Psycho Killer

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'You have been psycastrated (Ouch!) into the body of ace flyer Commander Ronald Bogglewick and must attack the Psycastrian installations on land and sea, on the moon and in deep space.'

The game begins on land, where you must fly over the installation and destroy ten energy pods (Zaxxon style). This sounds quite simple on paper, but the pods are virtually inaccessible and you are also under constant attack from Psycastrian ships that patrol the installation. Once you have destroyed all ten pods, you must land on the main runway.

The game makes use of some of the best Mode 1 graphics I have ever seen. Mixed colours are used to show shadow and texture on the ground (This is most effective on a monochrome TV/monitor, especially on a monochrome TV/monitor, especially on the later levels). Fast, flicker-free scrolling is used throughout, giving a good sense of movement.

Unfortunately, there is a price to pay for all this. The above seems unbelievable until you see the size of the screen. It measures about 4in deep by 7in wide (on a 14in TV) which must be a record for the smallest screen ever seen!

Although you have good control over your ship's movement, it's all too easy to crash into obstacles such as buildings, but as always patient and practice should pay off in the end!

At £7.95, Psycastria is very good value for money. If you enjoy a challenging shoot-'em-up, this game should prove a worthwhile addition to your collection.

Robert Miller