Crash


Heroes
By Domark
Spectrum 48K/128K/+2/+3

 
Published in Crash #81

Heroes

Apart from being the title of a David Bowie album Heroes is the latest four game compilation from Domark. For those of you who've been off-planet for the last few years here's a rundown of the lab four games that will set your Spectrum alight!

Licence To Kill is a six level 007 game where Bond must apprehend evil drugs baron Sanchez. The six levels split into three scenes in which Bond chases Sanchez around most of North and Central America in a range of vehicles, takes swimming lessons, is shot at a lot and finally laces Sanchez on an 18-wheeler truck.

In Barbarian II you choose to play either the tough Barbarian or Princess Mariana. Trudge across wastelands, caverns and dungeons until you reach evil Drax's inner sanctum and lop his head off once and for all. Drax isn't at all sporting: he sends a range of his most evil denizens to stop you. But with a range of devastating combat moves at your command, he'd better watch out.

Next hero in the line-up is Arnie Schwarzenegger as The Running Man. You control Ben Richards, participant in the future's top TV game show where punters are ripped limb from limb by paid assassins called Stalkers for the entertainment of the masses. With five sections to the game, there are four zones where you're attacked by Stalkers. Survive that and the fifth level takes you back to the studio to face Killian the smug MC of the programme.

The fourth game is Star Wars. Guide Luke Skywalker as he flies his X-wing fighter into the Empire's most devastating weapon, the Death Star. Three sections await: the dogfight in space with the TIE fighters, the death defying slalom through the laser defence towers and finally a flight through the trench to hit the impossibly small exhaust port.

Most compilation games verge the average because they generally contain one good game and several turkeys. It's nice to see a compilation with three good games and only one dud. The Running Man is the fly in the ointment as far as I'm concerned: the sluggish control and un-Schwarzenegger like main sprite turned me against it when it was first reviewed. Four games for fifteen quid is good value for money, even though they are getting on a bit now.

MARK ... 87%

Richard ... 76%

'It's a bit of a bargain this Heroes thingy. Top of the pile is Licence To Kill, a redhot shoot-'em-up played against violent attackers cover a scrolling landscape. Barbarian II is neat too, but not wholly playable until the many attacking moves have been mastered. Once you get the sword swipe just right, ploughing through the original array of monsters and mutants is great fun! Star Wars is enjoyable enough, though simplistic play and dated action may not have you returning to it often. And what of The Running Man? It's a case of good presentation covering a rather unplayable game - and the multi-load on the cassette version's a pig to use.'

Mark CaswellRichard Eddy

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