Sinclair User


Moon Cresta

Author: John Gilbert
Publisher: Incentive
Machine: Spectrum 48K

 
Published in Sinclair User #38

Moon Cresta

Good shoot 'em up games are difficult to find these days, mainly because most companies have booted their aliens into orbit.

Incentive, however, has only just made it back from the Mountains of Ket, and do not know about such things. The company has just brought out a passable version of Moon Cresta.

The game is a clone of the original arcade machine hit from Nichibutsu.

Moon Cresta

The pace and plot can be described in a few sentences, consisting mainly of two-syllable words. Take your three-stage rocket into space. Blast as many types of alien as you can. Once a phase is over, grab a bonus by docking one section of your ship with another.

For those who still do not know Moon Cresta, after that brief description, it is a space invaders game where the invaders are fast but dumb. They do not fire back when you loose your laser bolts on them.

Once the first stage of your ship has been destroyed the second allows you the use of two blasters instead of one. They are both needed as there is no auto-repeat and firing at aliens is a real chore, except for those who are insensitive to pain. The same is true of the joystick fire button - and we thought joysticks made it easier.

The incentive of a video cassette recorder as a prize, if you are the first person to top the 30,000 point barrier, may enamour you to the game. If you are an arcade addict your furtive fingers will waltz to the prize. As a beginner you may also throw caution and your keyboard to the wind.

If, however, you already own a video recorder, or fear for the health of your joystick, then give the aliens a rest and go out and kill a few Hobbits for a change.

John Gilbert

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