Marauder

Year of release: 1988
Publisher: Hewson Consultants Ltd (UK)
Producer/Author(s): Arcanum Software Developments (Casey Bee Games, Rory Green, J. Dave Rogers)

Listed on: WorldOfSpectrum

Controls:
O - Left
P - Right
Q - Up
A - Down
M - Fire
Space - Smart bomb

SCENARIO
In aeons past a cruel and despotic civilisation stole the Jewels of Ozymandias and buried them deep beneath the multiple defences on the planet Mergatron where they have remained pulsating strangely to the present day.

Now with the crude civilisation long decayed and cracked the creaking auto-defences of Mergatron swept low with the sands of time wind thunderously into action at any hint of intrusion. And you, Captain C. T. Cobra with your lone Marauder Battlecar are determined to retrieve the Jewels from eternity's remorseless grip.

Airborne drones scream low overhead, their bouncing bombs pitching and blasting. The desert sand kicks in your face as your Marauder skids squat and ugly, its massive laser cannon crash-firing the defences to oblivion. Spinning eyepods close you down and electro-hoverers spit fire as seeker missiles shudder over the horizon. Wheels spin and screech as your Battlecar heaves to confront the pursuers.

With energy levels dropping you scan desperately beyond the aliens. You spot a distant weapon beacon. Can you battle to the beacon to recharge your besieged craft?

GAMEPLAY
Manoeuvre your Battlecar through each zone destroying as many of the defence systems as you can while avoiding the flak from the Atomic disruptors and Molotov cocktails and dodging deadly winder missiles and other destructive devices. You start the game with 3 smart bombs which are activated by pressing the space bar.

Along the way you will come across the glowing defence beacons which when shot will either help or hinder your progress depending on the colour they are when hit. The colours are:

RED: Extra smart bomb - destroys all ships on the screen
YELLOW: Shields - your ship is invincible for 10 seconds
CYAN: Win a life
BLUE: Control reversal
PURPLE: Lose a life
GREEN: Laser jammed - you are defenceless for 10 seconds

At the end of each level the defences throw everything they've got at you. It you survive you are transported to the next zone.