Personal Computer Games


Galakzions

Author: SM
Publisher: Mikro-Gen
Machine: Spectrum 16K

 
Published in Personal Computer Games #2

Galakzions

As you will no doubt realise from the horribly twee way that Mikro-Gen has spelt the title, this is simply the Spectrum version of Galaxians, a second generation Space Invaders, which has been around for quite a while, and which has been implemented on numerous machines.

Galaxians (okay, Mikro-Gen, if you insist - Galakzions) are simply Space Invaders that refuse to stay in their nice neat formation, insisting instead on swooping down at you from awkward angles and at inconvenient times, Mikro-Gen's Galakzions are hardly fearsome beasts - in comparison to some I have seen, they are positively sedate - and there is nothing really new in this program to add life to what is becoming a somewhat tired and dated concept.

In fact, I seem to recall a ZX81 game (from Artic, perhaps?) in which the attacking Galaxians were quite awesome - they were certainly harder to deal with than Mikro-Gen's aliens, even though Artic used the limited ZX81 graphics. This version has the advantages of colour and sound.

Galakzions

But if you feel that no home is complete without a Galaxian game, then I guess this'll do until something better comes along. There's a choice of speeds - fast, normal or slow - and the option of using Mikro-Gen's own joysticks. I tried the Kempston stick without success, then hooked up the AGF programmable joystick, which worked a treat.

In fact, this game is slow enough for keyboard operation - keys 2 and 4 move you left and right, while 0 fires. There is also the facility for one- or two-player operation.

'Competent but uninspired' would seem to be the fairest verdict.

SM

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