Home Computing Weekly


Project Future

Author: D.M.
Publisher: Gremlin
Machine: Amstrad CPC464

 
Published in Home Computing Weekly #129

In this space game set in the innards of an evil ship, the SS Future, your task is to penetrate the five decks, ward off the nasty droids, monsters, use the teleport to move between decks and find the codes to activate the ship's self destruct system. Then get out quick! In other words, it's a shoot-collect-the-objects-maze game.

Though the brief instructions promise music, I didn't find any. The sound effects of lasers and zaps were particularly effective however - even more so in stereo. Graphically the maze, drawn in Mode 0, is very colourful and effective, with pseudo depth achieved by careful use of shading, and flashing inks used to colour various gizmos like condensers, pipes and so on. The characters are also well done; when zapped they are recreated in another form and follow obediently to mortify you. Movement is smooth, but a hint of nicker is present.

Keeping your fire button pressed dispenses with most of the aliens, and, as they reappear very quickly, you have little time to appreciate the graphics. There's also no time to map the ship, but using the teleport is fun. Even so, progress is not easy as the challenge lasts for 256 screens.

I would like to have seen a full hi-score table, demo mode, some music, and a colourful start up screen rather than just the program title in standard characters, and the chance to zap aliens permanently would have added to the game's appeal.

D.M.

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