Personal Computing Today


Xerus
By Electronic Leisure
Commodore Vic 20

 
Published in Personal Computing Today #16

Xerus

This game is a variation on the Invaders theme, described as "a creative fast action game with excitement". However, it is a game with which one soon becomes bored.

An increasing number of aliens which closely resemble diagramatical representations of fallopian tubes zigzag their way down the screen and, if allowed to land, turn into flying saucer shapes which explode after a short delay.

Tiny arrows are expelled from the bellies of the aliens and have to be avoided. All that is left for the player to do is dodge left and right, firing the laser, which is blessed with a repeat facility.

The game is programmed for either joystick or keyboard operations, the Z, C and Commodore keys producing Left, Right and Fire. In view of the lack of choice of movement in this game, there is no advantage in joystick control. The display is jerky, and laser bots are easily confused with the attackers' missiles.

One pleasing lecture of the program is that while it is written for the unexpanded machine, RAM packs do not have to be removed before loading. The pack for review contained an information sheet that was more detailed than the instructions printed on the cassette sleeve, and I hope that the information sheet will be included with the retail package as at least it gives a brief resume of the object of the game.

I worried that I was missing some important point about this game, but in reality it is just another shoot the invaders escapade. A disappointment.