Previous Next

Netherworld is an alien region into which the player has stumbled; a place populated by strange and dangerous creatures. The unwitting captive must now embark upon a quest for freedom before his ships are destroyed.

The alien system is set over twelve levels separated by Intermission screens. The player's vessel is guided in one of eight directions and the landscape moves smoothly around. Movement is limited by the labyrinthine confines of each level, although a series of teleports provides easy access to other, frequently inaccessible, areas.

Release from each level is obtained upon payment in diamonds, which are scattered around the playing area. A control panel displays the number of diamonds required to secure entry to the next level [some test missing] traverse the landscape and prove harmful on contact.

Each of the player's three ships is fitted with a shield which can sustain up to twelve 'hits'. Further damage results in the destruction of the current vessel.

Blasting the demons releases flashing icons which are collected for different, generally useful results.

On later levels, the number of diamonds required exceeds those available on-screen. Here, the player is forced to create the necessary gems himself. Mines can be directed into metamorphosis walls by moving rocks into their path. The same rocks can be pushed into diamond squeezers to make diamonds directly.

This process is repeated for the intermission screens which require the collection of a set amount of diamonds, although none appear on-screen. Successfully creating the desired amount is rewarded with an extra ship.

However unoriginal or derivative its main themes, Netherworld is a polished and enjoyable game which provides a pleasant blend of mindless blasting and dextrous puzzling. Cartographers are also catered for, since later levels really do need some sort of map to enable their negotiation.

The gameplay is smooth and the different elements are sufficiently addictive to hold the attention for some time.

The Amiga Netherworld is very similar to its Atari counterpart and gameplay is practically identical. Differences occur in the graphics, which, apart from the awful loading screen, are more refined and profit from a full colour background in place of the ST's black starfield and the increased number of available colours. The sound, although clearer, is still rather poor by Amiga standards and is largely forgettable. Similarly, the few sound effects are only average.

The surprising aspect of the ST version is that it retains the eight-way scrolling of the original. Generally regarded as difficult (if not impossible), Imagitec have managed to implement it to a very high standard. After experimenting with various routines, they settled on using pre-shifted graphics to create high speed scrolling. And, however difficult or restrictive this method, the end result belies any problems they had. They haven't compromised the graphics either, which still consist of eight colours on-screen, and are highly detailed and varied.