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There's trouble brewing downtown as well as the bourbon. Lips Manlis, owner of the Ritz nightclub, has gone missing in very peculiar circumstances. Now Dick Tracy ain't gonna shed no tears for Lips, after all he's as big a hood as they come. But if he doesn't make an appearance soon, all the other gangster will be fighting over his territory and that spells trouble. What's more. Dick's name has been inscribed m bullet holes on the wall. Looks like it could be something personal...

So Dick sets out, hot on the trail of the missing mobster. First place to visit would logically be the Ritz, the last place that Lips was seen alive. However, someone wants to keep exactly what happened a secret, and Dick's journey isn't going to be an easy one.

The gangsters are out in force, and they ain't scared. The good news is that Dick is armed with a machine gun and revolver. The bad news is that he neglected to bring any bullets with him... shmuck!

The baddies are either unarmed, carry pistols or machine guns. Knock out an armed baddie and you can nick his ammunition. This is how Dick replenishes his supply. As well as the guys he'll meet on street level, others take pot shots at him high up from windows and on top of buildings.

Dick is dressed in the brightly coloured garb that's made him famous. The whole game, in fact, is bright and colourful. The animation's a little bit dodgy, though, with Dick waddling, rather than walking his way through the game

Dick Tracy is a tough game. Not because of cunning traps or well designed stages. It has far more to do with gameplay flaws than anything else. For a start, the system to switch Dick's weapon is clumsy. Down and Fire Two need to be pressed simultaneously to change. Tho problem is that in the heat of battle it's difficult to do without coming to a sticky end.

Shooting other gun-wielding guys you come across on the sidewalk doesn't usually present a problem: just duck down as soon as you see them and shoot them. The people that lean out of windows and from the top of buildings presents a rather more formidable problem. They fire at you constantly. To shoot them, you have to be at an angle of around 45 degrees. It's inevitable that you get shot at least once in your efforts to pump 'em full of lead.

Revisit the same area alter the screen's scrolled and all the baddies that you've already killed reappear in the same place. Now there's no reason to retrace your steps, but should a goon get the better of you. then you're sent sprawling backwards.

You do have to watch your bullet supply too. Waste them and it could be terminal. There places where you simply need firepower, and if you're out of ammo, you may as well switch the machine off and start again. Especially annoying if you'd got a long way into the game.

All those points are forgivable in isolation, but added together they make the game incredibly frustrating and very tedious. It's unfairness, rather than any lack of skill on the player's part, that stops you getting anywhere.

There's no excuse for such poor game design Dick Tracy has more in common with tho film than just the name - it too is mediocre and fails to live up to the hype.

Dick Tracy looks great until you play it! The enhanced hardware has been used to produce some excellent sprites and scrolling, but the gameplay is dull and control is fiddly.

Get to the Ritz.

Graphics 76%
Nice and colourful graphics let down by poor animation.

Sonics 70%
Little to choose between the sound FX and rather grim music.

Grab Factor 69%
Initial impressions are good - Dick Tracy is recognisable and easy to control.

Staying Power 47%
Poorly thought out game design makes for a frustrating time.

Overall 52%
Dick Tracy doesn't play well and isn't going to keep you coming back for more.