Scenarios for games can sometimes be a little bit over the top
but, "Clear a path through the vault and shove the radioactive
cannisters behind the safety barrier before all hell breaks loose
and the Megapods and oscillating Nuclids appear"?
This is, in fact, a block-pushing game where three blocks - the
radioactive cannisters - have to be pushed through a hole in a
frame - the safety barrier. Trying to prevent you from doing this
are other passive blocks which have to be pushed out of the
way, and four pursuing creatures whose touch is lethal. These can
be killed by pushing either type of block into them.
When the four pursuers have been disposed of, there is a time
limit to get rid of the radioactive cannisters before the game
area starts filling up with passive blocks. Once you are blocked in
the screen clears leaving you and any radioactive cannisters not
yet rendered harmless. Your aim is still to push the cannisters
through the hole in the frame, but now you are pursued by the
Megapods who come after you, and the Nuclids who spend their time
going from side to side. You can shoot at your attacker but only by
running at them, in order to get your gun pointing in the right
direction.
I haven't yet managed to remove the three cannisters on the
first screen, so have yet to discover what follows. The problem
is that the game is rather difficult. Random placing of the
cannisters and blocks means that sometimes they are almost
impossible to collect until the screen clears and phase two
starts. Then the pursuers move so quickly that survival is difficult,
let alone moving the cannisters around. Perhaps I'm just not cut out
for a job with the Atomic Energy Authority.
As a game, despite the scenario, it is good. The graphics are
excellent with smooth movement, and are well supported by a range
of sound effects. Keys are user-definable, or joysticks may be
used. Colour is well used and particularly effective when you run
into the electrified wall/frame.
This wall must be made of a rather unique material because as
well as conducting electricity it also appears to be elastic. Any
block pushed into it rebounds with usually fatal results.