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The lethal new drug Nuke has swept Old Detroit with devastating effect and the police are on strike - only Robocop is on the beat. Unfortunately, Robo's creators, OCP corporation, want a crime wave to force the city into bankruptcy so they can take it over! The awesome Robo 2 is eventually sent to ensure no-one saves Detroit...

This heavy metal battle is completely different on the C64 and Amiga. On the Amiga, Robo's first battle takes place in the Nuke laboratories. Collect ten Nuke capsules to shut down the labs. Drug baron Cain has unlimited and heavily-armed henchmen, plus a Taser-wielding woman to fry Robo's circuits if he's not careful. Coke vending machines top up energy while power-up capsules temporarily give rapid, three- and five-way fire and other extras (some bad). There's also ten hostages to rescue for an extra life.

The blast-'em-up, multi-way scrolling action continues into a Brewery. This is Cain's last scene before being turned into Robocop 2, who makes his debut at the OCP Civic Centrum level where Robo takes on Harley-riding thugs, robot defences, laser forcefields, ED-209s and finally Robo 2 in a fight to the bitter end.

Between the three blast-'em levels are two logic puzzles and two shooting galleries. To piece together his memories, Robo must remove faulty chips from increasingly complex memory banks without backtracking (earning a continue-play if successful). Completing the shooting gallery boosts Robo's firepower lethality.

On the C64, the plot remains much the same although the action is spread over fourteen horizontal-scroll levels, involving leaping from platform to platform, dodging bullets and avoiding the slightest contact with anything. A hoverpad can be used to jet around, platforms can be moved and ceiling magnets are useful for crossing chasms. Robo faces not only gun-toting criminals but also giant grinders, jet thrusters, lasers, crushers and a whole lot more besides.

The basic aim is to collect Nuke capsules and arrest special criminals. Failure to achieve at least a 60% rate of either on a level leads to a shooting gallery where Robo has to shoot a selected number of criminal targets to progress. Failure takes Robo back to the start of the previous stage. There are also secret bonus stages with dozens of extra Nuke capsules. Best of all, there's two sub-games where extra lives and millions of points can be won. In the first, Robo has to piece together his memory in a sliding block puzzle, while in the second (a Mastermind-style sub-game) Robo is attempting to open a safe. The main part of the game, the side-on view combat, features the game settings as the Amiga game, plus the sewers, but they're laid out completely differently and made much bigger - each locale is divided into several levels. There's static screen one-on-one combat with Cain, and later, Robo 2.

C64 Robocop has dropped the original's detail for a blockier style. This isn't as attractive, but it allows a lot more freedom with how the game moves and the number of sprites on-screen. It's less serious, but better fun.

The variety of backgrounds and obstacles is impressive in this platforms-and-ladders format, while there's still plenty of violence with a fair number of villains and mega-baddie confrontations. There is some flicker, but the cartoon-style and high playability compensate.

Later on there's hoverpads to ride on, one-to-one battles with Cain and Robo 2 and plenty of hidden levels and sub-games, all played against backdrops packed with activity and colour. Sound FX are well above average - Robo's stomping is simply great! To sum up, an immensely playable C64 game but sporting console graphics (something I can certainly live with, given the sheer size of the game). Great!

On the Amiga, violence is the thing: superbly animated villains carry rocket launchers and AK-47s. The basic shoot-'em-up format is familiar, but there's more platform action with conveyor belts to master, books to ride on and beer vats to fall in.

More importantly, the look and feel of the game is light years from the original. It plays and looks like an arcade game and is unmissable for this reason. The puzzle sections are only okay, and the shooting gallery is too flat, but those three shoot-'em-up sections are the best I've seen on the Amiga... so don't miss out!

The Amiga version of Robocop 2 may not be that original, but who cares? Robocop 2 sets a new standard for the Amiga, with excellent animation, full use of the Amiga's superb colour palette, silky scrolling and digitized sound FX. A full-blooded Amiga game!

On top of this, there's a slick front end with digitized pre-level portraits and even a rapping cheat mode! The puzzle game as shooting gallery are nice sub-levels, and the package as a whole is unmissable.

The C64 is equally well presented, with a great front end and animated presentation screens. Gameplay starts off a bit weird, but is only the beginning of a giant game packed with variety. The more you play it, the more you like it.

Good fun, but I'm unsure of whether it's a Sizzler, because of the graphics - which are a bit blocky with flicker. Gameplay is good though and I like it a lot better than the original.

Unsurprisingly, Amiga Robocop 2 follows the same basic lines as the original. The carnage of the shoot-'em-up sections is there with simple puzzles and shooting galleries as sub-games.

But if it's not original, there's no arguing about the superb execution. The sensation of Robo blasting his way through masses of henchmen is awesome. Explosions going off all around, bullets flying everywhere and sampled screams make for a stunning showcase of mindless violence.

Special features like the warehouse actually blowing up, Cain and even ED-209's guest appearance epitomise the quality of Special FX's work. If Robocop 2 was a coin-op I couldn't imagine it looking much different to this. The levels are big and so tough a game lifetime can be measured in seconds but you sure have one hell of a sonic and graphic blast!

The C64 game goes for the style of a Super Mario Bros variant. Jumping around platforms is as crucial as trigger-finger action. The ultra-violence of the original game has been replaced with a cuter, less serious approach. There's a fair bit of blasting, mega-baddie confrontations, and a dozen or more normal villains per level.

But most of the action is in dodging flames, whirring cogs, electrical bolts and suchlike, riding hoverpads and, of course, tackling all the sub-levels. Over 20 levels mean it rivals any Japanese game for size.

On the debit side, the graphics can't compare with Navy SEALs, but Ocean point out this is a more ambitious game, with a lot more sprites on-screen. In fact, the bright colours and chunky graphics establish an enjoyable cuteness. And at least Robo himself is still pretty tough and well animated. Combined with gameplay which is fun and fast-flowing, this hugely playable game offers brilliant value for money.

Presentation 88%
Excellent title screen effects, digitized movie pictures for each stage, fairly rapid multi-load.

Graphics 94%
Characters are superbly detailed, with great shading, animation and variety. Coin-op quality, in short, while the logic puzzles and shooting galleries look good too.

Sound 89%
A constant volley of noise - clearly sampled explosions, screams and gunfire - all used to the max with a decent title tune to boot.

Hookability 94%
Even dying very quickly in your first several games is definitely not going to put you off getting into this superb-looking game! Especially with its coin-op feel and gorgeous graphic rewards.

Lastability 91%
Familiar game ideas, but with three tough blasting levels, tricky puzzle games and vicious Robocop 2 to take on, you won't be putting this one down.

Overall 92%
Does this mean Robocop will be in the charts for another two years?

Presentation 91%
Animated title screen, alternate two-player option, standard or twin-fire button joystick options, music/FX options. Good level start and complete status screens. Infinite continue plays.

Graphics 85%
A little blocky, but cute and well animated with dramatically changing later levels.

Sound 80%
Great Robo-stamp, a wide variety of good FX plus an enjoyable main tune.

Hookability 89%
Not much shooting to begin with, but the high playability soon gets you hooked.

Lastability 93%
Over 20 levels including the shooting gallery, two sub-games, numerous secret levels and mega-confrontations.

Overall 90%
A massive game, packed with variety and playability.