Spectron

Your Spectrum

John Hall 4/10

Mark Knight 4/10

Tony Samuels 5/10

Your Spectrum is continuing to scour the country's computer clubs to get the undiluted thoughts, feelings and impressions of dedicated games enthusiasts - thus providing our readers with unbiased evaluations. Any club wishing to offer their reviewing services should contact Ron Smith, Spectrum Soft, [redacted]. This month we visited the Heald Green Computer Club (which meets fortnightly at the Public Hall, [redacted], on Wednesdays from 7.30 to 10.30pm). Three of the club's leading members each played the games we gave them for review and in some cases found them so well-conceived and written, went completely over the top with the superlatives. In others, the games were deemed to be re-hashes of old ideas and evaluated accordingly. The club was formed four months ago, and has already managed to attract over 40 enthusiasts. All members are being brought up to the same standard of proficiency by the more experienced members who are running formal courses in both Basic and machine code. Membership is offered at a very reasonable rate, and all enquiries should be referred to Tony Samuels on [redacted] (after 6pm). Tony, incidentally, is currently working on a new program for the Spectrum (called Ugh - see Rumbles in this issue) which will be available from Softek in the near future. SPECTRON Virgin Games £5.95 Control the 'Spectron fighting robot' and avoid the various obstacles while blasting the meanie robots to bits; and all this takes place in an area that's contained by an electrified fence.

Read it at Your Spectrum Unofficial Archive

Crash

Overall 77%

Producer: Virgin Games, 48K £5.95 (1) Author: Mark Kirkby Probably Virgins best shoot em up, probably their best game in fact. This is a no-win 'Berserk' type game that demands fast reflexes and a sixth sense to get very far. One reviewer was able to count as many as 216 enemy robots on the screen at one time. Enemies include Swarmers, Speeders, Launchers and Electrons (which leave indestructible electronic fences behind them) Your robot fires automatically when on the move and control is 8-directional. Well thought out, with detailed graphics, very good sound, no joystick option but well placed control keys. Overall CRASH rating 77%. Recommended. M/C

Read it at Crash - The Online Edition

Crash

Overall 77%

Producer: Virgin Games, 48K £5.95 (1) Author: Mark Kirkby Probably Virgin's best shoot 'em up, probably their best game in fact. This is a no-win 'Berserk' type game that demands fast reflexes and a sixth sense to get very far. One reviewer was able to count as many as 216 enemy robots on the screen at one time. Enemies include Swarmers, Speeders, Launchers and Electrons (which leave indestructible electronic fences behind them) Your robot fires automatically when on the move and control Is 8-directional. Well thought out, with detailed graphics, very good sound, no joystick option but well placed control keys. Overall CRASH rating 77%. Recommended. M/C

Crash

Use of Computer 65%

Graphics 70%

Playability 81%

Getting Started 85%

Addictive Qualities 80%

Value For Money 75%

Overall 76%

Unknown

Unknown

Unknown

Producer: Virgin Games Memory Required: 48K Recommended Retail Price: £5.95 Language: machine code Author: Mark Kirkby This is Virgin's best shoot 'em up game yet. You're the latest type of robot and you must survive in an arena filled with hostile enemies. There are Swarmers and Speeders (which home in on you) Launchers which also move about but randomly, second the Launchers fire missiles and which also home in on you. And then there are the Electrons, which are not small BBC type computer, but a rather nasty form of robot which leave virtually indestructible electronic fences behind them. Your robot, Spectron, assembles in the centre of the screen after the nasties have been rapidly dotted in. It can move and fire in eight directions - move and fire being the operative words, since it only fires when moving. GENERAL The control keys are sensibly placed being, Q/A for up/down and V/B for left/right. There is no fire key, as firing is automatic in the direction of movement. No standard joystick option has been provided. COMMENTS Keyboard positions: sensible Joystick options: none provided Keyboard play: very responsive, 8-directional Use of colour: very good Graphics: excellent Sound: excellent Skill levels: how many can you manage? Lives: three

You go 'Berserk' in SPECTRON.

Personal Computer Games

Graphics 5/10

Sound 8/10

Ease Of Use 8/10

Originality 4/10

Lasting Interest 8/10

Overall 7/10

Wensley Dale 7/10

MACHINE: Spectrum 48K JOYSTICK: No CATEGORY: Arcade SUPPLIER: Virgin Games PRICE: £5.95 If machines had emotions, the robot in Spectron would have a persecution complex. 'Spectron' is actually the name of the the robot that you control in this fast-moving descendant of the arcadde game Berserk. The screens shows the arena where the action takes place, lightly peppered with electric blocks that can sizzle you on contact. 'Spectron' can be moved only by the keyboard, but the keys are well chosen, and movement produces fire in the direction of motion, including diagonally. There are four sorts of enemy androids after you, starting with the red swarmers, whose one object is to head for you and destroy one of your three lives on contact. The first wave has 10 of these, and more appear on each successive level. A few waves on, green speeders appear, who are like swarmers but quicker. Both have a habit of queuing up behind you as you flee, making convenient massacres possible when you turn back. On higher levels, you'll meet launchers, cunning devils who launch missiles shaped like Iron Crosses, which home in on you. Finally, electrons build lines of electric fences, sizzling and almost impassable. Imagine if Acorn got their Electrons to do the same at Sinclair Research. All four types appear by wave 8. There are 9 skill levels all in all, each starting 10 waves above the last. Getting through early waves intact is soon mastered, but by wave 10, sheer weight of numbers takes its toll. Theoretically, you could blast your way right through to wave 99, but that's a pretty tall order. The waves come on thick and fast, the enemy androids multiplying like babies in a Bombay slum. After each wave, you score is calculated on-screen. Apart from points per kill, there's a big potential time bonus as well as an efficiency bonus. The calculation of the bonuses is accompanied by sounds like a crazed electronic cash register during a Harrods sale. Then the next wave is itemized before being let loose on you. Spectron is as addictive and challenging as games come, and is of true arcade quality.

Sinclair User

Gilbert Factor 6/10

FIGHTING ENEMY ROBOTS CAN AFFECT YOUR HEALTH The arena is filled with hostile robots as you, the Last of a race of fighting robots, battle for your life. In Spectron, for the 48K Spectrum, your laser gun is on automatic and will fire as you move. With luck - and just a hint of skill - you should be able to destroy the enemy and prepare for the next battle. The game sounds simple so far but in playing you have to take account of a number of factors which will affect your health, such as energy. You also have to tolerate a potential score which seems to get higher and higher. Virgin Games, the manufacturer, has some accurate figures on the statistics of the game. You can have up to 54 robots and missiles on the screen at once, which is not good news for the lone survivor of a race of tin cans. It is, however, surprisingly easy to pass the first levels without too much trouble but after that the evil robots could gain the upper hand, or claw. If you play the game for long enough you will become addicted. It is simple but you will always want to reach one level higher every time. Spectron is produced by Virgin Games and can be obtained from Boots, Menzies and Dixons. It costs £5.95.

Read it at Sinclair User Magazine Online