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The game is basically a scrolling shoot-'em-up. The screen scrolls as you near the right-hand edge, and an assorted array of baddies pop in from either side. Your police officer has a limited supply of bullets which can be replenished at regular intervals.

Platforms appear from time to time, and can be reached by means of a super-jump.

After the third level, the action changes slightly as your copper dons his iron long-johns, and transforms himself into Scotland Yard's equivalent of a transformer robot. Clanking along in the same way as his conventional alterego, roborozzer now picks up a selection of power-ups and dispatch the baddies more efficiently.

So far so good. Unfortunately, the game itself is very disappointing. The main problems in the game make themselves obvious from the start. Garish graphics judder shakily across the screen, while the poorly-animated bad guys stagger wildly towards your equally dire sprite. Collision detection too is suspect - often you find your bullets passing harmlessly through the enemy just as they unleash their own volley of knives or bullets!

The control method would be reasonable if it actually worked, but heaven help you if you have to duck and fire at the same time, as you will frequently find yourself soaring gracefully skyward (something it is nigh on impossible to do when you want to!).

To add insult to injury, ESWAT is ridiculously easy - completing a game within fifteen minutes of first loading it is a little too easy by anyone's standards! (And that's without using any of the four available Continues). Sound is limited to a few bleeps and bangs, and an annoying siren as your car delivers you (slowly) to the scene of the crime.

Unfortunately, the arcade version of this game was a bit dodgy to begin with, so blame for the resulting conversion cannot really be laid at the feet of US Gold.

Very repetitive, and chock full of minor and screen glitches, the overall effect is nothing short of abysmal.

On the plus side, however, ESWAT is well-presented, and fans of the arcade original should be able to glean a little entertainment from the game on the Amstrad. However, anyone else would be well advised to pocket their golden beer tokens, and save them for something a lot better.

Complete the game!

Graphics 42%
Horrible colours and poor scrolling are not helped by iffy sprites.

Sonics 22%
Oh dear. There isn't much and what there is is a bit sad...

Grab Factor 52%
Well, it has the advantage of being very easy to get into...

Staying Power 30%
...and the disadvantage of being even easier to complete.

Overall 48%
A low-quality conversion of a rather poor coin-op.