Personal Computer Games


Invaders

Categories: Review: Software
Author: SM
Publisher: IJK
Machine: Oric 16K

 
Published in Personal Computer Games #2

Invaders

Well, I guess there's nothing like an old favourite... I'd put money on the fact that there is hardly a micro anywhere in the world that does not support a version of this tried and trusted arcade warhorse, and IJK's offering means that Invaders is now available for both sizes of Oric.

I won't waste your time, or insult your intelligence by describing Space Invaders - I'm sure that every single reader of this magazine is all too familiar with the basic concept. Suffice to say that the IJK version contains all the features you'd expect, with the addition of a customising option that enables the player to set the game up to his own standard of play.

The basic game is pretty much your standard invaders - somewhat slow and rather too easy - but you can vary the speed of the overall game from 9, which is very slow, to 1, which is near enough impossible, and you can vary the speed of the invaders, bombs, and missiles.

Invaders

You can also vary the volume from 0, which is no sound at all, to 9, which is extremely loud.

The only thing you can't change is the speed of the saucer that moves across the top of the screen - this ambles along at a very gentle pace, and indeed, is almost impossible to miss.

You can also stipulate whether you want your targets to be invisible or visible. Setting everything to the fastest possible speed and choosing invisible invaders makes for an interesting, if not particularly playable, game!

All in all, I found this implementation surprisingly enjoyable. It makes good use of the Oric's colour and sound, and the customisation facilities enable the user to make the game harder to play as he or she gains proficiency.

I must admit to a feeling of surprise that Invaders is still with us - it seems to have been around for decades and one would think that micro games players would want something new. But its wide availability attests to its popularity - and, certainly, if you own an Oric, and you're an Invaders fan, then you'll enjoy playing this.

SM

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