The Micro User
1st May 1987
Published in The Micro User 5.03
Superior Software hasrecently released two compilations ofgolden oldies, and each collection of eight classics also contains a previously unreleased game.
The newcomer onVolume 1 goes by thename of Syncron, a fast-scrolling zap and blast game. Hugging every contour of the planet's surface you weave your way through defence pylons, blasting missile silos, as you seek out the power orbs. Having collected an orb you make your way to the nearest runway to unload your cargo. Collect every orb, destroy the enemy HQ and you can move on to level two.
Syncron takes place over a background which scrolls vertically at a fearsome pace. You control the ship's left and right movement, or you can flip her over and travel in the opposite direction. Unfortunately what could have been an excellent shoot-'em-up is spoilt by the speed of the action - it's just too fast.
Star Striker is a version of the arcade game Moon Cresta, a zap-the-alien classic.
You are the pilot of a three-stage rocket, but you start the game flying the first stage only. After the fourth wave of aliens you are given the opportunity to dock with the second stage.
If you successfully complete this manoeuvre you earn a bonus and continue the mission with the added firepower of stage two of the rocket.
Each time you complete the nine waves of different aliens you begin again, but the bad guys are nastier each time. Star Striker is slower than the arcade original, but just as enjoyable.
In Airlift you fly over a planet's surface in your helicopter, rescuing people and transporting them back tothe Red Cross hostel.
The people cannot be rescued until the enemy tanks, which prowl the surface, have shelled thehouses in which the allied forces are hiding.
As the game progresses you will be buzzed by auto gyros and killer satellites. Airlift, based on the arcade game Choplifter, is just as enjoyable as the day it was released.
'Ello, 'Ello, 'Ello... what's all this then? Smash And Grab is a ladders-and-levels game for the juvenile delinquent.
Money drifts out from a smashed bank window and down the screen. You control the dodgy-looking geezer with the swag bag who has to collect it before it reaches the river at the bottom of the screen.
But out to stop you is PC Plod. With truncheon in hand he will beat you senseless, throw you in the river, then read you your rights. Smash And Grab was hardly a mega game the first time round, but it's fun all the same.
Talking of mega games, Repton should need no introduction to any BBC Micro owner. Playing the green-skinned hero you have to search an underground maze and collect the diamonds hidden there.
The route you take must be carefully chosen - disturbed boulders may fall behind you, blocking your return along the same path.
Additional hazards are monsters which hatch from eggs, and a meagre time limit. Repton is an excellent mixture of dexterity and strategy.
Karate Combat is a game in which you attempt to beat the living daylights out of 16 different opponents, though most of the time it's the other way round.
A total of 16 moves is available to each player, all executed quickly and smoothly by the well-designed characters. Options allow you to practice against a punch bag, fight the computer's contestant, or challenge a friend in a two-player game.
In Wallaby, another game from the arcades, you play the role of Mrs Wallaby and slug it out with the evil monkeys who have kidnapped her baby.
The aim is to climb the ladders to the top of the screen, collecting fruit for bonus points, but avoiding the monkeys and the apple cores they throw.
The sprites aren't as cute as those in the arcade original, but the fun's still there.
The final game, BMX is the only second-rate program in the whole compilation. Ride your bike over the surface of the moon, shoot the aliens, blast the boulders and jump the craters. Boredom sets in within five minutes.
Despite this one duffer, Volume 1 of the Superior collection is excellent value for money.
