Computer + Video Games - Commodore Is Awesome

FASTER THAN
AEROBLASTER
acade fans might remember
a xtri-op called Aeroblaster.
• en a fairly run of the mill
Strzontal shooter, but had
nce feature that made it
sand out. At certain points in
• ;amis. the scrolling tripled
• speed and you shot through
&genes of tunnels at a breaks
* pace! This feature has
Nen borrowed and used to
C tunnel sequence scrolls from right to left, the opposite dirdCon
from what we're used to - it's all very disorientating but
ea
real hoot when you get used to it?
fPICK
IT UPI
f•
es folks! A shoot 'em up with extra weapons! It's never been
ere
before! Seriously though, to get anywhere in this game,
cex,
11 need to pick up floating icons that shot baddies somet
Woes drop. You start oft with a machine gun and bombs, both
et which can be fired either backwards or forwards. You can
'test i the machine gun in stages, until it finally becomes a
n —assive wave of destructive bullets. Bombs too can be souped
Sap
becoming more numerous, more powerful and larger in
sae These are essential tor destroying some end of level bad-
t
e
e
l
E
m
p
i
r
e
WHO'S . JULES VERNE?
p
Y
stoles Verne was a top French author who came up with emung
science fiction concepts like 20,000 Leagues Under The
Sea, Journey To The Centre Of The Earth, From Earth To The
Moon and lots more besides. What all these books have in common
with Steel Empire is the bizarre concept of what the future
mould be like. All the graphics are reminiscent of ancient illustrasorts
that accompanied Verne's books. It gives the game a very
Peculiar atmosphere and it works a treat. Who says we don't
leech you anything?
if h oh!
Now thet's big
iilicrevrtMin
•
I 'a
s
REV!
Here's quite a nave
twist on the horizontal
shooter format, and a
pretty darned good
game to boot! Steel Empire
is actually quite
original as far as shoot
'em ups go, and most of
that's down to the Flash
Gordon Meets Jules
Verne olde worlde graphics which really
make this cart stand out from the crowd.
Somebody has spent a lot of time getting
the look of this game just right, and I have
to say I've never seen anything quite like it!
Gameplay is very much what you'd expect
- fly along and shoot whatever you come
across but you can't really complain when
the backdrop's as novel as this! The only
thing that turned me on was the sound it's
an ambitious attempt to add atmosphere
which doesn't really come off. That aside,
Steel Empire Is one of those games you'll
probably love, especially if you're looking
for something a bit different!
TIM BOONE
A SWAY 1
1 1 1
M EGADR
GRAPHICS 9 0
SOUNDS 8 4
PLAYABILITY 89
LASTABILITY 90
OVERALL
063