Zzap


Pirates In Hyperspace
By Alternative
Commodore 64/128

 
Published in Zzap #32

Pirates In Hyperspace

In this budget shoot-'em-up, the player takes the part of a space pirate intent on pillaging an immensely valuable microscopic lifeform. To achieve this end, he tackles a heavily armed fleet of 21 cargo ships, boards them one at a time and steals their precious substance from under robot guard.

The action is played over three stages. The first is a vertically scrolling shooting section where the player battles through fleets of guard ships. Occasionally, energising stars appear and are picked up when run into. When three stars are collected, an assault on the cargo ship is undertaken. The ship in question appears at the top of the screen and shoots fireballs while the attacker registers as many hits as possible. If enough hits are sustained, the ship is boarded and searched.

The fast and furious gameplay is sometimes a little rough, with disappointingly monochromatic graphics and very limited sound. Having said that, it's fairly playable, and has enough appeal to make it a reasonable buy.