Laserwarp

Sinclair User

Gilbert Factor 6/10

Richard Price 6/10

Memory: 48K Price: £6.95 Joystick: Kempston The prospect of winning £100 for the month's highest score of more than 5,000 may well attract people to Mikro-Gen Laserwarp. The program is another variation on the Space Invaders/Galaxians format. The laser base moves from left to right across the bottom line and you fire away. There are nine progressive screens, each featuring a different bunch of aliens. They will throw bombs and missiles at the laserbase as they slice the sky or whirl around. Some go straight on at you and not all can be blasted, leaving you no option but to race across from one side to the other, dodging all the time. There is a practice mode which allows the player to enter and play on any one of the nine screens. In the final screen the Master, evil threat to the entire universe, swanks behind his force field. If you survive long enough it may be possible to terminate him. The graphics are strong and bright and move at a smart rate. The laserbase fires at a slow speed, so aiming is necessary - you cannot just lay waste whole swathes of aliens. Laserwarp is a tough, zappy program but cannot be called an original concept.

Read it at Sinclair User Magazine Online

Your Spectrum

Johnathan Norman MISS

Mark Manning HIT

Stephen Avent HIT

JOYSTCK JURY Evaluating the batch this month is the Gloucester Computing Club. Any club wishing to offer their services should contact Ron Smith, Your Spectrum, [redacted]. This month's reviewers (all ten of them!) are members of the Gloucester Computer Club and, in alphabetical order, they are: Stephen Avent (28), Andrew Base (15), Robert Ledbury (22), Mark Manning (15), Nigel Newland (13), Peter Newland (15), Johnathan Norman (15), George Price (35), Mike Skinner (30) and Richard Vernon (15). They all set to work with Spectrum, pen and paper to tell us what's right and what's not so right with the latest new releases. THE GLOUCESTER COMPUTING CLUB In a moment we'll get on to the verdicts of our nimble-fingered, boggle-eyed band - to find out which new games are bound for the YS Top 20. But first, some details on the club. It was formed approximately eight months ago by Mr B Ledbury (who happens to be the father of Robert - one of our reviewers) and it's already built up a membership of 35 enthusiasts - ages ranging from 10 years to 'mature'. Meetings are currently held in two rooms at Mr Ledbury's home; one for games evaluation, the other for more serious studies. Membership is free and for more information, contact Mr Ledbury, [redacted]. LASER WARP Mikro-Gen £6.95 The 'Master' has offered a challenge to you to resist his takeover of your pathetic universe. Now it's your turn to try and survive the nine waves of attack, including such horrors as Whirling Dervishes, Interstellar Pogos and Hyperspace Chickens.

Read it at Your Spectrum Unofficial Archive

Personal Computer Games

Graphics 6/10

Sound 5/10

Originality 4/10

Lasting Interest 4/10

Overall 5/10

Peter Connor 5/10

MACHINE: Spectrum 48K CONTROL: Keys, Kemp FROM: Mikro-Gen, £6.95 The Master is trying to take over our 'pathetic universe'. As a 'supposedly competent fighter pilot' you have to defeat this megalomaniac. Basically, it's Gataxians with the twist that there are also objects to avoid as well as kill. Nine attack waves, colourful graphics and tolerable sound. And a £100 per month high-score competition.

Your Computer

Overall 2/5

Spectrum 48K Shoot-'em-up £6.95 Micro-gen Destroy nine waves of attackers including interstellar pogos and hyperspace chickens before encountering the Master - destroy his ship for bonus points. A slow and boring Galaxians-type game.

Crash

Overall 77%

Producer: Mikrogen, 48K £5.95 (2) Author: C Hinsley This is a very simple but effective shoot em up 'Galaxian' type game. Your laser base is assaulted by loads and loads of different alien types which fill the screen with weaponry - the red 'heat seeking' missiles are particularly mean. If you can survive 10 attack waves you are left facing 'The Master'. It works well as a shoot em up and keeps you very busy. In general the graphics are very good with plenty of colour and there is reasonable sound. The inlay claims user-definable keys but there aren't any and you don't need them anyway. No joystick option, 5 skill levels (speeds), 3 lives and progressively difficult if you get through the 11 screens. Overall CRASH rating 77% m/c.

Read it at Crash - The Online Edition

Crash

Use of Computer 88%

Graphics 85%

Playability 78%

Getting Started 50%

Addictive Qualities 80%

Value For Money 80%

Overall 77%

Unknown

Unknown

Unknown

Producer: Mikrogen Memory Required: 48K Retail Price: £5.95 Language: Machine code Author: C. Hinsley Mikrogen claim that this game has it all. It certainly has quite a lot anyway! It is a very simple shoot em up which has you in control of a laser base while every known electronic alien in the universe is falling on you, swooping at you and hurling indestructible missiles of all shapes and sizes at you. 'Paranoia' might be a more apt title! The various aliens (depends on the level of play chosen) each have different movement characteristics and drop different types of missiles, including very mean, red-coloured heat seeking missiles which veer towards the laser base as they get lower, following slightly as it moves away. Surviving ten attack waves leaves you facing 'The Master' who sounds like a nasty piece of work. Should you destroy him, he returns stronger than ever. The universe was never an easy place... COMMENTS Control keys: S/D left/right, ENTER = fire Joystick: none Keyboard play: responsive, but laser can only have one shot on screen at a time Colour: varied and reasonable Graphics: very good Sound: good Skill levels: 5 Lives: 3 Screens: 10 waves plus master

Laserwarp - such a fast game the camera fails to capture the speed of the alien hordes.