http://www.zhell.co.uk
http://zhell.atari.org
Amstrad
Atari
Sinclair
Atari and Atari logo is copyright of Atari/Infogrames.
All other copyrights recognised.
Atari Lynx Games
Batman Returns
Bundled with
the Lynx after it was released, Batman Returns is based, in a loose platform
type way, on the film of the same name. Graphically its attractive with
large well drawn sprites. Sound is also good with a reasonable selection
of tunes accompanying each level. The playability of the game lets it
down though. The first level is a perfectly good platform/ beat em up
affair, but the second level (which interestingly enough I've never got
past) is annoying to say the least. This is mainly due to the fact the
level takes place over rooftops: If you fall into of the gaps between
the houses, which the baddies have a nasty habit of making you do then
you die. This wouldn't be so bad if you had a couple of lives, but no
Batman gets one life, and therefore the game ends and you have to start
from the beginning (I'm not sounding bitter here am I?).
This ruins what would otherwise be a pretty good little game.
Zogging Hell Rating: 6/10
Double Dragon
Review Pending
Zogging Hell Rating: Pending
Gates of Zendocon
The background story to this game is so appalling that I almost decided to mark the game down purely because of the awful piffall that the authors had written. But then I realised that this was a sideways scrolling shoot em up and the plot really doesn't matter. R-Type was not a game re-nowned for it's excellent plot and neither was Menace. Gates of Zendocon is a rather good little shooter as it turns out, and will keep you blasting for what seems like forever. The graphics are excellent and the sound is passable. The strap on weapons (one of the most important factors in this type of game), however, are a bit poo, and the game does feel a little samey after a while. Gates is, however one of the best Lynx titles you can buy, so snap it up.
Zogging Hell Rating: 9/10
Joust
Joust is one of those games that your either going to love or hate. It's one of those bizarre early Golden era games that amazed early gamers. Basically you ride a large ostrich and have to knock the riders of other, slightly different coloured, ostriches off their mounts. This is achieved by flapping your wings to get higher than your opponent before you hit them. It's a 2D single screen platform affair, with no real comparison available. The graphics are functional at best and the sound is almost non-existant. It's gameplay is pretty much intact though and if you enjoy sometimes infuriating, little games then this may be for you.
Zogging Hell Rating: 8/10
Klax
Klax is one of those Tetris wannabee's that seem to be everywhere on the handhelds. To be fair Klax is one of the better examples however and although it's not as good as Tetris or Bust-a-move it comes a respectible second. The only annoying thing about the game is that it use's the Lynx's screen sideways, so you have to hold the Lynx in a painful vertical position. The sound on Klax is a joy with hideous amounts of sampled speech. Klax also has clear and colourful graphics. Jolly good stuff.
Zogging Hell Rating: 8/10
Ninja Gaiden 3
Ah yes, the first Ninja Gaiden on the Lynx was hailed as a classic conversion of the rather good, Streets of Rage style, coin up and the also pleasant Shadow Warriors home computer version. Ninja Gaiden 3 unfortuantly bears no resemblance what-so-ever to the original. Instead it is a rather rubbish Shinobi sideways scroller, with appalling 8-bit graphics. Though the intro is quite good, the graphics are dreadful throughout the rest of the game, bearly viewable in all but a very light room. The sound is infinitely forgetable, which makes it the same as the dull (yawn) gameplay. If someone with a Speccy or an Amstrad had brought this he would have thought it was a bit average, on the Lynx it's just a bit crap.
Zogging Hell Rating: 5/10
Shadow of the Beast
Why did 16 bit platformer programmers insist on making their games so hard? Shadow of Beast is a perfect example of how the programmers must have been some kind of gaming genius's (or else they didn't really playtest their games at all). It's immensely difficult. This is a shame as graphically and sonically its a dream. Maybe I'm just rubbish at platformers?
Zogging Hell Rating: 7/10
Steel Talons
Blimey. That's what your say on your first play of Steel Talons. You won't have read the manual, stuck in the cart and had a quick twiddle. The blimey comes when you see it looks a bit like one of those 16bit Flight Simulator games, like F16 Combat Pilot and Falcon. You know those sort of games where unless you've read the manual thoroughly, you won't even be able to find the right key that turns the engine on, let alone take off. If you do read the manual however you will see that Steel Talons is much simpler, and is just the plain guts of a 3D combat helicopter game. No faffing about with throttle levels here, just point your nose down and off she goes. Basically theres a map, right, and it shows your little helicopter and where the targets you must destroy are. All you have to do is fly to them and let 'em have it with your cannon, rockets and homing missiles. Simple eh? Well no actually Mr Smarty Pants. The enemy has planes and helicopters that can take off and cause you a real headache. Flying low can reduce your chances of being hit by these but increases your chances of being hit by ground fire; or the ground; or both. Steel Talons is without a doubt an absolute corker, don't be put off by the at first very plain looking graphics. They move amazingly and the gameplay is intense. Excellent sampled speech round up what is to me the best Lynx title I've played.
Zogging Hell Rating: 9/10