ZX Spectrum Games

ZX Spectrum Games

30 Oct 2009

Spectrum Games - Scramble - ZX Spectrum retro game

ZX Spectrum Scramble
A version of arcade classic Sramble for the ZX Spectrum - called Scramble!

Mikro-Gen (of Pyjamarama fame) released Scramble in 1983 which would run on a 16K Spectrum - and it shows.

When the game loaded up you could choose game speed options which were either slow, medium or fast. Nice customization.

For anyone who doesn't know Scramble - it was a right to left scrolling arcade game and your ship could move in all four directions as well as firing rockets and dropping bombs.

The object of the game was to score the most points - and that was it! (It was 1983 remember). Your bombs and missiles would get points as follows:

Surface to air missile (on the ground) - 30
Missile in the air - 50
UFO - 50
UFO Base - 100
Fuel dump - 150
Final Base - 2500

There were four stages to play through which were missile area, UFOs, Meteors, Fortress and final base.

You began the game with 4 ships to play with and a Bonus ship was awarded once you scored 10,000 points. Throughout the game your fuel was slowly being burned up. The only way to replenish it and keep it topped up was to hit the fuel dumps on the ground (just like the arcade version).

Every dump you hit gave you twenty more 'fuel units'. If you did run out of fuel your ship fell from the sky and crashed and burned Mav.

If you were a bit of a player you would eventually make it to the Final base. This base was at the bottomof a steep hill guarded by 4 UFO bases.

If you destroyed it the game restarted (as usual) back at the first level with increased fuelconsumption and more hazards to avoid. If you failed to destroy it you were given another chance and would come round to it again - this time without any fuel dumps so you had to blow that mother up quick smart.

On Release:
Scramble as we all know was a mega popular arcade game, so versions for your Spectrum were pretty popular. There were other versions released on the Speccy that were far better such as Cavern Fighter and Penetrator. Scramble was never a huge hit and suffered from being one of the poorer Scramble type games.

The test of time:
Well this game was pretty average back then and has really suffered over the years. For a 16K game it's not bad, but Spectrum Games really took off and became a lot more sophisticated after 1983. Play it for nostalgia.

It's Scramble - so it makes it worth a go I suppose.

We recommend getting hold of the real Sinclair hardware but if not then download Scramble for a ZX Spectrum emulator. Alternatively you could try and play it online.

Please see our other ZX Spectrum retro game reviews and programmer interviews - all links are listed in alphabetical order. Cheers guys.

GENRE: Scrolling arcade game
RELEASE DATE: 1983
RELEASED BY: Mikrogen
DEVELOPER(S): Stephen Townsend
PRICE: £5.50- UK

Flying ace Major Lawrence Bartle Frere Scrambles and gets into some classic arcade game action:


Classic Games and Arcade Games

23 Oct 2009

ZX Spectrum Games - Armageddon - ZX Spectrum Classic Game

ZX Spectrum Armageddon
Another Missile Command type arcade game, Armageddon was released on the ZX Spectrum by Ocean Software in 1983.

As was usual for Missile Command type games (it was based on Atari's classic arcade game after all) you had to defend six cities from annihilation by incoming missiles.

The incoming missiles were represented by lines which moved further down the screen towards your cities (you did not have missile silos in this version). This version also featured satellites which would roam across the screen and drop missiles downwards too.

Spectrum Game Armageddon
This game was slightly different from other offerings in the way you launched your counter attacking rockets.

As you moved your targetting cross-hair around and fired, instead of a 'line' shooting up from your missile silo a rocket would actually fly to where your cross-hair had been and detonate on target. This made the game a little different and was actually a pretty cool effect back in 1983!

You only had a finite supply of missiles to play with so being over zealous with the trigger finger was not a good idea.

Armageddon by Ocean on the ZX Spectrum
Your missiles exploded quite nicely with the usual expanding 'balloon' cloud effect which could take out a cluster of enemy objects in one go.

Another unique feature of this retro game was the wrap around playing screen. Missiles could come down at an angle to disappear off the screen only to reappear at the same point on the opposite site. This made planning your next moves more challenging.

As you advanced through the levels the amount of missiles to destroy increased as well as the pace of the game.

Armageddon was actually quite easy to play and the early levels are not too difficult to master. As such it was fun to play but had little lasting appeal as it really should have been more difficult.

On Release:
Well Missile Command games were popular and quite a few were released for the ZX Spectrum. The main downside to any Spectrum versions was the lack of a trackball controller. Anyway - Ocean's effort was pretty good, playable and even had a decent 'arcade' feel to it. It was one of the better versions of the arcade game and was a reasonable hit.

The test of time:
Well here in the land of Spectrum Games we like a bit of Missile Command now and again. This version is actually pretty good, but it is a bit too easy, even for an old-stager like me! Personally I think the best Speccy version is Keith Burkhill's Missile Defence - but this one is definately worth a look.

Give Armageddon a go - the classic arcade gameplay is still there.

We recommend getting hold of the real Sinclair hardware but if not then download a ZX Spectrum emulator. Alternatively you could try and play it online.

Please see our other ZX Spectrum retro game reviews - all links are listed in alphabetical order. Cheers guys.

GENRE: Arcade game
RELEASE DATE: 1983
RELEASED BY: Ocean Software
DEVELOPER(S): Adrian Sherwin
PRICE: £5.90 - UK

Armageddon it...


Classic Games, Arcade Games and ZX Spectrum Games

Spectrum Games - Penetrator - ZX Spectrum retro game

ZX Spectrum Penetrator
Another fine version of the classic arcade game Scramble, Penetrator was released for the ZX Spectrum by Melbourne House in 1983.

As everyone knows, the game was a right to left scrolling shooter and you had to destroy suface to air missiles and radar stations.

Your fighter could move up and down as well as 'thrusting' forwards and 'braking' backwards.

ZX Spectrum Games Penetrator

The game actually went some way to explaining your crafts movements: The minimum height your fighter could reach was determined by the terrain. Your maximum height was determined by the 'fighter aerodynamics', but could also be limited by the surroundings. So when you entered the underground defence caverns, there would be a rocky ceiling to avoid.

Also, due to the forward momentum requirements of your fighter, you could not stop the craft for any length of time - this is why the game was a constant scroller!

Your fighter was also equiped with a forward firing missile launcher (allow rapid fire) and a bomb launcher to destroy ground targets. Only two bombs could be in the air at one time though.

The enemy radar bases added some depth to the game. The bases did not fire at you, but attempted to track your flight path. They would then send more accurate information to the missile launchers making them more difficult to avoid. Destroying the radar bases quickly was an effective strategy to keeping the 'danger level' to a minimum.

Penetrator on the ZX SpectrumThe danger level was displayed on your console, and continued to build as you penetrated further into enemy territory. There was only one sure fire way to reduce the danger level - blowing up the cool sounding neutron bomb store, thereby damaging the enemy missile command centre. Bwah ha haa!

The game was kept fresh by the varying levels (flying through caverns was quite tricky) and differing enemies. Some levels had paratroopers to shoot and avoid - a nice twist to Scramble!

On release:
Scramble arcade games were all the rage when this game was released on the ZX Spectrum and Penetrator was a pretty good version. The game was quite 'customisable' too - allowing you to run training simulations with unlimited lives, re-define the landscape and even alter the positions of enemy missiles and radar stations. Impressive stuff. Penetrator is a true retro game (check out the opening!) and was popular way back in 1983.

The test of time:
Well Scramble is a classic arcade game, and Penetrator is a pretty playable version on the good old Spectrum. We here in Spectrum Games reckon it's one of the better versions and is definately worth a go. It will keep you amused for a little while.

Grab your joystick and give it your best Penetrator.

We recommend getting hold of the real Sinclair hardware but if not then download Penetrator for a ZX Spectrum emulator. Alternatively you could try and play it online.

Please see our other ZX Spectrum retro game reviews and programmer interviews - all links are listed in alphabetical order. Cheers guys.

GENRE: Scrolling arcade game
RELEASE DATE: 1983
RELEASED BY: Melbourne House
DEVELOPER(S): Veronika Megler, Philip Mitchell
PRICE: £6.95 - UK

Flying ace Major Lawrence Bartle Frere cuts through the enemy in some classic arcade game action:

Classic Games and Arcade Games

12 Oct 2009

ZX Spectrum Games - Dark Side - ZX Spectrum retro game

ZX Spectrum Darkside
Darkside was released for the ZX Spectrum by Incentive Software in 1988 was the follow up to their ground breaking 3D game Driller.

Once again the revolutionary 'Freescape' engine was used to generate the explorable playing area - and Incentive managed to make the engine a little slicker in this follow up to their already classic game.

The whole story to the game was based on the Ketars, who had taken 200 years to plan their revenge. This time they had constructed a giant crystal weapon (called as Zephyr One) on Evath's other moon, the excellently name Tricuspid.

Dark Side on the ZX Spectrum
Intended to harness the sun's energy and direct it at Evath, the huge crystal was linked to a series of energy collection devices (EGOs). If the EGOs were allowed to reach full power, Zephyr One would fire and your planet would be blown into tiny fragments.

The mission was to shoot and disable the EGOs. You were dropped into a safe zone on the moon's surface with the minimum of equipment: a space suit, a jet-pack, quad lazers, a shield and a modest supply of fuel.

Tricuspid has 18 sectors including the dark and light sides of the moon. In each, the 3D landscape was observed through the viewing panel of the space suit. Buildings, walls, trees and walkways all stood out from the regular surface of the moon.

You could look up or down, rotate to view objects from any angle and tilt to the right or left. This was all highly impressive stuff on the ZX Spectrum in 1988!

Viewing the impressive playing area of Darkside on the ZX SpectrumTricuspid was a moon of msytique. Weird and wonderful symbols adorned the buildings, tunnels were hidden beneath ground level and a number of places could only be reached by solving a series of puzzles.

The EGO network had to be tackled strategically. A column linked to two other active EGOs regenerated immediately after you had shot it, so only ECDs with a single working connection could be disabled permanently.

Powerporters (which looked like suspended slabs) provided instant teleportation transport. Restricted areas could only be accessed via a telepod, but for security purposes essential telepod crystals were hidden in various places on the moon. You really had to don your explorers hat to solve this game! But that is what makes it stand out as a true slice of classic gaming history.

Ketar defences were forced into action as you made your approach. Detector devices teleported intruders into a prison area while plexors broke down your shields as soon as you were within range of them. Your dwindling power supplies could be replenished by walking into fuel rods or shield pentagons.

Allowing your energy to run down, falling into the grip of the plexors or failure to complete the task in time mean that Evath's fate was sealed.

To complete the game you had to find and disable the final EGO on the dark side of Tricuspid - but this was by no means easy or quick to do.

Darkside was a thoroughly absorbing, immersive and once again impressive gaming experience from Incentive. The 3D landscapes moved even smoother than last time out, and this title was a slick and higly polished piece of software.

On Release:
Well Incentive were onto another winner with this arcade adventure game. The first title had been revolutionary with it's free roaming 3D environment - and this second game was bigger, slicker, smoother and better. Fans of the original snapped it up - and even the relatively high price of £9.95 on cassette did not put Spectrum gamers off.

The test of time:
Well here in the land of Spectrum games we reckon Darkside still has something to offer. Whilst by todays standards the 3D landscape is very simple, we all know that games like this were precursors to todays modern 1st person perspective games. If you can get into the game there is still some atmosphere in here and good puzzles to solve.

Go on... Take a walk on the Dark Side.

We recommend getting hold of the real Sinclair hardware but if not then download this one for a ZX Spectrum emulator. Alternatively you could try and play it online.

Please see our other ZX Spectrum retro game reviews and programmer interviews - all links are listed in alphabetical order. Cheers guys.

GENRE: 3D Arcade Game (Arcade Adventure)
RELEASE DATE: July of 1988
RELEASED BY: Incentive Software
DEVELOPER(S): Chris Andrew, Paul Gregory and Stephen Northcott
PRICE: £9.95 Cassette or £14.95 Disk - UK

Exploring the surface of Tricuspid...


Classic Games, Arcade Games and ZX Spectrum Games

ZX Spectrum Games - Deep Space - ZX Spectrum retro game

ZX Spectrum Deep Space
Another budget game for the ZX Spectrum that was picked up by Kryptronic and re-released.

This rare and early title really is a classic game that stands out from the early era of Spectrum games.

I had this (the Kryptronic £1.99) version and I'm sure you had to type Load "" Code to run it - real early stuff!

Deep Space ZX Spectrum
Anyway, this game was basically a version of the arcade classic asteroids, and for a budget game it wasn't too bad.

As soon as the game loaded it featured 'effects' that were amazing to behold in to the new Spectrum gamer. The way the points you could score for certain objects scrolled onto the screen, the little flying saucer that erased the menu text, the beeping 'close encounters' little piece of music that interspersed the game - it's all retro-tastic!

Anyway - as was usual for asteroids you were dumped slap bang in the middle of an asteroid field and had to blow them all away to survive.

The rocks were in full colour (nice purple and green asteroids!) and your ship was represented as the usual white triangular shape.

You could rotate clockwise and anti-clockwise and also thrust in the direction you were pointing.

Deep Space asteroids game on the ZX Spectrum There was also the hyperspace option which basically made you vanish then re-appear in a random area of the screen. It was usually more of a hindrance than a help.

You were armed with a lazer cannon which fired in which ever direction you were pointing. Larger asteroids which were hit would split into smaller fragments which would fly off in different directions. Of course all debris had to be vapourised.

The screen was also 'wrap around' which was usual for an asteroids type game.

Bonuses were also available by shooting the rapid flying saucers. They were not easy to hit and also took pot shots at you. They used to annoy me anyway.

On Release:
Conversions of arcade classics were popular in the early 1980's and this one wasn't too bad. It was never really a big seller but some folk (like me!) did pick it up on budget re-release.

The test of time:
This game seems really old. I reckon it was probably written in BASIC then translated into machine code by a compiler. It certainly seems that way. It's good for ten minutes, but the format of asteroids is pretty limited anway - and the lack of inertia on your craft is a downside too. This a real lesser known Spectrum game, and was created before the 8-bit genre really took off and diversified. Not bad for nostalgia though.

Fans of asteroids might find it interesting.

We recommend getting hold of the real hardware - but if not then download a ZX Spectrum emulator and download this game for the ZX Spectrum. Alternatively you could try and play it online.

GENRE: Arcade Game (Shoot em up)
RELEASE DATE: 1984
RELEASED BY: PSS Software then Kryptronic re-release
DEVELOPER(S): A Tobias
PRICE: £4.95 then £1.99 - UK

My asteroids are giving me a problem in this classic game:


Classic Games, Arcade Games and ZX Spectrum Games

ZX Spectrum Games - Cavern Fighter - ZX Spectrum retro game

Cavern Fighter ZX Spectrum
Good old Scramble!
The classic arcade game by Konami was given the ZX Spectrum treatment by Bug Byte in 1984.

Even by 1984 Scramble was getting on a bit (we're talking real old school here), but Bug Byte did well with their version.

Cavern fighter was a quite classic version complete with caves, missiles, cities, fuel dumps (for you to destroy to gain fuel and points), defence installations, asteroids and alien fighters.

The object of the game was to penetrate as deep as possible into the caverns of Zragg (great name!) and destroy the evil Dictator’s lair whilst avoiding the automatic missiles, guardians and alien fighters. It was classic arcade action all the way!

All of this had to be accomplished without crashing into the zig-zagging walls and ceiling's of the caverns.

Cavern Fighter ZX SpectrumFor anyone that doesn't know in the game you could move up and down as well as left and right. You could fire horizontally (lazers) and also drop bombs onto targets.

Your fuel level constantly dropped as you flew along the right to left scrolling landscape (you never 'stopped' in this game) and you had to destroy fuel dumps to keep your fuel level topped up.

One difference that this game had over traditional scramble was that you were always 'inside' a cavern - there was always a ceiling to be wary of as well as the ground.

You began the game with three lives and the game was over if you lost them all - or you managed to kick the evil dictators butt clean across the cosmos.

On Release:
Well Scramble was incredibly popular in the arcades - and it was good to have a well crafted conversion on the ZX Spectrum. The game was playable and full of colour - the likes of Crash magazine awared it Game of the Month in April of 1984. Fans of the arcade game picked it up and were generally impressed.

The test of time:
Well Cavern Fighter is incredibly dated - the graphical style gives it away as an earlier Spectrum games release. But even so, it's still fun to play. The scrolling is adequate, the controls are responsive and it takes a fair bit of skill to make it through the varying sectors. If you're a fan of Scramble you could do a lot worse. Not bad and definately worth a go.

The games author never developed another title on the Spectrum as far as we know which is a shame as he was obviously a good coder.

Scramble! Scramble! - and play Cavern Fighter again.

We recommend getting hold of the real hardware - but if not then download a ZX Spectrum emulator and download Cavern Fighter for the ZX Spectrum. Alternatively you could try and play it online.

GENRE: Scrolling arcade game
RELEASE DATE: 1984
RELEASED BY: Bug Byte Software
DEVELOPER(S): John K Jameson
PRICE: £5.95 - UK

Sector one is no match for flying ace Major Lawrence Bartle Frere. Classic arcade action:


Classic Games, Arcade Games and ZX Spectrum Games

11 Oct 2009

ZX Spectrum Games - Arcadia - ZX Spectrum retro game

ZX Spectrum Arcadia
Talk about a classic game!
Arcadia was released for the ZX Spectrum by Imagine Software in 1982 (well before the Imagine name was bought by Ocean software).

Arcadia is an early classic arcade game - and even ran on a 16K Spectrum. It was quite impressive when it was released - and was a lot more advanced than many other shoot em up's from the same year.

This computer game was very simple. You had to wipe out wave after wave of alien nasties. Each wave was a different enemy type with varying movements and characteristics. To reach the next level, you had to survive (with a single life - losing a life sent you back to the start of the current level) until the counter reached ZERO. The counter always began at 99 and counted down.

You had to take care when the counter hit 0 since any aliens left on the screen suddenly dropped straight down to the bottom. Sneaky! This dropping action could easily lose you a life, and you would have to start the level again - which was a bit of a bummer.

Your ship (The Arcadia) was highly manoeuvrable and packed dual lazer cannons which chewed through the alien menace with ease.

Your ship could move left and right and could also 'thrust' upwards, with it's upper limit being the halfway point of the screen - you could go no higher.

Arcadia - classic ZX Spectrum game by ImagineThere were twelve attack waves in total, each wave set for the same period of time and each generally more suicidal than the last.

Once you had completed level 12 the enemies re-cycled and you battled the same wave of aliens from level 1. The game kept going until you had lost all of your lives.

The aliens were all nicely drawn and the game made full use of colour and even had decent (if slightly odd) sound effects for the year it was made.

Arcadia really was one of the first arcade games on the Spectrum, and proved that something similar to what you found down the amusement arcade could be played at home.

On release:
Arcadia was pretty well received when it was released all those years ago. It was addictive and frantic - and really paved the way for shoot em ups on the Spectrum. It ended up being quite a big seller - and for a 16K game it was pretty impressive.

The test of time:
Well the sound effects and the colour attribute clash make this game really dated. But you know, it's still strangely playable. As the last few seconds tick down things can get quite hectic. The controls are nice and responsive and you need quick reflexes to shoot your way through the levels. For a 1982 game Arcadia ain't bad at all. Worth playing again.

This is pure retro gaming - give Arcadia a go. You may be pleasantly surprised.

We recommend getting hold of the real hardware - but if not then download a ZX Spectrum emulator and download Arcadia for the ZX Spectrum. Alternatively you could try and play it online.

GENRE: Shoot em up Arcade Game
RELEASE DATE: 1982
RELEASED BY: Imagine Software
DEVELOPER(S): David H Lawson
PRICE: £5.50 - UK

Blasting through level one in Arcadia - Spectrum Games:

Classic Games and Arcade Games

ZX Spectrum Games - Nemesis - ZX Spectrum retro game

ZX Spectrum Nemesis
Who hasn't heard of Nemesis?
Konami's classic scrolling arcade game must have been one of the most popular coin ops ever.

The conversion for the ZX Spectrum (by Konami) was released in the summer of 1987 - and the reception it received was mixed.

In the game the planet Nemsis was under attack by the eeevil forces of Bacterion. Great names. Anyway, you had to destroy this invading fleet across four levels which were: The forest, space islands (very good for a holiday this time of year), an alien graveyard and the interior of the Bacterion battlecruiser.

ZX Spectrum Games Nemesis
The game scrolled from right to left and you could move your craft in the four directions. You had to avoid and destroy the enemy forces which included fighters, ground walkers and gun emplacements.

The game was all about powerups. Destroying a wave of attackers would leave a credit token which you could collect. Collecting one would illuminate an icon at the bottom of the screen - and collecting more tokens would move the selection on by one 'place'. This way you could choose which powerup you wanted.

Powerups included increased speed, seeking missiles, double cannon fire, lasers and even defensive shields.
Nemesis on the ZX SpectrumWithout any shields collisions with a nasty, a missile or enemy cannon fire resulted in the loss of a life. Losing a life also made you lose all of your powerups - and believe me this could really put a downer on your day.

At the end of each level there was a huge 'boss' to overcome (in classic arcade style), and each one had a method of attacking as well as a weak spot.

On Release:
This conversion of the original arcade game to the Speccy was nowhere near good enough. The arcade game had been very playable and addictive - but this version was sloppy with average graphics (and scrolling), poor responsiveness and only mild playability. It did well just because a zillion people liked the original, but there were far better shoot em ups out there. It wasn't worth £7.95 either.

The test of time:
Well Nemesis was average then, pretty crap now. In the list of ZX Spectrum shoot em up games it comes out way way down. You're probably better off playing something else like Uridium, F.I.R.E or even budget classic Gunstar.

Give this one a go if you really really really have to.

We recommend getting hold of the real hardware - but if not then download a ZX Spectrum emulator and download a good shoot em up for the ZX Spectrum! Alternatively you could try playing it online.

GENRE: Arcade Game (Shoot em up)
RELEASE DATE: Summer of 1987
RELEASED BY: Konami
DEVELOPER(S): Stuart Ruecroft, Cyclone
PRICE: £7.95 - UK

Not even flying ace Major Lawrence Bartle Frere can overcome the Nemisis - we've seen better arcade game action too:


Classic Games and Arcade Games

4 Oct 2009

ZX Spectrum Games - Robocop - ZX Spectrum retro game

ZX Spectrum Games Robocop
Nice shooting son what's you're name?
Ocean Software once again created a movie tie in arcade game - and did so in style with the ZX Spectrum version of Robocop in December of 1988.

The game was also a popular choice in amusement arcades with the version by Data East eating plenty of 10p pieces.

Anyway, Robocop on the Speccy was a run and gun game which captured the spirit of the film pretty well. We are going to concentrate on the Spectrum 128 version which was quite superior to the standard 48K Spectrum version.

Robocop ZX Spectrum
As soon as the game loaded you knew you were in for a treat. Sampled speech featuring the dulcet tones of Peter Weller saying 'Robocop' was followed by a haunting and well composed piece of music which highlighted the capabilities of the AY Sound Chip.

If I remember rightly the game was released at the same time as the movie was on VHS (Video tape!) - a nice piece of marketing.

In the game you (of course) play Robocop (rebuilt from the near dead officer Murphy in the excellent movie).

This arcade game began with RoboCop in a horizontally scrolling section, shooting snipers looking down on him from the windows of building, and eradicating kung fu kicking villains and chainsaw weilding nut-jobs.

You began the game with four lives and an energy level (Robo could take a fair amount of punishment) and the energy meter could be replenished by collecting baby food jars.

Ammunition was limited too but there were extra magazines lying around to use, as well as three special weapons powerups (such as 3-way firing bullets and 'super bullets'). If Robo expended all of his ammo then he could use his fists to fight with. If you're energy level reached zero then a life was lost and it was back to the start of the level.

While on patrol RoboCop is called to the scene of an assault where a woman was being held hostage. Now the game switched to a first-person perspective and you had to shoot the criminal without hitting the woman (just like in the movie). As on each section of the game there was a time limit and a life was lost if you exceeded it.

After that was completed it was back on patrol on the next level with bikers coming after you. Here you also encounter Emil (one of the guys that 'murdered' Murphy), hiding out at a petrol station (again based on the scene in the movie).

Now you had to go to the police stations photofit library to match up a picture (Emil was one of Clarence Boddikers gang). Eyes, ears, chin, nose and hairstyle had to be matched to the picture on the left which was not easy to accomplish in the time alloted.

Photofit matching in Robocop on the ZX Spectrum
Once Emil had been identified information was provided which lead RoboCop to a Drugs Factory (another horizontally scrolling section), and once you had completed it RoboCop learned the name of leader of the gang which killed him - Clarence Boddicker. (Clarence Boddicker must be one of the greatest movie villains of all time eh?).

Clarence was employed by an OCP executive - leading our Robo to the OCP headquarters tower. Here you had a showdown with the legendary ED209.

Overcoming Ed pitted you against more bad guys as you tryed to escape the tower in a horizontally and vertically scrolling section. If you managed to escape then it was on to the junkyard (where Murphy was 'killed'), for a confrontation with Clarence himself.

Killing him put you back at OCP where you had to rescue the president of the company who was being held hostage by the high ranking executive who employed Clarence (it was Dick Jones in the film.)

On release:
Well the movie was hugely popular and the game turned out to be too. Gamers marvelled at the haunting music, sampled speech, nicely animated characters and smooth scrolling backdrops. Robocop managed get the arcade action just right - it was difficult put perseverance paid off. The variety of levels added to the game (it wasn't just more scrolling levels with different graphics) and it was an instant classic game.

The test of time:
Playing this again brought back some memories for me - and you know what it's still pretty good. The developers obviously put some effort into coding this and it shows. It took me a few goes to get the hang of it again (as you'll see in the video - I'm not great!) but it's still pretty playable as a scrolling shooter.

Play Robocop again and uphold the law.

We recommend getting hold of the real Sinclair hardware but if not then download Robocop for a ZX Spectrum emulator. Alternatively you could try and play it online

Please see our other ZX Spectrum retro game reviews and programmer interviews - all links are listed in alphabetical order. Cheers guys.

GENRE: Arcade game
RELEASE DATE: End of 1988
RELEASED BY: Ocean
DEVELOPER(S): Mike Lamb and Dawn Drake
PRICE: £8.95 Cassette or £14.95 Disk - UK

Don't move creep... Robocop - a very fine arcade game:


Classic Games, Arcade Games and ZX Spectrum Games

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