Persian Gulf Inferno, Amiga 500

Above par gulf game (for me anyway!)

 

Game – Persian Gulf Inferno, Magic Bytes

Released – 1989

System – Amiga 500

There are some games that you just love, it doesn’t matter how bad it may be and what everyone else thinks, you just see the good – Persian Gulf Inferno was one of those games for me.

Late in the 1980s tension was building in the Middle East, so Magic Bytes thought “let’s jump on that bandwagon and base the plot of our new game on the impending conflict” (think Desert Strike). So, the plot they came up with is based on a terrorist group high jacking an oil rig, taking hostages and arming a bomb – the aim is to kill, rescue and disarm (I’ll let you work out who to kill and rescue and what to disarm!).

 

Being an Amiga game, and from the golden age of only one fire button, the controls are pretty simple. Left and right to run, up and down to climb steps or use lifts - if you press down while moving you go a nifty forward roll.

The fire button fires your selected weapon, there are three you can find (F1, F2 & F3) and space plants an explosive charge, used to open locked doors.

You need to explore the oil rig within the 35 minute time frame to locate the bomb; you do this by searching rooms. While searching for the bomb you can also come across extra ammo and explosive charges, room or elevator keys as well as hostages who can give you clues to the bombs location

You start with the 9mm pistol

- there is also a shotgun and Uzi to find

As you progress through the rig you will occasionally come across a band of terrorists, you know this as they start screaming like a banshee when they see you. At this point it is time to let rip with whatever weapon you happen to be holding. The actual gunshot and terrorist sounds are quite well done; as is the in game music – it sets the scene nicely.

 

Who leaves live ammunition in a

unlocked room on a highly explosive

oil rig?

Now, all this sounds very promising (as I said I love this game), but it is not without its problems. Firstly, exploring the rig can get very boring – there are times when you end up running down a very long corridor only to find a dead end. The combat is also hampered by the fact that your highly trained anti-terrorist agent takes ages to turn around, if you are attacked from behind you usually take two hits before turning to face the enemies. It is just better to keep moving in one direction away from enemies behind you in order to minimise damage.

 

Cut the wrong wire when disarming

the bomb and it's game over.

One thing the game does well is build tension (the sound in particular is good at this) - as you make you way around the rig you are not aware of when you are next going to be attacked or what you might find in the next room you search. You are up against the clock so there is a need to keep moving and work to structured search pattern.

 

The difficulty curve in the game is quite balanced and with each play it does feel like you can make some more progress.

Summary

A game that I loved years ago in 1989 and still enjoy now. It will not be to everyone tastes, and some will object to the blatant stereotype used for its plot.

 

The graphics are small, but well drawn with solid animation and sound does a good job of building the tension. 

The game is not without issues, but look past those and it a solid package.

8/10

Don't agree with me? Let's be honest my review is a little bit biased! HOL has some other opinions - http://hol.abime.net/1031

Football Masters, Commodore Amiga 500

The football season is here..........well the 1991/1992 one

Game - Football Masters, ESP Software

Released - 1991

System - Commodore Amiga 500

Seeing as the new football season has started I thought I would kick off (see what I i did there!) with a review of a football management game for the Commodore Amiga. Football Masters largely went under the radar, mainly because it was mail order only. - you sent a cheque to ESP in sunny Southend and a week or so later back comes the game.

1 - 4 players could participate, each taking their turn before the matches were played. 

 Main Screen

From the main screen you could do the usual pick your team, buy/sell players (strangely you could only loan out players, not loan in), look at league tables and cup competitions, etc. All the players from the 1991 - 1992 season are present (I think so anyway). What made this game great for me was the speed you could rattle through a season. I can remember sitting through the night doing four seasons worth! Now, some may think that this means the game is shallow - and they would be right! The truth is this shallowness makes the game super playable. Modern football manager games have so many options it just takes out the fun, it takes half and hour just to pick a team in Football Manager 2012. I'm a busy man with a wife, two cats and half finished house - half an hour is all I get in most weeks to sit a play a game and in that time I want to feel like I have achieved something!

 

The Match Screen - these take no longer than one minute to

 play; so I still have time to paint the kitchen afterwards!

Once you have picked your team it's off to the match screen. This is literally a background showing some terraces and a clock that counts rapidly to 90 minutes. Every now and again a caption will inform you of a booking or injury and if you are lucky a goal - accompanied by a roar from the crowd. You can also make substitutions using the right mouse button.

Trying to sign the Mighty Quinn!

Following each match you get run down of all the results and league tables (you can customise which leagues you want to see). Then it is back to the main screen for the next round of matches.

Overall

It's a simple footy management game, but its simplicity makes it a winner for me. Matches come thick and fast and so after a few minutes you do get sense that have established yourself at you chosen club.

There are some strange omissions - like not being able to loan in players. The match screen could also do with a little more detail to help feedback what is gong on.

A game I recommend you try if your into football management sims. It's not up there with Championship Manager 93 - but then nothing is!

8/10