Reviews

One of the most amusing and adrenaline-filled Speccy's games, blending various styles in its gameplay (platformer, beat'em up, shoot'em up), and mixing it with comic book graphics, nice music and irony.

Joffa Smith's masterpiece, in my opinion.

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22 November 2016 review:


by Jonathan Smith, Steve Cain, Martin Galway

I think a new type of game was emerging between 1985 and 1986 which united multilple genres into one gameplay, I'm referring for example to Ghosts 'n Goblins, which merged platform and shoot'em up elements
in a multi-directional scrolling environment, or Green Beret, which, although scrolling horizontally, added a beat'em up element in the form of the use of knife [very short range weapon, as punches and such], and the Green Beret conversion for the Spectrum was the great late Jonathan Smith's assignement before Cobra, and I think there's a clear hint of that in the latter. Cobra, in fact, it proposed again that new type of multi-genre game, stressing the platform and the beat'em up aspects [you start with just your head as weapon, and in fact you're encouraged to "[i]use your head[/i]"], and making it frantic and hyperkinetic, while when you actually manage to gain the most powerful shooting weapon, you feel almost almighty, until it lasts, which one of the reasons why this game is so good - the relief of being able to sweep away all of the silly nasties trying to overwhelm you, including distressing damsels with bazookas, after a vulnerable start. Moreover, although the game is a tie in from the Stallone's Cobra movie, it's all Over The Top, it's a demented spoof of the movie and of Stallone in general, enriched by cartoonish graphics, rhythmycall engaging tunes, persistent jingles and a top notch loading screen. It's initially hard to get into the game, but once you get used to the frenetic pace and the non-stop danger coming from a costant flow of peculiar and lethal characters, then you find a pretty entertaining game. And don't forget that your fiancèe will come to defend you from the nasties, once in a while. Just don't shoot at her, she doesn't like it. Ah, I forgot, beware of the baby carriages, of course.
5/5

p.s. the final part is disappointing, but whatever.

A license deal from one of Sylvester Stallone's less remarkable films, this has very little to do with it which is something of a good thing as it gave Jonathan Smith a free rein to do his own thing.

Thanks to a rather nifty scrolling routine it plays smoothly at an electric pace and your reactions need to be tip top to survive. Unarmed to start with you need to "use your head" to take out opponents which include all manner of things from armed thugs to prams. Get yourself some weapons, hidden in beef burgers for some reason, though and the tables are turned as you can gun down your opponents with relative impunity for a while. Oh, and you've got to rescue some girl as well.

As you might have guessed from some of the elements in the previous paragraph, this game is very much tongue in cheek; I doubt Stallone himself would have approved, which only makes it all the more appealing.

One of the best scrolling platformers/run and gun games for the Spectrum.

It might be lacking in levels a bit (only three) but Jonathan Smith's fast-moving action game remains the best home computer interpretation of the now-forgotten Stallone vehicle and a terrific game in its own right. Gameplay is hectic and imaginative and beating a level feels like a real achievement.

This was surprise to me.Wasnt expecting much as i had heard the film was crap and film tie-in game were always bad.Its great though.Once you get the timing right.I managed up untill level 3 somewhere.So much moving on screen and smooth as butter with a dash of colour.Bloody hard but fun with great graphics and even some nicely done sound.
Beat the crap outta everything game.Yeah!
Nice one Joffa :o)

Not being an action lover myself -I´m much more into mind games- ... this one is really well designed and enjoyable enough. Well done, mate ! A remarkable game, indeed .. !

It looks fantastic but the gameplay doesn't get me. I just found it too difficult to get into it. I remember buying it and being bitterly disappointed that no matter how hard I tried I couldn't get anywhere with it, and today it's no different.

As usual, it's a game from Joffa Smith that looks great. The gameplay however is a bit off. I found this to be a bit difficult and as a result I struggled to make any kind of progress in this and thus I never found much enjoyment in this. Had I'd played it back in the day perhaps I'd enjoy more of this, but I didn't.

Fabulous graphics but too tough for me. Never really liked this much in spite of its brilliant look.

Superb plattform game by Joffa Smith, Martin Galway & Steve Cain.

You're Marion Cobretti, a member of LAPD's elite division, 'Zombie Squad'. You're mission is to rescue top fashion model Ingrid Knutsen from an army of psychotic
killers.

Frenetic action through three sections: The city, a rural area and a factory, where you must finally face The Night Slasher.

You'll find burgers that contain weapons inside and a very useful invincibility pill, being the laser machine gun the coolest and most effective gun.

Once you find Ingrid, she'll follow you till the end of the level unless you fire at her, in that case she'll flee. The level ends when you get all the burgers, rescue Ingrid and clear the section of killers.

A Spectrum classic with an unforgettable tune, excellent graphics with funny characters (including annoying buggies!) and a perfect scroll, with the accurate level of difficulty.