C&VG


Paperboy

Author: Richard Leadbetter
Publisher: Sega
Machine: Sega Master System (EU Version)

 
Published in Computer & Video Games #110

Paperboy

It's early morning and all around Suburbia, people are waking up to another bright, sunny day. The problem is they all need to have their papers delivered to their homes (they're too lazy to actually walk to the newsagent like I do) and some lucky young fellah-me-lad is needed to pick up a consighment of Daily Sun newspaper and deliver them to the waiting subscribers.

You decide to take the job, but you're a paperboy in a hurry, so you decide to clamber atop your BMX bike and simply ride down the streets throwing newspapers at subscribers' homes. Simple, yes?

A few of the locals are not impressed by such irresponsible antics and so decide to limit your activities by setting their dogs or their remote controlled cars on you. Break-dancers, burglars making a quick getaway and people driving Sinclair C5s also get in the way but most of these obstacles yield to a well-placed paper thrown at them. Similarly, your papers double up as lethal weapons when thrown at non-subscribers' homes and extra vandalism points are awarded if you break their windows.

Paperboy

There's seven days of paper-throwing mayhem in this Sega cart, and at the end of each day you're given the opportunity to earn a fat, juicy bonus by completing a BMX course.

Sega

Paperboy ranks as one of the best arcade conversions available for the Sega, with bright, colourful graphics, great scrolling and plenty of nice, humorous touches thrown in. All the features of the arcade game are in there, even the selectable skill levels, making it a game that'll have you coming back to your Sega months after purchase.

The only slight downer is the Sega's attempt at copying the arcade tunes - they sound a bit ropey to me. Sega owners aren't particularly well catered for when it comes to decent coin-op conversions, but Paperboy and Gauntlet help set the record well and truly straight.

Richard Leadbetter

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