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	Mega-Bucks (Firebird, 1986) Professor Maxibillion III has passed away, and his American nephew, Rock Carrington, is set to inherit $1 billion – but he won't see one cent of it unless he solves a lot of puzzles and finds all the pieces of the professor's will. This graphic adventure starts with Rock standing outside the professor's mansion. There are many objects to be found, and a system of windows and icons is used to pick them up, drop them and use them. Although the graphics and sound effects are nothing special, the adventure is very easy to get into once you've deactivated the mansion's alarm system; fortunately, the Professor has left a notebook containing lots of subtle clues. It's not the most taxing of adventures, but it is a lot of fun to play. More information on CPCSOFTS 8
	Meganova (Dinamic, 1988) I'm afraid I don't know what the story behind this one is, but I'm sure there's an evil alien baddie who's going to take over the galaxy in there somewhere. It's a standard horizontally scrolling shoot-'em-up, but despite the pretty good graphics and a sweet tune on the menu screen, the game is very difficult; I cannot get past the first level. The playing area is too small, and there are so many alien formations that it's easy to forget what's coming next. There are also a lot of other obstacles which get in your way. More information on CPCSOFTS 6
	Megaphoenix (Dinamic, 1991) This is a Galaxian clone that really isn't very good at all. The aliens that you'll meet include bog-standard spaceships and eggs that mutate into bat-like creatures, and by the fifth wave, you come face to face with the Megaphoenix itself – and it's rather nasty. The graphics are impressive and the techno music is quite marvellous, but getting past the first two waves seems to be a matter of luck, which isn't fair. The shield you get is nearly useless, too. More information on CPCSOFTS 4
	Megawar (Genesis, 1990) Get into a spaceship and blast lots of aliens in a quest to save the whole galaxy. This is a standard vertically scrolling space shoot-'em-up – nothing that you haven't seen before. It's a matter of learning the formations and how best to deal with them, as well as the much larger aliens at the end of each level. The graphics are marvellous, although the music and sound effects aren't so impressive. As shoot-'em-ups go, it's not that bad, although there are only four levels, and power-ups are few and far between. More information on CPCSOFTS 7
	Mercs (US Gold, 1991) A former US president has been kidnapped while touring central Africa, but instead of sending in an army, the American government has chosen an élite group of mercenaries headed by yourself to rescue him. You must shoot and blast your way through eight levels of non-stop mayhem as soldiers fire at you from all sides. It's a fairly standard shoot-'em-up, but a rather good one. There are lots of weapons to be collected, and there's a good variety of end-of-level opponents to be blown apart as well. The graphics are clear and colourful, the music is OK (but not brilliant), and the difficulty level is just about perfectly set. This is a game that is well worth checking out. More information on CPCSOFTS 8
	Merlin (Bretagne Edit' Presse, 1987) Reviewed by Pug In Merlin, you are tasked with collecting all the sacred objects that have been scattered among various screens. Each screen is essentially a small, maze-like layout that contains a few of these items. The solitary guardian found on each screen that chases you can pass through all matter – very frustrating at times. There are no weapons or spells to combat this threat, and frustration will gradually increase. The graphics are colourful, but the two sprites on screen do have a wooden look when moving around. This game is a very poor rip-off of Sorcery that looks and feels like a type-in listing. More information on CPCSOFTS 3
	Mermaid Madness (Electric Dreams, 1986) Myrtle isn't a typical gorgeous, sexy mermaid; she's a tubby, overweight mermaid and has seen Gormless Gordon the diver. Unfortunately for Myrtle, Gordon doesn't want to marry her and runs into the sea, with Myrtle chasing him. However, Gordon becomes stuck underwater and as Myrtle, you only have a short time to find him and rescue him. This is an arcade adventure where you collect objects and use them to access other areas of the map. While the graphics are great and have a nice cartoon feel, and the music is also atmospheric, the gameplay is frustrating – Myrtle can be difficult to control, and it's far too easy to get stuck together with one of the many sea creatures and lose a lot of your energy. More information on CPCSOFTS 6
	Metal Army (Players, 1988) General Ironside and his Metal Army have infiltrated Slough nuclear power station, planted a bomb in it, and threatened to blow it up. As Harry Chainsaw (nice name), you have to deactivate the bomb, but the Metal Army are going to make this rather difficult for you, and because they've wrecked some parts of the station, you also have to dodge the leaks of toxic coolant gas. You'll need to collect the green cards which are lying about in order to open some doors, including the ones to the room where the bomb is stored. It's standard platform fare, and frustrating as well; although you have nine lives, they are quickly lost, and getting out of the first room takes some practice. The graphics are colourful, but it's a shame that the game is so difficult. More information on CPCSOFTS 6
	Metalyx (Alternative, 1987) Asteroids has always been a classic game, and this is a simple remake of it, although apart from the graphics, nothing new has been added to it. The aim is simply to blast all the meteors off the screen, but when you shoot a meteor, it splits into two more meteors, and these meteors will also split into two meteors, so there will be problems if you shoot randomly! Your spaceship is also difficult to control, and getting out of a tricky situation where a barrage of meteors is heading your way requires some skill. However, there's nothing exciting about this game; the screen is far too small, there is only one (yes, one) sound effect, and you can't shoot accurately. More information on CPCSOFTS 4
	Metaplex (Addictive, 1988) Inside an asteroid is a labyrinthine complex known as Metaplex, where the evil Garth is planning to destroy Earth. You must assassinate Garth, but first you must weaken him by dropping acid on four power units scattered around the complex. You must first find a flask, then find the tank of acid so you can fill the flask before you can destroy a power unit. The complex contains numerous aliens which will deplete the shield of your craft; if your shield runs out then you must find a new craft. There are also security control units which will activate or disable certain doors and barriers, but there are so many combinations that it needlessly makes the game more complicated than it should be. The graphics are relatively poor, and the size of the labyrinth makes this a tedious, run-of-the-mill game. More information on CPCSOFTS 5

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