Amstrad Action


Night Gunner

Author: Bob Wade
Publisher: Digital Integration
Machine: Amstrad CPC464

 
Published in Amstrad Action #12

Night Gunner

Don't be misled into thinking this is a flight simulator just because it comes from the people who brought us Tomahawk - it is in fact just a shoot-'em-up, bomb-'em-up, strafe-'em-up arcade game. It puts you in a Lancaster bomber that is set a series of missions deep into enemy airspace where it will have to cope with both air and ground forces.

Each mission begins with a flight to the target in which you have to battle enemy night fighters and barrage balloons. Your view is out of the gun turret and a cursor guides the machine gun bullets around, you have limited ammo and you'll need to save some for the flight back. Meanwhile the enemy is scoring hits on you which gradually build up and can prove fatal.

Once at the target you're set one of two types of mission, a high level bombing run or a rocket attack. The bombing run gives you an overhead view of various ground vehicles including tanks, lorries, tracks and artillery. The rocket attack shows the vehicles in front of you as you dive, release the rockets and then pull up to avoid crashing.

Night Gunner

At first the vehicles don't move, but on later missions they do. so you have to fire your weapons ahead of the target to score a hit. The same happens on the machine gunners screen where the tracer has to be aimed ahead of the moving target.

After the bombing run you have to survive the trip back home, and the plane may take more hits on specific areas which can affect its handling. Survival means the plane gets completely patched up and sent off on another tougher mission.

The graphics are very colourfully done with some good planes and vehicles, and some equally pleasing explosions. The gameplay tends to get repetitive very quickly so you'll need to be pretty mindless and bloodthirsty to stay with it for long.

Second Opinion

Digital Integration might be respectable simulation publishers these days, but once upon a time they turned out silly arcade games like this one. Why they've chosen to convert Night Gunner now I really don't know, because it really creaks. It's fun for a few minutes, but it's not worth anywhere near £7.95.

Third Opinion

Good for some mindless zapping, and it's nice the way the tracers curve through the sky. At around £2 it might have been worth it, but it really is overpriced at £7.95.

First Day Target Score

10,000

Green Screen View

No problems here.

Good News

P. Some good multi-coloured plane and vehicle graphics.
P. Lots of explosions, things to shoot and loud bangs.

Bad News

N. Repetitive so you'll quickly tire of it.
N. Apart from the planes and vehicles there's not a lot else to see.
N. Never much impression of movement.

Bob Wade

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