Personal Computer News


Gorph

Author: Geof Wheelwright
Publisher: Doctorsoft
Machine: Acorn Electron

 
Published in Personal Computer News #059

GORPH

Another arcade hit transferred to the home micro, Gorph is that good old standby, aliens meet lone heroic Earthling.

In play you are at the bottom of the screen, a solitary spaceship with pulsating rocket, looking extremely vulnerable. A changing, brightly coloured arc stretches across the screen, just above your ship.

Using keyboard or joystick, your ship can be moved left or right but is otherwise rooted to the planet's surface. When firing your missiles the longer you keep the firing button depressed, the higher the missile will fly before detonating.

Gorph

First up come the invaders, a three line whip of waving aliens who march steadily across and down the screen.

In laser attack, two bands of bird-like kamikaze creatures either plummet like stones or swoop and arch around in an attempt to crash into you.

Firebird is a dazzling screen where enemy ships, one blue and one yellow, lurk in the centre of a wheel-like structure with spokes extending outwards. The brown ship cannot be destroyed - it tries to drop in on you and serves only to distract from the more vulnerable blue craft. This spirals outwards increasingly faster and must be hit amidships. The sole aim in this section is to survive.

Mothership first presents two aliens, both of whom resemble Orville the duck in sunglasses, who are easily dispensed with. Not so easily disposed of is a large mothership. You can destroy this only by erosion - keep potting away, chipping bits off, until there's nothing left. If it reaches the bottom of the screen with even so much as a tail fin left, you're dead.

Gorph is a nice implementation of the arcade game. Good graphics and sound effects plus responsive controls make it great fun to play.

Geof Wheelwright

Other Acorn Electron Game Reviews By Geof Wheelwright


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