Computer + Video Games - Commodore Is Awesome

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8-MACHINES: BBC/CM 'eV
8. SUPPLIER: FIREBIRD
8. PRICE: £995
VERSION TESTED: BBC
Iti• REVIEWER: TREVOR
Sentinel
-
satisfaction
t h e
I You'll need the
u
patience
l t i
of a chess player, the
strategy of a general and the
m
skills
a t
of
e
a hacker to work your
iway
through the 10,000
n landscaped screens of
gSentinel's
world.
a
You become a robot — the
only way you can move about
m
the chequerboard world you
e
find yourself in is by
teleporting. Your task is to wipe
out the Sentinel, a strange
mechanoid being with
awesome powers.
Each landscape is composed
of three-dimensional solids
arranged to form hills, valleys
and plateaux.
There are trees— the basic
unit of energy which should be
absorbed where possible. To
absorb any object, you place
your cursor on the base of the
square it occupies and press 'A'.
Remember that you too are
▪ MACHINES: C64/128, AMSTRAD
8
, ▪ PRICE: 0,95
• VERSION REVIEWED: C64
- 1* REVIEWER: CHRIS
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2
SENTINEL
safe from absorbtion until an
enemy can see the base of the
square you are occupying. You
will be warned of this by the
scan-indicator at the top right of
your screen.
To teleoort the robot creates
another robot shell (if he has
sufficient energy) and teleports
into it.
If he wishes to increase his
height, he may create one or
more boulders to stand on.
It is best to gain a height
advantage over your enemies
wherever possible.
The Sentinel is usually in a
high position on the landscape.
To absorb him (your sole
objective in the game) you will
usually have to be above him,
and this may involve
positioning your robot on top of
several boulders. He cannot
move, but rotates (clockwise or
anti-clockwise) at Viz of a
revolution per turn,
When he is looking at you
directly — his eyes are a
different colour to the rest of his
body you will be scanned—
as indicated by the guage in the
top right of your screen.
If he can see the base of the
square you occupy this gauge
Tony Crowther, a man who is
known for his many works, has
just come up with a game so
addictive I can't stop playing the
thing!
Kettle is one of the most
addictive games in the world.
Quote that if you like, because I
mean every word.
The first thing that strikes you
is the amazing sound. WE.
will fill up with distortion, if not
you will only be half scanned. If
he cannot see you at all you are
totally safe. When you are being
fully scanned your energy will
be drained one unit at a time,
until you are destroyed, and it is
best to move out of his line of
vision as soon as possible.
There may be several sentries
of these on certain landscapes
and they act and move exactly
like a Sentinel (although they
look slightly different). You will
hear them turning and the
effects of being scanned are the
same, although there is no
indication of when you are
being scanned by more than
one opponent except that your
energy disappears faster. You
Music has created a sound track
so bouncey, springy and loud
it's the sort of thing I expect
from my Amiga. (Stop showing
off! Ed)
After selecting various
options for one or two players
etc, I hit the button to start the
game. Suddenly, I didn't believe
my ears! Rob Hubbard eat your
heart outl With the tune fixed in
my head I proceeded to, er
well proceed, I suppose.
The aim of the game is this.
You must make your way
though the levels (30 in all)
doing one simple thing.
Blasting! Yes, pure,
unadulterated blasting. This is
the sort of game that anyone
can pick up and start playing.
That's what I like.
You are a kettle and you have
to use your weapon — a sort of
ninja death star which always
comes back to you — to blast
large pots which blow lots of
bubbles at you. Inside the pots
you will find an alien, a refueling
must always destroy the
Sentries before you can take on
the Sentinel.
Obviously you should build
up as much energy as you can
by absorbing all available
energy sources. Absorbing a
Sentry is worth one robot, and a
Sentinel is worth one robot and
a tree.
The Sentinel is the last thing
you may absorb, and no other
energy may be taken once he is
gone. After this you simply
place a robot where he used to
stand and hyperspace— this
will reveal a new security code
to you.
The more energy you possess
when you hyperspace, the
higher the new level you can
pot or the can opener.
Contact with the bubbles is
deadly, as it wears down your
energy very rapidly. Once you
have destroyed all the pots on a
level, you will get the can
opener, giving access to the
next level.
This is basically all you have
to do. It's that simple. You can
set the options so that the game
is harder, but that's insane if
you ask me.
The graphics on the game are
simple, but effective. The
colours work well and the
scrolling is first class. It's multidirectional.
For the
unenlightened, it means you