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A power-up, as every
self-respecting
Spec-chum
knows, is something you pick
up off the pavement to
increase your energy. Thus it
follows that if you buy this
compilation you'll be
bouncing all over the shop
and be really keen to take up
fencing or something.
(Probably.) But let's take the
risk anyway, eh?
Chase HQ Megagamed at 94°, this is a classic driving game with a bit of a twist. Instead of just whizzing aimlessly down a road, you're actually a cop chasing criminals. There's a sort of mini monitor CB radio thing that tells you your missions (care of the beautiful Nancy back at base) and you get to drive a rather whizzo Porsche 928 that speeds incredibly quickly down a very nice smoothly-scrolling road. It's a game with real character (infinitely better than its sequel) and a lot of fun. 1991 Verdict: 92° Rainbow Islands Everybody's favourite game of all time? Well, we'd certainly bet on it. That's right, kids, the cutest platform game of them all is back in town, so if you haven't already got it (welcome back to the planet earth) then now's your chance to get smart. There's loads of colour, loads of rainbows and some ladybirds. It's quite simply one of the greatest things ever invented and got a massive 94° back in April 1990. And we can't really say much more than that. (Other than I'll go one better than last year's score simply cos of the ladybirds.) 1991 verdict: 95° (phwoar!) Turrican Gosh, it only seems like yesterday since we were reviewing this spritely little corker (in fact, we Megagamed it back in August). Turrican's an absolutely massive game (there are 5 worlds and 13 levels to travel through), with loads (and loads!) of secret bonus rooms and hidden power-ups dotted around the place. The gameplay's as addictive as a tin of chocolate-coated Hobnobs, but where it really knocks you for 6 is in the graphics dept. They're quite simply incredible. And the sequel's on its way even as we speak. 1991 Verdict: 90° X-Out Aliens have infested our oceans and it's your job to go and kill them all. Simple really. X-Out is a horizontally-scrolling shoot-'em-up with 8 levels and lots of pretty sub-aqua views. Basically it's R-Type meets Jacques Cousteau, and although none the worse off for that it's obviously not quite as good. We gave it 84° in March last year. That looks a bit generous one year later so we'll deduct a couple of points for its slight lack of excitement. 1991 Verdict: 82° Altered Beast An Activision original in which you play a chap brought back from the dead to save some bod's daughter. You start off as a normal-looking chap but metamorphose into a flying dragon, a blue bear and a golden werewolf along the way. But don't worry, it's just a stage you're going through (ho ho!). It's got colour, it's got action, it's got speed. But it's a bit hard to really see what's going on. We gave it 80° at the end of '89, which is perhaps a bit unfair. A very competent beat-'em-up with some appealing bits. That's what I'd say. 1991 Verdict: 83° And there we have it. A super-stonker compilation if ever we saw one! Usually, you get a couple of duds with these things, but Altered Beast and X-Out are well above par. And the other 3 are total classics. Ocean have obviously gone out of their way to release a premium compilation and this is just about as good as you can get. An incredible bargain then if (by some incredible spook) you haven't got any of them.
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