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Something amazing has happened... Number 5 is still alive!

This is yet another game based upon a film of the book of the record, etc, etc. You know the sort of thing. Now having not seen the film, because at the time of writing this review, the film Short Circuit hasn't made its way up to the darkest corners of Unit 4 in Accrington (and if the manager is reading this, how about letting me in free when it does?), I can't comment on how close the plot of the game follows the film. I can't even say definitely if the game remotely resembles the film in any respect, but going off the clips I have seen, I assume it does.

Number 5 is a robot. After a freak million-to-one chance, he was struck by lightning, and became conscious. Now there are three people after you. The scientist who created you, who wants to take you apart and see what has happened. The President of Nova Robotics wants to capture you and remove your weapons before you kill millions of innocent people. And the Chief of security, quite simple, wants to blow you up. You are alive, and the aim of the game is to stay that way!

The game is divided into sections. The first is a forced 3D perspective, arcade adventure, in which you must search the Nova factory to find various mechanisms to bolt on to yourself, find the manual entitled 'How To Build Your Own Number 5', and escape before anyone realises you are missing.

The second part involves you being chased by security forces ordered to kill you, and other robots, ordered to deactivate you. Now you may realise that the odds are slightly against you, so how do you get out of this sticky situation? Quite simply, build the decoy robot I told you about earlier on in this review. Now you may be wondering why you just don't shoot your pursuers. Well, robots have a code of practice that says that can only stun living creatures, and if they kill them, their conscience level drops. When this dwindles away, you die.

When, or rather if, you reach a van, you can build the dummy robot, and live happily ever after. All together now, Ahh!

The graphic of Number 5, going off the clip of him I've seen, is perfect. He has been captured in every detail. The background graphics are good, and suit the game well. The title tune is a rendition of the film's theme music, and very good it is too. Nice and catchy, in fact I bet you'll be humming it for days! It's just a shame that it doesn't play during the game, it would be better than the dull spot effect.

The problems are of average difficulty, and I feel it should keep you glued to your keyboard for weeks to come.