Personal Compuer Games


Super Cobra
By Micro Peripherals
MSX

 
Published in Personal Computer Games #14

Super Cobra

This conversion from the arcades is best described as a cross between Scramble and Blue Thunder.

In your Cobra chopper you are on a mission into enemy territory to grab booty from their base. The landscape scrolls from right to left and your chopper can move up, down, forwards and backwards. The opposition appear in several zones, the first of which pits you against ground-launched missiles and tanks. The missiles take off sporadically and arc across the screen, sometimes wrapping round and reappearing on the other side if they miss you.

The missiles and tanks can either be shot or bombed, both armaments being operated by the fire button. You also have to bomb fuel dumps to stay airborne. If you can survive zone 1, you are on to an even tougher section where the missiles no longer come at you but UFO's oscillate up and down the screen. The best strategy here is to keep low, moving up and down only slightly to keep the oncoming UFOs in your line of fire.

Super Cobra

Next you're on to a short tunnel packed with alien weaponry, promising a real 'gauntlet run' at the higher levels. First time round though it's a cinch. Your only problems are the stalactite-like missiles, which periodically drop from the roof. Accurate shooting, a quick knock-out of a vital fuel dump, a little crafty hanging back to wait for threatening missiles to fall and you're on to the home run of level 1. This time the tanks are firing their lasers, so you're a proud pilot when you dodge their blasts, and the hurtling missiles, and hover down to the booty.

The MSX scrolling can't match the smoothness of the Commodore, but the sound gives you all the zaps, bangs and crashes that you want.

Rod George

Being an arcade primitive I really enjoyed Super Cobra. A few hours of frantic blasting and the booty was mine. Two player games were even better. Cheer on the aliens when your opponent is zapping, and curse when the swine send you for a burton.

Peter Connor

Super Cobra

Very fast and very difficult, this Japanese Scramble. I particularly liked - or rather, hated - the returning rockets. Once is not enough for these vindictive missiles. If they don't get you, the bouncing UFOs will. That brown one is really mean. Graphics were only average but I liked the sound, especially the chopper whirring.

Samantha Hemens

An all-action fight out to the end with twinkling stars in the background, deadly missiles below and only just enough fuel dumps to complete the mission. You and your helicopter must brave it all.

Whilst the first level soon becomes a doddle, it's not all that easy to complete the second or manage to get the promised booty.

Chunky graphics, stereotypical sound, but easy to get the hang of and fun to play.

Bob Wade