Destiny Mission

Your Sinclair

Life Expectancy 88%

Graphics 82%

Addictiveness 79%

Instant Appeal 5%

Overall 73%

Rich Pelley 73%

Oh no! just when you thought it was safe to open YS again it's the return of those Teenage Mutant Hero Flesh-Eating Killer YS Readers' Games from far, far away in... (gulp) SON OF CRAP GAME CORNER Since we made the tragic mistake of running the original Crap Game Corner a couple of issues back, mail has been flooding in by the sackful.* So the good news is that (hurrah!) we've decided to do another one. But the bad news? Well, we all know who was responsible for that last paltry effort, don't we? Hmm. And hard as we tried we just couldn't get rid of him this time round either. Yep, you guessed it, it's that darn RICH PELLEY child again. *Well, one economy size sack really. Hello, readers, and welcome to this, my second feeble attempt at Crap Game Corner. In case you were fortunate enough not to have seen the previous one then listen carefully and I'll explain what it's all about. Basically, it's the bit in mag where you, the beloved reader, writes a game, sends it in and then we have a good old slag at it because, sure as eggs is eggs, it'll be, erm, crap thence the 'Crap Game' bit). Brill or what? However, I think you should be warned that your measly offerings this issue aren't as bad as they were last time - they're worse. So depressingly bad, in fact, that the only (printable) word that I can possibly think of to describe them all is (yep, you guessed it) 'crap'. Crap, crap. crap. Crap crap crap. Crapity crapity cr... (I think we get the idea. Ed) Ahem. DESTINY MISSION By 'Tiny' Williams and available from Williams Technology, [redacted] for the tidy sum of £7.95. Oo-er - this is getting a bit worrying. Some of these games are getting quite funky - far too good in fact for the likes of Crap Game Corner. Including this one, which really is worryingly above average. In fact, I think I'd better have a lie down for a while. Phew. That's better. Basically, Destiny Mission is a shoot-'em-up with you flying along shooting things in a helicopter (but I think I'll refrain myself from all those predictable chopper 'jokes', 'oo-ers' and 'fnars', if that's all right with you) in a horizontally-scrolling affair. There are some quite nice effects as well, for instance a parallax-scrolling background (ie it sort of moves at two different speeds), a 'tune' and things, and lots of little animated doobries as well, which all look rather nice thank you very much. As I've said, Destiny Mission is sort of good and quite impressive for a home-grown effort, although it does get a little boring after a while. However, our chum 'Tiny' claims that he was the very mortal who converted Xenon to the Spec, but I'm not too sure whether to believe him or not. But if he did, then I can see why Destiny Mission is so good. But then again if he didn't, well - precisely. I ask you - was that wicked, cool, fab, ace, happenin', hip, trendy and generally quite good or what? Well, I had a laff anyway. But don't go away thinking that's the end of it all - oh ho no, not by a long way, matey. We will return in Crap Game Corner III - the trequel (ie the sequel to the sequel to the original, if you see what I mean). Oh, providing you people out there send send in some crap games, that is. So don't just sit there, whip out your pinkies and get tapping - then send your efforts here to me (that's Rich Pelley, of course) at the Crap Game Corner, Your Sinclair, 30 Monmouth Street, Bath BA1 2AP for my perusal. Okay? Good. And, well, erm, bye!

Good game, good game! Hold the pack, we'll be right back! (Probably.)

AND THE SCORES AT THE END OF THAT ROUND... Just to add that professional touch, I've cunningly devised a stunningly brilliant scoring system (with a little help from everyone else in the office, that is) to use exclusively for this occasion. So, er, here it is... Technical Ingenuity How well is everything 'done'? If it's full of nice graphics, kooky sound and natty routines then it'll get a high mark. If it's not then it, erm, won't. Achievement This gives some idea of how well whatever was set out to be done in the first place has actually been carried out and done, if you see what I mean. Fun How fun is the game to play?. (Obvious, really.) Crap Factor Okay, so it's crap. But by exactly how much? Three feet deep and rising? Or just enough spread to slap on your bread? Overall Add up the four marks, divide the answer by four and what you get will bear no relation whatsoever to this overall mark (ho ho). Y'see, this bit gives a sort of idea of how well the game would sell if it was released 'properly' to the general public (ie you). So don't be surprised if you get a pifflingly low mark even if I did think your game was a jolly good 'wheeze'.

Sinclair User

Graphics 73%

Sound 89%

Playability 87%

Lastability 86%

Overall 86%

Gary Redrup 86%

Label: Williams Technology Price: £7.95 Reviewer: Gary Redrup Heeelllllp, I'm stuck inside a helicopter armed with only a peashooter and outside are thousands of aliens waiting to blow me to little pieces. I'll just have to get them before they get me. This is my my Destiny Mission. Well as you have already guessed the character you control in this game by Williams Technology is flying a helicopter and your aim is to survive eight levels of alien nasties. The game is a horizontal scrolling shoot-em-up and a good one at that. The scrolling is smoother and slicker than Torvill and Dean on ice. It's similar to Silkworm; detailed images and excellent animation, but where Silkworm fell down, Destiny Mission finds room to truly impress. The background parallax honestly has to be seen to be believed. The graphics are largely clear and detailed, but the background complexity sometimes makes it hard to pick out the enemy bullets. That said, the sprites are well animated, and the alternation of the colours for each level make for some variety. Occasionally a power-up icon appears which gives you a better weapon such as; a laser which destroys everything in sight or a spray gun which fires in two different directions (forwards and down). At the end of each level you are faced with a massive end of level nasty which is very hard to beat especially on the later levels. The third level posed particular problems for me. Negotiating my way through a tricky maze of spinning mines, I seemed to get bumped off for simply being in the vicinity of the deadly objects. I fear it's a combination of the complex background camouflaging the mines and some wobbly collision detection. The sound is pretty brill and it has some of the best spot FX especially on the walking end of level nasty. Destiny Mission is thoroughly addictive and it's got the necessary grab factor to keep you coming back for more. Also, you get just that little bit further each time because you remember where you died and learn how to dodge death. So you won't get grumpy and kick the cat, or throw your Speccy out of the window.

Your first encounter with the end of level beasties. While they're not actually very dangerous, they take a LOT of hits.