Amiga

Gridrunner

One day, a man with a rather bad cold walked into a computer shop somewhere in England and bought a Vic 20. This man was called Jeff Minter, and this is not his story. Instead, it is a story what he has created, his favourite animals and some of the best rock music ever recorded. In other words, it is about computer games, llamas and Pink Floyd.

Your ship is based within the lower half of the screen, with the alien scum flying down from all angles. However, even with 64 levels - the first 32 are directly accessible from the menu screen - the game is just a simple Centipede game. There's little variation, but the usual Minter presentation and amazing speed just about keep the game above water.

The action itself is fast and frantic, so despite its age, Grid Runner provides an enjoyable couple of days’ blasting. The only fault is the sound. There is no music to speak of, and the effects are just obligatory beeps, whizzes and crunches. Not too good considering the power of the machine. Whinge aside, the game is – as pop hero Alan Freeman would say – ‘A classic blast from the past pop-pickers!’

Super Gridrunner is a typical Minter shoot 'em up, and in many ways is a return to the days of Space Invaders. The main difference is that you get a detachable nose-cone, which can be used as a second laser gun. Newcomers would be well advised to give it a test run. As for everybody else, if you like Minter's other games you'll probably go for this, and vice versa. I can't say I'm over-enthused about it myself, but don't let that put you off.

Grid Runner is a fast and furious shoot 'em up, but it doesn't seem as playable as his last game Photon Storm. Little thought has gone into the game when converting it from the ST to the Amiga, and I felt that more colours could have been used. However, for its low price, Super Grid Runner offers good blasting action - if only for a while.