[{"TitleName":"Escape from the Planet of the Robot Monsters","Publisher":"Domark Ltd","Author":"Jim Tripp, Matt Furniss, Neil Adamson","YearOfRelease":"1990","ZxDbId":"0001647","Reviews":[{"Issue":{"Name":"Crash Issue 78, Jul 1990","Price":"£1.7","ReleaseDate":"1990-06-24","Editor":"Oliver Frey","TotalPages":52,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"EDITORIAL\r\n[redacted]\r\n\r\nEditor: Oliver Frey\r\nFeatures Editor: Richard Eddy\r\nStaff Writer: Mark Caswell\r\nEditorial Assistant: Viv Vickress\r\nPhotography: Michael Parkinson\r\nContributors: Nick (Pie Scan!) Roberts, Lloyd Mangram\r\nProduction Manager: Jonathan Rignall\r\nProduction Supervisor: Matthew Uffindell\r\nArt Director: Mark (Sparkie!) Kendrick\r\nReprographics: Robert Millichamp, Tim Morris, Rob (the Rev) Hamilton, Jenny Reddard\r\nDesign: David Western, Melvin Fisher\r\nSystems Manager: Ian (\"E\") Chubb\r\nSystems Operator: Paul (Charlie) Chubb\r\nGroup Advertisement Manager: Neil Dyson\r\nAdvertisement Production Assistants: Jackie Morris, Joanne Lewis\r\nGroup Promotions Executive: Richard Eddy\r\nMail Order: Carol Kinsey\r\n\r\nUK Subscriptions and Back Issues enquiries Robert Edwards [redacted]. Yearly Subscription Rates UK £15.40 Europe £22 Air Mail Overseas £35.\r\nUS/Canada subscriptions and Back Issues enquiries Barry Hatcher, British Magazine Distributors Ltd [redacted]. Yearly Subscriptions Rates US$47 Canada CAN$57 Back Issues US$5.20 Canada CAN$6.20 (inclusive of postage). \r\n\r\nDesigned and typeset on Apple Macintosh II computers using Quark Express and Adobe Illustrator '88, output at MBI [redacted] with systems support from Digital Reprographics [redacted]. Colour origination by Scan Studios [redacted]. Printed in England by BPCC Business Magazines (Carlisle) Ltd, [redacted] - a member of the BPCC Group.\r\n\r\nDistribution by COMAG, [redacted]\r\n\r\nCOMPETITION RULES\r\nThe Editor's decision is final in all matters relating to adjudication and while we offer prizes in good faith, believing them to be available, if something untoward happens (like a game that has been offered as a prize being scrapped) we reserve the right to substitute prizes of comparable value. We'll do our very best to despatch prizes as soon as possible after the published closing date. Winners names will appear in a later issue of CRASH. No correspondence can be entered into regarding the competitions (unless we've written to you stating that you have won a prize and it doesn't turn up, in which case drop the Viv Vickress a line at the main address). No person who has any relationship, no matter how remote, to anyone who works for either Newsfield or any of the companies offering prizes, may enter one of our competitions. No material may be reproduced whole or in part without the written consent of the copyright holders. We cannot undertake to return anything sent into CRASH - including written and photographic material, software and hardware - unless it is accompanied by a suitably stamped addressed envelope. We regret that readers' postal enquiries cannot always be answered. Unsolicited written or photo material is welcome, and if used in the magazine is paid for at our current rates. Colour photographic material should be 35mm transparencies wherever possible. The views expressed in CRASH are not necessarily those of the publishers.\r\n\r\nCopyright CRASH Ltd 1989 A Newsfield Publication. ISSN 0954-8661. Cover Design by Oliver Frey"},"MainText":"Tengen/Domark\r\n£9.99/£14.99\r\n\r\nPlanet X is a peaceful place, until from outer space the evil Reptilons arrive. They force the Earth scientists stationed there to create huge war robots to be used to destroy Earth. Enter the heroes of the game - two members of an interplanetary SWAT team attempt a four pronged mission: rescue the hostages, destroy the robots, destroy the Reptilons and finally rescue the lovely Professor Sarah Bellum (Sarah Bellum? Ho ho).\r\n\r\nTake your pick of Jake or Duke and go for it! The planet is split into factories, and each one is split into levels. Each level is reached by either a ladder or by activating an escalator. Your first concern is to rescue the hostages, these are bikini clad females, so you don't feel too bad about being thrown into the middle of the fray. Of course, the enemy forces are going to attack you, but with your ray gun and smart bombs killing the myriad robots is a cinch. Each time you're hit your energy goes down: raid the lockers which contain food and bombs. Ray power can be boosted by collecting the crystals dropped by robots.\r\n\r\nThe Reptilons take all your skill (and a good chunk of luck) to defeat. Can you do it? Play and find out 'cos it really is worth the effort. The sprites are monochrome, but they contain many of the arcade version's humorous touches. The best being the way your character clings to the side of the platform if he falls over. One slight niggle is the low number of playing credits: two aren't really enough to get you very far in the first few games (especially with two players). Despite that, this game (I refuse to repeat the title because I've run out of breath) is fun to play; in fact it's a birrova Smash!\r\n\r\nMARK 90%","ReviewerComments":["This is just like stepping into a cartoon strip! There is a set of full colour pictures that tell the story at the beginning of the game, setting the atmosphere perfectly. The game itself is action packed with robots attacking and unexpected things happening on each screen.\n\nThe main moan I have with EFTPOTRM is the control method. As the game is in 3-D, the programmers have chosen a method where you can swivel left and right on the spot and go forwards. This is highly confusing at first: it takes some mastering, believe me!\n\nGraphics are small but full of animation and detail. You have to keep your yes peeled all the time or things like spikes shooting out of walls and the floor swallowing you up will catch you out. The two player option gives even more excitement with both players battling it out together. EFTPOTRM is a must. If you are anything like me (a nutter) you'll enjoy every minute of it.\r\nNick Roberts\r\n90%"],"OverallSummary":"Forget the silly title - just play, play, play!","Page":"45","Denied":false,"Award":"Crash Smash","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Nick Roberts","Score":"90","ScoreSuffix":"%"},{"Name":"Mark Caswell","Score":"90","ScoreSuffix":"%"}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Presentation","Score":"88%","Text":""},{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"88%","Text":""},{"Header":"Sound","Score":"81%","Text":""},{"Header":"Playability","Score":"90%","Text":""},{"Header":"Addictivity","Score":"86%","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"90%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Your Sinclair Issue 55, Jul 1990","Price":"£1.7","ReleaseDate":"1990-06-07","Editor":"Matt Bielby","TotalPages":84,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Matt Bielby\r\nArt Editor: Kevin Hibbert\r\nProduction Editor: Andy Ide\r\nDesign Assistant: Andy Ounsted\r\nContributors: Robin Alway, Marcus Berkmann, Joe Davies, Jonathan Davies, Cathy Fryett, Jo Fulton, Mike Gerrard, Kati Hamza, Kate Hodges, Duncan MacDonald, Jon North, Rich Pelley, David Wilson\r\nAdvertising Manager: Mark Salmon\r\nAdvertising Executive: Simon Moss\r\nPublisher: Greg Ingham\r\nAssistant Publisher: Jane Richardson\r\nManaging Director: Chris Anderson\r\nProduction Manager: Ian Seager\r\nProduction Coordinator: Melissa Parkinson\r\nSubscriptions: Computer Posting [redacted]\r\nMail Order: The Old Barn [redacted]\r\nPrinters: Riverside Press [redacted]\r\nDistributors: SM Distribution [redacted]\r\n\r\nYour Sinclair is published by Future Publishing Ltd [redacted]\r\n\r\n©Future Publishing 1990. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without written permission."},"MainText":"Tengen (Domark)\r\n£9.99 cass/£14.99 disk\r\nReviewer: Matt Bielby\r\n\r\nWe quite like Domark - they're always a pretty friendly lot - so it's nice to be able to report good things about their games. This hasn't always been the case, as they'll be the second or third to admit, but for the moment they really seem to be on a roll. Hard Drivin', Klax, Cyberball, Castle Master - products to be proud of, every last one of them (even if it took us three days to figure out exactly what Cyberball was meant to be about). And now - hurrah! - along comes a newie that looks all set to knock the rest (with the possible exception of Castle Master) into a cocked hat, in the playability stakes at least. Yes, Escape From The Planet Of The Robot Monsters is a lorra, lorra (lorra) fun.\r\n\r\nSo what's it all about? Well, Escape captures the rather silly, over-the-top Saturday-morning-down-the-cinema feel of those old Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers serials to a tee (better than Defenders Of The Earth ever did anyway). You know the films I'm talking about - those ancient cliff-hangers with Buster Crabbe sharing a skintight suit with his incredible expanding waistline, and lots of little spaceships whanging about with sparklers sticking out of their posteriors. More camp than Butlins, but great fun all the same.\r\n\r\nAnyway, onto the plotline. You and your pal Duke are a couple of buddies in the interplanetary SWAT team, on a mission to rescue Professor Sarah Bellum (geddit?) and oodles of scientists from the artificial factory planet, Planet X. You see, the evil Reptilons (boo hiss!) have invaded, and are turning the hostages into mindless Robo-Zombies, which they then plan to use to destroy the Earth! The object of the game is simple - run around, shooting as many robot monsters as you can and rescuing everyone else you come across (you do this by just walking into them, at which point they're automatically beamed aboard your orbiting shuttle). And that's more or less it - the shortest review in history. It all sounds quite simple because it is - even Granny could work out how to play, and that's part of the appeal.\r\n\r\nGraphically it looks just about average - until you start playing. Each level consists of a series of monochrome flip screens (seen at an odd three-quarters angle like those in Head Over Heels and the Last Ninja games) which are universally clean and crisp. What makes it work though are the interesting little details they've crammed them with. The sprites are all small but well-defined and recognisable, and they move around the place at quite a lick - it takes no time at all to find yourself surrounded by robot monsters and in real trouble!\r\n\r\nThe robots themselves (half of which look like walking Weetabix men) are nicely designed and animated too. Some of them leave energy-giving crystals behind them when they're killed (energy for your gun, that is, not for you) while food cabinets (and also cupboards containing extra bombs) can be broken into and raided if you know where to look. It's often a good idea to shoot anything that looks worth shooting anyway - lots of computers and things contain extra points at the very least.\r\n\r\nYour gun (a simple affair though you can upgrade it later on) works a treat, as does the bomb effect (represented by a giant guff of smoke around your trouser region - straight out of Viz!).\r\n\r\nThe hostages (hippies or girlies, judging from their hair-styles - I couldn't quite tell which) are suitably useless too. Most of them are still badgering away at their machinery while you rescue them as if nothing's happening (!), while the ones trapped in glass cabinets - which you have to work out a way to open - seem half-way to zombification already! (By the way, I'm not trying to say that either girlies or hippies are useless at all - though most of the hippies I've ever met have been - but that as hostages the scientists in this game are ideal, totally unable to help themselves).\r\n\r\nPlanet X (the place you're trying to clear of human-kind, remember?) is made up of several sections (or levels) each divided up into a series of platforms. You make your way around these by a series of escalators and ladders - the escalators needing to be started by a switch before they'll do anything. Get to the end of the level and you'll reach a teleport to take you to the next one. (Sadly the maze sub-level that cropped up here in the coin-op has had to be left out of the Spec version.)\r\n\r\nThere are lots of lovely little touches slipped in throughout the game too - try walking off the edge of one of the platforms, for instance. You won't fall, but'll be left hanging there from the edge, waving your legs about before you drag yourself back up again. (Is that why they call them 'cliffhangers'? Ho ho.) Some of the problems you have to get past are pretty tricky too - mastering the joystick controls takes some practice, but it'll all teem worth it when you find yourself surrounded by monsters on all sides, or faced by a particularly tricky trap. Occasionally there's a slight puzzle element too (mostly in the form of working out what you have to shoot in order to open doors) but they're unlikely to tax you too hard.\r\n\r\nAnd that's more or less it. Faults? Well, it can all be a bit samey, I guess - the levels look similar (bar the colour scheme) and the giant end-of-every-three-levels Reptilon nasties (well, giant in that they're three times the size of you) crop up with monotonous regularity. But two-player mode more or less fixes this.\r\n\r\nBasically then a very amusing and well-developed blaster, with no obvious faults, a lot of character and all pitched at just the right difficulty level. A bit of a corker in fact, and bound to be a big hit - let's hope Domark can keep up the winning run for their next one, The Spy Who Loved Me (a bit of a stumbling block I fear, but we wish the boys well).","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"A barrel of laughs - very playable, quite fast and full of little graphic touches. Best in two player mode.","Page":"72,73","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Matt Bielby","Score":"83","ScoreSuffix":"%"}],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"Oh no - cornered by a Reptilion! (Time to use one of my bomb jobbies, methinks.)"},{"Text":"The loading screens inform you of your impending mission - nothing like a bit of career advancement, eh?"},{"Text":"Yikes! Surrounded on all sides (nearly)! That door is where the robots wobble in from. And be sure to blast the filing cabinets - there may be goodies inside."}],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Life Expectancy","Score":"76%","Text":""},{"Header":"Instant Appeal","Score":"75%","Text":""},{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"82%","Text":""},{"Header":"Addictiveness","Score":"85%","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"83%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Your Sinclair Issue 79, Jul 1992","Price":"£2.5","ReleaseDate":"1992-06-18","Editor":"Andy Hutchinson","TotalPages":68,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"SCHOOL'S OUT FOR EVER!\r\n\r\nWhen you have nothing to say, say nothing. I did. Anyway, what was the first thing you did after your last exam?\r\n\r\nEditor: Andy (Got arrested for being drunk and disorderly while at college) Hutchinson\r\nArt Editor: Andy (Flicked the V's at a teacher and then skipped home) Ounsted\r\nDeputy Editor: Linda (Went baby sitting) Barker\r\nStaff Writer: Jon (Sat down with a cream tart and a nice cup of tea) Pillar\r\nArt Assistant: Maryanne (Tried Sherry for the first time) Booth\r\nAdvertising Manager: Alison (Sighed) Morton\r\nSenior Sales Exec: Jackie (Went shopping) Garford\r\nProduction Coordinator: Lisa (Burned her books) Read\r\nPublisher: Jane (Went for a wee) Richardson\r\nPromotions Manager: Michelle (Went to see David Bowie in concert) Harris\r\nPromotions Assistant: Tamara (Burst into tears) Ward\r\nGroup Publisher: Greg (I Went screaming off in a customised Beetle across Waterloo Bridge shouting along to Talking Heads' Psycho Killer & The Only Ones' Another Girl Another Planet)Bingham\r\nCirculation Director: Sue (Went and had a froffy coffee) Hartley\r\nAssistant Publisher: Julie (Left Coventry instantly and vowed never to return) Stuckes\r\n\r\nYour Sinclair (Went to bed for a week). Future (Considered a career as a dentist) Publishing [redacted]\r\n\r\nManaging Director: Chris (Drank most of a bottle of bubbly and then... can't really remember) Anderson\r\n\r\nSubscriptions: Future Publishing Ltd [redacted]\r\n\r\n©Future Publishing 1992. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without written permission from Bertie Arbuthnot of Calcutta Deirdrie's motorway cafe.\r\n\r\nISSN: 0269 6983\r\n\r\nYour Sinclair fails its exams, but just doesn't care with other rebellious mags like: Commodore Format (Went on a Venture Scout jamboree), Amstrad Action (Burnt school books), Amiga Format (Went down to the beach in Bournemouth), PCW Plus (Dived fully clothed into a swimming pool), PC Answers (Signed up for re-sits), PC Plus (Cried), Sega Power (Won a race to get out of a three hour exam and into the bar first [winning time 45 mins]), Amiga Power (Asked everyone else what question five had actually meant), Amiga Shopper (Caught a plane to Venice), Classic CD (Listened to a nice symphony), Needlecraft (Stitched a noose), Cycling Plus (Went home), Photo Plus (Joined the moonies), Mountain Biking UK (Went to see a personal supervisor to explain why they'd only turned up for half an hour and written their name in the first exam of the season), PC Format (Fed school blazer to the dogs and watched them rip the thing to pieces), Public Domain (Broke wind), ST Format (Went inter-railing to Greece, France, Germany etc). Total! (Dossed in the sun until shoehorned out of the garden by mom and dad to go and get a job) and Today's Vegetarian (Went hurtling to the pub faster than you could say transcontinental plate tectonics) and coming soon... What Scart Lead.\r\n\r\nBut what we really want to know is... if Mickey's a mouse, Donald's a duck and Pluto's a dog, what the hell is Goofy?"},"MainText":"ESCAPE FROM THE PLANET OF THE ROBOT MONSTERS\r\nHit Squad\r\n£3.99\r\n[redacted]\r\nReviewer: Jon Pillar\r\n\r\nAh, now I lurve this one. it's sort of like a really good wedge of cheese. When you first take a nibble, it's quite nice. Then you put it away for a bit and forget all about it. Finally, you stumble across it again, take another nibble and find that it's matured remarkably well. Unless, of course, it's gone all green and damp and mouldy. In which case, you probably wouldn't it, but drop it quickly into a bin. Maybe the cheese analogy wasn't such a good idea. I think I'll get one with the review now.\r\n\r\nI first encountered the epiglottis-wrecking EFTPOTRM back in issue 76, as part of the TNT 2 compilation. I thought it was a fairly good isometric 3D shoot-'em-up, and gave it 72 degrees. But now (now! Now!) I've changed my mind. The fast dashabout action really gets the pulse a-racing and the squodgy dollops of humour add a real buzz to the gameplay. In two player mode the game's a complete scream and the whole thing is more addictive than, well, a one player game of EFTPOTRM really.\r\n\r\nYes sir, I've seen the light where this game is concerned. Rush out and buy it right now. If you don't like it, toss it lightly into a cupboard for two months and try again. You'll be hooked. Yes you will.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"58","Denied":false,"Award":"Your Sinclair Megagame","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Jon Pillar","Score":"90","ScoreSuffix":"%"}],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"On the whole, Robert had done rather well out of life, even with the giant \"100\" stuck to his head."},{"Text":"Wembley threw a tantrum while upstage, Nick and Lorna played a quick burst of \"Strawberry Fair\" on a row of toasters."}],"BlurbText":[{"Text":"BLIM!\r\n\r\nEscape From The Planet Of The Robot Monsters isn't the longest Speccy game title in history. That honour belongs to The Astonishing Adventures Of Mr Weems And The She Vampires. Bad luck!"}],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Overall","Score":"90%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Sinclair User Issue 101, Jul 1990","Price":"£1.85","ReleaseDate":"1990-06-18","Editor":"Jim Douglas","TotalPages":84,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Jim Douglas\r\nDeputy Editor: Garth Sumpter\r\nDesigner: \"Osmond\" Browne\r\nAdvertisement Manager: James Owens\r\nSales Executive: Alan Dykes\r\nAd Production: Emma Ward\r\nMarketing Manager: Dean Barrett\r\nMarketing Executive: Sarah Ewing\r\nPublisher: Graham Taylor\r\n\r\n©1990 EMAP Images, [redacted]\r\n\r\nTypesetting by J'n'G Type\r\nColour work by Pro Print.\r\nPrinted by Kingfisher Web Ltd, Peterborough.\r\nDistributed by BBC Frontline."},"MainText":"Label:\r\nPrice: £9.99\r\nReviewer: Garth Sumpter\r\n\r\nOh No! The evil Reptilons, those bastions of baddieness, have kidnapped the gorgeous, pouting Professor Sarah Bellum and taken a number of hostages who they have enslaved.\r\n\r\nWhat's all this to do with you? Well, as one half of the meanest, intergalactic SWAT team this side of the Yoursole Slime worms from Pongo 10, it's up to you (and your partner) to rescue the terrified terrans and give the Reptilons and their base on Planet X a damn good slapping.\r\n\r\nYou play either Jake or Duke and you must make your way onward and upward - you must activate escalators on some levels using the switch and go up ladders on others. At the end of each level there is a Reptilon Guard who you must defeat before advancing to the next stage. Each player is armed with a laser gun and you begin with 5 bombs which when detonated wipe out all hostile robots within a certain radius. Some of these mechanised morons leave behind crystals - collect these and your Ray Power will increase to devastating proportions.\r\n\r\nEscape From the Planet of the Robot Monsters has already appeared in the arcades where it has been no small success story. This could also prove to be way of the game.\r\n\r\nThe graphics are good - they're clear, well defined and funny. The hostages are rescued by standing near them when they are working at a computer which looks suspiciously like a Mac, or are in glass cylinder-like prisons which are opened by destroying the computer or hardware nearest them. What sound there is, is fine and complements what is an enjoyable and also highly addictive game.\r\n\r\nThe only small problem is with the controls themselves, Domark having opted for the quirky Ultimate directional and rotational control which means left and right have your hero pirouette on the spot and up moves him forward. This particular form of control was never a favourite of mine but it does mean that all actions are at your fingertips.\r\n\r\nHaving said that, once you get used to the controls, EFTPOTRM provides excellent blasting fun for up to two players simultaneously, and quite frankly is a must for anyone's blasting library. Excellent.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"Fun, compulsive and fast action with more than its fair share of humour. Fab.","Page":"54,55","Denied":false,"Award":"Sinclair User Classic","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Garth Sumpter","Score":"91","ScoreSuffix":"%"}],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"Jake. In the glasses, meets up with one of the voluptuous wimmin he must rescue. Don't push him - he close to the edge (arf)."},{"Text":"Test-tube dilemma ahoy! With robots around every corner, Jake has to move quickly in order to survive. Which should he attack?"}],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"89%","Text":""},{"Header":"Sound","Score":"73%","Text":""},{"Header":"Playability","Score":"85%","Text":""},{"Header":"Lastability","Score":"91%","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"91%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Sinclair User Issue 124, Jun 1992","Price":"£2.2","ReleaseDate":"1992-05-18","Editor":"Alan Dykes","TotalPages":68,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Alan 'Serendipity' Dykes\r\nDesign: Yvette 'Africa' Nicholls\r\nSU Crew: Garth 'Manana' Sumpter, Steve 'Extensions' Keen, Ed 'Radion' Laurence, Pete 'Invoice' Gerrard, Graham 'Roadworks' Mason, Phillip 'Cray' Fisch, Tony 'Missing person' Navqi, Jules 'Faggot' Waisham\r\nAd Manager: Tina 'Highgate' Zanelli\r\nAd Production: Matthew 'Levis' Walker\r\nMarketing Man.: Mark 'Psychographic Segmentation' Swallow\r\nMarketing Persons: Sarah 'Polkadot' Ewing, Sarah 'Dublin' Hilliard\r\nPublisher: Mike 'V8 Supercharged' Frey\r\nManaging Director: Terry 'Just mingling' Pratt\r\n\r\n(c)1992 EMAP IMAGES\r\nPhone: [redacted] (is there anyone out there?)\r\nFax: [redacted] (Information at the end of your eyelids)\r\n[redacted]\r\n\r\nColour by Colourtech\r\nPrinted by Kingfisher\r\nTypeset by Altyp Inc\r\n\r\nAbsolutely no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in an electronic retrieval system or used to kill wasps and bumble bees this summer without the express permission of the publisher. Speaking of wasps and bees, have you seen the size of the blighters this year? Frightening! Special thanks to Wendy Spridgeon for putting up with Theo, I know this pleasure was all yours, and hello to Rob and Goodbye to George, erstwhile giant of the SU Towers post room, your witty reparice will be sorely missed."},"MainText":"Label: Hit Squad\r\nMemory: 48K/128K\r\nPrice: £3.99 Tape\r\nReviewer: Garth Sumpter\r\n\r\nThis is a game that's.... HOLD IT! There's a barely audible radio message coming in on the space ether band from the enslaved humans of Planet X and it says... \"The human race is in it up to their gussets again, as the evil Reptilons have enslaved the entirely female population of the planet X and are working to create a robot army with which to conquer the Earth. Someone please help us...\"\r\n\r\nThis is it! We're looking for a couple of heroes to boldly free the girls and kill the evil Reptilons, in the budget version of one of Domark's finest Tengen coin-op conversions.\r\n\r\nUp to two players can play simultaneously, with the action taking place over a series of metal tiled floors that are populated with various levels of evil, Reptilon robots. Each of the robots have different characteristics and move at anything from a snail pace to that of a rabid hamster with his bottom on fire speed.\r\n\r\nEither avoid or destroy the robots as you make your way around, picking up enslaved girlies and using your potent here though, although it's not very friendly, if you do accidentally shoot a lovely lady, it is graphically rather good. There's also a nice touch if you fall off the edge of a building whilst trying to avoid a robot.\r\n\r\nBy far the best way of dealing with the robots though is to shoot them. When large robots are shot, they leave behind energy crystals which when collected. will increase your ray power (as shown on the screen) and make you just that little more heroic.\r\n\r\nThere are escalators between levels which you have to turn on by throwing a switch and on later levels there are evil spiked traps to avoid being impaled upon in order to progress to end of section Reptilons. It's always a good idea to use some of the bombs that you can collect from the lockers to defeat the big nasty and go onto the lifto-matic that takes you to the next phase. Way to go. Get this game.","ReviewerComments":["I've never really been a fan of the 3D like movement of the characters in Escape but there is no denying that this is a very special coin-op conversion that works well, plays well and has a lot of depth on the Spectrum.\r\nAlan Dykes"],"OverallSummary":"This just has to be the greatest coin-op conversion that Domark ever did. The graphics on the SAM version are easily the best ever whilst the Spectrum version, even in monochrome, is well-drawn, beautifully animated and hugely playable.","Page":"44","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Garth Sumpter","Score":"90","ScoreSuffix":"%"},{"Name":"Alan Dykes","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""}],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"Check out that computer."},{"Text":"Nice gun Nigel but where are the lovely ladies?"},{"Text":"Now that's what I call a robot!"}],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"84%","Text":""},{"Header":"Sound","Score":"85%","Text":""},{"Header":"Playability","Score":"90%","Text":""},{"Header":"Lastability","Score":"91%","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"90%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"ACE (Advanced Computer Entertainment) Issue 37, Oct 1990","Price":"£1.6","ReleaseDate":"1990-09-06","Editor":"Steve Cooke","TotalPages":172,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"EMAP IMAGES [redacted]\r\nTelephone [redacted], Fax [redacted]\r\n\r\nEditor: Steve Cooke\r\nDeputy Editor: Rik Haynes\r\nArt Editor: Jim Willis\r\nStaff Writer: David Upchurch\r\nTrainee Staff Writer: Alex Ruranski\r\nContributors: Eugene Lacey, John Cook, Christina Erskine, Pat Winstanley, Nick Baines, Chris Morley, Ben Mitchell, Ivan Hawkesley, John Minson, Tony Dillon, Dale Bradford, Russel Patient, Gordon Lee\r\nAdditional Design By: Nick Howells\r\nIllustration: Geoff Fowler\r\nPhotography: Edward Park\r\nAdvertising Manager: Jo Cooke\r\nDeputy Advertising Manager: Jerry Hall\r\nAdvertising Production: Melanie Costin\r\nPublisher: Garry Williams\r\n\r\nSUBSCRIPTIONS\r\nACE Subscriptions Dept [redacted]\r\n\r\nCOLOUR ORIGINATION\r\nBalmoral Graphics [redacted]\r\nProprint Repro [redacted]\r\n\r\nTYPESETTING\r\nCXT [redacted]\r\n\r\nDISTRIBUTION\r\nEMAP Frontline [redacted]\r\n\r\nPRINTING\r\nSevern Valley Press, Caerphilly\r\n\r\n©EMAP B&CP 1990\r\nNo part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without our permission."},"MainText":"Domark/Tengen £9.99 £12.99;\r\nAtari ST version reviewed Issue 32; ACE rating 880\r\n\r\nEFPRM has finally arrived for the Spectrum, having already being reviewed for all the other major formats. Escaping from the robot-infested planet, you have several tasks to perform along the way, these forming several sub-plots to the game. These sub-plots include freeing human prisoners (who are slaving away in the factories that you travel through), fighting the robots, and on every third level using your collected bombs to kill an evil reptilian.\r\n\r\nSomething that is lacking in these 8-bit versions is the inclusion of the space mobile maze, which gives a good variety to the 16-bit versions of the game. The graphics are in a tasteful shade of pink and black and the sound is reasonable. The game plays in a similar style to the other versions and almost manages to retain the pace and atmosphere, but the result is definitely a less addictive experience.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"97","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Overall","Score":"700/1000","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"The Games Machine Issue 33, Aug 1990","Price":"£1.5","ReleaseDate":"1990-07-19","Editor":"Richard Montiero","TotalPages":92,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"ALL DEPARTMENTS\r\nNewsfield, The Games Machine, [redacted]\r\n\r\nEDITORIAL\r\nConsultant Editor: Richard Monteiro\r\nDeputy Editor: Richard Eddy\r\nSub Editor: Dominic Handy\r\nStaff Writers: Robin Candy, Mark Caswell, Warren Lapworth\r\nEditorial Assistant: Vivien Vickress\r\nPhotography: Michael Parkinson\r\n\r\nPRODUCTION\r\nEditorial Director: Oliver Frey\r\nProduction Manager: Jonathan Rignall\r\nProduction Supervisor: Matthew Uffindell\r\nDesign: Ian Chubb\r\nReprographics: Robert Millichamp, Tim Morris, Jenny Reddard, Robert Hamilton\r\nSystems Operators: Paul Chubb\r\n\r\nADVERTISING\r\nGroup Advertisement Manager: Neil Dyson\r\nAdvertisement Assistants: Jackie Morris, Joanne Lewis\r\nGroup Promotions Executive: Richard Eddy\r\nMail Order: Carol Kinsey\r\nSubscriptions rates available from main address\r\n\r\nDesigned and typeset on Apple Macintosh II computers running Quark Xpress, Adobe Illustrator 88, with systems support from Digital Print Reprographics, [redacted]. Colour origination by Scan Studios [redacted]. Printed in England by BPCC Business Magazines (Carlisle) Ltd, [redacted] - a member of the BPCC Group. Distribution effected by COMAG, [redacted].\r\n\r\nCOMPETITION RULES\r\nThe Editor's decision is final in all matters and while we offer prizes in good faith, believing them to be available, if something untoward happens we reserve the right to substitute prizes of comparable value. List of winners are available after the closing date from Viv Vickress at the main address. No person who has any relationship to anyone who works for Newsfield Ltd or any sponsoring companies may enter the competitions. No material may be reproduced in part or in whole without the written consent of the copyright holders. We cannot undertake to return anything sent into TGM - including written and photographic material, hardware or software - unless it's accompanied by a suitable SAE. We regret that readers' postal enquiries cannot always be answered. Unsolicited written or photographic material is welcome, and if used in the magazine is paid for at our current rates - we reserve the right to edit any written material. The views expressed in TGM are not necessarily those of the publishers.\r\n\r\n©1990 TGM Magazines Ltd\r\nA Newsfield Publication ISSN 0954-8092\r\n\r\nCover Design Oliver Frey"},"MainText":"Spectrum Cassette: £9.99, Diskette: £14.99\r\n\r\nOriginally reviewed: TGM031.\r\n\r\nJake and Duke are on the case as two rough, tough SWAT operatives who must stop the Reptilon invasion. On the Spectrum, Escape from the Planet of the Robot Monsters starts with an impressive intro sequence explaining the plot of the game along with a catchy tune (128K). A nice touch is the arcade game's humourous atmosphere: watch what happens when your character falls over the side. Purchase is recommended.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"52","Denied":false,"Award":"The Games Machine Star Player","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Mark Caswell","Score":"91","ScoreSuffix":"%"}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Overall","Score":"91%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]}]}]