Andrew Fisher (706) on 3/28/2023 9:53 PM · Reply · Permalink · Report

I guess for most of the '80s, DOS ports of arcade games were among the worst sometimes even C64 games were better. I saw DOS Menace at Computer Village in 1990 for $33 and wanted to get it, but looking at the screenshots on the back, it was hard to picture such an arcadey looking game running on my old PC. Well not only would the game not have run on my computer, but the screenshots were of the vastly superior Amiga game, yet more false advertising I've discovered. The Amiga game is OK, there's only one stage music, but it's a pretty rocking background. The stages have a have a creepy, biological atmosphere like R-Type, Darius or Aleste/Power Strike. The power-up system is interesting, first you have to destroy an entire wave of enemies, common to shoot-'em ups, but then you can shoot the power-up to alter it to one of seven choices, though of course your choosing time is limited, you have to shoot the last of the wave when they're on the far side of the screen, then you'll have enough time to shoot the power-up into choice seven, which completely restores your shields (instead of lives you have a shields bar).