Zzap


Psi-Droid
By Zeppelin Games
Commodore 64/128

 
Published in Zzap #44

Psi-Droid

Let's hope you've been keeping to your service schedule, because this little droid is about to hit big. The large cargo craft, Dregnaught Nine, is on course for earth - and unless you manage to collect all the pieces of the pulsebomb you stupidly lost on transportation to the ship, earth (including you) has had it. Aaah!

For reasons best known only to your programmers, you haven't got ordinary wheels - instead you bounce about on the shop's inner platforms like a rubber ball. Pods and energy power packs improve your equipment and at intervals you can improve your power by entering a bonus game - a sort of variation on Space Invaders (you shoot descending poles instead of ships). Your mainstay weapon is a laser gun. So use it.

Kati

Well - I'm not going to say that this is the most original game the world has ever producted (I'd be lying, wouldn't I?) but I have to admit it's quite good fun while it lasts.

Psi Droid

The graphics are slick and the bouncing control method isn't accompanied by the same sort of frustration that's been known to spoil so many games.

The bonus level certainly helps to break the whole thing up and the environment is large enough to keep you exploring for some time.

Question is: would you want to keep playing that long. Haven't we seen all this somewhere before?

GH

Psi Droid

Hmmm, I thought, when I looked at the packaging. When I started playing I thought 'hmmm' again. OK, so it's not very profound but what do you expect me to say when there's hardly anything unusual about the game?

Psi-Droid is a competent shoot and collect-'em-up, pretty much in the style of I-Xera released a few months back. It's all pretty well presented but there's just nothing to inspire you to get any further into the game.

If bland and repetitive gameplay is all you want from your budget game, go out and get this at once. Everyone else would do well to waste a few grey cells thinking about it first.

Verdict

Presentation 54%
Generally slick, but nothing to write home about.

Graphics 61%
Smart silver piping and neat disappearing floors.

Sound 53%
Bland and uninteresting front end tune plus spot effects.

Hookability 63%
You want to see how big the network is, don't you?

Lastability 52%
Once you've seen it though, you probably won't be burning to play again.

Overall 60%
Nothing outstanding - see if it grabs you first.