Game: Bionic Commando
Console: Amstrad CPC 464
Developer: Software Creations
Release Date: 1988
Bionic Commando is the only game in this series of reviews which I haven't been able to play on another console. As such I've nothing to compare it to, but that doesn't matter too much as you'll see. Players control a Bionic Commando with one limb able to shoot and another able to project a telescopic grabbing arm, to aid with platforming. This is a good concept and allows players to reach platforms in any of the 8 joystick directions, as well as shoot enemies who are in their way.
Making their way through levels, players must avoid or kill enemies and find the exit, at which point the next level will begin to load. While the levels aren't difficult, it does take a little bit of effort to figure out where you're meant to be going. There are 5 levels in total, which slowly escalate in terms of difficulty although they never reach a level that's too hard. Controlwise the game works pretty well; it's a little slow like most games on the CPC, but the platforming and shooting concepts are there.
Graphically the game is one of the worst I've ever seen. The player character's sprite is transparent with a black outline, meaning that it easily blends in with anything behind it. At times it's almost impossible to see what's happening onscreen due to the combination of bright clashing backgrounds, and abundance of black outlines. Soundwise there's not a lot to enjoy; the shooting sound effect is pretty standard for the time.
Overall this'd be the classic argument for gameplay mattering more than graphics, if only the graphics didn't get in the way of being able to play the game properly. If you can endure the difficulty of picking out which black line is yours then Bionic Commando has more enjoyable gameplay than some other CPC games, but otherwise I wouldn't bother.
Rating: 27/100
Grade: E
Game: Double Dragon
Console: Amstrad CPC 464
Developer: Binary Design
Release Date: 1988
There are two versions of Double Dragon on the Amstrad CPC. One of them has rather crude Atari 2600 looking graphics, and moves similar to the arcade version of the game. The other version is the one I have. An early indication that the game might not be too good is the fact the there's only one fire button to assign. This means that there's literally only one attack available, a simple punch in the direction that the player is facing.
What's more, the hit detection on enemies is absolutely awful. As a general rule, any punch that looks like it's going to hit will miss, and vice versa. Players can be standing in the same place as an enemy and still hit them, but when a little less than an arm's length away, punches will miss most of the time. Not only this, but regular enemies take between 5 and 12 hits to defeat, meaning that players have to continually press the attack button whilst waiting for enemies to become un-stunned so that they can be hit again.
Graphically the game is pretty poor and looks as if it could have been made in Microsoft Paint, with the amount of detail that's included. As the hit detection is so faulty, it hardly matters how difficult it is to see what you're doing, because even if you could the game wouldn't allow legitimate punches anyway. Soundwise there's hardly anything to comment on; punches sound weak and any other sound effects are fairly standard for the time.
Overall this version of Double Dragon for the Amstrad CPC is one of the worst ports of a game I've ever played. The controls are slow and unresponsive, meaning that it's almost impossible to progress much further than the first few enemies. Luckily you wouldn't want to thanks to the unimpressive graphics, sound and range of attacks.
Rating: 3/100
Grade: F
Game: Turbo Outrun
Console: Amstrad CPC 464
Developer: U.S. Gold
Release Date: 1989
As a big fan of the Outrun series, I thought it'd be interesting to see how the game played on a severely underpowered console. Just like Turbo Outrun on the Sega Mega Drive, the game's checkpoints follow a route through America, from New York to Los Angeles. On the way, players can use the new turbo system to reach higher speeds than normally possible, as well as upgrading their car's engine, grip and turbo system at various points along with way.
Although the framerate is incredibly low (mostly due to the processing power of the console), the game controls fairly well. Steering is relatively easy, and there's no need to worry about most of the other cars on the road as a lot of them can be passed through without any loss of speed. While this could be used as a negative aspect to the game, it'd be extraordinarily difficult to avoid hitting any other vehicles in later stages.
There's not a lot of identifying features to the stages in the game, although they're based in various American cities. Some are blanketed in snow, while others are just bland expanses, only really differing from other locations in colour scheme. Between checkpoints the tape which the game is on must be restarted, and players are told to wait while the next stage loads. This takes about as long as stages themselves, which can be frustrating.
Graphically the game is very pixelated and hardly ever looks good, but it's recognisable as an Outrun game. Musically it's a shame that versions of the original Outrun music couldn't be included, but the song that accompanies gameplay is enjoyable, even if there's no variation between stages.
Overall Turbo Outrun on the Amstrad CPC is an enjoyable game, despite its shortcomings. I managed to complete it on my first playthough, meaning that it's definitely easier than versions of Outrun games on Sega consoles; it's functional however, and that's more than can be said for quite a few Amstrad CPC games. For those who couldn't experience a better version, this is a playable option.
Rating: 54/100
Grade: D
No comments:
Post a Comment