Computer + Video Games - Commodore Is Awesome

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REVIEW/
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M EGAOR HIE M O
BY HOT B
I -1 salawartal
I
n I has advanced in quite a different direction.
Computers and plastic are
unheard a of although machinery is
more p sophisticated than our own.
The result is a dark world of wood
and a steel in which massive airships
and r huge biplanes dominate the
skies
a
and air pollution is thick and
poisonous, the result of thoughtless
mining l and manufacturing. The government
l has only one purpose: to
keep the people from rebellion. One
man e has risen above all this. A lone,
nameless l warrior sick of the evil and
repression in this dark world and
seeking U freedom for him and his family.
n He has built his own aircraft and
armed
i
it to the teeth and alone must
face the might of the faceless rulers
of v his planet. With nobody to help
him, e he takes to the skies in a battle
to end all battles. Brace yourself,
take r your pilot's seat and man the
guns. s The war against the Steel Empire
e is about to begin..
'
A utenVAIIIIIEBAIIIN imirpi
,
Yes! Another horizon-
t
tally scrolling shoot 'em
e
up on the Megadrive!
There are more than
c
enough to choose from,
h
with the likes of
n
Thunderforce and Hellfire
out there, but this
o
game gives the genre a
l
whole new slant. It's all
down to the impressive and highly original
o
graphics-the use of antiquated Sci-fi ideas
works g brilliantly and the detail and attention
y which has been paid to the backdrops
and sprites is amazing - some of the end of
level nasties are truly gobsmacking. Huge
craft drill around the screen loosing off
hundreds of bullets and cranking menacingly
as they approach and the backgrounds
show a ruined and polluted city in
perfect detail. The use of the two aircraft
gives the game more than a little variety
and the urge to see the next level is intense.
The sound is, to be honest, a little
disappointing. Its atmospheric enough
but lust not very interesting. Gameplay is
excellent - lots to do, lots to see and lots to
shoot. The extra weapons are not too inspiring
but you'll need to collect them anyway.
This is the first decent Megadrive
shooter for ages and it's one that blast fans
can't do without!
1)1111
1
'
FRANK O'CONNOR
Pock those up for
weapons and points!
• 'E MI. • • • • • • • • • = • I • IndE ImE nlim•
‘22
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11!
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V Now this guy!.
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PSI.
One notable feature about Steel Empire, is the sheer size of the
baddies. Even the mid level critters are blimmint huge while the
end of level baddies are a sight to be seen and they'll have you
filling your pants with bed-wetting horror as they approach. One
level features a massive hying warship which looks more than a
bit similar to the third level of R-Type. This particular nasty
lakes about a million shots to destroy as you weave in and out
Of its various nooks and crannies. The most horrible baddies
are the ones that run on tracks, as you have to get very close to
destroy them, risking life and limb in the process!
AIRSHIP OR AIRPLANE?
One of the unique features of Steel Empire is the choice of
craft. You can choose to control either a large and unwieldy airship
or a smart and fast biplane. Each craft has different weapons
and handling abilities:
AIRSHIP
- presenting a a large and easy
t
target
a d
for the enemy. To compensate
for this, it powers up
s l u
quickly and has quite a beefy
gselection g i of weapons.
s h ,
It".1- _get
THE BIGGEST
BADDIES IN
THE UNIVERSE
F
'
4- a It
BIPLANE - fast and sleek, but
not very powerful and a ship
for real flyboys. You can
switch ships as you please between
levels, but you'll probably
find a favourite and stick
to it.
WALD
ATCallilt•
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