Previous Next

A speeding jet, enemy ships and fuel dumps to be bombarded and a barrage of flak from the mainland - all these can be found in River Raid, a classic shoot-'em-up style video game.

Your mission is to fly as far up river as possible, destroying all enemy ground positions and crossing points as you go.

This new version of River Raid is for the ColecoVision and is very similar to the VCS game which was a major hit for Activision last year.

As might be expected, the superior graphics of the Coleco have enabled the designers to incorporate some extra features and improved graphics.

As well as the hot air balloons, enemy jets, tanks, fuel dumps, and battleships, there are also helicopter gun ships - straight out of Apocalypse Now.

At the beginning of our mission, you can pick off the battleships and fuel dumps with ease. Further on, though, the river begins to twist and turn and the enemy jet fighters are also scrambled against you.

The helicopter gunships appear after bridge 13, spitting deadly missiles as they scream across the screen.

River Raid is for one or two players and, as with all Activision games, high scores are rewarded. If you score over 25,000 points, Activision will enlist you in the River Raiders club. Membership of this elite club entitles you to a River Raiders emblem. The game is available now at £29.95.

If you want to buy a shoot-'em-up for your Coleco, you now have a good alternative to Zaxxon. The graphics are not as good, but it's a much more playable game.