Amstrad Computer User


Licence To Kill
By Domark
Amstrad CPC464

 
Published in Amstrad Computer User #59

Shaken but not stirred.

Licence To Kill

Bond may have lost his licence to kill but his licence to thrill is intact and in constant use. If you thought the film was a hair-raiser, just wait until you see the game. Six sub-games combine to bring you the escapades of Bond in one explosive package. For once the Amstrad has been programmed correctly.

Multi-coloured sprites, reasonably fast action and some well-placed thuds and whacks to accompany the action.

Life starts with Bond and Felix chasing the drug baron Sanchez. Understandably, trying to avoid capture Sanchez has left a few men behind to slow Bond a little by blowing him out of the sky. Bond fights back by blasting the gun emplacements and weaving between their deadly hail.

Licence To Kill

Weaving presents its own problems, as you have to decrease your height to move forward, which leads to those all-too-probable collisions with the taller buildings.

Being a super kind of guy, Bond waltzes through this section to confront the men on foot. In this section the 16-bit versions failed miserably but not so on the Amstrad.

Bond can aim his gun by holding down the fire button and rotating the sights round his stationary figure.

Licence To Kill

This can waste ammunition, so make sure that you have ample supplies or that the villains you are wasting leave behind some for you to re-cycle.

Next is one of the more spectacular stunts from the film and a remarkably easy level of the game. Bond swings on a rope dangling from the helicopter; as the helicopter pilot you must guide Bond over the tail of the aircraft in which Sanchez is making his getaway.

Capturing the tail means you can haul in your catch and prepare for the next level.

Licence To Kill

It is time to get your feet wet as you stick the frogmen with your knife and fire captured harpoons at the escaping seaplane hoping to catch a lift. To kill the divers and avoid the flak from the dinghies Bond can dive underwater.

Unfortunately he can hold his breath only for so long, which means he can pop up at the most awkward times. If you catch a lift, watch for the rocks as the seaplane tries to dash its unwelcome guest.

The final section is reminiscent of that old classic Spy Hunter, only this time it is truck versus truck. Ramming the other eighteen-wheelers off the road is great fun until you catch up with Sanchez. Like all villains he has to cheat and, instead of using skill to remove you from the road, he tends to use a rocket launcher.

Such things do not bother Bond and although I know what happens in the film I will let you decide the outcome of this little epic on your Amstrad.

Adrian Pumphrey

Other Amstrad CPC464 Game Reviews By Adrian Pumphrey


  • Chase H.Q. Front Cover
    Chase H.Q.
  • Run The Gauntlet Front Cover
    Run The Gauntlet
  • Fiendish Freddy's Big Top O' Fun Front Cover
    Fiendish Freddy's Big Top O' Fun
  • Dynamite Dux Front Cover
    Dynamite Dux
  • APB Front Cover
    APB
  • The Games: Summer Edition Front Cover
    The Games: Summer Edition
  • World Cup Soccer Italia 90 Front Cover
    World Cup Soccer Italia 90
  • Moving Target Front Cover
    Moving Target
  • X-Out Front Cover
    X-Out
  • The Story So Far 4 Front Cover
    The Story So Far 4