Previous Next

You can get some idea of how far games programs have moved in the last couple of years when you realise that this game was regarded as a Vic 20 classic.

Salamander acquired the rights from Jeff Minter to convert it to the Spectrum, but frankly they needn't have bothered. It's basically a simple shoot-'em-up, similar to Centipede except that it's played on a grid with spacecraft instead of bugs.

Certainly there's no shortage of fast action - if you stop hammering the fire button for more than a few seconds, you've had it. But compared to today's state-of-the-art, multi-screen micro thrillers with fully animated creatures and intricate strategies, Gridrunner has very little to offer.

What's more, Salamander have slipped up badly by failing to supply the games with instructions. You have to find the operating keys by trial and error, and unless you already understand the game, you'll have trouble making sense of what's happening.

Frankly, at £6.95. I think I'd have to call it a rip-off.