Your Sinclair
1st June 1991
Power Up
A power-up, as every self-respecting Spec-chum knows, is something you pick up off the pavement to increase your energy. Thus it follows that if you buy this compilation you'll be bouncing all over the shop and be really keen to take up fencing or something. (Probably.) But let's take the risk anyway, eh?
Chase HQ
Megagamed at 94, this is a classic driving game with a bit of a twist. Instead of just whizzing aimlessly down a road, you're actually a cop chasing criminals. There's a sort of mini monitor CB radio thing that tells you tour missions (care of the beautiful Nancy back at base) and you get drive a rather whizzo Porsche 928 that speeds incredibly quickly down a very nice smoothly-scrolling road. It's a game with real character (infinitely better than its sequel) and a lot of fun! Verdict: 92%
Rainbow Islands
Everybody's favourite game of all time? Well, we'd certainly bet on it. That's right, kids, the cutest platform game of them all is back in town, so if you haven't already got it (welcome back to the planet earth) then now's your chance to get smart. There's loads of colour, loads of rainbows and some ladybirds. It's quite simply one of the greatest things ever invented and got a massive 94 back in April 1990. And we can't really say much more than that. (Other the I'll go one better than last year's score simply 'cos of the ladybirds.) Verdict: 95% (phwoar!)
Turrican
Gosh, it only seems like yesterday since we were reviewing this spritely little corker (in fact we Megagamed it back in August). Turrican's an absolutley massive game (there are 5 worlds and 13 levels to travel through). with loads (and loads!) of secret bonus rooms and hidden power-ups dotted around the place. The gameplay's as addictive as a tin of chocolate-coated Hobnobs, but where it really knocks you for 6 is in the graphics dept. They're quite simply incredible. And the sequel's on its way even as we speak. Verdict: 90%
X-Out
Aliens have infested our oceans and it's your job to go and kill them all. Simple really. X-Out is a horizontally-scrolling shoot-'em-up with 8 levels and lots of pretty sub-aqua views. Basically it's R-Type meets Jacques Cousteau, and although none the worse off for that it's obviously not quite as good. We gave it 84 in March last year. That looks a bit generous one year later so we'll deduct a couple of points for its slight lack of excitement. Verdict: 82%
Altered Beast
An Activision original in which you play a chap brought back from the dead to save some bod's daughter. You start on as a normal-looking chap but metamorphose into a flying dragon, a blue bear and a golden werewolf along the way. But don't worry, it's just a stage you're going through (ho ho!). It's got colour, it's got action, it's got speed. But it's a bit hard to really see what's going on. We gave it 80 at the end of '89, which is perhaps a bit unfair. A very competent beat-'em-up with some appealing bits. That's what I'd say. Verdict: 83%
Verdict
And there we have it A super-stonker compilation if ever we saw one! Usually, you get a couple of duds with these things, but Altered Beast and X-Out are well above par. And the other 3 are total classics. Ocean have obviously gone out of their way to release a premium compilation and this is just about as good as you can get. An incredible bargain then if (by some incredible spook) you haven't got any of them.
An absolutely truly scrumptious compilation. Three incredibly good Megagames and a couple of nice other things.
