Zzap


Gemini Wings
By Mastertronic Plus
Commodore 64/128

 
Published in Zzap #70

Gemini Wings

Earth has come under attack from little green artichokes from the outer reaches of the Twix (well it makes a change from Galaxy or Milky Way [Arrgh! - Ed]), so in return, the ace Gemini Wing fighters go out to wreak havoc on the aliens' world. Vertically scrolling levels are packed with swarming nasties to blast with lasers. Extra weaponry, including the famous 'Windscreen Wiper Of Death' (!), can be collected and activated by holding down fire. Unsurprisingly, every level ends with a large superbaddie.

Yes folks, it's straightforward vertically scrolling shoot-'em-up time again. And as straightforward vertically scrolling shoot-'em-ups go, Gemini Wings is merely okay. The re-released Amiga version comes off slightly the better, mainly because it allows simultaneous two-player action. However, apart from a lengthy multi-load, the C64 game is technically more impressive with attractive, detailed backdrops. On both versions, a level password system avoids frustration.

In Issue 53, this Tecmo coin-op conversion earned 65% on C64, 69% on Amiga. Stu thought, "a serious attempt hasn't been made to do anything like a close coin-op conversion". But, as Robin said: "If all you're looking for is a very playable blast, this isn't bad."