Zombie
Apocalypse
Shiuming Lai
goes beast busting
A
crunchy and delicious YM chip tune accompanies the STAX
loading
screen of this game, originally released 11
years ago on the Amiga, by New Zealand based
Vision Software, which also released the frenetic
Defender-esque Cybernetix for the ST. It arrives
on the ST this year missing Hallowe'en by a
few days. Still, a new game to play is always
nice, isn't it?
The chip music
stops abruptly then the title screen comes
up, the graphics are of a high quality
and we get some slightly fuzzy digital music
that is rather more creepy and tense.
![[Screen-shot: Zombie Apocalypse title screen]](images/zombie1.gif)
Any
notion of scariness is quickly dismissed in
the first level. The music changes back to a
chip tune in the same style as the loading music,
and it's not technically bad, but doesn't seem
to suit the game subject. I can imagine it playing
in the background of a disk magazine menu, it's
too jolly for blowing the guts out of monsters!
The screen looks like it might scroll or the
baddies might come towards you, but they are
simply lined up across the static screen, waving
their arms and occasionally lobbing grenades
at you. Every few seconds, a confused looking
guy in a blue suit runs like a headless chicken from one side of the
screen to the other. He has to be shot as well
otherwise you lose energy.
This
is like a simplified version of the STE game,
Operation Garfield, itself a parody of Operation
Wolf. You shoot anything that moves, making
sure to keep your ammo topped up, and you can
lob grenades back at the opposition when the
going gets tough, it acts like a smart bomb.
Control is entirely by mouse, moving the cross-hair
to aim and the buttons to pump lead and launch
grenades.
![[Screen-shot: Level 1]](images/zombie2.gif)
![[Screen-shot: Level 2]](images/zombie3.gif)
The
graphics are generally average, nothing that
even mildly stretches the ST, in fact it's plain
to see it has lost a bit in the translation
to 16 colours. The sprites especially look a
little pasty, though I suppose your common garden
zombie doesn't usually have a rich complexion!
I
find the mouse tracking a little coarse, and
perhaps a tad sensitive (but that could just
be me, getting old). If it tracked exactly like
it does on the GEM desktop, I'd rule this game!
![[Screen-shot: Level 4]](images/zombie4.gif)
![[Screen-shot: Level 7]](images/zombie5.gif)
![[Screen-shot: High score table]](images/zombie6.gif)
When
the energy bar at the top-right of the screen
is depleted, it's game over. Unfortunately,
while you can replenish your weapons, the same
cannot be done for your health. This would be a
great game to play
at conventions, easy to pick up and instant
gratification. I only wish for more suitable
music and some sampled screams, explosions and
gun-fire.
I
don't quite understand why this game (supplied
in MSA format) unarchives to bootable disk form,
and not just a file so it can be installed
on hard disk. Apart from all that, it's good
for a quick blast from time to time.
shiuming@myatari.net
Verdict
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Name:
|
Zombie
Apocalypse
|
Author:
|
Bod
of Stax
|
Requires:
|
ST/STE
with 1 MB or higher
|
Price:
|
Freeware
|
Pros:
|
|
Cons:
|
-
Game
design could
have been enhanced
for this conversion.
|
Rating:
|
|
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