Comando Tracer

STORY / GAMEPLAY
The year is 2046 and the Intelligent Android Industry (M.O.X.A.T.) created a revolutionary artificial intelligence device based on human thoughts(!) But the new system was going to prove a catastrophe for mankind as it spread throughout the XATOR confederation of (three) planets, sowing death and desolation to their inhabitants. Fortunately, M.O.X.A.T. hid high-power explosive charges in five specific spots on each planet and now the time has come to detonate them and get rid of those deadly, intelligent machines, once and for all. Your mission is to fly with your spaceship onto these planets, search for scattered ionic batteries (colored in green, red, white) and place them in a specific order to those detonators so that to trigger the explosive charges. When all the devices are activated, you must find the exit platform (hint: it is a launch platform actually) before they explode! The mission is not easy though, as there are plenty of nasties swarming the screen and there is no attack pattern to memorize as those deadly machines will attack you in different numbers and forms, from any direction. But this is quite common in Dynamics' games, isn't it? Also, time matters as there is a specific time limit to do the job, otherwise you will be destroyed and the game will be over. Fortunately there are a few clocks to be collected that will pause time as well as some energy pods to replenish your health. The controls are satisfactory, although the speed of the game and the small gameplay area make things quite a challenge. Other than that, Comando Tracer is a joy to play as long as you master weapon handling and avoid the enemy projectiles.

GRAPHICS / SOUND
The graphics are, without a doubt, the most impressive part of the game for the CPC. Apart from being amazingly colorful, with 16 colors on-screen, and intricately detailed, they're also superbly fast and smooth. Each of the three planets has its own settings (actually, this is realized with a different static backdrop setting) and gameplay scrolls only on the foreground to give you the sense of speed which is actually quite fast and smooth. The sound and music are similarly good with some solid gunshots and explosions fulfilling their purpose, while there is also a nicely composed main-menu tune.