Commodore User


Shockway Rider
By Faster Than Light
Commodore 64/128

 
Published in Commodore User #44

Shockway Rider

This is the kind of game that has the Mary Whitehouses of this world up in arms - real contentious stuff. It's rather violent you see, involves throwing bottles and bricks at people.

The theory is, that having played the game for half an hour, you'll pop throwing to the small screen I'm sure we'd all be a lot happier.

Right, back to the violence. Shockway Riders are mean, "athletic, aggressive and arrogant", they cruise the speeding walkways of the Megacities of the 21st Century. Not only do they cruise, they thump, bash, brick and bottle virtually everyone in sight. Their targets include other Shockway Riders, Block Boys, Cops, Vigilantes and of course innocent bystanders. FTL's game owes much to the adventure of a certain Judge Dredd.

Shockway Rider

The ultimate aim of a Shockway Rider is to go 'Full Circle'. This doesn't mean what you might think, any idiot can get good seats on a crowded night at the cinema. No, to go Full Circle is to get right round the block, without getting yours knocked off.

There are three walkways arranged from top to bottom of the screen, each of which moves slightly faster than the one above. It's quite straightforward. You gather a few bricks from the side of the road, jump on the top walkway and start throwing them. If anyone gets in your way, either bottle 'em, give 'em the old right hand, or leg it to an adjacent walkway.

If you make it round the first block - the North Side, you get to have a crack at the Scrub district. This one is trickier because there are obstacles on the walkways - which move faster. You can also pick up why can't we have games where you get points for kissing cuddly creatures? That sort of thing.

Personally, I must say I'm tiring a bit with that sort of attitude. Let's face it, violent games are here to stay, why not go the whole hog and have a bit (preferably a lot) of good, honest wholesome mayhem. I particularly liked the idea of the innocent bystanders getting it in the neck. Let's show these fence sitters we mean business.

Ken McMahon

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