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ACTION R E Fs L A<br />
DR WHO AND THE MINES OF TERROR<br />
Micropower (64<br />
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CLOSELY GUARDED COPYrights<br />
had to be skirted around<br />
in the production of this game,<br />
based around television's most<br />
successful science fiction<br />
series. The BBC seem pleased<br />
to be associated with the<br />
product but I suspect that the<br />
series' creator decided that it<br />
was against the national<br />
interest to tarry with Micropower.<br />
No doubt royalty fees<br />
lie at the heart of this situation.<br />
The result is reflected in the<br />
appearance of, dare I say it.<br />
Dalek-like creatures called<br />
Controllers who guard the<br />
TIRU machine which the<br />
Doctor must disable before the<br />
fabric of the time-space continuum<br />
is torn to shreds.<br />
The TIRU (Time Instant<br />
Replay Unit) is a temporal<br />
editing suite. An instant in time<br />
can be recorded, edited and<br />
replaced for good or evil<br />
sur soses by the use of this<br />
COMMANDO<br />
Elite C-16, Plus/4 E7.95<br />
COMMANDO ON THE C64<br />
was exstremely popular, it was<br />
machine. It is therefore the real<br />
time equivalent of our humble<br />
VHS video system_ The source<br />
of its power lies in rods of<br />
Heatonite crystal which is only<br />
found in sufficient quantity on<br />
the planet Rijar. For obvious<br />
reasons this is where the TRU<br />
has been built and it is now<br />
controlled by the Doctor's<br />
arch-enemy, the Master.<br />
The pre-publicity claims<br />
that the game starts with the<br />
familiar Dr Who theme. Well, if<br />
this is true then rm a toreador.<br />
Maybe, there were more<br />
copyright - problems but<br />
judging by the voicing of the<br />
existing tune it appears that we<br />
haven't missed much. I strongly<br />
advise that you play this game<br />
with the volume turned off_<br />
The good old Police Box<br />
Tardis gradually materialises at<br />
the start of the game and out<br />
pops the Doctor and his new<br />
assistant Spinx. the robotic cat.<br />
i his white feline is an amazing<br />
invention of the Time Lords<br />
and it can wander at will<br />
through the ensuing unobserved<br />
by all except the<br />
Doctor. It is a secret weapon in<br />
every sense of the word and if<br />
lost it will be impossible for the<br />
good Doctor to complete his<br />
mission to destroy the TIRU<br />
and recover the plans_<br />
Splinx can be programmed<br />
to perform a range of tasks as<br />
long as it does not involve<br />
climbing! Whether it suffers<br />
from vertigo or not is not<br />
explained but the only way to<br />
persuade it to go up a ladder is<br />
to force the Doctor to carry it. It<br />
is nonetheless a very useful<br />
beast which can be sent to<br />
recover any item whith is near<br />
one of the markers which the<br />
Doctor can throw around the<br />
place.<br />
Ii is not long before Splinx's<br />
assistance is necessary. After a<br />
short exploratory walk around<br />
the Heatonite mine a dinosaurlike<br />
creature, a Madrag, will be<br />
encountered. Normally this<br />
will first be in the form of<br />
Madrag eggs which hatch<br />
spontaneously as soon as a<br />
suitable food source comes<br />
near. Guess Who is suitable!<br />
The eggs are also jealously<br />
guarded by mother Madrag<br />
and this is a useful key to the<br />
solution of the first of many<br />
problems which must be faced.<br />
The documentation with<br />
the game is superb. an area in<br />
which Micropower usually<br />
excells_ Apart from the usual<br />
loading and playing instruc-<br />
I would be very easy to expect<br />
that a conversion of the game<br />
by the same company would be<br />
of the same high quality. Well it<br />
isn't. The only similarity<br />
between this and the C64<br />
version is the fact that you<br />
control a Commando who is<br />
under heavy enemy fire.<br />
In this version of the game<br />
the screens are static. Before<br />
you can get on to the next level<br />
you have to clear the screen of<br />
enemy personnel.<br />
The first level places your<br />
commando under heavy<br />
enemy fi re from enemy<br />
trerxhes. I said heavy and I<br />
mean it, if you so much as<br />
lull ot scrolling screens and pause for a second you will<br />
excellent sound effects. It probably lose a life, There is a<br />
4.<br />
1<br />
Playability Gra phics Va lue<br />
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For<br />
Money<br />
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tions the pack also includes a<br />
sealed solution to the Madrag<br />
problem, a detailed breakdown<br />
of the main elements of<br />
the game, a map of part of the<br />
mining complex and a printout<br />
of the major objects<br />
encountered in the game. The<br />
final card in the pack is vital<br />
because it gives the code used<br />
to recover the memory capsule<br />
containing the TIRU plans_ By<br />
far the greatest challenge is an<br />
encounter with a controller_<br />
They are fast and persistent in<br />
their pursuit of an enemy. As<br />
long as they can see which way<br />
you went they will give chase.<br />
Fortunately, they cannot climb<br />
ladders or move off the grid<br />
floor which supplied their<br />
power.<br />
The Doctor regenerates<br />
each time he is killed. This<br />
means that he returns to the<br />
TAR DIS or the last Cryogenic<br />
Sleep Chamber (CSC) that he<br />
passed. All of the objects which<br />
have been found and tucked<br />
away in his copious pockets will<br />
be retained but he will always<br />
have to relocate Splinx. The<br />
CSCs have a second, important<br />
purpose. By standing next to<br />
one of these the game can be<br />
saved until another day.<br />
Graphically. the game is<br />
quite pleasant. the casual lope<br />
of the Doctor is particularly<br />
impressive. The challenges are<br />
difficult but logical and, apart<br />
from the nagging music. I<br />
wholeheartedly recommend<br />
this game.<br />
I.G.<br />
simple trick to this scr een that<br />
enables you to get through it<br />
quickly. Dodge all of the<br />
enemy bullets and get behind<br />
the trenches in which the men<br />
hide.<br />
In the second screen our<br />
commando finds himself in •<br />
front of a bridge guarded by<br />
the enemy_ This is about as<br />
much as I can tell you. As soon<br />
as this screen opens, missiles<br />
and bullets are winging their<br />
way towards you, you don't<br />
stand a chance.<br />
In my mind the only<br />
commando that should tackle<br />
this game is one with a death<br />
wish_<br />
S.<br />
C<br />
.
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