PHEENIX
Arcade game · Spectrum, C-64, Amstrad · Megadodo · 7/8
This game first appeared in arcades and was a hit in its day, so it was soon ported to home computers.
The Spectrum version is almost identical to the arcade version.
The controls are classic for games of that era. There is just one extra command: BARRIER, which is very useful in desperate situations. The game has five levels.
Level one: A formation of 15 birds appears. They move from side to side at a steady pace and fire relentlessly. At this level, your ship shoots more slowly, and you need to use the BARRIER more often than in the arcade version. That is an advantage of the Spectrum version, since it makes your task easier.
Level two: Identical to the first, except for the birds’ formation and the speed at which your ship fires.
Level three: Two vertical rows of four bird eggs each move diagonally across the screen. Your task is to destroy them before the birds hatch, because the birds are harder to hit. Each egg is worth 100 points. If the birds hatch—which will happen often—you score between 100 and 250 points for each, depending on the height at which you hit it.
Level four: Identical to the third level.
Level five: The final and most difficult task is to destroy the queen, protected by a thick layer that is easy to remove. The queen is also guarded by eight birds. You must destroy them first so they do not get in your way, then shoot away the protective layer beneath the queen.
After that, you must hit the queen right in the centre. This is difficult because a steady rain of bullets falls from the centre of the queen towards you, so it is hard to find the right moment for the finishing shot. When you finally hit the centre, you earn 4,000 bonus points, and everything starts over. You begin the game with five lives.
All we can say about this game is: load it up and remember how wonderful it was to play it seven years ago.
FLIGHTER PILOT
Flight simulation · Spectrum, C-64 · Digital Integration · 9/8
When it appeared, Flighter Pilot was the best flight simulation around. Alongside the usual features—a map, radar and so on—it also offered air combat with MIGs, making it popular even with people who were not big fans of flight simulators. The F-16 you pilot is also a very powerful aircraft, capable of all kinds of aerobatics, which made the game even more popular.
The story is very simple: MIGs have attacked your airfields, and your task is to destroy them, or you will have nowhere to land. To start with, you can practise taking off and landing, as those are the hardest parts of the game—and landing is especially difficult. Once you have mastered both, you can try your hand at air combat. Your aircraft is quite fast, so with the help of the map and radar you will soon catch up with an enemy plane.
The ensuing dogfight is a programming masterpiece for its time. As you chase a MIG, even though it is rendered only as a wireframe, the game gives you a convincing sense of a real aerial battle.
After a long pursuit, when you manage to hit a MIG, it catches fire and explodes. Then you can start looking for the next one. The biggest drawback is that there are no ground objects apart from the airfields. In addition, the map shows mountains that you can crash into, but they are invisible.
Although better and more complex simulations exist today, FLIGHTER PILOT holds an important place in the development of Spectrum flight simulators.
THE LAST NIJA II
Arcade adventure · Spectrum, C-64, Atari · System 3 · 6/10
The evil Shogun Kuntoki has built a villa on Manhattan and runs the drug trade in America from there.
There is only one man who can stop him... The game takes place across six beautifully designed levels.
The graphics are full of detail, and each level has different music. The Ninja begins his mission in New York’s Central Park.
At the start you have no weapons, only your fists, so you need to find nunchucks, a staff and shurikens. To get out of the park you will also need the key to the entrance gate. Only two rivers separate you from the second level, but since our Ninja cannot swim, he will have to jump across them.
The second level takes place on the streets of New York. Now you have to find the key and a sword. As on the first level, Kuntoki’s hired thugs and the police will attack you. Take them both on without hesitation.
Before stepping into the street, check the traffic light. If it is flashing, you must wait, or motorcyclists will run you over. You need the key to open the manhole cover and climb down into the sewers. The third level begins there. Your task is to make your way to Kuntoki’s warehouse, beating up the people who live there along the way while avoiding rats and crocodiles.
The fourth level is in the opium warehouse. You need to find a lift pass and a poisoned drumstick with which to poison the cougar. There are many guards in the warehouse, so reaching the lift that takes you to the attic—the fifth level—is difficult.
On the fifth level, the most important thing is to read the code from the terminal; you will need it on the sixth level. Once you reach the roof, you will see a helicopter taking off. If you are quick enough, you will manage to grab hold of it. When you reach the villa, jump off the helicopter and head for the final showdown with Kuntoki.
To get to his room, you will have to work hard. First, disable the alarm system and deal with the guards, who are everywhere; then open the safe using the code from the previous level. When Kuntoki appears, explain to him in a friendly way that what he is doing is not nice...
This is only a brief description of an excellent game. If you want to discover all the details that make it so interesting, be sure to get a copy—you will not regret it.
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