Mastertronic
Cassette
£1.99
1 player
1 joystick/keyboard
Tactical war simulations are enjoyed by a small but
growing number of dedicated followers who rejoice over titles such
as 'Tigers in the snow' and 'War in Russia'. Exorbitant American
price tags have prohibited their widespread popularity in the past,
but Mastertronic have now enabled a much wider audience to
scrutinize the wargame concept with the release of INVASION, set on
a planet inhabited by alien beings whose plan is to invade Britain.
Can you prevent them from going ahead?
You have sole responsibility for Britain's defences,
commanding several military outfits including 'radar' and
'explosive' units. Destroying a weather station is your main
objective, and this is accomplished by situating three explosive
units in adjacent positions next to the station. Alien units counter
your every move so constant monitoring of all developments is
necessary to establish what is happening. Instructions are issued to
the units by means of a cursor, and the computer automatically
handles the move and determines the outcome of combat.
Damage to a unit may be partially repaired by utilizing fuel cells,
and a 'teleprinter' provides updates of the current situation.
Status reports can be optionally displayed and other facilities
include game save, 'explode unit' and 'move cursor to next
stationary unit'. Points are awarded for disabling the weather
station and alien ships, with bonus points given for eliminated
alien units and human units remaining intact.
Graphically INVASION is a bit of let down. The battle area is pretty
drab and uninspiring, scrolling is not at all like the smooth and
effortless movement to be found in 'Eastern Front' but extremely
jerky, and the display is generally lacking in detail and
professionalism.
It's worth checking out if you are prepared to put some effort into
gameplay. War simulations are by no means light entertainment and
anyone buying the game without prior knowledge of the format could
be in for disappointment. Seasoned war tacticians should find it a
worthwhile challenge.
top
