The latest in a
long line of bash 'n' slash
simulations to hit the TV
screen. This time it's
Samurai
Trilogy from Gremlin Graphics.
It's been out on the
Commodore for some time but
now Speccy users have the
dubious honour of sampling
the delights of Eastern
promise. Frankly I'm surprised
that the Samurai legend has
never been chosen before for
conversion to computer, the
oriental tough guy image is
perfect for a realistic punch 'em
up. Unfortunately you have to
wade through an ordinary
Karate sim, and a Kendo
adaptation to get to the
Samurai fight itself - but it's
worth waiting for.
The program begins with a
smart front end which leads to
the language selection bit. Try
Deutsch just for a giggle! Then
you have to choose whether to
practice or fight in one of three
martial arts. But now comes
the dreaded multi-load system
that takes a lot of the
addictivity out of the game.
Each event has to be loaded
separately, so be prepared to
wait a while. Before each fight
you have the chance to
assess, though it's only guess
work, your opponent's key
attributes, and adjust your own
accordingly. There's a long list
of opponents to choose from,
but selecting weaker chaps will
lose you favour points from
your trainer, Chu Yu.
(Same to
you! Ed)
Unce a selection has been
made, you begin your training
program by selecting three of
the twelve fitness routines.
These include Meditation,
Sparring and Reflex training.
It's a pity that you only get to
choose the routine and not to
actually watch it! Next your
fight tactics have to be chosen.
Distribute five given points
between four defence tactics,
then do the same for attack.
After all this messing about
it's time to begin combat. To
reach the position of Samurai
Warrior, several opponents in
each of the three events must
be fully defeated. A program
such as this stands or falls by
the quality of the animation,
and I am afraid that Samurai is
a touch too slow and jerky for
my taste. But the chunky size
of the well drawn characters
and the natty oriental
backdrops lend a touch of
class to this otherwise ordinary
slash 'n' hack game. Me? I'll
stick to
Barbarian
| Ratings given by other magazines |
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5/10
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5/10
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| Info supplied by the SPOT*ON database |
