Screenshot of Robot Attack

Robot Attack

(Virgin Mastertronic, 1989)

It’s the year 2089, and robots are planning to take over Earth again, this time by assembling super-droids, and as agent X-3, you must stop them. Each level consists of four platforms on a single screen. Crates and service robots will appear randomly on the platforms, and you must attempt to shoot and destroy the robots before they touch the crates. If a robot does touch a crate, one or more pieces of the super-droid will appear on the screen, depending on the colour of the robot, which will change as you shoot them. This game can only be played using the Magnum Light Phaser lightgun, and it’s rather mediocre. The graphics are nice and colourful, and I quite like the menacing look of the super-droids, but you often don’t get much, if any, chance to destroy some of the service robots before they touch a crate, leaving you with no chance of completing a level.

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Screenshot of Robotron: 6128

Robotron: 6128

(Lachlan Keown, 2009)

Reviewed by Missas

Robotron: 6128 sends us back to the beginning of the video games era with its pure arcade-style gameplay. Your task is crystal clear: be the only one alive on the screen when the level ends. The graphics are simple and blocky (Mode 0), and there is no background. The sprites’ appearance and attributes change from stage to stage. It would be much better if some background screens existed. In-game sound is composed of just the basic effects. However, the music on the options screen is one of the best I have ever heard on the CPC. The gameplay is fast-paced; you need to move and fire fast, and if you can, capture the girls! The brilliant control selection enhances this pure arcade experience and produces an addictive grab factor. Overall, although it is technically obsolete and improvements could have been made on graphics and sound, this is by all means an arcade treasure.

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Screenshot of Robozone

Robozone

(Image Works, 1991)

In the year 2067, the Earth’s cities have become so polluted that they are patrolled by giant Wolverine robots. However, their numbers are decreasing, and you are the only one left to defend New York against another set of robots – the Scavengers. Your mission now is to destroy The Furnace, a building which is choking New York with even more pollution. There are three very different levels to this game. The first two involve exploring New York and its underground system, and aren’t much fun to play, while the third is a much better space shoot-’em-up. The graphics are very nice, with detailed sprites and lovely explosions, but it’s a shame that the gameplay isn’t as good; the rather tedious first level will put a lot of people off.

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Screenshot of Rocco

Rocco

(Dinamic/Gremlin Graphics, 1985)

Reviewed by Robert Small

Both a clone of Punch-Out!! and an unofficial tie-in to the Rocky film, this is boxing at its most basic. There are very limited offensive and defensive skills to master. Because of this the game is very easy, which is unusual, as it was released by Dinamic and their games were usually hard. It looks quite nice, though, despite a lack of colour, with well drawn graphics including an animated ringing bell. There are several different opponents but although their portraits change, the way your opponent appears in the ring does not, which is a shame. The sound is very basic. It’s enjoyable at first but a lack of depth stops it from being a contender.

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Screenshot of Rock Raid

Rock Raid

(Kuma, 1985)

Stuck in a meteor storm, you must blast all of the rocks while avoiding them and therefore smashing your ship to pieces. Unfortunately, the rocks will split into two, and before long, you’ll have a dozen rocks zooming around the screen and no room to get out of their way. You can also choose one special option, such as hyperspacing to another part of the screen, reversing, or using a shield or a smart bomb, or if you’re really adventurous, a lucky dip. It’s really a simple version of Asteroids and it’s good fun – the graphics are good as well – but it is rather difficult.

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Screenshot of Rock Star Ate My Hamster

Rock Star Ate My Hamster

(Code Masters, 1989)

Your Auntie Mabel has left you £50,000 in her will, and you’ve decided to use it to break into the music business by forming your own band. You have to get four gold discs before the year is out. The game starts with you selecting the stars (including the likes of Tina Turnoff, Bill Collins and Michael Gorge), getting a contract, recording an album, and then releasing the album and singles to boost its sales. You’ll also have to cope with charity gigs, stars quitting, and of course, the tabloid press! The graphics aren’t that good and the music isn’t much better, but you won’t believe that being the manager of a band could be so much fun. One word of warning – don’t play this game if you’re easily offended!

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Screenshot of Rock’n Roll

Rock’n Roll

(Rainbow Arts, 1989)

Reviewed by Shaun Neary

Take the maze of Gauntlet, the ball from Marble Madness, and the complexity of the first level of Platoon to test your memory and you have Rock’n Roll! 32 mazes are presented to tax you to the maximum, and they will! It took me just over 25 minutes to finish the first screen. Graphically it does a great job of using the CPC’s potential. Sound is where the game shines however, with a nice bluesy intro tune (although the tune on the main screen will get on your nerves soon enough). The maps are vast, though, and worth exploring if you persevere. However if you have no patience or nerves, then Rock’n Roll is guaranteed to drive you up the wall.

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Screenshot of Rock’n Roller

Rock’n Roller

(Topo Soft, 1988)

Reviewed by Javier Sáez

There is an old coin-op by Namco called Rally-X, which could be described as a cross between Pac-Man and Super Sprint. Well, this game is a sort of revision of that coin-op, with better graphics and music, but not as fast as the original. Your task is to drive your car around each level, collecting the parts of a racing prototype, while avoiding enemy cars and other hazards such as mines and traffic lights. Rock ’n’ Roller isn’t a great game, but once you manage to drive accurately, it’ll give you hours of fun.

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Screenshot of Rock’n Wrestle

Rock’n Wrestle

(Melbourne House, 1985)

Reviewed by Missas

Rock’n Wrestle was probably the first wrestling game to be released for the CPC. To begin with, the graphics use Mode 0 and they are both blocky and not too detailed. The sprites are big, but they move by byte and not by pixel, making animation not very smooth. The sound is limited to some effects which I found to be appropriate. And here is where the surprises begin; the gameplay is simply fantastic. With a big variety of moves, from grabs and flying kicks to simple punches and rope pushes, you can do almost anything you can imagine to your opponents. Another mega plus is that opponents’ difficulty, style and appearance change from stage to stage. The playability is something that you can only understand by playing this game. The grab factor is very high and it is pushed further by some funny incidents during the fight – for example, when a fighter becomes dizzy. For me, this is the best wrestling game for the CPC.

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Screenshot of Rockford

Rockford

(Mastertronic, 1988)

You may have guessed that this is a remake of Boulder Dash, where you collect gems while trying to avoid loosening the many boulders scattered around. This game is almost exactly the same, but Rockford is now human, and he gets to star in five different roles – as a hunter, a cook, a cowboy, an astronaut, and a doctor! Each of these themes has several levels of their own, and the graphics also change to reflect the theme. The graphics are very nice, and so is the music, but, like the original game that it’s based on, it’s just too difficult for me.

See also: Boulder Dash, Boulder Dash III.

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