1st July 1987
Before I start singing the praises of Firebird's new star for the BBC Model B, let me tell you about my first journey inside the city of Cholo.
The bunker air was hot and stale as I pulled a chair up to the console, but I had a job to do. The city of Cholo had been invaded, the inhabitants were cowering underground, and I was their last hope for freedom.
The Imager produced a spinning picture of Rizzo, a Rat-type which I could move around the city. I looked out through the droid's electronic eyes and consulted the map. I was in the central computer building, and it was time to do some hacking.
Soon I'd located the Cyber 1 computer and logged on. This is going to be easy, I thought, as I read the password list into my droid's first rampack.
Logging off, I left the building in search of prey. Just as I got through the door, I caught a glimpse of a droid - the chase was on! The little guy certainly could move, but the Rat was faster. A few bolts from the ion cannon and he was stopped dead in his tracks, motor circuits temporarily inoperative.
Slowly I moved up on it and logged on - best not to take any chances at this stage, though it looked harmless enough. "Enter password".
Luckily I'd made a note of the passwords the first time I ran the rampack. I was allowed three tries, but they were all unsuccessful. The interface was terminated, the little droid's repair circuits made good, and it was off.
It wasn't going to be as easy as I thought. I tracked him down and gave him another good pounding with the cannon. I logged on again, tried another password and got through.
The droid's name was Igor, an odd sort of name I thought as I copied the contents of my rampack into his memory, just for safe keeping. I could have switched control to Igor, but Rat was more powerful.
I left Igor and headed off in the direction of Sladeck Robots Inc, in search of something with a bit more punch. I fancied taking control of a Guard Robot with armour and a more powerful cannon.
Turning on to Bridge Street, something more useful - a Flying Eye - floated into view. Her name was Anneka and she flew like a dream - just what I needed to spy on the bunker head.
I wasn't sure how to get there, but I decided to follow the river. I didn't get her far before ion blasters started ripping across the hull and Anneka was dead before I could turn her about. She was just a surveillance droid, too slow to be any use in that sort of danger zone. I'd have to re-select the Rat and try again...
I have not been so engrossed by any game since my first encounter with the bad guys in Elite. In fact Cholo could be described as Elite II.
Yet in Elite your objective was to ply for trade between the star systems, make money and blast anyone who didn't agree. In Cholo, your goal is much more definite and the execution is more subtle too: To free yourself and the inhabitants of the city.
To help you there is a host of slightly misguided robots. And the closer you get to finishing the game the dafter they become. In one notable encounter, a guard was so bored of shooting at me that it rammed my poor little droid into the river! Nice touch that.
In Cholo, as with every adventure game worth its salt, there always seems to be just one more obstacle around the corner, and there are plenty of corners in Cholo. The control keys are numerous with each robot having a different set.
I have to say that I liked Cholo, though the sound, apart from the start-up tune, is a little poor. The 3D effects could be better too, as large buildings have a nasty habit of appearing right in front of you, though this does not detract from the game much and is little more than a minor irritation.
The manual is clear and concise, but due to the nature of the game, it doesn't give very much away. The novella at the back makes interesting reading.
In conclusion, I think that it's overpriced for the average gameplayer, even with all of the extra material - and there are a few bugs. But for a game that is destined to become another classic it's probably worth it.
The scene is set, the lights are down and the inhabitants of Cholo await you.
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