Volcanic Planet

Personal Computer News

Lasting Appeal 3/5

Playability 4/5

Use Of Machine 3/5

Overall Value 4/5

Bob Chappell 4/5

NAME: Volcanic Planet SYSTEM: 16K/48K Spectrum PRICE: £6.95 PUBLISHER: Thorn-EMI, [redacted] FORMAT: Cassette LANGUAGE: Machine code OTHER VERSIONS: None OUTLETS: Spectrum retailers WORKING UP A LAVA Thorn-EMI have spread their wings and extended their activities into the Spectrum market with the release of a game of maze-running and bug-bashing. OBJECTIVES You must plant a Plasma bomb deep in the bowels of the underground metropolis on the Planet Zeron. The bomb, when detonated, causes a volcanic eruption which will destroy the city - you, too, if you're still in the vicinity. IN PLAY The game can he played with joysticks or keyboard and any of five skill levels may be selected. Most of the screen is taken up with an aerial view of part of the first level of a red-bricked city. On the right-hand side of the screen are a number of aids. One is a small hi-res map of the whole level - a magenta marker shows your current position. When you are getting close to a lift (which will transport you to another level) the marker turns blue. As well as Plasma bomb and weapon status indicators, there are {our bars giving the state of your life-support systems. Moving off the edge of the display causes the screen to scroll, revealing more of the metropolis. You are represented, unexpectedly, by a black tarantula-like creature while the Zerons are scuttling, purple crabs, they are more numerous than ants on a picnic and will immediately start firing. You can fire back but only in the direction you are facing. Hunting for a lift is aided by the hi-res map but takes time. Power and oxygen can be replenished by moving over one of the power packs and oxygen bottles lying around the city. On the lowest level, you've got to find the volcanic plug, a black shape with a glowing centre. Prime this and get the heck out of there - the bomb has a short fuse! When it explodes each floor fills with lava - you've got to make it to the top before it catches up with you. VERDICT The plot is original and while the graphics are not stunning, they are good enough. There are no sound effects. Being set a finite mission gives the game an added Zing.

Crash

Overall 69%

Producer: Thorn EMI, 16K £6.95 (1) Author: Nick Burroughs It is your task to destroy the evil race of Zerans, who live on a volcanic planet. To do this you must make your way through an underground complex to the depths of the city and place a bomb on the volcanic plug and then make your escape before it goes off. 5 skill levels provide a city with between 3 and 15 floors. The screen only shows a tiny part of the whole with a small map of the entire floor you are on. Floors are connected by lifts which only travel between 2 floors. The Zerans are equipped with blasters and huge crushing slaves. Dotted about are tool repair kits and spare oxygen bottles, but the Zerans will take them first if you're not quick. Your armour and life support is eroded by Zeran attack. The graphics are very good, especially the wonderful blaster effect and all in all this is an excellent maze game with plenty of potential. Lots of control keys, joystick Sinclair and Kempston. One drawback - poor sound. Apart from that, a very good game, overall CRASH rating 69% M/C.

Read it at Crash - The Online Edition

Personal Computer Games

Graphics 8/10

Sound None

Ease Of Use 6/10

Originality 6/10

Lasting Interest 7/10

Overall 7/10

Steve Cooke 7/10

MACHINE: Spectrum 48K JOYSTICK: Optional CATEGORY: Arcade SUPPLIER: EMI PRICE: Ever seen a robot get the jitters? Volcanic Planet is android-infested and boy, do they get panicky when you blast them into little bits and send them to that Great Workshop in the sky. You control a good-guy android as he explores a multi-level maze, moving between levels via lifts that you locate using a small-scale diagram in the top right-hand corner of the screen. The main display shows your location and features scrolling graphics as you move about blasting enemy androids and hunting for such useful things as oxygen supplies and armour repair packs. There are five levels of play, and the higher the level the more layers there are to be penetrated. Once you've reached the bottom of the maze you have to find a 'volcanic plug' and deposit a plasma-bomb beside it. Then it's a race against time to find the lifts and escape before the bomb explodes and floods the maze with molten lava. The program has no sound, and uses the number keys '3' to '0' which makes things a bit cramped if you don't have a joystick. The only reward for success is the message 'Mission Completed that flashes across the screen at the end. The action is fast and smooth however and should afford a few hours amusement. The program doesn't have a recommended retail price so it may be worth shopping around for the best offer.

Crash

Overall 69%

Producer: Thorn EMI, 16K £6.95 (1) Author: Nick Burroughs It is your task to destroy the evil race of Zerans, who live on a volcanic planet. To do this you must make your way through an underground complex to the depths of the city and place a bomb on the volcanic plug and then make your escape before it goes off. 5 skill levels provide a city with between 3 and 15 floors. The screen only shows a tiny part of the whole with a small map of the entire floor you are on. Floors are connected by lifts which only travel between 2 floors. The Zerans are equipped with blasters and huge crushing slaves. Dotted about are tool repair kits and spare oxygen bottles, but the Zerans will take them first if you're not quick. Your armour and life support is eroded by Zeran attack. The graphics are very good, especially the wonderful blaster effect and all in all this is an excellent maze game with plenty of potential. Lots of control keys, joystick Sinclair and Kempston. One drawback - poor sound. Apart from that, a very good game, overall CRASH rating 69% M/C.

Crash

Use of Computer 45%

Graphics 75%

Playability 77%

Getting Started 80%

Addictive Qualities 65%

Value For Money 73%

Overall 69%

Unknown

Unknown

Unknown

Producer: Thorn EMI Memory Required: 16K Recommended Retail Price: £6.95 Language: machine code Author: Nick Burroughs It is your task to destroy the evil race of Zerans, who live on the volcanic planet of Zeras. To do this you must make your way through an underground metropolis to the depths of the city, where you will find a volcanic plug. If you can plant your plasma bomb there, you will blow up the planet. But you must make your escape before the city fills up with lava. Okay? The Zerans resemble purplish coloured amoebas and they scutter round the city complex in company with their much bigger slaves. Often the Zerans will ignore you, but they may try to crush you. 'You' resemble a little black spider. There are five skill levels and depending on which one you select there are between 3 and 15 levels to the city. The display shows you only a tiny part of the whole complex (of one floor). There is a map at the top right hand corner of the entire floor you are on and looking at it gives you a headache! It's huge. Your protection is a suit or armour which wears down as the Zerans fire at you. When it's gone the two other systems, power and bio system, become vulnerable and you die if they fail. Your blaster has plenty of charge, but that too runs down with use. These four are shown as falling bar codes at the bottom of the screen. Here and there in the maze you will come across various objects like tool repair kits and spare oxygen, but you must be quick because a Zeran will take them if he gets there first. To go to another floor you must find the lifts, which are going up and down all the while. When you enter one (wait for it to arrive at your floor) you can activate it but you won't know whether it's going up or down, only the indicator at the left of screen tells you this. Entering an up lift on the top floor replenishes all your armour and power. Lifts only connect between 2 floors, otherwise it would be too easy. COMMENTS Keyboard positions: a lot of keys to use. Direction is a bit odd; 6/7 left/right, 8/9 up down. Zero fires blaster, 5 operates a lift, 4 plants the plasma bomb. Joystick options: Kempston, Sinclair Keyboard play: very responsive in 8 directions Use of colour: good Sound: none Skill levels: 5 Lives: 1 Screens: 15