Your Sinclair


Rampage

Author: Rachael Smith
Publisher: Activision
Machine: Spectrum 48K

 
Published in Your Sinclair #27

Rampage

Watch out. I'm back! Kink Kong's on the rampage! Brave men shudder, women scream, children puke babyfood and gurgle. Yes, it's arcade licensing time again!

If this had been a movie they'd have advertised it with the lines 'Too big for one screen! See the giant ape smash high-security banks into oblivion! Thrill as the giant lizard gobbles innocent bystanders! Go oo-er as a 30 foot werewolf stomps everything in sight!'

Promising stuff for a game of mass destruction which makes every other massacre look tame. Tiny helicopters swoop around your head. Tanks take pot shots at you (tanks for the pot shots, guys). Even the inhabitants of the skyscrapers lob dynamite. But it hardly bothers you because... you are invincible (almost)!

Rampage

The idea's simple - which is good because so are the three monsters. You stroll into town, and smash up the modern architecture like a 30 foot Prince Charles. Grab any goodies revealed to renew your strength, avoiding the rather obvious no-no's, such as bottles of poison, then jump off the building before it cracks up and collapses.

One to three players can take part, with your Spectrum controlling any unattended characters. If your fellow rampagers get in your way you can move them on with a swift fist. Once you've bashed a whole block you progress to the next screen. But don't fall off too many roofs or you'll turn back into a minute mortal, shivering in your birthday suit.

All great fun for a while but being a monster can become a drag. Godzilla arrives home after a hard day in Tokyo. Mrs G has his slippers ready. "Hard day, dear?" "Graargh! I don't care if I never see another skyscraper again!" Yes, there's too little challenge to guarantee job satisfaction.

So unless you intend to play it three-handed, when the fun factor increases a little (but you'll need joysticks), or you're a monster fan of the original, you might just give this a miss for something with more lasting value!

Smash everything in sight but don't expect too much of a smash from the thankless task of clearing the inner cities!

Rachael Smith

Other Spectrum 48K/128K/+2 Game Reviews By Rachael Smith


  • Gladiator Front Cover
    Gladiator
  • Back To Skool Front Cover
    Back To Skool
  • Legend Of The Amazon Women Front Cover
    Legend Of The Amazon Women
  • Game Over Front Cover
    Game Over
  • Star Firebirds Front Cover
    Star Firebirds
  • Feud Front Cover
    Feud
  • Dizzy Front Cover
    Dizzy
  • Micronaut One Front Cover
    Micronaut One
  • Blockbusters Front Cover
    Blockbusters
  • Mantronix Front Cover
    Mantronix