XYBOTS by TENGEN (Domark)

Well  lookee here, what has landed in my lap this time then, it looks like a
good game from the screen-shots on the back of the case, (but they were from
the  ST (Spit,Spit) version.  After loading the game up, I wasn`t shocked by
the  total  portedness  of  the game, after all it is Domark, the thing that
shocked  me  was the playability, it is BRILL, with a capital B-R-I-L-L.  If
anybody has been into the arcades and played this they will know that XYBOTS
is  a variation on the old Gauntlet theme, this time though you are put into
a vast subterranean city, and it is your job to dispose of the Master Xybot.

The  city  is divided into levels, each level is a maze with loads of things
to  kill,  namely  Xybots.   Also  on  each level you will find keys, coins,
weapons,  teleporters and energy orbs (the orbs replenish most if not all of
your  energy  when  walked over and collected), exits and last but not least
the many varieties of Xybots.

At  the  end  of  each level you will enter a sort of shop where you will be
able  to buy loads of extra bits, but only if you were clever enough to pick
up  a  few coins on the way, the smallest items only cost 1 coin, while more
useful objects, eg shields, will cost you 7 coins.  Oh!  by the way before I
forget  the coins can be a little hard to come by!  Some of the objects that
you buy are only temporary and must be replenished if you want to use them.

The  game  is a two player game, although it can be played by one player, it
is  a challenge with one player, but competing against a friend or otherwise
is  more fun, and is infinitly more fun when you shoot them on later levels,
"why ?" I here you say, well because their energy goes down quite quickly.

You  can  play  either  Major Rock Hardy or CaptainAce Gunn, there isn`t any
advantage  in  being  one or the other unless you want your fellow to have a
blue  or  green jacket.  They are both equipped with a lazer gun, shields at
100  percent  and  a  little zapper power, the lazer gun and the shields are
quite  straight  forward  to  understand  what they do, what the zapper does
however is to immobilise the Zybots for a short while (make them stop still)
this helps, believe me this helps a LOT!

The  control method in the game is a little tricky to cope with a first, the
coin-op  version has joysticks that twisted to the left and right, making it
a  little  quicker  to turn, with the amiga version however you have to hold
the firebutton down first the move the joystick to the left or right, to use
the  zapper  you have to hold the firebutton down again and the pull back on
the joystick.

The  action  takes  place  on a 3-D maze looking from a view just behind the
player  you control, at the top of the screen there is a map (Hint!  THIS IS
VERY  USEFUL),  this  tells you where everything is from the monsters to the
energy  orbs  to  the exits and teleporters, however after a few levels this
will  disappear  from  view and you will have to buy it from the shop at the
end of each level if you want to use it.

Next to the map of the level, on either side you will find the status of the
player  you  control,  telling you how healthy he is and what objects he has
bought  at  the  last  shop stop.  Overall this is a very neat and tidy game
that  has  been programmed very well indeed, what does let it down though is
the sound, only little bits and bobs like the sound of the lazer firing, and
there is a little bit of speech in there as well, but no title music.

This is a very challenging game that will test the very best strategic shoot
em up freaks around, well done Tengen on your first release.

   GRAPHICS    79 %
      SOUND    60 %
PLAYABILITY    87 %
      VALUE    82 % RRP 19.95
    OVERALL    83%

Reviewed by Paul/17Bit.