Zoids: The Battle Begins

Your Sinclair

Overall 30%

Stuart Campbell 30%

REPLAY Why not let Jon Pillar and Stuart Campbell guide you through this month's re-releases? Oh, go on. Please! You won't regret it. ZOIDS Alternative £3.99 cassette [redacted] Reviewer: Stuart Campbell Uh-oh. Apparently someone wrote in and complained last month that I was single-handedly killing the Speccy by giving some rubbishy old re-releases some crap marks, so I'm under instructions from Linda to be really positive this month. Which gives me a bit of a problem, because this game's completely useless. What on Earth am I going to do? I suppose I could wibble on harmlessly about the plot for a few lines, I can't get in much trouble with that... Zoids is a game licenced from a collection of little plastic robot toys that were slightly popular for about five minutes in 1986 or thereabouts. You control a little Blue Zoid who's searching for the lost and scattered pieces of a really big and tough Blue Zoid in order to attack and destroy a horrendously evil big and tough Red Zoid. This you do by destroying little Red Zoid cities (with the aid of remote-control missile attacks) and searching through the rubble to see if there are any Big Blue Zoid bits lying around. Um... (drat, ran out of plot) (I guess I could always try to sound constructive by going through all the game's good points...) There's a slightly entertaining sub-game where you fire a missile at a bad guy and actually have to direct it to the target in a fast-moving 3D-view sequence which is quite good fun, and, er... (drat, ran out of good points.) (Maybe I could mention the bad points really quickly in the smallest number of words possible and hope nobody was really paying attention...) It's incredibly repetitive: the way that your Zoid will refuse to follow your commands if it feels endangered is really annoying; the pixel-perfect accuracy you have to use on the totally invisible boundary of a destroyed city if you want to find the missing bits of the big Blue Zoid is stupendously ridiculous; the whole thing moves painfully slowly; the graphics are totally crap, just black screens with the odd blue oval shape and lots of pointless icons; nothing very much ever really happens; it's one of the most frustrating games you'll ever play; if you do suffer it for long enough to get to the end, it isn't worth it; it's completely... (drat, ran out of space.)

Then on the last lap, Billy span out of control and careened into a crash barrier. Sparks erupted from the engine and tyres exploded across the track. 'No feature!' screamed Billy. (Dramatic, eh?)

BAT BLIM! 'Zoids!' is one of the lesser-known exclamations used by Robin in the Batman TV shows of the 1960s, along with 'Holy One-Piece Swimsuits!' and 'Multituinous Assimilations!'

Read it at Your Sinclair Rock'n'Roll Years

Sinclair User

Overall 4/5

Clare Edgeley 4/5

Publisher: Martech Programmers: Electronic Pencil Price: £7.95 Memory: 48K Joystick: Any The Reds must be wiped out! The battle of the Zoids is about to begin. With the odds stacked in the enemy's favour, can you - a lone Spiderzoid - defeat the might of the Red Zoids and their vicious leader Redhorn the Terrible? The story is long and painful to hear, but if you read the instruction leaflet with care you will learn the pitiful history of the warring Blue Zoids. Stupidly, they wage war amongst themselves instead of keeping an eye on the rapidly growing forces of the Reds, until, at length, the Reds grow in number and strength. At last, with desperation, the Blues load their fearsome killer Zoidzilla into a space craft to carry it with a humanoid into the midst of the enemy planet. Here the plan goes awry. The spacecraft crashes on landing, scattering six pieces of Zoidzilla, each of which ends up under a city dome - one in each of six hostile cities. You, the humanoid, manage to eject from the spacecraft in a Spiderzoid and fuse with that machine to become one entity. Your job is to penetrate the Reds'stronghold and retrieve the pieces of Zoidzilla. As each piece is found, your zoid upgrades in strength and speed until at last you mutate into Zoidzilla itself. Now you can take on Redhorn the Terrible and Mammoth the Destroyer. Zoids - The Battle Begins is a strategic game with an arcade element. You play in a similar manner to Beyond's Shadowfire via the use of windows and icons. Sitting inside your Spiderzoid, you can see nothing of the outside world. Your only view of the battles which rage are through the eyes of your zoid. Your instructions must be conveyed in a way which the zoid can understand and carry out - hence the need for icons, cursors and windows. However, you cannot control the zoid entirely - should you make a move into a dangerous area the Spiderzoid may countermand your instructions and move to a safer place. There are ten cities in all and only six pieces of Zoidzilla, so four are red herrings. Unfortunately, until you have blown all eight city domes in each city out of existence you cannot tell whether you have been wasting your time. Each city is connected by a valley through mountainous regions patrolled by various members of the Red Zoid army. Each city has one power station - its most important feature - a radio beacon to alert Redhorn and Mammoth of the breach of the city defences, and a zoidar mine to produce more zoids. The eight city domes in each city are protected by a power shield from the power station. Your first job, therefore, in each city is to blast the power station which then draws the power away from the domes to protect itself. That leaves the domes unprotected for about two minutes. And so battle is waged, with you trying to storm each city, fight off enemy attacks, identify and destroy the Red Zoids and collect any power pods left in the debris. Play takes place within a long or short range map in the middle of the screen. Using the move icon, place the cursor in the direction you want to travel and press fire. Your zoid, represented by a yellow square, creeps in that direction. This stage is extremely boring - the square moves at a snail's pace. You can perform other actions at the same time, however. If possible, switch to the Radio Beacon icon - that gives a picture of the short range map. Now identify the power station, and send a signal to your base on the Blue planet, which despatches a guided missile to blast the station. The missile takes about 30 seconds to reach target. With the shields down on the city domes you can afford to use the Missile icon and switch to a spot of arcade action. Having identified your target you can now guide the missile through the mountains to the target - represented by a small red cross on the horizon. Your reactions will have to be lightning fast to dodge the mountains. If you destroy the target you will be shown the city on the short range map and the blob you hit will disappear. Now move into that area and search it with your Scanner icon. The scanner will automatically pick up a piece of Zoidzilla if it's there plus any power pods or raw materials - vital to the success of the mission. Your power decreases as you move and fight, and anything found in the debris will replenish those stores. The same technique can be used on the zoids. With your missile ready, move the cursor over one of the tiny moving shapes and fire. A zoid of one type will be shown in the window and you can then blast it. When searching the debris you may well come across ammunition it has dropped to replace your depleted stocks. Another arcade action sequence follows. The window depicts a 3D tunnel with the Red Zoids coming towards you at some speed. You have two tracers which meet at the far end of the tunnel. Moving these left and right, try to eliminate the Reds before they can crash into you. Should that happen the screen will shake wildly to register a hit and your power will rapidly decrease. Other icons are Zoid ID, which identifies objects and Red Zoids; Status which gives you a run down on power, ammunition, damage sustained and the number of pieces of Zoidzilla collected; Guns - largely redundant as the only time you need the guns is when you are being attacked and the computer switches to that option automatically; and Info - again redundant as Zoid ID identifies objects as well. A game with a difference, Zoids is worth a blast if only to see the might of Redhorn the Terrible and Zoidzilla locked in combat. It should appeal to strategists and arcade freaks alike.

A close up view of the city with control icons and power status

Homing in on a City Dome ... and its ultimate destruction.

Your SinclairYour Sinclair Megagame

Graphics 10/10

Playability 8/10

Value For Money 9/10

Addictiveness 9/10

Overall 9/10

Alison Hjul 9/10

BATTLE OF THE ZOIDS Alison Hjul boosts her brain power by merging minds with the ultimate fighting machine. Dare to go where no humanoid has been before with our paranormal review of Martech's Zoids. It'll blow your mind! FAX BOX Game: Zoids Publisher: Martech Price: £7.95 Reviewer: Alison Hjul When first unleashed upon the universe, Zoids were the fiercest war machines ever known to civilisation. Carrying the Zoidaryans into battle from their desolate planet, Zoidstar, they conquered all known worlds... until, with imperial domination secured, Zoid turned upon Zoid. Only when threatened by a new, more formidable fighting force from the Blue Moon - the Red Zoids, led by the audacious Redhorn the Terrible - did the Blue Zoids on Zoidstar unite under their new leader, Zoidzilla. Into this turmoil came Earthman with a plan to merge minds with Zoidzille, infiltrate the Red Zoid city complex and destroy the indefatigable Redhorn once and for all. Bit an enemy spacecraft destroyed his spacecraft, shattering Zoidzille into six pieces, which the Red Zoids buried under different cities. The fate of the Blue Zoids seem sealed, unless Zoidzilla could be rebuilt and the wretched Redhorn destroyed...

ZOID'S EYE VIEW The first inter-galactic satellite TV dish? Nope - it's a scanner, a vital bit of gear since it'll scan the immediate area for crucial objects such as bits of Zoidzilla - whose reconstructions is, after all, the main reason for all this traipsing about in strange parts. This is your Zoid's ID. It's used to identify enemy Red Zoids. When selected you simply need to move the cursor provided over the Zoid you wish to identify and all will be revealed. Now there's a comforting thought! Every which way but lost - this direction finder will let you plot your course ... or plod your course since, judging by the rate at which the cursor moves, Zoid's hardly hungry for a piece of the action. Gen up here on useful info such as how much ammo or Zoidar power you've got left at your disposal. If you feel the urge to examine your surroundings more closely, use this icon to zoom in on nearby objects. Here's your map with your position always shown at the centre. At least you won't get waylaid admiring the scenery - it's dull, dull, dull, except for the whizzo 3D views when you get into combat. Every self-respecting earthman needs a status symbol. Use this one to check up on your ammo, damage and progress - the number of Zoidzilla pieces collected. Earthman call home! If you're yearning to hear a friendly voice, use your radio to contact home base. You can either ask your mates to launch a long range missile against a selected target or to send a spacecraft to pick up Zoidzilla pieces. Hit seeking missiles! At last a chance to show your metal as you use these weapons to zap enemy Zoids and other targets such as Power Plants, Mines, Beacons and City Domes. Believe it or not, this amorphous looking blob represents your guns which are used to shoot down enemy missiles when you're under attack. Thinks are looking up - or down, depending on the Zoid's state of mind. This squiggly line represents Zoidthought - Earthman's and his Zoid's minds merged as one. In periods of calm, it'll ease along but, when the tension mounts - see it move!

GOING GREAT GUNS When warned of a possible attack, don't just stick to your guns - pick them up and use them to shoot down approaching Red Zoid missiles, using this 3D grid to help you shoot straight. But be sure to zap the lot 'cos any missile you fail to hit will backfire.

IN FOR THE KILL Guide your short range missiles, equipped with natty cameras, through the hills to your selected target - indicated by the red square on the horizon. But watch your step! The menacing mountains must be the enemy's most powerful weapon - you'll need to be a whizz at obstacle courses to avoid rushing headlong into them and thus disappearing in a puff of smoke...

ON THE MOVE Earthman has survived and ha merged minds with a small Spiderzoid. Thus, he not only controls the Zoid - he is the Zoid. Stranded in the heart of Red Zoid territory, you, as the Zoid, must set forth on your mission to recover the six pieces of Zoidzilla, merge minds with this mega machine and annihilate Redhorn The Terrible once and for all. Your task is a tough one. The pieces could lie within any of the eight City Networks spread across Red Zoid territory. Starting off in a valley, embedded between two impassable mountain ranges, you can use the cross on the map to trace out the route you want the Zoid to follow.

Slitherzoid This oily sycophant taxis between Mines, Power Plants and City Domes, delivering raw materials and Zoidar power pods. Hellrunner Long-legged and swift of foot, this Red Zoid messenger has no means of attack so it'll wander around important locations, hurtling off to get help when the enemy strikes. Redhorn The Terrible The biggest baddy of 'em all - the Red Zoid Imperial Leader and the Blue Zoids' ultimate target. Mammoth The Destroyer Roaming between the city networks, this Blue Zoid defector has ultra-sonic ears to detect signals transmitted from the Beacons. Spineback A merciless creature, hell-bend on killing, the Spineback hangs around inside City Domes, waiting to be altered by Hellrunners. Serpent This repugnant, yet irreplacable, reptile patrols at random, looking for intruders to satisfy its bloodlust.

TARGET PRACTICE By moving the cross over your target, you've opted to destroy one of the city network's eight City Domes, the powerful defensive force where androids slave away, building new Red Zoids. Each city network also contains a Power Plant which provides Red Zoid nosh, Zoidar Power; a Mine, to provide the essentials to build Red Zoids; and a Beacon to alter arch Zoids, Redhorn the Terrible and Mammoth the Destroyer, of impending Blue Zoid attack.

C&VG (Computer & Video Games)

Graphics 8/10

Sound 7/10

Value 8/10

Playability 8/10

MACHINE: Spectrum SUPPLIER: Martech PRICE: £7.95 The battle against the mighty Red Zoids begins with this, the best game from Martech so far. It's another icon driven game - but don't be misled into thinking that your don't need all your arcade skills to beat the game. Fast reactions and quick thinking are essential if you are to succeed in your quest to rebuild the Blue Zoid's super weapon, Zoidzilla. The basic idea of the game is to use your skills to locate the different parts of Zoidzilla, hidden under enemy City Domes, rebuild the mighty machine then seek out the Red Zoid's leader, Redhorn the Terrible, and destroy him. Once you've loaded the game you'll see your Spiderzoid's control panel. You begin in a relatively simple Spiderzoid - but as you find bits of Zoidzilla your machine is upgraded and becomes more powerful. The panel consists of various control icons plus a main view screen which shows various map views of your surroundings depending on which mode your Zoid is operating in. This main screen is your main link with the outside world. You do have a radio link with your home base which is activated by moving your flashing cursor to the appropriate icon. Above the icons and main screen is an ECG waveform readout which represents your Zoidthought. As you are supposed to have merged minds with the Zoid this is pretty important. The game uses a nice windowing technique to report any other messages relevant to the player. The same applies when you decide to launch an attack on a Blue Zoid building with your onboard missiles - or if the Reds are attacking you! Each Red city has a power plant, a mine where more Zoids are manufactured and a radio beacon. All these must be knocked out and the city domes searched for bits of Zoidzilla and the all important Zoidar Power Pods. If you don't get hold of power then you won't last long. You'll also find these inside destroyed Slitherzoids. It's a good idea to call down an attack from your base on the power plant to begin with. This means power will be diverted from the City Dome shields and you'll be able to attack them with your Zoid's missiles. Don't bother to waste your missiles before the power station has been hit. It takes about 30 seconds for your base to send a message - in the meantime watch out for enemy attacks and keep moving. Once you've destroyed a city dome scan the wreckage using your onboard scanner. You must scan all debris - otherwise you could miss something important. Four of the cities don't have any bits of Zoidzilla - but they may have essential power supplies for your Zoid. Zoids is one for those of you who like a game that lasts. This one will keep your interest for some time to come if you're not into thinking games or want instant success steer clear - or try Martech's Crazy Comets!

CrashCrash Smash

Use of Computer 94%

Graphics 95%

Playability 93%

Getting Started 89%

Addictive Qualities 95%

Value For Money 96%

Overall 96%

Unknown

Unknown

Unknown

Producer: Martech Retail Price: £7.95 Language: Machine code Author: Electronic Pencil Company A warlike race inhabited the planet Zoidstar, building complex fighting machines, Zoids, which eventually allowed them to defeat all their enemies in battle. Once the potential for real war was over, the organic life forms developed androids to control their Zoids and one-on-one battles were fought for the entertainment of the populus. Then a freak meteor storm destroyed all living organisms, leaving only immensely powerful fighting machines controlled by sophisticated androids to inherit the planet. A standby Zoid battleforce patrolling a far flung galaxy attempted to return to Zoidstar after the meteor storm with the intention of recolonising the planet, but their transport ship crashed on Zoidstar's cold Blue Moon. Only the Zoids survived, and they soon discovered that the freezing temperatures on the moon meant they'd have to redesign themselves... and thus the Red Zoids were formed, gaining their colour from heat which they radiate. The Red Zoids learnt how to operate as a unified fighting force and decided to return to the Zoidstar and completely destroy the old breed of Blue Zoids. Red Zoid battle squadrons were made ready and the attack followed. The few Blue Zoids that survived initial onslaught regrouped and set about building a new Blue Zoid they called Zoidzilla; the ultimate fighting-machine, capable of challenging the might of the leader of the Red Zoids, Redhorn the Terrible. The Zoid war raged. Then a small and insignificant space craft plunged into the struggle, crashlanding on Zoidstar. Blue Zoid patrol was the first to reach the wreckage and it picked up a humanoid survivor, who was to become known as The Earthman. He soon became skilled in the art of Zoidthought, the means by which a pilot communicates with the Zoid which carries him - indeed he proved to be a fearless and cunning adversary, better than an android when in control of a Zoid. The Earthman drew up a plan which, if successful, would win the war for the Blue Zoids. He volunteered to merge minds with the mighty Zoidzilla and be transported to the middle of the Red Zoid city complex with the aim of destroying their entire base and production factories. Disaster struck - as the Blue Zoid spacecraft containing Earthman and Zoidzilla descended, a missile struck it destroying the craft and scattering pieces of Zoidzilla over the landscape. The Red Zoids recovered the six pieces of Zoidzilla and buried them under six different city domes. With the Earthman presumed dead and with the loss of their mightiest fighting machine, the Blue Zoids seemed doomed... All was not lost, however. The Red Zoids failed to spot a small Spiderzoid scuttling away from the wreckage ... It contained the Earthman. You. You begin the game in that Spiderzoid, your mind merged with the machine's consciousness and in control of its functions (annotated on the main picture). Your mission is to roam the planet, entering the Red Zoid city complexes in order to collect the six pieces of Zoidzilla. Each time you collect a segment of the mighty machine, your Zoid will be upgraded to a more powerful, stronger machine until finally, with all six pieces in your possession, you will be able to merge minds with Zoidzilla. Then you must seek out Redhorn the Terrible and do battle. There are ten Red Zoid strongholds, each containing a number of cities, a mine, a powerplant and a distress beacon. The domed cities are guarded by Slitherzoids and contain other, more powerful Red Zoids which will be released upon you. Spending too long in one stronghold is dangerous - the distress beacon summons Redhorn and Mammoth the Destroyer, if you remain in one place too long, life will get very short! Remember, you are not in control of your Zoid - you have merged minds with it, and use the keyboard or joystick to operate the interface between your mind and the mind of the machine. When you use the icons, windows will pop onto the main display, in the same way as thoughts pop into your mind. Heed them. Occasionally your Zoid will not do exactly as it is told - it is programmed to survive if at all possible. An excellent feature of the game is the fact that a game can be saved out for future playing. The only problem is that the game can't be saved if your Zoid feels threatened... COMMENTS Control keys: definable Joystick: Kempston Keyboard play: responsive Use of colour: very good Graphics: excellent, with a very fast and effective windowing system Sound: reasonable Skill levels: gets harder as you start to cause trouble to the enemy Screens: main display console, with windows and a scrolling map

Guiding your missile home, Left/right to dodge the bits of scenery that get in the way!

Long range targetting map, used when calling a radio strike.

Taking a closer look at one of the features of the city network via the INFORMATION icon opens little windows.

The arcade sequence in which you have to shoot down incoming missiles - accessed automatically by your Zoid when it's under attack.

YOUR CURRENT ZOID. SCANNER Icon. Scans your immediate vicinity for objects on or just under the ground, namely pieces of Zoidzilla and Zoidar power pods. The power pods play a vital function in the game, providing extra energy and ammunition. Sometimes, when you destroy a city dome a power pod can be found in the wreckage. Look for them! ZOID ID Icon. Identifies Red Zoids. When the icon is selected the map switches to short range and a cursor appears. Move this over whatever you want to identify, press fire and two windows emerge from the icon, one showing a picture of the Zoid under examination and the other gives a few brief words of description. THE MAP WINDOW. This shows an aerial view of the locality and has two magnifications - long range and short range. The long range map shows all the features of the landscape and is used when planning the route for your Zoid to take - move the cursor to where you want to be your Zoid will travel there, providing it doesn't find hazards on the route. The short range map shows your immediate vicinity, with you placed at the centre. In this mode the map also shows whether there are any Red Zoids in the locality. As your Zoid moves, the map scrolls. Move Icon. Used to move your Zoid around the planet. The goes into long range mode, and a cursor appears over your Zoid's location. Move the cursor to the place where you want your Zoid to go and press fire. It then follows the course dictated by the cursor automatically (unless it senses danger on the way) allowing you to concentrate on other Zoid functions. INFORMATION Icon. Works like the Zoid icon, except it can be used to call up information on installations - city domes, mines and radio beacons. ZOIDTHOUGHT. The Zoidthought display shows the state of mind of the Zoid. Apparently with practise this signal can be interpreted. STATUS Icon. Select information to be displayed in the STATUS DISPLAY area. GUNS Icon. This is automatically selected by the Zoid if it comes under fire. When the icon is selected a window emerges showing the incoming missiles. A "3D Perspective Enhancer" is overlayed to help you aim the gun and shoot down the missiles before they strike you. Each missile that hits home adds ten percent to your damage. MISSILES Icon. Launches camera-equipped missiles. The map switches to short range and once your target has been selected with the cursor another window emerges showing the flightpath of the missile as seen through the camera. During the flight you have control over a missile's left/right trajectory, and you have to guide the missile past obstacles to its target. A window with a mushroom cloud appears on detonation. THE STATUS DISPLAY. This displays the condition of vital functions - ammunition remaining (missiles and bullets), power, damage sustained and tells you how many pieces of Zoidzilla have been collected. RADIO BASE Icon. This plays an important part in the game since it allows you to radio your home base and dictate instructions. Using this you can request a missile strike on a Red Zoid installation. The missiles usually take around half a minute to reach their target but are very effective and never miss. The other function of this icon is to contact home base and tell them the location of a piece of Zoidzilla if you find one. When you do, a spaceship is beamed down to pick up the piece and your Zoid is automatically upgraded to a more powerful model. The background colour of your display window changes and a new Zoid name appears at the top. The order is Spiderzoid, Scorpozoid, Trooperzoid, Tank, Great Gorgon - finally Zoidzilla himself.

Read it at Crash - The Online Edition