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Title Paradroid 90 Game Type Shoot-em-up Company Graftgold Players 1 Compatibility All Submission angus@angusm.demon.co.uk Review Andrew Braybrook is a bit of a gaming legend. Famous for the original Paradroid and Uridium on the 64 he eventually updated them both for the Amiga. There are purists who would argue that as good as the Amiga version of Paradroid is, it pales in comparison to the 64 original, with it`s 8-way scrolling and it`s stylish, if drawn out, loading sequence. Well, I`ve had both, and I think the Amiga version is just as much fun, and you can`t escape the fact that it looks and sounds better. So what`s the game about? Well, a spaceship or more accurately a fleet of the things, have been taken over by the robots that would usually serve aboard the vessels. Your job is to control an influence device, that is beamed aboard the ships, and destroy all the rebellious robots. Initially, this seems extremely unlikely, but your appropriately named influence device is not as harmless as it seems. Although it has extremely limited firepower, the device`s main strength is it`s ability to interface with any robot and challenge it for control of it`s CPU. This takes palce in the form of a sub-game, where under timed conditions you must quickly assess the most efficient method of owning that chip. You are presented with what looks like a simple diagram of a silicon chip, on either side of which, various paths lead to different sections of the chip. You are given a specific number of "bullets" (electrical impulses) and must select which paths to "shoot" these down, so bringing more areas of the CPU chip under your control. The host robot is working from the opposite side of the chip, trying frantically to defeat your efforts. This section is complicated by the addition of various devices on some of the paths that will make your efforts more or less effective. This may sound complicated, but it`s actually very straight forward and enjoyable. Your chances are also greatly improved, if you are migrating from a fairly powerful robot, in that you start with a correspondingly greater amount of "bullets". In the main game itself, you explore various levels of the ship by using the elevators, and it`s a pleasure to come across a new area with robots busily getting along with their assigned duties in a manner that seems logical. The levels are a pleasure to behold, and as you might expect from Mr Braybrook the polish and graphic finesse is here in abundance. Touches, like the ability to access the computers with their readouts on the various robots with their specs, are more evidence of the care and detail lavished on the game. The sound is spot on, ranging from the wimpy effect of your influence devices` pathetic lasers to the meatier tones of the more impressive energy devices. For some reason, I find the music which accompanies the high scores screen to be absolutely brilliant. All in all, playable, presentable and pretty near perfect.