Previous Next

Someone wants to give the Devil a good talking to. A cluster of fairies were minding their own business - creating rainbows in dew-drops, putting sixpences under the pillows of toothless children and singing songs to cheer up frogs who used to be princes - when along came the Lord of the Flies' minions and whipped them all off to Hell.

What the Evil One intends to do with them, no-one knows. Pump them full of air to make fairy bubbles? Plug them into the mains to make fairy lights? Put them in a blender and make fairy liquid?

Lesser mortals have tried to save the sprites before now only to come to a miserable end, their weapons left behind as testament to their failure. Stormlord is a different kind of hero. He might not be able to walk on water or feed to five thousand, but he isn't afraid to harrow Hell and save little cutesy fairy souls; and when pushed, he's guaranteed to resurrect himself eight times more than your standard issue biblical escape artist.

As you'd expect from a hard guy in a one-piece goatskin number with matching boots, the task is by no means easy. Hell and its surrounding realms are split into six levels, each one different and more terrible than the last. Now comes the important bit: just about everything that moves is out to kill you, and can do so on contact.

The action starts tough and just gets tougher - so if you like games that consist of five minutes' exploration with just a dash of monsters, this won't be for you. From the beginning you have to kill a mad bird, avoid killer bubbles and laugh in the face of acid drops. then comes the real test: a pool of fire. Stormlord has a unique bonus jumping ability: he can jump in the air continuously up to a maximum of three times. It's a fiddly process that requires some practice, but it's essential you master it if you're going to progress to the next stage. Deliverance aces are rewarded with bonus levels in which they can gain extra lives. Fairies appear on screen for you to catch them - they drop gold coins as a result. Collect two gold coins and you have an extra life.

Simple, isn't it? Not quite: your jumping abilities are then cut short, and instead you have to plant hearts like a ladder (with your fire button), climb up them and reach the fairies that way. Hearts disappear very quickly, so some swiftly frisco-hopping is called for.

Deliverance has enough challenge to appeal to most games players, but it's too limited in scope and originality to have you screaming for yet another sequel.

There are neat touches which make it worth playing in its own right: for example, when you confront the dragon dropping eggs, you have to prevent the eggs splitting open - if you do, the dragon hauls you aloft and helps you in mobility and firepower. It's typical of the game's nice touches which make it an enjoyable platform-based shoot-'em-up, rather than just an average one. Be warned though: if you've got a short fuse, your C64 could end up in the street with a boot mark on it.

1. Unusual array of opponents from eggs with legs to killer snowflakes!
2. Handy password system.
3. Plenty of lastability - if you've got the patience.
4. Stormlord is resurrected where he died - no need to go back to the start of the level.
5. Decent soundtracks on every load.
6. Good range of weapons.
7. Choice of music or sound effects during game.
8. A surprise on every screen!

1. Frustratingly difficult from start to finish.
2. Not radically different from its predecessor.
3. Jumping can be very awkward.
4. Average sprite graphics.