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	Meganova (Dinamic, 1988) I'm afraid I don't know what the story behind this one is, but I'm sure there's an evil alien baddie who's going to take over the galaxy in there somewhere. It's a standard horizontally scrolling shoot-'em-up, but despite the pretty good graphics and a sweet tune on the menu screen, the game is very difficult - I cannot get past the first level. The playing area is too small, and there are so many alien formations that it's easy to forget what's coming next. There are also a lot of other obstacles which get in your way. More information on TACGR 6
	Megaphoenix (Dinamic, 1991) This is a Space Invaders clone that really isn't very good at all. The aliens that you'll meet include bog-standard spaceships and eggs that mutate into bat-like creatures, and by the fifth wave, you come face to face with the Megaphoenix itself - and it's rather nasty. The graphics are impressive and the techno music is quite marvellous, but getting past the first two waves seems to be a matter of luck, which isn't fair. The shield you get is nearly useless, too. More information on TACGR 4
	Megawar (Genesis, 1990) Get into a spaceship and blast lots of aliens in a quest to save the whole galaxy. This is a standard vertically scrolling space shoot-'em-up - nothing that you haven't seen before. It's a matter of learning the formations and how best to deal with them, as well as the much larger aliens at the end of each level. The graphics are marvellous, although the music and sound effects aren't so impressive. As shoot-'em-ups go, it's not that bad, although there are only four levels, and power-ups are few and far between. More information on TACGR 7
	MERCS (US Gold, 1991) A former US president has been kidnapped while touring central Africa, but instead of sending in an army, the American government has chosen an élite group of mercenaries headed by yourself to rescue him. You must shoot and blast your way through eight levels of non-stop mayhem as soldiers fire at you from all sides. It's a fairly standard shoot-'em-up, but a rather good one. There are lots of weapons to be collected, and there's a good variety of end-of-level opponents to be blown apart as well. The graphics are clear and colourful, the music is OK (but not brilliant), and the difficulty level is just about perfectly set. This is a game that is well worth checking out. More information on TACGR 8
	Mermaid Madness (Electric Dreams, 1986) Myrtle isn't a typical gorgeous, sexy mermaid; she's a tubby, overweight mermaid and has seen Gormless Gordon the diver. Unfortunately for Myrtle, Gordon doesn't want to marry her and runs into the sea, with Myrtle chasing him. However, Gordon becomes stuck underwater and as Myrtle, you only have a short time to find him and rescue him. This is an arcade adventure where you collect objects and use them to access other areas of the map. While the graphics are great and have a nice cartoon feel, and the music is also atmospheric, the gameplay is frustrating - Myrtle can be difficult to control, and it's far too easy to get stuck together with one of the many sea creatures and lose a lot of your energy. More information on TACGR 6
	Metal Army (Players, 1988) General Ironside and his Metal Army have infiltrated Slough nuclear power station, planted a bomb in it, and threatened to blow it up. As Harry Chainsaw (nice name), you have to deactivate the bomb, but the Metal Army are going to make this rather difficult for you, and because they've wrecked some parts of the station, you also have to dodge the leaks of toxic coolant gas. You'll need to collect the green cards which are lying about in order to open some doors, including the ones to the room where the bomb is stored. It's standard platform fare, and frustrating as well; although you have nine lives, they are quickly lost, and getting out of the first room takes some practice. The graphics are colourful, but it's a shame that the game is so difficult. More information on TACGR 6
	Metalyx (Alternative, 1987) Asteroids has always been a classic game, and this is a simple remake of it, although apart from the graphics, nothing new has been added to it. The aim is simply to blast all the meteors off the screen, but when you shoot a meteor, it splits into two more meteors, and these meteors will also split into two meteors, so there will be problems if you shoot randomly! Your spaceship is also difficult to control, and getting out of a tricky situation where a barrage of meteors is heading your way requires some skill. However, there's nothing exciting about this game; the screen is far too small, there is only one (yes, one) sound effect, and you can't shoot accurately. More information on TACGR 4
	Metro-Cross (US Gold, 1987) Hurtle down obstacle-strewn corridors in a race against time. This challenge requires very fast reflexes and an ability to predict the oncoming obstacles and the best way to dodge them. The corridor is riddled with slime tiles that slow you down, hurdles to jump over, glass panels that will break if you run across them, among other hazards. Fortunately, there are springboards and skateboards to help you out, and you can also jump on cans to make you run a lot faster or stop the clock temporarily. The first few levels are quite easy to complete, but on subsequent levels, the time limit becomes very tight and you can't afford to make any mistakes! The graphics and tune are both very jolly as well, and it's a great game overall. More information on TACGR 8
	Metropolis (The Power House, 1988) Moonboots is an explorer who has somehow managed to end up lost in Metropolis. Now he has to find his spaceship and return to his home on the moon. From the moment you start playing this game, it's clear that it was influenced by the Wally Week series of games, as the style of gameplay is exactly the same - walking around collecting objects (and you can only carry two at a time) and using them to reach new locations or perform tasks. Unfortunately, it's absolutely horrible to play. For a start, the graphics are seriously ugly. It's a Spectrum port, complete with colour clash as well, and Moonboots walks very slowly, so it takes ages to walk from one place to another. This is a very poor and very dull game which will seriously test your patience if you play it! More information on TACGR 3
	Meurtres en Série (Cobra Soft, 1987) Reviewed by Guillaume Chalard There have been several murders on the little island of Sark, a peaceful place between France and Britain. As a renowned inspector, you're sent there to investigate the case. The problem is that you have only one day to find the murderer! This is the third murder mystery adventure from Cobra Soft, and the graphics are rather good, but the sound effects are very scarce - but does it really matter in this kind of game? The biggest flaw of the game is its difficulty. You must be really lucky to find any clues, because the time goes by so fast! It's a really interesting game, anyway. More information on TACGR 7

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