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Rock Hardy and Ace Gunn are the sort of names only arcade heroes could get away with, and sure enough these are two such muscle-bound, trigger-happy characters. Their suitably suicidal objective is to blast their way through a huge underground complex made up of around 50 levels which then repeat.

Hordes of robots roam about these 3D levels and when shot often leave goodies such as coins, add-on weapons and keys. At the end of each level, there's a shop where you can buy added zap power (to paralyse xybots), better shields, slower energy loss and so on.

After those superb, full-colour preview shots, it's a bit of a shock to play what looks like a Spectrum program 'ported' across with added slowness! Initially you wonder why Domark are even releasing it.

After a while though, you do adjust to the slowness and with two players it provides a recognisable version of the coin-op, and without any multi-load hassle.

For hard case Xybots fans only.

Well, I never thought I'd see the day when a C64 game looks *less* colourful than the Spectrum equivalent. It's effectively monochrome!

Memory problems forced the programmer to compromise but it's not only graphics which are dodgy; the character have leaden feet and wobble around at a staggeringly slow rate.

The problem of repetitive levels is even more prominent in this version than it was in the arcade and Amiga version. With little in the way of variation in the gameplay the endlessly similar mazes prove the final nail in the game's coffin.

Presentation 38%
Good packaging but no intro music.

Graphics 24%
Mediocre Spectrum graphics.

Sound 25%
Sparse spot FX.

Hookability 20%
Sluggishness of characters and unattractive graphics make for instant unappeal.

Lastability 30%
Lots of levels but not much variety.

Overall 27%
A fast, colourful coin-op becomes slow and monochromatic.