RoboCop 3

Sinclair User

Overall 87%

Mark Patterson 87%

SUPER GAME GUIDE Following on from last month's frollicking funderland of fabbo games still available for the Speccy, Mark 'Cor Blimey Guv' Patterson gives us the lowdown on another batch of game greats from the pages of the world's most SU-per Speccy mag. The sheer number and variety of games is bewildering but since bewilderment is Marky's lot he's definitely the best man to give 'em a go... ROBOCOP 3 LABEL: Ocean MEMORY: 48k/128K Price: TAPE £11.99 DISK £14.99 Reviewer: Mike Patterson There are five levels in the game, the first of which is a simple shoot against the drug crazed splatter-punks. On level two there are corporate warriors and even more splatter-punks to contend with. The difficulty increases with each level, leading to a final showdown with the Otoma Nina Robots! The graphics on Robocop are all mono but having said that the animation is of a very high standard indeed. Robocop 3 had a lot to live up to, Robocop 1 spent an incredible six months at the top of the official Gallup sales chart. It does, however, measure up quite well to its predecessors and makes for a very exciting and engaging game. If a little samey.

Sinclair UserSinclair User Silver

Graphics 90%

Sound 76%

Playability 81%

Lastability 87%

Overall 88%

Alan Dykes

Ed Lawrence 88%

Label: Ocean Memory: 48K/128K Price: £11.99 Tape, £14.99 Disk Reviewer: Ed Laurence Pah! You can't trust those OCP people can you? They're never satisfied - no sooner have they built one mass killing machine than they're off building another. It's fortunate for the general populace that their first creation, Robocop, has enough social conscience to try and knock off all his successors - it certainly beats the hell out of relying on a union to provide job security. Sadly, OCP themselves don't take kindly to this sort of profit damaging behaviour by ex-employees, so they have enlisted the help of the Splatterpunks gang to help deal with Robo, as well as throwing their own army of death robots into the fray! Thus runs the plot of Robocop 3, the latest shoot up from Ocean. In each of the five levels that make up the game, you, as Robocop, must put a stop to the evil machinations of both the OCP Corporation and the drug-crazed Splatterpunks by shooting everything you see. The first level is an Operation Wolf style shootout with the Splatterpunks. It takes place on an otherwise deserted street where you must fend off the Splatterpunk attacks and blow the gang members into oblivion. From here, Robocop moves on to the abandoned Rocket Motors factory in the first of the platform levels where he fights against both Splatterpunks and Corporate Warriors. Robo also has his first brush with the new OCP 'bot - a deadly black-clad ninja, who refuses to die! After this, if you manage to get any further, Robocop dons his jetpack for some airborne blasting thrills against the armies of OCP in an effort to destroy the prototype OCP Super Tank! He must then hike it back, once again, to the OCP Tower (avoiding a deadly ground-strafing helicopter gunship along the way), before scaling it to take on the remaining Otomo Ninja Robots - all at once! As you may have guessed, Robocop 3 is very similar in its implementation to its predecessors, no doubt playing on the HUGE success of the first game (which spent more than six months at number one in the official Gallup sales charts!). However, a few novel twists have been added to the gameplay to prevent the formula from becoming staid. The shootout level makes for a pretty good start, packed as it is with (pads of death and an interesting targeting system (you have to lock on to your target before firing). From here, things move on to the more familiar platform format, although Robocop 3 is definitely a lot tougher than the previous games in the series. Unfortunately, some of this difficulty is contained in the fiddly control method which forces you to use space for jump - surely up and fire would have been easier? That aside, the platform levels are still pretty entertaining, with an ever-present sense of purpose adding some atmosphere to the proceedings. The horizontally-scrolling shooting section is quite standard fare, but it does add some variety. Level five is easily the best though, as Robo struggles against impossible odds against the Ninja - you really have to team their tactics and Robo's capabilities to beat them. Robocop 3 has some very nice graphics (even if they are all monochrome), especially on the first level. The animation is also of a high standard and the backgrounds are atmospheric and detailed. The sound isn't so bad either, with plenty of blasting and squelching sounds to accompany the action. Although there's no doubting that Robocop 3 is a fun game, it doesn't really make much of an advancement over the previous offerings in terms of looks or general gameplay. The platform levels may look different in general detail, but they play the same as the ones in the first Robocop game. The slightly iffy control method and the annoying instant-death traps (although they are few) detract from the overall playability of the game as well. Overall though, Robocop 3 is a worthy successor to the series, it is a lot more difficult than the second instalment and, although the plot is wearing thin, it has to be said that this game is worth getting.

Aggh, it's one of those modern type Robocops. Tough, very tough.

And shoot 'em all down. It's not as easy as it may look!

Platform level two. Enemies creep up hot and heavy, like a vindaloo.

Robo 3 uses a locking targeting system. Line 'em all up...

Robot Ninja related japes!

Time for a refreshing acid bath Robo?

IN THE MOVIES Robocop started life as a film from cult producer Paul Verhoevan. The script had been circulated to almost every major producer in Hollywood and was rejected every time - Verhoevan was a last resort of the part of the scriptwriters! Luckily for them, he accepted it and turned it into the multi-million dollar feast of violence and death which we all know and love. Next came Robocop 2 (Hey! Original title!), the first script of which (by the original writers) was rejected. It was thought to be 'too depressing', so Alan Moore, author of the ultra-depressing Watchmen comics, was called in and saved the day with one of the goriest robot movies ever made! Robo is soon to be unleashed in his third screen outing, but this time the rating is set at a lowly PG. In it he saves the homeless people of old Detroit from being exterminated by OCP henchmen who are shooting all the dossers in the city as part of an urban re-generation scheme. Sounds like a bit like a Lassie film script to me!

WONDER WEAPONS Robocop is certainly not defenceless in his fight for justice. He starts the game with his trusty autopistol, although this rapidly becomes outclassed by some of the hi-tech gear packed by his enemies. Luckily, strewn around the landscape are power-up crates. Smashing one of these open reveals either an energy-restoring life-up, rapid fire upgrade, three-way machine gun or, best of all, guided missiles! Although these weapons make life a little easier for our cyborg chum they are limited in their ammo supplies, and so they should be used sparingly.

Crash

Presentation 89%

Graphics 91%

Sound 88%

Playability 90%

Addictivity 88%

Overall 89%

Lucy Hickman 88%

Nick Roberts 89%

Serve the public trust. Protect the innocent. Pay your poll tax. Life's full of fun and frolics when you're a lean, mean, fighting machine like Robocop! Nick Roberts is the one running about with a bucket on his head shouting 'Your move, creep'! Ocean £11.99 cass, £14.99 disk Yup! That baby food eating dude's back on the scene with a brand new game and a brand new face too! Peter Weller, the clever geezer, decided not to star in the third stroll about Delta City so they've had to get a new bloke in. Funny thing is, he's grown some stubble!! Thought RoboCop was supposed to be dead?! Omni Consumer Products, controllers of the police and creators of the copper-topped cop are up to their old tricks again. They helped drug dealers in the first film and started a crime wave to bankrupt the city in the second. Now they've bind a new nay to solve the poor and homeless problem: blew the suckers away (good thinking - perhaps I could solve the CRASH staff problem in a similar way - Ed)! A fierce army of mercenaries have been hired to go into the rundown areas of the city and blast to their hearts' content. To complicate things further, a Japanese company is trying to take over OCP and they've sent a force of robot ninjas to cause more havoc! CRY WOLF, OW WOO! The first battle for Mr R Cop is played Operation Wolf style, the houses of downtown Detroit scrolling by and the streets littered with nasty blokes. Blow splatterpunks out of their windows using crosshair sights. Stop them in their tracks before they lob knives or shoot you in the head for the fun of it (my idea of a party - Ed). Taking shots from the enemy reduces Robocop's efficiency level and gives him a terrible cough! Dotted around the streets and houses (rainbow climbing-) are power-up tokens to collect and use of each level. A picture of a bedraggled Robo on the toilet appears and clicking on his head, arms, body and legs uses tokens to repair damage. Once the punks are well and truly splattered, Big Robo moves on to the Rocket Motors factory. This is played as a horizontally scrolling shoot-'em-up similar to the levels in RoboCop 2. Conveyor belts chug along and bullets come flying from all directions. It's lucky R Cop Esq is fitted with an all-new, super weapon arm with variable attachments and teasmade. Use a flame thrower to barbecue enemies, lob a guided missile in their general direction or laser them into a doner kebab. TALLYHO, CHAPS! Fed up with using his tin legs, Robo pops a jetpack on his back in level three for a quick zoom about clobbering enemies with his size 12s. The trouble with jet packs is they need juice and the trouble with factory ceilings is there ain't much of it about, so the King of Cops soon comes down to the ground with a CRASH (he found a newsagents hovering in mid-air!). There's a horrid tank to dispose of at the end of the level but a quick whizz around with an electric whisk and those fish will be turned into soup!(?!) After all this excitement, Robo decides to take a break and visit an old friend, none other than ED-209 at the top of the OCP tower on level four. Each floor's packed with robot ninjas doing a bit of ninjing (you what?! - Ed) and are connected by lifts at either side of the play area. The confrontation with Big ED is very similar to scenes in the last two games but fans of the dudes will love paying it out all over again. AS SLICK AS SARDINES?! RoboCop 3's another excellent game from Ocean. Packed to bursting point with excellent backdrops and lots of animation, it's as slick as Corky's hair all the way through. To silence the 'Oh no, it's more of the same' brigade, the boys have included a great new jetpack section that takes some getting used to but is great fun to play. And there's Robo's new weapons aim that he can twiddle about with to select impressive firepower. No one's seen the film in the office yet (it'll probably be out by the time you read this) so we can't comment on how closely it follows to the plot. The five levels form a shoot-'em-up extravaganza, so many styles it will keep all blastaholics happy. Any self-respecting fan of the RoboCop sates cannot be without this game. In my opinion, it's the best yet.

At the end of a day of killing innocents, these nasty men like to fly their Robocop kite!

Just look at the workmanship on that drain pipe! Pity Robo's about to blast it into oblivion!

Kylie Minogue's dance troop are really going for it here aren't they? 'I Should Be So Lucky!'

Look out behind you Robocop! It's a nasty ninja bloke. Oh no it isn't... oh yes it flippin' well is!

Nnnnnnnggggg. Phew! When you live on a diet of baby food and scrap iron turds can be right earth shattering!

When it comes to double glazing, you will find that we're amazed. And you nooooo...

ROBOCOP AND FRIENDS… 1. RoboCop: Leader of the gang and the leanest, meanest, fighting machine since the gate crashers at the Europress Impact Christmas party! 2. Metal Mickey: A galvanised dustbin turned upside down, famed for calling Irene Handl a 'fruit bat'. 3. Kryten: The android from Red Dwarf with interchangeable groin attachments and a love for 'Androids', the famous Aussie soap! 4. K9: The pooch with the tin head who stopped appearing in Doctor Who when they realised he was really a toaster! 5. R2-D2: The lovable bread bin from the Star Wars films that beeped all the time (must have swore a lot!). 6. Daleks: How can anyone take a robot seriously If it's got a plunger for a nose? 7. Marvin Dude from the Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, guaranteed to brighten up anyone's day. 8. Cybermen: Strange looking cyborgs from Doctor Who with handlebar ears. 9. Terminators: Hard blokes with lots of pulleys and strings in their arms! Don't mess with 'em! 10. Twikki: Buck Rogers' annoying pal who kept going 'Beedee beedee beedee'! Strange.

Your Sinclair

Life Expectancy 86%

Instant Appeal 87%

Graphics 84%

Addictiveness 85%

Overall 86%

Linda Barker 86%

Ocean £10.99 cass [redacted] Reviewer: Linda Barker If you think about it, Robocop is a sort of distant relation of the tin man in The Wizard Of Oz. They're both good guys, sort of, and they're both a bit partial to covering themselves in base metal. This line of thought raises quite an important question - does Robocop have a heart? And if he hasn't, would he like on. Well, it's a thought. In this, his latest monochrome outing, Robocop turns against Omni Consumer Products, his original maties. But that doesn't mean he's become a nasty baddie, ho no. It's the OCP who are at fault, not Robo. Y'see, the OCP have had grand plans to rebuild the city of Detroit into a decent habitat for decent people. No more crime, no more pollution and no more women with clipboards stopping you outside Woolworths and asking how many pints of milk you buy a week. Yep, if the OCP have their way, Detroit will be full of well-weeded municipal parks and well-lit streets. But 'tis not to be, for the OCP are running low on funds and are taken over by a Japanese company who want all the God fearing citizens of Detroit out of their homes. Boo! It's actually quite easy making people move when they don't want to, all you have to do is get some Splatterpunks in. These beefy chaps shoot everybody in sight and then squat in the houses to fire at unsuspecting citizens from the windows. Now obviously Robocop isn't going to stand for much of this nonsense, he breaks away from the OCP and sets off on a one-man misson to save Detroit. Don you helmet, pull on your metal strides and let's get streetwise! HUNKY PUNKY The first level is an Op Wolf-ish style shoot-'em-up where you've got to move your corsshair around and lock onto the Splatterpunks. There are plenty of these around, they poke their ugly heads out of windows and walh along lobbing grenades at you. As soon as you've got them in your sights, fire and move on to the next one. The cityscape is a monochrome waste, you can scroll either to the left or the right and your aim is to completely clear the street of baddies. There's a little arrow at the bottom of the screen which tells you what direction the next nasty's coming from. This level's incredibly derivative and it suffers from the same problem as most games of this type. Basically, it can be a bit annoying when your crosshair melts into the background and you end up firing randomly. Pshaw! As well as knocking out as many Splatterpunks as poss, you've also got to shoot lots of little credit squares that come bouncing along at various intervals. Y'see, at the end of each level you get a screen showing which bits of Robocop have been shot away. As long as you've collected enough credits, you can repair him and get ready to battle out the next level. Phew! OH NO, IT'S OTOMO! In Level Two you become Robccop, rather than a gunsight. You also come into contact with a rather nasty ninja who goes by the name of Otomo. Despite the fact that he sounds like a particularly crap brand of washing powder, Otomo is a pretty powerful adversary. He stalks a car factory and you've got to jump along loads of platforms and blast him to bits. He takes ages to kill and you've also got to watch out for all the Splatterpunks and Rehabs that are running around. Keep an eye open for the quicksand too, one false step and you'll be swallowing mud! It's a bit on the tough side but you can grab some power-ups to help make life a tad easier. A little disc with a + sign in the middle might not look very useful, but shoot at it and you'll get a luvverly new weapon. These initial power-ups have a set number of shots and don't actually last very long. The thing to do is try and get hold of an infy supply of bullets. There's a little P floating about that'll guarantee this, but it's not exactly easy to track down. Just like in the first level, there are loads of little credit squares knocking around. Shoot them all and you'll be able to give Robocop a good going over later on. MOTOTWN JUNK! Once you've waved goodbye to Otomo it's time to hit the streets of Motwon. The buildings all look like art deco cinemas just after the second world war, in fact Cadillac Heights looks as if it's been completely wasted by swarms of bombers. Through this desolate wasteland flies Robocop, swooping up and down platforms with his jetpack tied on tightly. To make it a bit tougher, the Rehabs and Splatterpunks have got their own jetpacks and the end-of-level baddie is a massive blimmin' tank. First find it, then trash it. Get rid of the tank and it's time to enter the OCP offices. Blocking the entrance is the ED209, he's a real toughie but if you've got this far then you should be able to finish him off. Once in the building, there's oodles of lifts to travel about in and loads of realistic radiators to slip past. At the top of the tower you'll find a couple of Otomos. Ten hours later, if you're lucky, you'll have worn them down and won. Hurrah! Robocop 3 is a difficult game and not one that you'll finish in a couple of sittings. The reason the ninja chaps are so blimmin' hard to beat, is cos they're actually robotic ninjas. Pshaw! Mind you, Robocop's not exactly human so it's not that unfair. Robocop 3 plays well and, despite the lack of colour, it looks good too. The streets of Detroit seem suitably delapidated and there's tonnes of Rehabs and Splatterpunks to shoot your way through. With piles of platforms and windows full of nasties, the whole things looks like a mappers dream. No doubt there'll be a whole bundle of maps and tips popping through the Shed's letterbox when this one hits the shelves. If you enjoyed the other two, I can't see any reason why you shouldn't go and buy this and have a jolly good time with it too.

Gatecrashing the acid house rave, Robo led the partymakers in a rousing chorus of The Floral Dance.

Guilders was trapped: the police had cordoned off the area. Then he had a brilliant idea, and a few minutes later escaped disguised as a glazier.

Luckily for Robo, the ambush was spoiled when Arthur jumped off the platform and stuck his sword in the ceiling.

Robo paused. His cybernetic scanners and specially-programmed sixth sense told him something, something was about to happen.

The Amazing Tumblesome Brothers and Ned were the smash success of the show.

BLIM! The first batch of metal trousers were made for men to enter Windscale. Soon after, they were discarded in favour of jersey leggings.

THE FILLUM Robocop 3, the movie, was meant to be out pretty soon but there have been loads of delays and it won't be hitting the screen 'til September. Somebody who's in the know told us that it wasn't a bit on the duff side. But we won't let that prejudice us.

Read it at Your Sinclair Rock'n'Roll Years