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RetroGamerUK @RetroGamer_Mag [email protected] PLATFORM: ZX SPECTRUM
DEVELOPER: ANDREW BEALE PRICE: $4. 99
DOWNLOAD: KIKSTART.ME.UK/QUADRONSPECQUADRON
Welcome to the Quadron, a mining
facility that’s under attack from aliens
wanting to steal and use the crystals
being unearthed. Despite being unmanned
the complex isn’t unarmed, but there’s only
the one guardian droid in operation which
must be used along with extra weapons it
can collect to see off the enemies.
Roaming around and blasting almost
everything that moves will work – at least
until Fetchers start upgrading themselves
with stolen crystals – but playing properly
is more involved and the droid’s operator
will need to both monitor the scanner
and manage the energy levels for extra
weaponry found dotted around the facility.
Properly getting into Quadron will take
time and might prove to be a little too
complicated for players just looking for some
straight blasting, but those who like their
action games to be more involved should
take a closer look.» [ Z X Spectrum] Robot has been making a lot of new ‘ friends’
recently in Quadron.
Score 80%
» [ Z X Spectrum] Get ting harassed by aliens is commonplace within the Quadron.
Score 79 %
GRAVITICA
PLATFORM: MSX
DEVELOPER: YUSUKE MIYAUCHI PRICE: FREE
DOWNLOAD: KIKSTART.ME.UK/GRAVITICAMSX
The premise behind
Gravitica is the same as
most scrolling blasters,
except the shooting. The aim
is to avoid collisions with the
landscape and using the craft’s
gravity field generator to bend
the deadly lasers fired into the
playfield to allow the ship can
pass through them safely.
Bending gravity does have
a downside: there are enemy
projectiles drifting around the
screen and, as long as thegravity generator is enabled,
they’ll be drawn towards the
player so this awesome power
needs to be used sparingly.
Each stage has a boss which
launches more of these bullets
which can be repurposed by
the gravity field to destroy it.
This is an interesting take
on shmups that requires some
acclimatisation to begin with.
After that it dishes up a solid
challenge, especially since you
only have one life. PLATFORM: GAME BOY DEVELOPER: SNORPUNG DOWNLOAD: KIKSTART.ME.UK/DANGUNGB PRICE: FREEReleased to help celebrate the Game Boy’s
30th birthday, Dangan GB is a bullet hell-style
shoot-’em-up for Nintendo’s venerable
handheld console. The stages have just one
boss to battle, but each has an unlimited ammo
budget and spews forth projectiles at a truly
alarming rate, so the player must try to weave
between this onslaught while landing hits.
Good eyesight is a must for this game –
especially if playing on a classic Game Boy’s
screen – and, while there are three difficulty
settings, these seem to be more about how
many lives are dished out rather than tweaking
other elements like how many bullets are being
fired by the boss or the number of hits required
to destroy it. This does mean that Dangan GB
can be punishingly tough, even on its easiest
setting, and will probably only appeal to the more
seasoned fans of the genre.DANGAN GB
» [Game Boy] Each enemy has a couple of phases, but they don’t stop spraying bullets.» [MSX] The gravity field generator,
being used to bend a couple of
otherwise fatal lasers.
Score 83 %
The village of Grynnet has been
taken over and enslaved by
the cruel witch Grizelda and
her dark magic. Just two people
on the outskirts of town aren’t
overcome and, while neither is in
a fit state to battle, one of those
is Runella the sorceress and her
young niece Laetitia can help if
the right potion ingredients are
collected. Pick up a broom from
Kikstart.me.uk/laetitia-spec.
Microfair Madness documents
the tale of a text adventure dev
whose Friday The 13th goes from
bad to worse when he tries to drop
off his latest masterpiece with the
publisher at their Microfair stall
but forgets to pack the required
ticket to get in. The story behind
development of this Amstrad from
Kikstart.me.uk/microfair-cpc is
almost as convoluted and twisted
as the game itself.RETRO GAMER | 105