Your move, ED
The future of law enforcement arrives simultaneously on video and Spectrum with some pretty slick effects for both. The film begins with OmniConsumer Products (OCP) backing a big, walker-like droid called ED209 as the ultimate cop. But when a malfunction results in it accidentally machine-gunning someone an alternative project is proposed - a cyborg mix of cop and machine called RoboCop. The first cop to be murdered while on duty is Murphy and OCP rebuild him, Frankenstein fashion.
The computer game is composed of three loads (one for 128K owners) and opens with RoboCop on the beat of a horizontally-scrolling section, shooting snipers looking down on him, kung fu kicking villains and chainsaw psychos. RoboCop starts off with four lives and an energy level, the latter can be replenished by collecting baby food jars. Ammunition is strictly limited as well but there are extra magazines lying around, as well as three special weapons. If all the bullets are exhausted then RoboCop can use his fists, if they fail and he dies he goes back to the start of the section.
While on patrol RoboCop is called to the scene of an assault where a woman is being held hostage. Switching to a first-person perspective you must shoot the criminal without hitting the woman. As on all the sections there's a time limit and a life is lost if you exceed it. After that it's back on patrol in a different part of time with bikers coming after you. Here you also encounter Emil, one of Murphy's murderers, hiding out at a petrol station.
Meeting Emil awakens memories in the cyborg that was once Murphy and RoboCop goes to the police's photofit library in load two. Eyes, ears, chin, nose and hairstyle must be matched to the picture on the left - not easy in the time limit. Once Emil has been identified information is provided leading RoboCop to a Drugs Factory (Issue 58's demo tape). Another horizontally scrolling section, this ends with RoboCop learning the leader of the gang which killed him - Clarence Botticker - was employed by an OCP executive. RoboCop heads for the OCP tower and is attacked by ED209. Survive that and load three has you desperately trying to escape the tower in a horizontally/vertically scrolling section. If you do escape then it's on to the junkyard, where Murphy was killed, for a confrontation with Clarence. Kill him and you must then rescue the president of OCP who's being held hostage by the executive who employed Clarence.
The first thing that strikes you about RoboCop is the character's animation which is probably the best ever seen on the Spectrum - it really is that good. Scrolling is perfectly smooth and sound is great, with sampled speech saying 'RoboCop'. Playability, as far as we've got, is great. Going back to the start of sections is frustrating, as is the ammunition limit, but since the enemies always follow the same patterns this forces you to get really good. Other sections, such as the ID stage, are surprisingly effective as well, making this an instant Spectrum classic.
STUART ... 94%
Producer: Ocean
Spare parts: £8.95 cass £14.95 disk
Author: Mike Lamb and Dawn Drake
