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Games Computing
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Publisher: Microdeal
Machine: Atari 400/800/600XL/800XL/130XE
Published in Games Computing #9
Danger Ranger (Microdeal)
In this one or two-player game, you are a Danger Ranger with a red ranger-suit and a single-shot gun. Your mission: to collect various treasures, avoiding, or if possible eliminating, obstacles in the process.
No loading problems with this one! When loaded it displayed the usual copyright notices, followed by a select prompt, but it uses the 'keyboard-entry system' rather than the usual and more convenient 'option' and 'select' keys. The fire-button begins the game.
Once started you find your ranger on the top storey of the Chamber of Pasha. Below him are several other storeys, each with holes in, so that you can drop to the storey below. Your first objective is to collect the keys on each storey to get points. To make your task more difficult there are two 'floating urns' which move up and down the sides of the screen. When they reach the storey you are on they shoot at you. To avoid their fire you can duck, jump, or drop down through the hole. However, this will mean that you can't collect the key, so you have to jump the hole with an awkward diagonal movement, which is easier with some joysticks than others.
![Danger Ranger](/ills_small/atari_400/microdeal/tapes/Danger-Ranger-002.gif)
Other obstacles you encounter on this level are roving eyes and radioactive bats, which move around and kill you on contact.
If you have missed out a key you can be transported to the top storey for another try. This is done by stepping on a flashing block on the ground floor, although as you are flying through the air it's likely that you will be killed by a perfectly co-ordinated shot from the urns.
Once all the keys have been collected you progress to the next level, the Acid Chamber.
![Danger Ranger](/ills_small/atari_400/microdeal/tapes/Danger-Ranger-000.gif)
On this level you are positioned at the top left of the screen, with your target being to reach the bottom right of the screen, gathering the treasure chests on the way. To get there you have to move across each row, whilst steering clear of yellow 'zig-zags', which represent acid drops, coming from above and below you. There are also four demons which hang from the row above and block your path, so they have to be killed.
Upon completing this screen you return to the Chamber of Pasha, but on the next level.
Danger Ranger is an exciting game which uses colour well. A nice touch was the Hall of Fame, which allowed you to enter your initials using your joystick to select the letters. Overall a good game.