C&VG


Dodo Lair

Publisher: Software Projects
Machine: Commodore Vic 20

 
Published in Computer & Video Games #39

Dodo Lair

If you thought that you were in for a cute game about extinct birds then you're mistaken.

This is a sideways scrolling shoot-'em-up, with your cannon on the right of the screen and the obstacles coming in from the left.

You can't move your laser further into the centre of the screen, only up and down. The aliens scroll in a straight sideways line which means that, if you stay still and keep firing, it's easy to avoid being hit.

Occasionally, the odd alien will fire back but your chance of survival is still greater than in most games.

Still, someone's certainly managed to pack a lot into an unexpanded Vic and it's a good game.

There are nine different attack waves, and a bonus dodo screen after each. If you hit the bouncing dodo twelve times then you get more points.

The game uses full user-defined graphics characters and the sound effects are no worse than any other Vic game.

If you're a dodo-basher at heart then this is a good way to spend some of that Christmas money.