Commodore User


Fire Power

Author: Mark Mainwood
Publisher: Micro Illusions
Machine: Commodore 64/128

 
Published in Commodore User #73

Fire Power

Fire Power is militaristic. You take control of a tank and have to locate the enemy base, find the flag and return it to your home base. Your progress will be hindered by your opponent's helicopters and gun emplacements.

On the way you can rescue POW colleagues that have been captured and squelch enemy agents under your tank tracks. You can play against the computer or a friend. With the solo game, the playing area takes up most of the screen. All you have to do is find the flag and return home, watching out for mines, guns and helicopters on the way.

In the two player mode the playing area is split into two, each half showing one player's tank. In this mode look out for enemy flak and hazards. There's also a race involved: get your opponent's flag before he gets yours...

Firepower

Fire Power is instantly playable. A truly excellent control system makes manoeuvrability easy, and the simplistic nature of the game means that you can get straight into some serious warfare.

Sadly, the rest of the game doesn't match this standard. The graphics, apart from being somewhat limited, are simple and could have been greatly improved in all respects. The sound effects are also unvaried; a dull throb that passes as the roar of the tank's engine, a few explosions - but very little else.

Each time you start a new game, a map is randomly chosen by the computer. This helps add a touch of variety and to extend Fire Power's appeal. But what really lets the game down is that it's just too difficult. Randomly placed mines often make your task impossible and you often find yourself unable to move because of a bug in the program.

All in all, a game with a lot of potential but very little of it is used.

Mark Mainwood

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