Personal Computer News


Toppler

Author: Jim Ballard
Publisher: Orion
Machine: Dragon 32

 
Published in Personal Computer News #079

TOPPLER

Toppler is a cross between the fairground style shooting galleries and one of the more recent Heineken adverts where the duck shoots back.

The game starts with a bit of fairground music and three rows of targets. There are 27 targets and you get 45 bullets. If that sounds like a cinch, don't forget you rarely win at the fair.

There are two pitfalls to avoid - some of the targets are bonus cards. If you can clear the screen by hitting everything except these, you'll get a bonus of 5,000 points. But hit one card and all the others turn into ducks. Every time a duck goes off the screen he gobbles up five bullets.

All the missed targets re-appear at the top of the screen, and it's quite a job to keep up with them. Should you manage to clear the screen, you get eight minutes to boost your score by hitting Tommy the Tank. He trundles across the screen and every time you hit a wheel, he changes direction and you get another 100 points. If you can't stop him crossing the bonus screen, the game ends.

A very frustrating game, which seems to have that 'just one more go' quality to it. I'm glad I didn't have to pay for each round as I'd be broke.

Jim Ballard

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