Previous Next

This is a shoot-them-up game based within the confines of a maze. The ultimate objective is to find 'The Prize' by solving the mystery of the maze with the help of your spaceship Almazoon. It is nicely presented with colourful and smooth graphics and all the necessary noises which go hand-in-hand with this type of game.

The overall task is simple enough. You must, however, be prepared to persevere as the maze can become surprisingly confusing and finding your way to a particular spot whilst dodging a multitude of nasties can be difficult. Apart from avoiding untimely death, your main task is to explore and collect, in numerical order, the code pods which are scattered around the inner walls of the maze. After having collected all the pods, you must find your way to code pod B which will transport you to the next level where there are more code pods to collect until eventually you find yourself on level 4 where the treasure is to be found.

As you negotiate and pass through each maze portion, the screen changes to a continuing section in which you'll find another selection of nasties. The obstacles appear in four different forms: mutants, crushers, death drones and messengers. As their names suggest they can all be lethal.

Both the crushers and death drones require lightening reflexes and it can take some time to decide on the best course of action when confronted with these. With time and practice, however, success can be achieved, but often with the result of continuing to another screen in too much haste and colliding with some other unexpected nasty.

Fortunately some of the guardians can be destroyed on contact, thus preserving some of your precious laser bolts for more desperate use. At the beginning of play, you have 75 laser bolts on board which, surprisingly, are soon reduced to none. Supplies can easily be replenished, however, at the Power Plant located on each level.

Energy bases give you the required boost to become immune to the effects of the guardians. These are the most useful means by which you can explore and collect the code pods at leisure! Unfortunately, the immunity factor is only given for a undetermined amount of time and it never seems to be long enough....

If you enjoy a game which involves tearing around the screen and shooting at everything in sight, but with a certain amount of strategy and thought involved then this is probably for you.

I didn't quite make it to level 4 so I cannot hint as to what prize awaits you there, but I trust that it befits the determination it would take to reach the end of the game.