MACHINE: Spectrum 48K
CONTROL: Keys, Kemp, Curs
FROM: Atarisoft, £9.95

AMAZING ROBOTICS

Robotron tans are going to be in seventh heaven over this game, and the uniniated will discover why it's still wowing the zappers in the arcades.

You are the human race's last hope and must save small groups of people from the the robots who have rebelled against their former masters. These hapless humanoids wander around a single screen with you, deadly mines and a whole host of rampaging robots for company.

Materalising in the middle of the screen you are immediately surrounded by hordes of Grunts. You move rapidly around the screen shooting in your direction of movement. You have to zap the robots before they can touch you and try to pick up the humans for large bonuses.

The hardest initial task is to get away from the centre by firing 360 degrees all around you. Having got some breathing space you can move to the sides and pick the droids off easily.

The second wave introduces large green Hulks which are indestructible but slow moving. These kill your bonus-providing family and all you can do is avoid them.

As if all that were not enough there are red pulsing Spheroids which after a while mutate to produce little blue robots. These home in on you and shoot With unnerving accuracy, so if you do not shoot Spheroids quickly you are in big trouble.

A more sinister opponent, Brains, appears on the fifth wave and can turn your family's mother against you and into a deadly flashing android. They're slow though and as long as you are careful you can pick them off.

A cool head is called for in tight spots and even the most impossible-looking trap can be escaped from with rapid and accurate fire.

The game is an absolute masterpiece of programming and is amazingly close to the arcade original. The action is fantastically fast and furious though you will notice it speed up as you destroy robots so that the processor has less to deal with.

You can start on any of the first 9 waves but be prepared for a rapid end on the higher levels if you have not got some practice in. A nice point is that the robots de-rez beautifully when hit and disappear in a myriad of little pieces.

The game is a brilliant copy even down to the title screens and high score tables and will be a worthy addition to any mega-blaster's collection.

At last! Atarisoft have really produced the goods. Robotron is the finest conversion I have seen from the company. It's fast, mean and true to the arcade original in almost every way.

The programmer is a big fan of the original and actually hired a Robotron machine so his conversion would be as close as possible.

Atarisoft take note! - and give us more of the same..!

TONY TAKOUSHI

I liked this game because it is very similar to the arcade original.

The graphics are small but detailed enough to be satisfying.

Sound is realistic, with a rat-atat-tat-tat of your machine gun every time you fire rounds of your unlimited supply of bullets.

I don't know why, but when you lose a life (which happens a lot) there is a noise which sounds like a car speeding off into the distance.

RICHARD BONIFACE

Yes, I now it's unfashionable to do straight arcade conversions nowadays, but make no mistake, Robotron is a truly excellent game. In fact, If I was Jeff Minter I'd probably call it 'awesome'.

The graphics might not be over-colourful but animation is nice, movement smooth, and you'd be hard pushed to find better sound on a Spectrum game.

I played for hours and couldn't get past the third of nine levels, so I don't think the game will become a dust-gatherer.

Yes folks, charge up those laser blasters and get down to some serious zapping.

PETER WALKER