Previous Next

Bug-Byte is well known for its budget titles and this disc brings together four under the banner of The Bug-Byte Compilation.

If it's Wimbledon you pine for you may be tempted by Tennis. This one-player game lets you play over one to three sets, with four or six games per set. Viewing the court you move up to and back from the net, and from side to side playing both attacking and defensive strokes.

Tennis is a brave attempt at portraying sporting action on the computer screen, but alas it is not that good.

Star Force Seven is a tactical game of space wars and planet colonisation. Your aim is to destroy the Zurg's home planet or capture and hold 25 other planets.

Before battle can commence you need to build a fleet of battleships, cruisers, transporters and scout ships from a fixed number of credits. Satisfied with your forces you choose a destination from one of 26 star systems and make the jump into hyperspace. While on this first journey you are prompted for a difficulty level.

The instructions tell of space battles, planetary bombardment, industrial bases and recruiting fighters. How these are implemented I cannot say as the game had a nasty habit of crashing very near the beginning.

Fly your Harrier jump-jet over a scrolling background shooting down enemy bombers before they destroy your bases - that's Skyhawk.

Graphically the game is very simple, blue sky, green grass and white bases.The animation is smooth, but the plane's response to the controls is far too erratic.

Enemy bombers fly into view from either side ofthe screen.

Your defence of the bases is aided greatly by a small radar screen. The bombers are shown as small dots homing in on your position - by correctly judging their speed and height you can launch your first missile as they appear.

Skyhawk is a pretty reasonable game by budget standards, but don't expect too much.

Bug-Byte's Plan B is the last offering and by far the best. Your task is to guide a single combat droid through the Togrian Computer Complex wreaking havoc as you go.

Large, well-detailed sprites float through the air with the greatest of ease. It is such a pity that the control keys were not user-definable - I just couldn't get the hang of those specified.

You have only one droid so the length of the game is determined by the state of his energy cells. These are replenished by collecting spanners and oil cans.

The recent Micro Power compilations have all worked out at about £1 per game, most of which were of a similar, or higher, standard than these. On this basis I can't really

Carol Barrow