C&VG
1st December 1986Galvan
Will you please welcome the latest arcade invader Galvan! Based on the Nitchibutus [Bless you! - Ed] coin-op of the same name, this home computer version joins the growing ranks of arcade machine titles.
Is it any good? Sadly, it isn't. The jerky scrolling - bad news for any games these days let alone an arcade conversion - really lets it down. Hopefully this will be cured on other versions of the game - but it makes the Spectrum game not very nice to play.
Shame, as the basic idea isn't bad. You're the last surviving member of the Cosmo Police on a mission to end the vile regime of Cynep by entering the Technol Caverns, wiping out the defence systems - they include horrible multi-headed demons.
Your super-cop starts the game armed only with his fists. Fortunate he can find power pyramids dropped by deceased Cosmo Policemen which contain useful weapons. These include Arc Blasters, Laser Guns and Blue Bolt Neutralisers.
As your energy level decreases - shown as a bar graph at the bottom of the screen - the weapons are replaced with ones of lesser power. For example, you could have an Arc Blaster but after fighting off a couple of androiddefenders it could rematerialise as a dodgy laser pistol.
The Techno Caverns include factories, underwater sections, caves and things that look a bit like hydroponic gardens.
You get bonus points for zapping your enemies and completing a level by destroying a demon - the best bit of this game.
When it comes down to it, Galvan is still just a ladders and ramps game with added shooting. It is big - so if you're one of those people who measures a game by the number of screens, it could be one for your collection.
My feeling is that Galvan is a very average game, with average graphics, average sound and pretty average gameplay. An example of the well-known Jackson T. Kalliber saying: "Not every arcade game deserves converting."
If you've played the original, take a long hard look at the computer version before you decide to buy.