C&VG


Last Duel
By U. S. Gold
Spectrum 48K

 
Published in Computer & Video Games #88

Last Duel

To say that this game bears more than a passing resemblance to USG's other coin-op release this month, LED Storm, would be a little unfair. It's only every other level that bears the similarity.

You are some kind of lone warrior battling against evil for the love of your woman. Well, you're alone when you're not playing in two-player mode, that is. You are a motorcycle rider, racing upwards along a vertically scrolling landscape, battling big guns, gun emplacements and enemy riders. Play two-players and you call the assistance of an airborne craft, which you would think would make the game a little easier. No way. When in two-player mode, you get twice the enemy.

As you scroll northward (with a bit of left and right scrolling to add variety) you come across obstacles - holes in the road are one of them. These can be driven around, provided there is the room, or you can jump over it. But you have to make sure that there is no air traffic above when you leave the ground and ensure that you land on terra firma.

Last Duel

Guns line either side of the roadway, and little soldiers hide behind barrels and fire at you. Suicidal car drivers wait on either side of the road in wait, and when you pass, they take you out.

But it's not all bad. Pods lie in the road, and when shot, they leave little capsules. Drive over them to collect them, and bingo - progressive weaponry. Build a fan-like series of bullets, as well as side firing lasers. All come in pretty handy.

Last Duel is hard, granted. Well, it's more than that, it's very hard. It seems that the only way you're going to get anywhere is to drive very slowly, but as you're up against the clock, that tends to mean that you still don't get very far.

The graphics are quite nice. The scrolling is a little slow, and the left and right scrolling is downright appalling. The sprites are quite smoothly animated, but the collision detection is a little on the stingy side. On the whole, the game is reasonable. Not a stormer, but not dire. Well, at least it's better than LED Storm.

Tony Dillon

Other Spectrum 48K/128K/+2 Game Reviews By Tony Dillon


  • Arrgghhh Front Cover
    Arrgghhh
  • Netherworld Front Cover
    Netherworld
  • Werewolf Simulator Front Cover
    Werewolf Simulator
  • The Sacred Armour Of Antiriad Front Cover
    The Sacred Armour Of Antiriad
  • Street Gang Front Cover
    Street Gang
  • Oink! Front Cover
    Oink!
  • Treble Chance Front Cover
    Treble Chance
  • Los Angeles Swat Front Cover
    Los Angeles Swat
  • Thunder Blade Front Cover
    Thunder Blade
  • Star Paws Front Cover
    Star Paws