Acorn User


Transistor's Revenge

Author: Peter Balch
Publisher: Softspot
Machine: BBC Model B

 
Published in Acorn User #018

Chip Cocktail

Transistor's Revenge

Transistor's Revenge is beautiful to watch, has nice sounds and is mindless to play. It's a game that really shows BBC graphics at their best.

In the centre of the screen is a large integrated circuit labelled '6502'. From this radiate printed circuit board tracks to the edge of the screen. Various electronic components move slowly and smoothly in along the tracks and occasional fast voltage spikes zip in. You control a cursor in the IC and fire your own spikes along the tracks to blast the components. The controls are responsive and fast, and, with practice, you can send impressive groups of spikes along adjacent tracks.

In any component reaches the IC or an incoming spike hits the cursor, the IC explodes. To add to the interest, every so often, bonus tools appear at the edge of the screen: hammers, spanners, pliers and something like a cocktail cherry on a stick with a piece of gherkin - perhaps it's a software tool!

After you've lost three ICs, you get the chance to either stop or carry on. In fact, it's easier to carry on, which adds to the game's mindlessness - you stop caring if you get hit. If you do decide to give up, you can enter your initials.

The transistors, capacitors, resistors, LEDs, spikes and explosions are a joy to watch but unfortunately the game hasn't much else to offer. Your responses are so limited, there's little to develop in the way of tactics or strategy - it's all a matter of refining your skill. Transistor's Revenge is really just a version of Space Invaders with the aliens coming in on tram lines. It's a wonderful implementation of a poor game, but I look forward to the programmer's next product - I'm sure he's capable of a lot.

Peter Balch

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