Commodore User


Frantic
By Imagine
Commodore Vic 20

 
Published in Commodore User #3

Frantic

This too arrived without instructions and the game was too complex to work out without help, but knowing how friendly Imagine are I gave them a call to ask for the cassette cover. I was told that they are withdrawing Frantic from sale because of their policy of only having a few games on sale at one time. This being the case I suggest you scout around to see if you can find a copy gathering dust on a shelf somewhere. If I can't find one I'm going to raid the offices of Commodore User to get this review copy back!

You are a lone Space Miner drifting down the gravity well of the giant planet Spectrum (pardon?) hoping to get at the precious minerals in the core of the planet and its moons. You have only your laser and antigravity pack to help you. The local lifeforms naturally resent your presence and are prone to zoom in to attack.

The display of course is up to Imagine's usual excellent and highly original standards; movement through space is simulated by a kind of moving texture gradient which is so effective it nearly gave me motion sickness. Your position and that of your targets is shown by a horizontal and vertical radar display, and the laser zaps and such really smack the retina.

Be warned though, it is a very hard game to play for high scores.