Commodore User
1st May 1988
Author: Mark Patterson
Publisher: Mindscape International Inc
Machine: Commodore 64/128
Published in Commodore User #57
Infiltrator II: The Next Day
Looking at this is like looking in a mirror; you know what to expect and you've seen it before. Infiltrator II is an almost exact copy of the original Infiltrator. Once again, Johnny 'Jimbo Baby' McGibbits is up against the Mad Leader, and this time instead of just the one mission, Jimbo has three to complete.
In the first mission, Johnny has to seek out a deadly nerve gas cannister in one of the Mad Leader's bases, then find something with which to nullify it. The next mission has Johnny out trying to deactivate some missiles, and the final mission has him confronting the Mad Leader in an attempt to rid the world of his evil by implanting a small device in his brain, thus transforming him into an upstanding member of the community.
The flight section at the start of every mission is identical to that in the original Infiltrator, but for the sake of any one who has never seen it, here's a quick synopsis. Your craft is the Gizmo DHX-2 Attack Chopper. Start the engines and enter the heading. Before long a jet fighter performs a fly by; request identification from him so you can tell if he's a good guy or one of the others. The pilot will then ask for your ID, so here's where you play clever; if he's a good guy you respond with your code name Infiltrator; if he turns out to be bad, you reply with Overlord.
When you land in the enemy base, the display shows Jimbo cunningly disguised as a match-stick man. Wander over a few screens and you come across one of the buildings which make up the base. Guarding the building are some of the Mad Leader's soldiers, also cleverly disguised as match-stick men. It seems fair to point out at this stage that the map layout here is similar to that in Infiltrator I.
You have with you several pieces of equipment of which only a few are of any consequence to the current mission, so at all times you carry a brain scanner/implant, missile detector coolant evaporator, as well as forged papers, grenades and a mine detector.
When you enter a building the display changes with all the characters being enlarged. Most rooms are furnished with filing cabinets and other objects which can be searched.
Everybody you come across in the Mad Leader's compound is instantly suspicious of you, despite the fact you look exactly the same as them. If your papers aren't in order, the safest thing to do is to give the guy a good dose of sleeping gas. This looks like Jimbo is in dire need of a dose of Andrews, but the effect is pretty much the same with the guard collapsing in a heap on the floor. When you have neutralised the gas/nullified the missiles/neutered the Mad Leader it's time to fly back to the Home Base and get the mission accomplished message.
I was disappointed with Infiltrator II. Apart from the scenario the real changes are minor improvements to the graphics, otherwise it's basically the same game. You get a copy of Infiltrator with its sequel which instead of being classed as two games should really be classed as one with four scenarios. Infiltrator is a dated game but may still appeal to some people.