No Teeth In These Jaws

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Green Beret was described as the worst game ever on the BBC in the Acorn User 1987 games round-up. Stryker's Run was one of the best games, noted for its graphics. Shark is a cross between the two: it inherits the Stryker's Run graphical style and the play quality of Green Beret.

It's set in a troublesome future, when Earth is attacked by aliens. Before long, the whole place is swarming with little green things. You, Colonel Sharkey, have been called in by the World President to save all.

The game greatly resembles the Rambo films - it's one man against the hordes. Of course Sly Stallone's movement keys can't be redefined, nor the colour of his skin changed for the benefit of those with black and white sets, but these two features are built into Shark.

The game itself is set in three locations: a jungle, a factory and a deserted city. The background graphics are reminiscent of Palace Of Magic, Wallaby, Codename: Droid and a host of others.

Armed with a gun, you progress along a landscape that smoothly scrolls past, zapping the alients and jumping or ducking now and then. Helicopters and jeeps also try to stop you - more hits are needed to destroy these than the foot soldiers. If you're lucky, when an alien dies it leaves behind a backpack (for some reason it remains suspended in air). If you pick it up, your character becomes enhanced in some way - with a more powerful weapon or total invincibility perhaps.

Shark is nothing new: the formula is painfully ancient and the sound is dull. Shark's graphics are the only thing that could possibly save it. I enjoyed my first few games, but it didn't have the power to hold my interest for long. Audiogenic must try harder.

Sam Greenhill