The game moves a bit slowly, and as we've said, the gameplay is very much class of 1983. But if you're the sort of person who reckons themselves to be a really ace games player, this little beast is going to test you out a lot more than the latest urban beat-'em-up.

Some of the puzzles appear impossible, and many people might be tempted to give up when they hit one of these. But it can be done. This is a game that's for battle hardened gamesters only. No Sunday drivers.

Second Opinion

Captain Dynamo is mighty tougher. Tougher than a three month old piece of cheddar, in fact. But stick with it, it's a pretty decent little game.

Don't Believe The Hype

Captain Dynamo

Codemasters are a sweet enough bunch of dudes, but they aren't always accurate in what they tell you. In Bubble Dizzy, for example, they made out that balloons could burst underwater. Patently untrue.

There's a few porkies going round in Captain Dynamo too. For a start, old people can't fly. They can moan about prices, go on about the war and complain about young people, sure. They're really good at all those things, but as for flying? No way. I'm sure of it. The Codies might try the "weightlessness" (on the moon) argument, but what about a spacesuit... [Snip - Concerned Ed]

First Day Target Score

Complete the first level.

Verdict

Captain Dynamo

Graphics 72%
Four-colour Speccy port graphics, but very detailed and scrolls smoothly (if slowly).

Sonics 61%
A load of spacey, whirry, bleepy Dr. Who noises accompanies the lunar action.

Grab Factor 64%
It's difficult, chums. You'll need all your olde worlde platforming skills to the fore.

Staying Power 72%
If you can stick with it, the challenges get harder and your determination rises.

Overall 68%

Adam Peters

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