Skramble

The Good
Scramble is an arcade game from Konami that has you shooting and bombing your way through six landscapes. Not one popular system (VIC-20, Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, BBC Micro, Amstrad CPC) received an official port, so many small companies took it upon themselves to make unofficial ports under the same name (Skramble), some of them were good, while some of them were bad.

One of these companies was Anirog Software, because why not? The company made a good effort to make the best version of Skramble. You have the attract mode, which has the title and score advance title, and Anirog’s version even has their own little diddy that plays right before the game starts.

There are six sectors to negotiate, and each one has its own challenges. In the first sector, for instance, you have rockets that may appear stationary, but lift off when you get close. The fifth sector contains narrow passages that I have trouble with. That’s how far I got into the game. I like the way you can shoot and bomb at the same time.

With their recent releases, Anirog has put the 16K expansion to good use. The graphics are hug. Skramble boasts fantastic animations as well. I like watching your ship behaving like a UFO as it moves, and your fuel gauge filling up after starting a new game or respawning after losing a life.

The Bad
The scrolling is a bit choppy

The Bottom Line
Skramble from Anirog is a version of Konami's shooter for the VIC-20, worth getting the 16K expansion for. The graphics are nothing short of excellent, as are the sound effects that accompany the game. One small gripe about Anirog's version of the game, as well as the other versions, is the choppy scrolling that goes along with it. Still, don't let that stop you from trying it out.