The title of Martian Monsters has nothing to do
with this Donkey-Kong lookalike.
There are the usual ladder-linked levels, the object
to be rescued by you in your spaceship is a man. The
only obstacles are the Androids, who are the Monsters
in question, and who chase you around the screen.
The game is one of strategy, as the number of homing
androids increases with the number of men rescued,
and some nifty footwork is necessary to avoid
annihilation.
Directional control is achieved through the keyboard's
E, S, D and X, and there are three lives.
One peculiarity is that if caught while carrying a
man, and with lives remaining sufficient to
continue, you will still be carrying that man and
must finish the rescue before returning to attempt
another.
Documentation is sparse but sufficient, and the
speed is reasonable considering the deficiencies of
TI Basic, but this seems to be at the expense of
adequate keyboard "debouncing". The level of
difficulty increases gently, and this game would be
suitable for all but the younger child.
16th October 1984
