Cyber Zone

Crash

Use of Computer 85%

Graphics 91%

Playability 91%

Getting Started 71%

Addictive Qualities 90%

Value For Money 80%

Overall 85%

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Producer: Crystal Computing Memory Required: 48K Retail Price: £6.50 Language: Machine code With bright colours, fast, detailed graphics and a thoroughly single-minded idea, Crystal have launched an arcade classic with their Cyber Zone. It is a shoot em up which is as original in flavour in his flying saucer which revolves at the top of the screen on its underside is a powerful laser cannon which fires a beam downwards at you. His other weapons include highly maneuverable aircraft that dive bomb with frightening accuracy, and a red spinning-top shaped object that he lowers occasionally. This has the effect of 'jamming' your fire power. The object is to survive long enough with all this going on to wear away the floor of the Cyber Man's saucer, and then hit him In his only vulnerable spot - his left foot! The program has a special feature which allows players to fire the laser with the sound of their own voice instead of using the keyboard, although at the pace of this game it might be a hazard to health through loss of voice! COMMENTS Control keys: CAPS/Z = left/right, SPACE to start firing - It's continuous on auto from then on. In addition, 1 = sound on, 2 = sound off Joystick: none - doesn't need it Keyboard play: exceptionally responsive and fast Use of colour: very good Graphics: excellent Sound: excellent Skill levels: 5 Lives: 8 Features: voice activation (not guaranteed)

The plane swoops in for a bombing run, low over the jamming device just lowered by tractor beam from above. You're the one in purple.

ZX Computing

Documentation 4/5

Addictive Quality 4/5

Graphics 4/5

Programming Achievement 4/5

Lasting Appeal 4/5

Value 4/5

James Walsh

MEMORY REQUIRED: 16K Crystal seem, continuously, to be switching between adventure and arcade style games. One of their first games, Merchant of Venus, was an adventure/trader type game but with moving graphics. Cosmic Guerilla is an arcade game. Dungeon Master is an adventure, whilst Halls of the Things is an arcade game but with an adventure type scenario. Cyberzone is a pure arcade game. Unlike Return of the Body Snatchers, it is not an actual copy of a true arcade game but rather a mix up of many different games. At the top of the screen is a little green man enclosed in a space ship with a revolving floor. By firing at the space ship's floor it will slowly but surely disintegrate. Once it has, to a large enough extent, then you must shoot the alien's left foot! There must be some hidden meaning behind this! Fortunately, the game is not quite that easy. Whilst your base runs along the bottom of the screen, the alien ship also has its own laser running along its base. This will fire on all but the lowest of the fire levels. Often, a little fighter aircraft will be sent out by the alien. These swoop their way across and down the screen, occasionally dropping bombs, which must be avoided at all costs. If a fighter aircraft is hit, it will spin over and dive towards the earth. From time to time, the alien ship will drop a scanner ship into the battle. You cannot shoot them, but the fighter aircraft can be enticed into hitting them as can the alien ship's own gun. These scanner shops do not fire at you, but rather at whatever you fire, hence blocking your fire until destroyed or retrieved by the alien ship.