1st July 1988
Metal Army
General Ironside and his Metal Army have invaded Slough nuclear power station and threatened to blow it up. In a situation like this you need a man with guts, a hero... someone stupid enough to go in and deactivate the bomb.
In the upper part of the screen is the playing area in which you run around blasting robots. Below that is your score, number of passes, lives and weapon energy. The passes are needed to access certain parts of the plant and you have nine lives initially.
The Metal Army are automated combat units that kill on contact, but fortunately you have a weapon that can immobilise and eventually destroy them. Unfortunately the gun needs periodical recharging from power points throughout the nuclear plant. When the Metal Army arrived they caused some damage to the plant and as a result there are occasional discharges of coolant gas and fuel rods. Contact with either loses you a life.
Don't hold your breath waiting to hear a tune because you'll asphyxiate, there aren't any. Sound effects are very good though. The graphics are colourful and well animated.
The major problem with this is difficulty - even getting off the first screen is a major problem. Timing is what this is all about and some hazards require split-second judgement or another life will be lost. Timing games are fine when you're in the mood, but the difficulty factor in this may well drive you crazy. One other stupid thing is that if you recharge your gun beyond the 999 maximum it goes back to zero!
Second Opinion
Every once in a while you actually want to play a game that makes you scream in frustration. It lets you take out all your anger on the game rather than anything else. This one fits the bill nicely. It's a very cathartic experience that may save you a few trick cyclist bills. Then again you may have to pay for repairs to the computer and your fists.
First Day Target Score
1,000 points.
Green Screen View
There are no problems seeing everything.
Verdict
Graphics 78%
P. Colourful and well-animated sprites.
P. Nice explosions.
Sonics 35%
P. The few sound effects are good.
Grab Factor 46%
P. Working out the timing is possible after a lot of games.
N. Much too difficult to begin with.
Staying Power 51%
P. Large playing area full of robots.
N. A simple mistake can make the game impossible to complete!
Overall 53%
There are many worse games at full price.
Screenshots
