ST Format


Wreckers
By Audiogenic
Atari ST

 
Published in ST Format #27

Wreckers

Typical - you've just put your head down for a month's cryogenic -sleep when your space beacon is attacked by alien green blobs. Particularly nasty green blobs too. They eat their way straight through the hull of your space beacon and grow into bigger, deadly, plasma-bolt-firing green blobs. It's your job to save the day by fending off attacking waves of the little wreckers and keep the space beacon transmitting.

Luckily you have a few tricks up your sleeve. Along with your standard issue space-hero anti-plasma chemical gun, you have the services of three combat droids and the ability to produce more. Just as well, really - you soon need lots of them. You also have theese amazing giant hoovers, which such up the plasmodians before they reach the beacon.

Unfortunately your superiors have installed a "safety device" which blows up the joint if you can't clear the infestation quickly. With the clock ticking away, away you spend the game running around in a mad panic repairing the transmitters, shooting plasmodians and controlling the droids.

Wreckers

The space beacon is shown in 3D isometric view and the display scrolls in eight directions. You control each of your three heroes using the standard joystick controls. Some clever programming means you can dart around at a fair lick, although your characters have a very peculiar way of moving. They can only move in four directions and this makes it difficult to control them with much precision.

The graphics are functional and well-designed rather than awe-inspiring. The droids are detailed but your main on-screen alter ego looks a little like a cartoon character. Scrolling is reasonably smooth and fast, and the droids float about nicely. The hoover machine is particularly well done. Sound effects are a mixture of samples and chip stuff and add to the atmosphere well - the mutant monster screams alarmingly as he crashes around, shaking the whole screen. (Oh, didn't I mention the mutant monster? Heh heh...)

Verdict

Wreckers could easily have you pulling out your hairs pretty quickly. It's a frantic rush to save the station from the endless hordes of plasmodians. No sooner have you dealt with one attack or overheating transmitter than another crisis pops up. After some practice, however, the game becomes somewhat repetitive as you learn to deal with each wave of aliens. Particularly annoying is the way you have to use the diagonals on the joystick to move around.

You'll either love or hate the mad dash to save the space beacon from destruction. If you survive the initial difficulties and develop some winning tactics, the game's long term interest is in doubt. But for those who like arcade shoot-'em-ups with tactics, this could be right up your street. It has a sort of manic quality to it.

In Brief

  1. Very similar graphics and playing environment to Escape From The Planet Of The Robot Monsters
  2. Quite an original concept but sadly it's been very badly executed
  3. Joystick controls similar to Brat. Having to hold the joystick diagonally in your hand makes it confusing to work out where you're going

Chris Lloyd

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