ZX Computing


I.C.U.P.S.
By Thor
Spectrum 48K/128K

 
Published in ZX Computing #30

I.C.U.P.S.

In case you are wondering, I.C.U.P.S. stands for the International Commission for Universal Problem Solving. Now you know that you can forget it immediately. The inlay blurb blathers about your special mission etc but doesn't even claim that the game is real. You are not 'at the controls of a Hypermegathruststrike fighter' as per usual in this type of game; instead, it rather tamely tells you that these are computer games to test your skill and decide whether you can become an agent for I.C.U.P.S.

In short, what we have here are two unrelated bits of game stuck together with a poor attempt at giving it some sort of unifying idea. First off is a brisk shoot-'em-up in three sections of space tunnel. The mothership dumps you and you have to blast/avoid/outrun the enemy ships and get to the end where you enter phase two controlling a "Hostile Environment Anthrobot" who must find four parts of bomb hidden in his starship. The robot glides nicely through a rather unpopulated maze of decks but even the inevitable nasties are half-hearted and don't seem too intent on inflicting damage.

This is a very poor product for a full price game which seems to have been thrown together with the thought that if one tired formula idea won't work maybe two will. Unfortunately it doesn't and emphasising that you are just playing another computer game is surely a mistake. Aren't computer games about creating illusions? Who wants to play a game about playing a computer game? You guessed it.