1st January 1984
Cylon Attack
A space-ship control panel featuring shields and lasers may sound reminiscent of Star Trek but in Cylon Attack you command a freighter not the powerful USS Enterprise.
The place of the Klingons is taken by Cylons and you take the part of a 21st century cargo ship captain. Your ship has been commandeered by Earth's defence ministry to transport supplies and munitions to remote planets at the fringe of the Terran Empire.
You have refused to leave your ship and have volunteered to pilot the freighter on its hazardous journey through the war-torn galaxy.
The cockpit display shows the condition of your shields, laser banks, the direction of your ship and a radar scanner showing the position of the oncoming Cylonians. The first wave of aliens takes the form of Star Wars-type craft and inflated space invaders.
From here on, the going gets tough, as the freighter's only means of defence is a single laser cannon to be fired, when a Cylon ship has entered the gunsights in the centre of the scanner.
Cylon reinforcements are drafted in for the second attack wave, and are faster and more accurate than their earlier comrades.
The graphics are good if a little flickery at times. The ship's instruments are clearly shown and highly colourful. The game offers two different key layouts and a joystick option.
My only real criticism is that the game is far too noisy and the sound effects and explosions will soon have you cringing.
Cylon Attack is for the BBC Model B and is manufactured by the Manchester company A&F Software for £8.00.
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