Space age version of dodgem cars

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Never having loaded a program from Bug-Byte before, the multiple parts initially made me think I'd failed to load it. Then I realised that what at first glance seemed to be loading errors was a number of short parts, each loading the next.

When the program started my first impression was "Ho hum, another space invaders", but then the differences became apparent.

There is a choice of one or two players, and then the game begins. The invaders drift slowly down the screen dropping bombs while you try to dodge them and shoot back.

The controls are left, right, up and fire, so it is easy to concentrate on the screen without having to search for the correct button.

When the invaders get closer they turn and follow your ship, attempting to collide with it with the inevitable destruction.

As your score rises other spatial manifestations appear, and it becomes even more difficult because it speeds up. The unusual technique suggested on the cassette label for driving the invaders into the screen edge seems to work.

Which is just as well, as this gives you a chance to make up for the one major criticism I would make, that is the "re-loading" time between shots was too long for my liking.

Many times the invaders are directly in line of fire, but it refuses to fire in time. However if the phone rings at a bad moment it is possible to freeze the action until you return.

The graphics are good and the action smooth. One touch of humour I liked was if you wait too long to start the next game it plays itself with a comment of "Boring Earthling".

It pays to start it quickly after that, as its score is recorded as the high score. It may be my imagination, but I think the firing button works faster on the demonstration game than it does normally. My testing panel of arcade kids voted it "OK, but slow".

Ian Gustard