Zeppelin
£3.99 cassette
091 385 7755
Reviewer: Jon Pillar

Let's not bother with the plot - this horizontally-scrolling shoot-'em-up could be sold just as effectively with a completely blank inlay. No, let's skip lightly over the workmanlike background story and move onto what you really want to know.

Okay. You're a pilot. and you've stumbled across an army that's invaded the country without even having the decency to tell anyone. Battening down the hatches, or whatever you do with planes, you set out to single-handedly repel the bad guys.

Q10 encapsulates the best and the worst of the shoot-'em-up genre. It's fast, extremely playable and has well-defined graphics. The grab factor is high, and there's plenty of action on the whizzily busy screen. The designers have planned their game well - the waves of planes appear at the same points every time, so you can get that extra bit further each time.

One particularly commendable feature is that instead of just lying around, power-ups are carried by massive mid-level baddies. This makes the game just that leetle more interesting, as it's hard to defeat the baddies without the very power-ups they're guarding. (Cackle! Cackle!)

On the down side though, there are a lot of things wrong with the game. As with most shoot-'em-ups, the action gets repetitive. There's an attempt to bring in new features with later levels - for example, the missile launchers of Level Three - but it's not enough to avoid the dreaded Apathy Attack. But the most damning fault is the scenery. Some bight spark obviously thought the levels looked a bit bare, and so popped in some rather nicely-drawn scrolling scenery. This serves to brilliantly camouflage the enemy bullets, with the result that you can be shot down without even noticing the danger. Aarghhh!

This is a real shame, as Q10 could have been so much better. Fundamentally, it's a sound little game, and there are some good ideas in it. The trouble is, it's got no lasting appeal. You'll play it a lot the first tine you load it up, but once you switch it off the tape will lie dusty and forgotten.

Label: Zeppelin
Memory: 48K/128K
Price: £3.99 Tape
Reviewer: Garth Sumpter

Ever wanted to jump into a super fast plane, do amazing tricks in the air and then blow up everything in sight with your tankbusting missiles?... Yes? Well, you'd better join the R.A.F. then 'cos that's where the real action is. In the meantime why not try playing a computer version of your dreams.

Q10 Tankbuster, if you haven't already copped on, is an aerial shoot 'em up. And as with most other games of this genre the storyline remains simple; Find 'em and Shoot 'em. Zeppelin's Q10 aircraft seems to be closely based on the A10 Thunderbolt, but of course it isn't one. It flies from Allied bases in the Mediterranean to several local war theatres seeking out good movies and eliminating enemy tank formations, gun emplacements and various types of aircraft (some easy, some nasty and some very nasty.)

The horizontally scrolling graphics are very simple, consisting of black, blue and red objects and sprites yellow or white backgrounds. Although these combinations are reasonably clear it is a pity the programmers didn't take the option of full colour graphics with solid sprites or else purely mono graphics throughout with increased sprite detail. However everything does move around on screen smoothly and response to joystick or keyboard control is immediate and precise.

My favourite bit of gameplay has to be the dive bombing routine. Dip the plane's nose and watch it pick up speed, going into a steep are of descent, then release your bombs. Well, it's not quite electrifying but then it's not bad for a budget game either.

Almost as soon as you begin playing you'll notice that acquiring extra fire power is essential. Q10 is very busy, there can be multiple enemies all on screen at once, all looking for a piece of your hide. From this point of view the game is quite challenging and can get difficult it's just as well therefore that there are weapon power-up options available. Once you shoot down a specially equipped enemy aircraft (like a helicopter) you can pick up a weapon icon. The first time this happens you'll acquire an armed drone which flies above the plane and shoots in unison, effectively doubling your fire power. The next icon you collect will give you another firing drone, flying underneath and further icons will supply devastating cluster bombs.

There are several levels in Q10, over both land and sea. Each one has literally hundreds of enemies and a death dealing end of level guardian. As you've only got three lives to complete the game you'll need to get in a lot of practice to stand any hope of winning.

Unfortunately, although it is a fun game to pick up and play, it is all to easy to put Q10 Tankbuster away again after half an hour or so. It's got little or no addictivity. Sure, there's no lack of action but action isn't everything. The game looks too plain and its unrelenting difficulty level and three life limit means that it's far too easy to get bored. Nevertheless, die hard shoot 'em up fans with quick reacting joystick arms might just find a use for this game.

ALAN:
Q10 Tankbuster is a reasonable blast but there's not really much excitement involved in it. It's certainly not the worst shoot 'em up I've seen for the price but it has a very limited lifespan indeed.