Robotron X

The graphics have been over-hauled thanks to polygon rendering and auto-close-up camera views. The revamped visuals are nice, but the close-ups reduce your field of fire. Robotron purists can find the original Williams Arcade's Greatest Hits, but for Robotron hunters seeking something X-tra, X marks the spot.

Robotron X is one of those games you can't really sense yourself getting better at, you just do as you put in the hours. There are 200 levels, and the difficulty settings when the speed gets going are utterly nightmarish. This won't be the game that you brought your £1,500 PC to play, but it makes Doom seem sedate, so do it anyway.

All of which makes it pretty difficult to apply a score to. The mark I've given it here is really pretty generous, when you compare it to something like Quake or Tomb Raider. That's because I'm assuming that you (yes, you) are a shoot 'em up fan, who's both familiar with the original Robotron, and curious to know how this compares. The rest of you can just turn the page and read about something else instead. Okay?

A four player network/Internet mode would have been incredible, yet the game offers only a two player where the players take turns. That aside, Robotron X allows you to choose between isometric and overhead viewpoints, uses 3D rendered, textured characters, and contains fast-paced, totally intense action. Even with the bizarre flaws, Robotron X is an addictive, utterly entertaining and just plain cool game.

A note on the game's music: Though the tunes are described as "hard-core techno soundtracks," these songs are hardly hard-core and aren't that good. Other than this minor complaint, it looks like Williams has done well to go back to its roots, because this time it has come up with a winner.

Robotron X is a good game, but it doesn’t match the intensity of the original. If the game was simply called something else, “Wipe Out all the Evil 3D Robots!” perhaps, it would have avoided the 2084 comparison and seemed like a better game. As a Robotron:2084 update though, it falls a bit flat. Of course, when you’re at the top, the only place to go is down.

Making games like this is like skating on thin ice - kind of risky. The problem can come if the enhanced version doesn't feel like the original. Robotron X is as hectic as the old game, but it's not as easy to get into as the old one was. The new graphics look great and the techno soundtrack is something I wish the original had, but something was lost in the translation - namely gameplay. My guess is that it's the simplicity that it's missing. When I don't compare Robotron X to its predecessor, it is fun to play. As mentioned, the polygon graphics look good and aren't "overdone" by way of textures and weird effects. Overall, it's a good one.

Overall, this is a solid effort that acknowledges its past and understands why its predecessor was so popular. Unlike Frogger for the PlayStation, which turns an addictive cross-the-road-or-die 1980s classic into a limp-wristed action/adventure game, Robotron X stays true to its roots.

Dazu kommt, daß einige Spielstufen unglaublich mit Gegnern überfrachtet sind. Der Schwierigkeitsgrad springt in solchen Fällen schnell von "schwer" auf "nervtötend". Allerdings gibt es im Moment kein anderes Spiel auf dem Markt, das bei mir so starke Adrenalinschübe auslöst - ein kurzzeitiger Effekt, der den einen oder anderen Energydrink leicht ersetzen kann.

Knapp am Ziel vorbeigeschossen, GT Interactive! Die uralte Spielidee war zwar noch nie ein Straßenfeger, kann inhaltlich aber dennoch mit den meisten der heutigen Spiele mithalten. Über die optische und akustische Leistung kann man sich ebenfals nicht beschweren, sogar die Geschwindigkeit gibt keinen Anlaß dazu, aber warum bloß wurde eine konfigurierbare Steuerung vergessen? So ein schönes Spiel, aber fast nicht spielbar...

An out-of-control camera swings all over the place, and gratuitous flashy effects only add to the confusion. Unlike the original Robotron, robots are continually dropped onto the screen as you play, destroying any sense of progression or accomplishment. Then there are the agonizing load times, and unimpressive "pumping techno soundtrack". And just when you thought the nightmare was ending, the game keeps inflicting "bonus" men upon you, making Robotron X feel like a never-ending ordeal.