Phantomas 2


by Alfonso Azpiri, Emilio Pablo Salgueiro Torrado, Nigel Fletcher, Santiago Morga B., Snatcho
Dinamic Software
1986
Your Sinclair Issue 12, Dec 1986   page(s) 65

Codemasters
£1.99

It is a bird? Is it a plane? It is Superman? No, it's Brok the Brave doing the old two footed jumps and flying through the air as if he was on sky hooks.

You play the unfortunate Brok the Brave, who, apart from his ability to jump proportionally higher than a flea, hasn't got a lot going for him. For poor old Brok was trapped within the high security planet Hawkland until some bright spark offered him this job. So off he was packed to Earth where his task was to free the planet from the terrors of Dracula. A strange mixmatch, methinks. Still, well give them the benefit of the doubt, huh?

Okay, so you've got to find three keys while avoiding the nasties. Hang on, hang on, before you go any further - haven't we covered this plot somewhere else? You also get the standard bonus points for collecting anything and everything that flashes. Corny, I know, but if it flashes the masses know what's going on.

Well, compared to other platform games it matches up quite well, and it's difficult enough to keep interest going. The only thing it really lacks is any new creative ideas.


Graphics: 5/10
Playability: 4/10
Value For Money: 4/10
Addictiveness: 5/10
Overall: 5/10

Transcript by Chris Bourne

Your Sinclair Issue 18, Jun 1987   page(s) 93

Code Masters
£1.99

Code Masters' one-company campaign to revitalise the platform game has certainly had its moments, but this ain't one of them. Vampire's another attempt at the Dracula legend, but this time transferred lock stock and laser bolts to the 30th century when the thirsty Count has somehow managed to take over the world. You are Brok the Brave, as played by Peter Cushing, I imagine. Dumped in the counts castle it's up to you to fight past all the various nasties, pick up crucial objects like keys, crosses and stakes, and finally knock off Dracula to save the world. All fine and dandy, except that to do this you have to play a multi-screener of stultifying boredom and breathtaking unoriginality. It's slow, flickery and prone to crash at any moment, and everything about it is at best third-hand - the sprites, the gameplay, the screens, the lot.

So my main question is, what is Vampire doing in the charts at number 10 this month? Has the world gone mad? Code Masters can do so much better - so why is it bunging out tat like this? Count Drac would turn in his grave.


Graphics: 4/10
Playability: 3/10
Value For Money: 5/10
Addictiveness: 3/10
Overall: 4/10

Transcript by Chris Bourne

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