Rockman

Your Sinclair

Graphics 7/10

Playability 9/10

Value For Money 8/10

Addictiveness 10/10

Overall 8/10

Luke C 8/10

Mastertronic £1.99 Reviewer: Luke C Here's yet another additon to the longline of Manic Miner clones where the game's addictiveness more than compensates for the lousy graphics. As the Rockman, you have to tear around the screen eating mushrooms and avoiding the ghoulish smiling faces that seem to follow you wherever you go. I say 'seem to follow you' because they do have quite a strict routine of movement which can, after a while, be predicted. Rockman can move incredibly fast when he wants to, but he can also be controlled accurately. Once you reach certain levels, you're assigned a password which means you can bypass the easy and familiar levels and start on unknown territory right away. Overall, not one of the best arcade games I've seen but, if you're looking for a game to while away an hour or two, Rockman comes highly recommended.

Read it at Your Sinclair Rock'n'Roll Years

Crash

Use of Computer 73%

Graphics 69%

Playability 68%

Getting Started 73%

Addictive Qualities 71%

Value For Money 75%

Overall 69%

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Producer: Mastertronic Retail Price: £1.99 Language: Machine code Author: Dean Carter, the smiling assassin Rockman is an under-evolved little Troglodyte whose main motivation in life is food. Rock-man knows what he likes and his favourite food is Mushrooms in huge quantities. The mushrooms proliferate throughout the network of caves that Rock-man lives in - a pretty idyllic lifestyle, all things considered, except for the smiling faces. Though of a jolly grimace these vaguely intelligent spritettes spell death for Trog if they touch him. After all, smiling faces have to eat too, and they don't like mushrooms so Troglidytes have to do as munchies for the faces. Though he lives in the stone age, Rockman does possess some form of primitive technology. He has a hammer. Bashing any of the rocks with his mallet causes it to instantly crumble or fall to the floor, depending on what was beneath it. If Troglidyte eats all the Mushrooms on one screen then he's instantly transported onto the next screen where another feast of mushrooms is laid before him, which he just has to eat. Rockman's on-screen antics are represented as a side on 2D view. With spritely vigour he can run along, and drop off, the ledges of rocks that make up the majority of the maze. Also making a part of the caves interior are the vertical red zoom tubes which allow him to scamper up and down between levels. The mushrooms are large red fungi, and it's hard to see how Rockman fits them inside his mouth still, he gobbles them up as he runs over them. Also part of the scenery are the totally inert marble ledges. They don't do a lot and there's not a lot you can do to them. These are usually placed around as barriers or ledges. Another component of the caves are the inanimate skulls, sitting innocently until Rockman is foolish enough to hop onto one, whereupon it's a case of instant dismissal. The blocks of rock in the cave crumble beneath a mighty blow from a prehistoric hammer, unless the space below is empty, in which case the rock falls harmlessly to the next layer. The hammer works by pressing fire and if a block of rock is sitting in the direction Rockman is facing, he'll give a mighty swing and bring the hammer down. If a smiling face is below a rock when it falls to the floor, Rock-man gets his revenge - it's splatted to oblivion. Two smiling faces wander the caverns and if one is killed, another materialises to take its place. The faces roam semi randomly but they do have a slight tendency to follow Rockman, a factor that can be used to Rockman's advantage on the later screens when they have to be lured in the direction you want. Though some people like to take time over their lunch, Rock-man doesn't, and actually needs to consume all the mushrooms present on a screen within a time limit. If he's a good boy and eats them all up, bonus points are awarded according to how much time is left. Upon starting a game you are asked for a password, or to press space. If you've previously completed five screens then a password will be known to you and it's possible to start from where you left off. Fives lives are given for Rockman to stuff himself silly, one being lost for every ill encounter with a cave nasty. Not eating lunch in the time given also incurs a nasty loss of life. Ho hum, just like Crash Towers at dinner time. COMMENTS Control keys: definable Joystick: Kempston, Cursor or Interface 2 Keyboard play: fast and pleasingly responsive Use of colour: no attribute clash, though colour choice a bit garish Graphics: blocky, and pleasantly animated though a mite bit flickery Sound: pleasant tune with some good game effects Skill levels: 1 Screens: 20