Computer Gamer


Molecule Man

Publisher: Mastertronic
Machine: Spectrum 48K

 
Published in Computer Gamer #16

Molecule Man

Molecule Man is lost in a huge maze. As if that wasn't bad enough, his energy is being drained by the vast amounts of radiation present. The only way out is to find the teleporter but before you can activate it, you will need to find the sixteen circuits missing from its innards. Time is most definitely not on your side.

Moving round the maze, you can however buy yourself a bit more tme for scattered about the place are several coins. These can be used to buy life pills from the appropriate machine and so extend your pathetic existence. This does not prove to be the means to the end though as most of the circuits that you need are locked in by spurious bits of maze. So you need to use your coins to buy bombs to blow the obstructions to bits. But if you buy bombs, you don't survive long enough and if you don't buy bombs, you won't escape. A pretty paradox.

Graphically the game looks very attractive with a 3D view of your surroundings made up of walls of spheres, mushrooms, cubes and a host of different obstacles. My initial reaction to playing the game was that it was just a bit too difficult but have no fear, for if things get your down too much or you need to make things easier for your dad to play, there is a maze designer included in the package as well! 256 screens of your own ideas and you can make things just as difficult or easy as you want. I would strongly suggest scattering a fair few extra coins around until you know which way you are going.

When I first saw the game. I was highly impressed with it. When I was told that it was only £1.99, I was staggered. If Mastertronic continue to put out titles of this quality at such a cheap price, the rest of the industry will have an awful lot of worrying to do. Highly recommended.