Zapping aliens is only the tip of the iceberg
APART from a freeze button and the starter, there are only three
controls on this program - rotate left, rotate right and fire
- as you drive a mini-sub through an unusual sea covered in places
by cuboid icebergs.
The sub has a constant forward motion except at the screen edges,
the control being to change direction by 45 degrees on each key-press.
Very tricky to do, but a fascinating movement once you get the
hang of it.
The action takes place in a midground fashion under the icebergs
but over the background, so it is often obscured and you have
to steer by guesswork.
You are attacked by - as far as I've got — four different types
of enemy which are announced in a sententious manner before each
screen, first one at a time, and then in various combinations.
A program like this can be very annoying, because just when
you think you've got the feel of the control you make a mistake
- and don't get on to the next screen.
In this annoyance lies its charm. It is simple in concept, but
very well implemented.
The compulsion to play it just once more before going to bed
has caused quite a lot of marital upset.
I must go now and have one last game before I send the tape
back to The Micro User.
lan Custard
