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Welcome
to Game of the Week! Each week there will be a
new featured game on this page. The game may be good,
average or diabolically bad, it really doesn't matter!
Just look at the pics, read the text and enjoy the nostalgia!
:-) Game of the Week! is open to contributions so if you
would like to contribute
a game article for this page you're more than welcome
to! Every article we receive will be considered! |
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Z
1985 Rino Software
Programmed
by Chris Butler
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Most
text of the present article comes from the review published
in the eighth issue of the British C64 magazine ZZAP!64
(December 1985). |
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Z
Rino
Software, £9.95 cass, joystick only
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Chris Butler, infamous author of Hypercircuit,
makes a welcome reappearance on the 64with what must
be the shortest name for a computer game ever. Zed
(or Zee as the Americanism has it) is also the
first release from Alligata's newly established label,
Rino Software. So where does such an unusual title come
from?
In
the farthest reaches of the galaxy there is planet,
so advanced it has a powerful defence system that is
totally computer controlled. For many years things ran
smoothly with multitudes of aggressors being successfully
repelled on a number of occasions. Until one fateful
day when something went dreadfully wrong. The computer
malfunctioned and was no longer capable of distinguishing
between allied and enemy craft. Now someone must destroy
the system before it's too late. Thai someone is you
. . . Codename Z.
The
computer is housed within a control ship somewhere in
the fourth dimension. This can only be reached by firstly
battling through three other dimensions, inhabited by
all manner of computer controlled nasties. Well, friendlies
really as they were on your side before this little
mishap occurred. There are three ships at your disposal
and each has a limited energy supply that is depleted
on ramming or hitting anything hostile.
The
zones consist of a multi-directional, multi-screen,
wrap-around playing area with a central transporter
unit. This device is used to teleport to the next zone,
but first the surrounding protective harrier must be
penetrated. Energy Pods are occasionally released and
contain capsules that, when collected, form bombs capable
of holing the barrier, thus allowing access to the teleport
and further levels.
Initially
there are many Defence Ships that attempt to hinder
progress. Each follows an individual movement pattern
and frequently release mines. On the second level there
are evasive Flying Saucims to contend with as well,
while on the Third the aptly named Big Mothers make
an appearance. These require ten hits to destroy them
and have the nasty habit of releasing homing mines that
cannot be disposed of and must be evaded. Meteorites
are common to all dimensions and follow a predictable
pattern, making them easy to destroy. The Control Ship
itself though, has to be shot with five energy bombs
before it is eradicated for good. And even then the
planet will only temporarily he at rest as the whole
thing starts over again, only at an increased level
of difficulty.
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I was a great fan of Chris
Butler's previous work, Hypercircuit,
which consisted of little more than mindless, but enjoyable,
blasting. Z
is of a similar ilk with a few similarities in play
and is as much fun as its predecessor. Graphically
the game is of near arcade standard, with some brilliant
backdrops, especially the lunar surface in the third
dimension. The sound effects are suited to the game
and add to the atmosphere of a fast, frenetic, high
quality shoot em up such as this.
.
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Presentation
92%
Few options but excellent demo/instructions feature
within the program.
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This shoot em up is immediately impressive. Press
fire and before you know it you're zooming smoothly
over an extremely pretty backdrop. Well to be
accurate, I suppose the backdrop's moving under
you, seeing as how your ship stays central. Although
the attacking aliens are exceedingly vicious,
they too are of a very pretty nature. The game
is great fun to play and the excellent inertial
control of the ship makes things very realistic.
Z
is virtually flawless in its execution and Chris
Butler looks like someone who's going to go far.
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Graphics 96%
Brilliant, arcade quality scrolling
backgrounds and sprites.
Sound
69%
Some competent and unusual sound
effects.
Hookability
93%
All the addiction of a great shoot
em up.
Lastability
87%
Plenty of zapping to keep itchy
trigger fingers happy.
Value
For Money 85%
Like having an arcade machine in
your own home, only considerably cheaper.
Overall
88%
One of this year's better blasts.
.
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Htmlized
by Dimitris
Kiminas (28 Dec 2003)
Other
"Games of the Week!"
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