Producer: Mikrogen
Memory Required: 48K
Retail Price: £5.95
Language: Machine code
Author: C. Hinsley

Mikrogen claim that this game has it all. It certainly has quite a lot anyway! It is a very simple shoot em up which has you in control of a laser base while every known electronic alien in the universe is falling on you, swooping at you and hurling indestructible missiles of all shapes and sizes at you. 'Paranoia' might be a more apt title!

The various aliens (depends on the level of play chosen) each have different movement characteristics and drop different types of missiles, including very mean, red-coloured heat seeking missiles which veer towards the laser base as they get lower, following slightly as it moves away.

Surviving ten attack waves leaves you facing 'The Master' who sounds like a nasty piece of work. Should you destroy him, he returns stronger than ever. The universe was never an easy place...

COMMENTS

Control keys: S/D left/right, ENTER = fire
Joystick: none
Keyboard play: responsive, but laser can only have one shot on screen at a time
Colour: varied and reasonable
Graphics: very good
Sound: good
Skill levels: 5
Lives: 3
Screens: 10 waves plus master

The game works quite well as a shoot em up, and I like the idea of many aliens on screen at one time. The downward scrolling star background works nicely too, and in general the graphics are good. It has well used colours although I thought they seemed a little dull (dark).

A very busy screen, which keeps you constantly on your toes. Strong graphics and plenty of them, reasonable sound and a very lively shoot em up. Two oddities though, the inlay says user-definable keys, but I couldn't find any, and the game hardly requires them anyway. Also the instructions on screen say N/L = Fire, when actually it's ENTER. Still, a very good game with a straightforward appeal.

Laserwarp is the latest and greatest shoot em up game. It's highly addictive and fun to play. This may even challenge Imagine's Arcadia as the best ever Spectrum shoot em up. Extremely good value for money if you like arcade games. Only one niggle - the laser base fires rather slowly.

The 'Master' has offered a challenge to you to resist his takeover of your pathetic universe. Now it's your turn to try and survive the nine waves of attack, including such horrors as Whirling Dervishes, Interstellar Pogos and Hyperspace Chickens.

Mark: The graphics in this game are quite small, but very detailed. Although the idea is just another shoot-em-up clone, the overall enjoyment is high. It's easy to reach the Master, but beating him isn't. HIT

Johnathan: The idea is unoriginal - really just a mixture of several other games - which doesn't hold the interest. MISS

Stephen: A lot of effort has been put into the graphics, and there are a good range of aliens. Playing is fun, and could be addictive. HIT

Producer: Mikrogen, 48K
£5.95 (2)
Author: C Hinsley

This is a very simple but effective shoot em up 'Galaxian' type game. Your laser base is assaulted by loads and loads of different alien types which fill the screen with weaponry - the red 'heat seeking' missiles are particularly mean. If you can survive 10 attack waves you are left facing 'The Master'. It works well as a shoot em up and keeps you very busy. In general the graphics are very good with plenty of colour and there is reasonable sound. The inlay claims user-definable keys but there aren't any and you don't need them anyway. No joystick option, 5 skill levels (speeds), 3 lives and progressively difficult if you get through the 11 screens. Overall CRASH rating 77% m/c.

Memory: 48K
Price: £6.95
Joystick: Kempston

The prospect of winning £100 for the month's highest score of more than 5,000 may well attract people to Mikro-Gen Laserwarp. The program is another variation on the Space Invaders/Galaxians format.

The laser base moves from left to right across the bottom line and you fire away. There are nine progressive screens, each featuring a different bunch of aliens. They will throw bombs and missiles at the laserbase as they slice the sky or whirl around. Some go straight on at you and not all can be blasted, leaving you no option but to race across from one side to the other, dodging all the time.

There is a practice mode which allows the player to enter and play on any one of the nine screens. In the final screen the Master, evil threat to the entire universe, swanks behind his force field. If you survive long enough it may be possible to terminate him.

The graphics are strong and bright and move at a smart rate. The laserbase fires at a slow speed, so aiming is necessary - you cannot just lay waste whole swathes of aliens. Laserwarp is a tough, zappy program but cannot be called an original concept.

MACHINE: Spectrum 48K
CONTROL: Keys, Kemp
FROM: Mikro-Gen, £6.95

The Master is trying to take over our 'pathetic universe'. As a 'supposedly competent fighter pilot' you have to defeat this megalomaniac. Basically, it's Gataxians with the twist that there are also objects to avoid as well as kill. Nine attack waves, colourful graphics and tolerable sound. And a £100 per month high-score competition.

Spectrum 48K
Shoot-'em-up
£6.95
Micro-gen

Destroy nine waves of attackers including interstellar pogos and hyperspace chickens before encountering the Master - destroy his ship for bonus points. A slow and boring Galaxians-type game.