The BBC and Master Computer Public Domain Library

COPS N ROBBERS

Professional, Originally Released On Cassette Only

Game Type          : Arcade; Platform Style

Author             :

Standalone Release(s)   : 1990: COPS N ROBBERS, Atlantis, £1.99

Compilation Release(s)   : None

Stated compatibility    : BBC/Electron Dual Version

Actual compatibility    : Electron, BBC B, B+ and Master 128

Supplier            : ATLANTIS, 28 Station Road, LONDON SE25 5AG

Disc compatibility     : Unknown

Instructions

"Light Fingers Lonegan is robbing the Acme Diamond Company, the world's largest supplier of uncut gems. The police are inside the office block, slowly combing each floor. Can 'Fingers' find all the diamonds and get back to his car or will he run out of ammunition and end up in jail?"

Search the Acme Diamond Company and steal the fortune in un-cut diamonds that are kept there. Many of the diamonds are in the mines, but there is a rumour that the mines are haunted. Unfortunately you have set off the automatic burgular alarm and the police are now searching the building.

You have a limited supply of bullets for your .45 Magnum, so use them sparingly. Can you get the diamonds back to your car and collect more bullets? Can you find the combination to the safe? Will you be captured or even worse, killed?

Game Controls

Z - Left,   X - Right,   * - Up,   ? - Down,   <SPACE> - Fire/Start

<COPY>/<DELETE> - Pause/Continue,   <ESCAPE> - Quit Game

<RETURN> to change Sound Effects Option on Title Screen.

Instructions' Source   : COPS N ROBBERS (Atlantis) Inner Inlay

Review (Electron User) - "Dodgy Scenario"

The latest budget release from Atlantis features Light Fingers Lonegan who is raiding the headquarters of the Acme Diamond Company. He has set off the alarm system, which means the whole building is swarming with police. Lonegan must try to find all the diamonds, open the safe and escape to his car.

Points are scored for collecting diamonds. These gems look suspiciously like an asterisk symbol and may be coloured blue or green. I had to guess they were meant to be the jewels.

Additional points are scored for shooting policemen. Lonegan is armed with a 0.45 Magnum. His poor carrying capacity necessitates frequent trips back to the getaway car.

If Lonegan makes the trip to the cellar, the policemen are replaced by ghosts. They are hell-bent on tracking down the villain, but are armed only with truncheons, which means they must get close to Fingers to be able to haul him off to jail.

The other activity Lonegan must attempt is safe breaking. This involves finding a three number code by guesswork. The numbers on the safe change in response to a prod from the robber's nose. I have not yet cracked the combination.

The graphics aren't really up to par, even for software at this price. The sprites are simple and undergo a soft of jerky animation, but the overall speed of movement is quite good. The scenery that supports the action can probably best be described as plain or perhaps boring.

I find this game wholly inappropriate. It strikes me as abhorrent that success is measured by the ability to shoot policemen or steal diamonds. It should have been given a fantasy setting where the nasties which must be shot are not recognisable as creatures from the Earth.

COPS AND ROBBERS was never destined to be a blockbuster. As it stands it surely must be given a miss.

Sound ........................... 5

Graphics ........................ 5

Playability ..................... 7

Value for money ................. 4

Overall ......................... 4

Rog Frost, ELECTRON USER 5. 3 (Jan 1988)